Refuges

[Psycholis]

Probably not a bug, but a huge annoyance. The only mission that the CSC is giving me is the refuge convoy, which is already an impossible mission, but to compound to that, the CSC is in a binary system and the gates have got to about about 2 to 3 THOUSAND light seconds apart. The convoy would take the better part of an hour to traverse such a system and it would be a major miracle if they survived.

I don't know what the requirements are for that mission (I've never once passed it), but I feel it's the worst mission in the game and impossible to do in a binary system. I can't really offer suggestions.. Maybe make it so that if the gates are farther than say.. 3 or 4 hundred light seconds then do a different mission.

I play freighter and that might be why I think the mission is impossible. The ares deliberately attack the smaller freighters and ignore your wingmen while also getting into point blank range so that your shots also hit the freighters.

I can't do the Terra mission because I can't get the rank needed and I'm afraid that if I decline this stupid mission any more times, I'll lose fleet credibility. I've jump drive before and after Pt. Juno because I want to do that mission too, but again - not enough rank.

TL;DR - I HATE THE REFUGE CONVOY



*edit: 2 systems later there was another CSC. Crisis averted. I'm a lieutenant now.

[Wolfy]

Someone agrees with me!


Yes, the refugee convoy missions are badly balanced. There need to be several criteria here that limit when the mission will work and rebalanced.
For example, number of ares spawns should be maxed, and should also be inverse to the ls between gates. Also, no live enemy stations should be present in that direct line between gates.
Furthermore, the EI100's should be ditched/up-armored. I also don't think refugees should all have a uniform group of ships (all EI100's), why not use those nifty new tables from rc3 along with all those new ships?
Lastly, alternative non-escort missions should always be presented.

[Bobby]

I have gotten the refugee mission twice in a row, but the second time it never shows up and it's a free success, in one of the recent versions, I don't remember which.

I'd suggest that all enemy spawns (esp. for escort missions) be spawned at least 120ls away, enemies should never suddenly appear inside lrs range (unless stealthed), it just seems wrong, and an extra second or two of long range bombardment is useful.

I always thought that mission was harder than the rest, but not impossible, all I fly are freighters, slightly more maneuverable with 3 weapons, but still a brick. I make the most of the approach time to bombard the ares with a katana/howitzer before they get close, THEN let loose the wingmen. A targeting program rom is essential for aiming at the approaching ares. When they get close aim carefully, and try not to lose control chasing individual gunships, they'll swing around before too long.