From: mdm@stegosaur.cis.ohio-state.edu (Michael Moore)
Newsgroups: rec.games.netrek
Subject: Re: Netrek 358: Starbase Theory & Concept
Date: 10 Jan 93 16:12:51 GMT
Article-I.D.: cis.1993Jan10.161251.8428
Organization: The Ohio State University Dept. of Computer and Info. Science



	I find the starbase is very usefull in pickup games where
the teams are semi-clued.  I can generally stay at the front line 
and hold agris because they can't organize themselves enough to ogg
me back.  In this situation I never give distresses, my only real
use is in staying at the front, and if I call for help I will cause
more harm than good.

	But you put three or four good oggers on an undefended SB and
they're in trouble.  Just the other day I was killed three times in
the span of four hours by three to four cluefull oggers in two-three
waves.  It was very frustrating, but it drove home a good point (I
choose to overlook the more obvious point which is that I suck...),
this being that in any "real" game the SB will die quite handily
without defenders if the enemy puts any effort into ogging it.

	I don't think it is worth it to have the SB defended in
these circumstances.  The best bet is to take the SB up to the 
front and defend a planet.  If the enemy decides they don't like
you there and starts to ogg you, fall back and try and survive,
but forget about calling out to your team for help.  You are
draining their resources quite handily during this time, which 
cluefull teammates can use to take planets or bomb.  And if you
somehow manage to survive, go back up to the front and stay there
until they start to ogg you again.

	This was evidenced (since I seem to have no credibility anymore)
by Wreck in a bronco pickup game not too long ago.  He would move up
to the front until we finally got pissed off enough to ogg him, but
then we would not be organized enough to finish him off and he would
simply drain our best players ogging while their cluefull takers went in
for the home planet.  

	Anyway, this works just as well in a real game, but your base
has to be pretty good.  If he sucks, all he'll do is die in the
first ogg wave and his impact will have been slight if not detrimental.
But hopefully a good base would be able to make it back to a repair
planet, survive, and then return to the front fully healed later on
to repeat the process again.  A team attuned to this sort of strategy
can reap some pretty hefty benefits from it.

	The only time the base should be defended in my opinion,
is in last planet stands or when he/she is carrying a lot of armies.  
I will always give distresses in these situations.  

	You also need to consider that in situations where pops are
rare, the SB is a blessing.  Keep it back in the core and plop the kids
on it as they come, then expand when you have enough to do so.  It
saves worrying about carriers, and it keeps the enemy guessing.  An
organized team will make sure to count the kids you drop on the SB,
but there is still the point that the starbase is much more defendable
than a planet.

	Anyway, these are just my feelings.  And remember, you too
can hold your own with Balton and Wreck.  Mail me for details.  

	-Michael (Ged, Yevaud, Orm Embar, Mr. Frost, Monalisa, ...)

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