Trade escorts worth it?

[shde2e]

They're fun for flavor, but seem to have no real practical use.
Even with a lot of trade ports, they're so spread out that they have very little combat value except annoying human players.

Free ships are free, but I don't see any real reason to prioritize the tech, am I missing something?

[Richard]

no

[padington_bear]

i've seen the escorts once attack a hostile but now that you mention it.... they do tend to lag far enough behind a trade ship for it to get wrecked before the escort provides any sort of protection.

Hey Devs... a suggestion if you're reading. If it's not too difficult, can it be set up that the trade ships and their escorts fly in formation and only break and go different speeds when under attack?

[Polnk Johnson]

I'm trying to find information based off heresay...but

is there even a point in protecting the trade ships? Does something good happen if they arrive to their destination?

[shde2e]

As far as I know not. There was in Sins 1, but in 2 they just seem to provide vision and escorts.

[Richard]

Originally posted by Polnk Johnson:

I'm trying to find information based off heresay...but

is there even a point in protecting the trade ships? Does something good happen if they arrive to their destination?

you get some money if they die before they get there the person to kill the ship gets the money.

[Wuorg]

As far as I can tell, the only thing that happens when they get destroyed is that the player that killed them gets a 250 credit payout.

I think the escorts are more than worth it, considering they are basically free (besides the initial research cost). Occasionally they'll help with a defense, which is nice, and the heavy escorts do a solid job of shooing away smaller forces. Not to mention what they can do for your allies. If you have as many ports as possible and a starbase with construction bays in each system, you'll have a pretty crazy amount of Harckas flying around.

[Bovril Brigadier]

Managed to jump past and take a world behind enemy lines and build a trade port with factories. Started seeing a steady stream of frigates and cruisers harassing the enemy lines.

[DaRagingLunatic]

All i've seen them do is feed xp to the enemy.

[7-Eleven]

Filled my whole empire with trade ports and made sure there were starbases with construction facilities in every system. Qued up trade escorts and once it was done i took a massive fleet of akkans with trade port ability a few jumps into enemy territory. The Goblin train was fun to watch but ultimately not effective.

[Chicago Ted]

It's not a high priority, but hey, free ships. They won't stop an enemy's main fleet, but they can blunt smaller raiding forces and protect against minor faction raids.

[Franzosisch]

They need to make the slowest ship in a fleet be what determines that fleet's speed for it to be worth it. They lag way too far behind to actually do anything, and seeing as the AI makes massive fleets they don't do much against them anyways.

[Skorpius]

I dont know, when playing TEC Defense, and planning to turtle, I have had every single one of my planets with tons of those ships just sitting in the gravity well along with the phase lanes littered with Harkas ships patrolling my territory. Starbases. I don't ever have to worry about losing any planets while I am heading towards enemy capital planet. Unless I get hit with a full fleet, but even then a starbase and all those ships can hold them till I return if needed. Depends on the flow of ships that I have constantly going through the phase lanes towards the front line. It is a very slow playthrough lt slow N steady conquer , secure, onward.

[Krotos]

IMO, they're completely worthless, other than giving some life into the game. They just feed the enemy XP.

[IIFriggII]

yes.
combined with the free ships it stacks up to quite a lot.

mid/late game 6+ planets; you create 3.000 supply in defensive ships.
if you got double starbase on each and heavy-factory on each planet; you will also gain a lot extra from this, as well as produce 18 free ships at a time.


what does that have to do with trade escorts?
(rough numbers)
10+ trade ports means around 600 supply moving around continuesly;
so if anything attacks you they would have to contest with 500-1000 supply free ships on orbit, then 12 frigates+6 cruisers trickling in as they built, and then the extra ships everytime a tradeship jumps in there is another 60ish supply off HP and some low/dot dps to add on.
(all free and automated units; double starbase also give double invuln planet shield so you can basically largely ignore harass as it auto solves)

all this is free and it is on top off all the normal defenses;
since tec doesn't have any ability to move/phase-jump faster and must move jumpByJump; the free units seems like a must to hold back invaders which can literally created a phase lane into your capital and jump in a starbase+titan+2500 supply (vasari; they got horrid defensive buildings though so balanced that they got the best mobility and biggest assault army (they also need both to keep up with advent and tec)) :P


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edit: honestly it's one off the best free unit swarm mechanics i've seen; and quite balanced i think as factories need to be idle to produce the free units so you need a lot off factories if you are using them aggressively or are under a lot off pressure constantly, like pirates, raids, things running pass your defenses etc.

really like how different the 3 races are and how powerfull each off them are in their own aspect and how none off them overlapper each other ^^
it's really nice to see all races be OP in their own way which all balances out bc good design.

[hibbidy_jibbidy]

Originally posted by Refuel:

Filled my whole empire with trade ports and made sure there were starbases with construction facilities in every system. Qued up trade escorts and once it was done i took a massive fleet of akkans with trade port ability a few jumps into enemy territory. The Goblin train was fun to watch but ultimately not effective.

hahaha sounds fun