Topic: Fed strategies needed

[Roychipoqua_Mace]

It's been a while, but when I have some free time soon, I'm thinking that I'd like to compile another tactics guide. The Feds have a few guides, but they aren't all that comprehensive, so I think they should be the next up.

The problem is that I'm not a real Federation pilot, so anything -- odd thoughts, links, favorite ships, anti-[insert race here] strategies, etc. -- would be very useful. Ideally, I would be organizing old posts and ideas into something central and easy-to-read rather than writing something completely new.

Thanks in advance!

[FoaS_XC]

I don't fly fed as well as I do Roms and in either case, not very well, so take it with a grain of salt.

Keep your ECM/ECCM panel open as much as you can. Keep a hair-trigger finger on pumping ECCM - any enemy worth their weight in spit will pump ECM and as soon as you match it will drop it so that you burn energy on ECCM, not realizing its got no ECM to counter.

I don't use Normal photorps unless I'm in a pinch - its either Proxies or Overloads. Proxies for standoff engagements, Overloads for the heavy hits.

Best I've got

[Roychipoqua_Mace]

I don't fly fed as well as I do Roms and in either case, not very well, so take it with a grain of salt.

Keep your ECM/ECCM panel open as much as you can. Keep a hair-trigger finger on pumping ECCM - any enemy worth their weight in spit will pump ECM and as soon as you match it will drop it so that you burn energy on ECCM, not realizing its got no ECM to counter.

I don't use Normal photorps unless I'm in a pinch - its either Proxies or Overloads. Proxies for standoff engagements, Overloads for the heavy hits.

Best I've got

Thanks, these are sound tips. I agree that Feds are difficult (IMO definitely tied for the hardest of races to fly well), and it doesn't help that there are a lot of contradicting opinions out there on all of the Fed intricacies.

[FoaS_XC]

Welcome to the most nuanced game I've ever played.

[Nemesis]

A few tips:

Your advantages:  Strong Alpha Strike.  Good all around shields.  Above average in durability.  Good power curve (but not great).  Average maneuverabilty. Faster torpedo cycling than Plasma races.

Weaknesses:  Rear firing weapons limited until upgrades arrive.  Point defense limited until ADD and DroneG arrive.  Fewer phasers than your enemies until the PhIII refit improves point defense. Slower torpedo cycling than Disruptor/Drone races.  Fewer transporters than primary opponents (Klingon and Romulan)

Photons have 4 settings, standard, overload proximity and off.  All 4 setting have their time to be used.  With multiple banks each bank may be set a different way.

Don't fire photons into an ECM shift.

Power management is VITAL.  If you don't have your priorities straight you can find yourself unable to power crucial functions.

Speed is life. 

Your primary opponents will be Klingon and Romulan, their ships are more fragile but more maneuverable.  Be prepared to take a punch to dish one out as your ship is more durable and your Alpha Strike is excellent. 

[Roychipoqua_Mace]

It seems that winning against finesse races involves getting close with overloads. Is it the same against plasma races or also Hydrans? I've been used to phaser boating and the Peel, but maybe teasing some plasma out and then closing in (and taking a bloody nose) is worth it.

Your primary opponents will be Klingon and Romulan, their ships are more fragile but more maneuverable.  Be prepared to take a punch to dish one out as your ship is more durable and your Alpha Strike is excellent.

I should have mentioned that this guide will be focused on PvP duels, so while most battles against the AI can be won by charging overloads and getting to range 2, that is very difficult against another player who knows what they're doing. Here's where it gets gritty -- choosing whether to hold the overloads vs firing at longer range and then reloading, or even cycling the tubes.

Thanks for the help.

[FPF-Paladin]

I'm rusty but I'll try to think of some pointers...

[Nemesis]

It seems that winning against finesse races involves getting close with overloads. Is it the same against plasma races or also Hydrans? I've been used to phaser boating and the Peel, but maybe teasing some plasma out and then closing in (and taking a bloody nose) is worth it.

Your primary opponents will be Klingon and Romulan, their ships are more fragile but more maneuverable.  Be prepared to take a punch to dish one out as your ship is more durable and your Alpha Strike is excellent.

I should have mentioned that this guide will be focused on PvP duels, so while most battles against the AI can be won by charging overloads and getting to range 2, that is very difficult against another player who knows what they're doing. Here's where it gets gritty -- choosing whether to hold the overloads vs firing at longer range and then reloading, or even cycling the tubes.

Thanks for the help.

In a PVP if the Fed lets the Klingon hold the distance off the relative mid range accuracy of the Disruptor combined with its rapid fire rate allows the sabre dance (aka death of a 1000 paper cuts) to wear down the Fed ship. 

If the Fed fires his full volley of Photons at mid range there is no reason left for the Klingon to stand off, close and knife fight for the 2 volleys you can get before the Photons can fire again.  In the knife fight between baseline cruisers the 9Ph 2 and 4 Disruptors especially with the excellent Klingon arcs give the advantage to the Klingon UNLESS the Fed hits with the Alpha Strike first doing significant internals.  (Note Alpha strike does not mean overloads, it is firing the maximum number of weapons).

It is to the advantage of the Fed to close in and combine the close in accuracy/damage of the photon and the relative sturdiness of the ship/shields to pummel the more fragile opponent especially if he can do it AFTER the Klingon fires his Disruptors but has not recharged them.   Done right you will take minimal damage and deal a critical pounding which will slow the Klingon allowing you to withdraw and reload for another "up close and personal" Alpha strike.

Maintaining "reserve power" to allow you to accelerate and catch the Klingon after he turns away from his oblique strike can make him think you have overloads when in fact you don't.  This in a CA leaves the ability to have an extra 8 points of power that you can use to reinforce the shield you are trying to make the opponent hit and then accelerate by that much to pound them from behind as they turn away to prepare for the next pass.

[Age]

I wouldn't use overloads to much as a Fed.They do use up a lot of power that could be used for EW.It is far easier to switch from normal to proxie.This all depends on what ships you are using.I find a lot of Fed ships CAs and BCH are underpower espeically when it come to taking on plasma.Rom pilots can chase you around in Novahawk with only Fs loaded untill they wear Fed pilot down and then switch to an S or R.They got good point defence as well as decoys to handle sps.This is where a CL comes in best as you can keep your torps loaded.

When it comes time to taking on Klingons I would say they are fair BCH could use slightly more power.I guess the best tactic is to castle at slow speeds with a tractor locked same with Lyrans but keeping slightly distance away to avoid the ESG.

I have never understood why ADB gave Fed. ships the power they did 34/36 and 41 for BCH.I would even think Klingons could use some more.

I would have to say the Diehard and Pestalence are far better at answer giving out strategies.   

[Roychipoqua_Mace]

When it comes time to taking on Klingons I would say they are fair BCH could use slightly more power.I guess the best tactic is to castle at slow speeds with a tractor locked same with Lyrans but keeping slightly distance away to avoid the ESG.

I have never understood why ADB gave Fed. ships the power they did 34/36 and 41 for BCH.I would even think Klingons could use some more.

Good point, lower than average engine power would be a good thing to note in an advantages/disadvantages list. I think they gave them less engine power than the Klingons because the classic "close and hose" tactic of the Feds is more instinctive than the Saber Dance (though I wouldn't call it easier to pull off, especially while maintaining an intact hull before reaching range 2), so it balances the natural power of a crunch race.

Good power curve (but not great). 

To relate to the lesser engine power of the Feds, is it because of ability to hold photons for half of their charging cost that gives the Feds their decent power curve?

Maintaining "reserve power" to allow you to accelerate and catch the Klingon after he turns away from his oblique strike can make him think you have overloads when in fact you don't.  This in a CA leaves the ability to have an extra 8 points of power that you can use to reinforce the shield you are trying to make the opponent hit and then accelerate by that much to pound them from behind as they turn away to prepare for the next pass.

This is interesting, I'm just wondering how it would work against a cautious Klingon. I know it's impossible to keep range 15+ all the time against a faster opponent while still wheeling around and firing the disruptors, so if I saw a Fed accelerating toward me, I would turn off the dizzies and accelerate to speed 31 (or close), firing phasers and drones only until their front shield is gone and they turn off, then back to the Saber Dance. If we can assume that the Klingon never gets closer than range 8, what options does the Federation captain have?

[Age]

When it comes time to taking on Klingons I would say they are fair BCH could use slightly more power.I guess the best tactic is to castle at slow speeds with a tractor locked same with Lyrans but keeping slightly distance away to avoid the ESG.

I have never understood why ADB gave Fed. ships the power they did 34/36 and 41 for BCH.I would even think Klingons could use some more.

Good point, lower than average engine power would be a good thing to note in an advantages/disadvantages list. I think they gave them less engine power than the Klingons because the classic "close and hose" tactic of the Feds is more instinctive than the Saber Dance (though I wouldn't call it easier to pull off, especially while maintaining an intact hull before reaching range 2), so it balances the natural power of a crunch race.

It might be good for the crunch race but there are usually 2 races Feds fight with plasma which doesn't give us whole lot of power.I would of gave Fed CAs 38 power and BCH 44 power in mid era to late/advanced.I think that when the game was designed they went with ADB board stats which is ok in the board game but PC at game speed slider 8 or 9 no way especially for new people to game like me.

[Mog]

Then you have to do what other races do and turn some of those heavy weapons off :shock horror:

[knightstorm]

Then you have to do what other races do and turn some of those heavy weapons off :shock horror:

Keep in mind, photons don't do the damage that plasma does, and lack the short charging cycle of disrupters.  In addition, fed cas can't charge them at speed 31, so turning some of them off leaves you at a huge disadvantage.

[Mog]

Bear in mind that you have one of the best phaser suites in the game - and in my experience it is phaser 1s that win games in the main.

[knightstorm]

I would tend to agree with you, but at the same time, a fed with half of its photons turned off can't really deter someone from doing an overrun.

[Nemesis]

Good power curve (but not great). 

To relate to the lesser engine power of the Feds, is it because of ability to hold photons for half of their charging cost that gives the Feds their decent power curve?

When comparing the K-D7 (37) to the F-CA (34) their power levels at first glance seem to favour the D7 but in fact do not.  The D7 has 3 extra points of power but requires those to power the extra 3 PhII.  Due to the PhII being lower damage but the same power cost it brings the two ships to parity on potential Phaser damage while still allowing the Fed better damage at range.   So the "lesser" engine power is a phantom when comparing to the Klingons.  Both of those archtypical ships have the same power left over after arming all weapons.  Some of the other races do better on power some worse (consider the Z-CS for example).

The ability to hold Photons at half cost is a significant advantage versus the Klingons as they can be fully armed and free power for ECCM and movement that the Klingons can't equal without turning off weapons or using batteries.   

[marstone]

I would tend to agree with you, but at the same time, a fed with half of its photons turned off can't really deter someone from doing an overrun.

well, with half your photons turned off (and not overloaded) you have near the same heavy weapons power as a Klingon for that punch.   With overloads on half you do rival the one punch of the Klingon at close range.  Plus the Ph-1 just gets better and better as you close in.  Only reason I would overrun a fed is after the photons were fired, the Ph-1's are nasty but a whole boat of weapons will do more damage.

[Nemesis]

It might be good for the crunch race but there are usually 2 races Feds fight with plasma which doesn't give us whole lot of power.I would of gave Fed CAs 38 power and BCH 44 power in mid era to late/advanced.I think that when the game was designed they went with ADB board stats which is ok in the board game but PC at game speed slider 8 or 9 no way especially for new people to game like me.

The creators of the game were trying for a "realistic" feel.  In reality there are always tradeoffs.  They recognized that by the time you added all the features you might desire in a  CA it would have become a BCH in size/cost while still being a CA in armaments. 

Each ship (until later eras) has its achilles heel as does each race.  Your proposal is basically "lets take away the weaknesses of the Feds and leave them only strengths.  Where is the fun in that? 

I always disliked the X-Ships as they lack the feel of trade offs - every ship is a super ship. 

[marstone]

I agree with the X-ships, I played them once in awhile in SFB, but we liked the year 168 best.  So no X-ships.  I did the X-ships in SFC also alittle, don't like them.

[FPF-Tobin Dax]

Good power curve (but not great). 

To relate to the lesser engine power of the Feds, is it because of ability to hold photons for half of their charging cost that gives the Feds their decent power curve?

When comparing the K-D7 (37) to the F-CA (34) their power levels at first glance seem to favour the D7 but in fact do not.  The D7 has 3 extra points of power but requires those to power the extra 3 PhII.  Due to the PhII being lower damage but the same power cost it brings the two ships to parity on potential Phaser damage while still allowing the Fed better damage at range.   So the "lesser" engine power is a phantom when comparing to the Klingons.  Both of those archtypical ships have the same power left over after arming all weapons.  Some of the other races do better on power some worse (consider the Z-CS for example).

The ability to hold Photons at half cost is a significant advantage versus the Klingons as they can be fully armed and free power for ECCM and movement that the Klingons can't equal without turning off weapons or using batteries.

Phaser 2 does not have lower damage. It has less range. Once in range it does the same damage as a phaser 1.