Combat with stacks bugged?

from Stardock Forums
I have a stack of 4 combat transports and 4 or 5 dreadnaughts. I ship them off a couple sectors away in a vain attempt to cripple the Yor's ability to send ships to harass my main system (meaning I want to reduce their ship range). On the way to the Yor's system, I get constantly attacked by random dreadnaughts out of nowhere (I wonder how they knew I was there?). The thing I don't understand is a single dreadnaught attack on my stack of ships ended up killing 2-3 ships at once, with one attack animation. Is this right? Shouldn't the dreadnaughts attack just claim the top ship in the stack?

Also It seems to me that a stack of warships should have a huge advantage against a lone dreadnaught. I notice the AI never stacks its ships, I assume because it doesn't do any good what-so-ever. I would really like to see some sort of defensive/offensive bonus for stacked ships ..

Defense seems pretty weak in this game,I always have a hard time keeping ships alive due to the apparent advantage the attacker always has. The AI is great at swooping suddenly out of a sector and smashing a critical starbase. I dont understand why I can't set my ships up to autointercept them. The starbase improvements are all very stilted to increasing your ships offensive capabilities. Considering the enemy always gets to attack first, it seems the bonuses should be stacked the other way.
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Reply #1 from Stardock Forums Top
"I always have a hard time keeping ships alive due to the apparent advantage the attacker always has"

Attack first, then. Also, defenders don't belong in open space, they belong in orbit of your systems or SBs, where they get powerful defensive bonuses that make it much harder to attack.

"The AI is great at swooping suddenly out of a sector and smashing a critical starbase."

Have you considered placing Sensor Drones in the nearby sectors to increase your sensor range, so you don't get surprised? How about adding extra defensive modules to your SB, or defending it with some ships? If you're leaving your key SBs weak and undefended, it's not the AI's problem that they're getting smashed. :)

"Considering the enemy always gets to attack first"

Since when? You have just as many movement points as they do... position your fleet so you win the initiative.

- Ash

~SDC~
Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top
Actually in one instance I did attack, I sent a nice flotilla of dreads out to take a system and lost most of them on the way to ships that flew out of nowhere and sniped at me.

I think you have a good point about sensors in general, it must be that the Yor in this game have a sensor advantage because they know where my ships are starbases are at all times. My race is customized, and I don't have a sensor bonus either. The sensor drone idea is a good one, I just don't think they would have lasted very long with Yor dreadnaughts everywhere!

And yes I ended up trying harder to protect starbases with ships, but it seems slightly off-kilter than I can have 12 dreadnaughts in a system and there is no way to 'intercept' an attacker. I suppose it is up to me to do the intercepting manually. Again, sensors would probably help a ton.
Ashes of the Singularity II
Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top
try to get the "gravity accelerator" trade good early on in the game. the +2 movement advantage will give you a huge edge in combat. as for sensors, stack a sensor drone into your fleets and you'll be able to see them coming.

cheers

h
Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top
The Eyes of the Universe also give a HUGE boost in sensor range. One scout will reveal several screens worth of fog of war.