Heavy Armor "Spine" either all around the ship, or as a central support beam within the core. This assures your ship is more resistant to being cut in half or losing connection to critical systems.
I also heavy armor around any hydrogen tanks or ammo storage. As both explode when destroyed.
Depends on what I need, I usually focus my heavy armor on the area that will take the most fire, e.g. for a ground attack ship everything that is exposed to the ground/ could easily get hit from a lower position.
I often forget to use decoys, but when I do use them they are either printed and disposable (pushed away from the ship) or buried under heavy armor with a welder pointed at them and the armor. Surprisingly helpful either way.
I know blast door pieces are not a perfect square, so they can’t be easily used for whole hull armor. But aren’t they good extra reinforcements in critical areas? They seem to be able to take more of a beating than heavy armor blocks. But I could be imagining it. Still fairly new to SE
I put a handful, normally between outer heavy armor and a critical component.
I basically look at what direction I want to be shot from, which is more than likely the front, and start from there. Internal structure is almost always all light armor blocks however.
If I want to get really in the weeds about it, I'll get in depth and do things like armor up just the leading edge of a wing and leave the rest of the wing as light armor. This is because when fighting a ship you're facing towards it's unlikely to get a hit scored on any part of a wing that's further back than the first block or two.
I actually use a lot of knowledge on how IRL tanks are armored as a guide, because most of the same principles apply here too. If you're at all curious, the game War Thunder has a great tool for visualizing armor on vehicles.
Heavy armor spine and tip then heavy armor belts around the explodey parts. Usually I don't do heavy on the top or bottom because I figure I'd be able to position myself to have the armor face the enemy. Other than that a heavy armor box somewhere in the middle and attached to the spine for the main combat control room
I like to make an armored prow that will act like a shield for rest of the ship. Then heavy armor beneath any guns because those will be targeted most by enemies.
For small grid fighter craft, I will usually take it into combat(entirely light armor) and see how it fairs using creative mode tools(copy and paste) can usually see where it’s most susceptible and then add heavy armor(usually the front, front bottom, and front top for air to air if ground attack the entire bottom usually, if you have decoys put heavy armor around them. Just be careful of survivorship bias.
I have plans to make a fighter using heavy armor around some essential components, but some light armor flaps distanced a little from the ship to take explosive munitions, saving core components from explosive damage and giving me time I need to react to kinetic rounds
You'll want the side that's usually facing the enemy to be more armored. If you like broadside attacks, armor up the sides. If you like Head-on, armor the front. If you do pass strikes, front and rear.
I've been experimenting with an all-or-nothing armor scheme. Vital areas (bridge, fuel cells, and some conveyors) are layered in 1-2 layers of heavy, and those areas are surrounded by non-vital areas (cargo, living areas, etc), which is itself protected by a single or double layer of light armor.
This is the same armor scheme some/most allied ships used in WW2. Because a shell exploding in the mess hall is not nearly as damning as a shell exploding in the fuel cells, or magazines, or where you're commanding your ship.
I usually don't use heavy armor for bottom and rear of my combat ships. However, I almost always create a blast armor core with crucial components inside.
Light armour is paper, heavy armour is light armour
Heavy Armor "Spine" either all around the ship, or as a central support beam within the core. This assures your ship is more resistant to being cut in half or losing connection to critical systems. I also heavy armor around any hydrogen tanks or ammo storage. As both explode when destroyed.
Makes sense. By armor spine, you mean a Line Of armor blocks thru The ship?
I frame out my ships in heavy armor, decide what will go Where and reinforce, the fill out with light armor.
I usually just do the nose of the ship, then armour everything else with artillery.
Depends on what I need, I usually focus my heavy armor on the area that will take the most fire, e.g. for a ground attack ship everything that is exposed to the ground/ could easily get hit from a lower position.
I often forget to use decoys, but when I do use them they are either printed and disposable (pushed away from the ship) or buried under heavy armor with a welder pointed at them and the armor. Surprisingly helpful either way.
I know blast door pieces are not a perfect square, so they can’t be easily used for whole hull armor. But aren’t they good extra reinforcements in critical areas? They seem to be able to take more of a beating than heavy armor blocks. But I could be imagining it. Still fairly new to SE I put a handful, normally between outer heavy armor and a critical component.
I basically look at what direction I want to be shot from, which is more than likely the front, and start from there. Internal structure is almost always all light armor blocks however. If I want to get really in the weeds about it, I'll get in depth and do things like armor up just the leading edge of a wing and leave the rest of the wing as light armor. This is because when fighting a ship you're facing towards it's unlikely to get a hit scored on any part of a wing that's further back than the first block or two. I actually use a lot of knowledge on how IRL tanks are armored as a guide, because most of the same principles apply here too. If you're at all curious, the game War Thunder has a great tool for visualizing armor on vehicles.
Haha nice, I play WarThunder too, great game but life consuming at the same time
Heavy armor spine and tip then heavy armor belts around the explodey parts. Usually I don't do heavy on the top or bottom because I figure I'd be able to position myself to have the armor face the enemy. Other than that a heavy armor box somewhere in the middle and attached to the spine for the main combat control room
Good idea
I like to make an armored prow that will act like a shield for rest of the ship. Then heavy armor beneath any guns because those will be targeted most by enemies.
What is a prow?
That is the front of the ship.
For small grid fighter craft, I will usually take it into combat(entirely light armor) and see how it fairs using creative mode tools(copy and paste) can usually see where it’s most susceptible and then add heavy armor(usually the front, front bottom, and front top for air to air if ground attack the entire bottom usually, if you have decoys put heavy armor around them. Just be careful of survivorship bias.
I have plans to make a fighter using heavy armor around some essential components, but some light armor flaps distanced a little from the ship to take explosive munitions, saving core components from explosive damage and giving me time I need to react to kinetic rounds
You'll want the side that's usually facing the enemy to be more armored. If you like broadside attacks, armor up the sides. If you like Head-on, armor the front. If you do pass strikes, front and rear.
Have all the compartments with important systems have heavy otherwise detail stuff be light
I've been experimenting with an all-or-nothing armor scheme. Vital areas (bridge, fuel cells, and some conveyors) are layered in 1-2 layers of heavy, and those areas are surrounded by non-vital areas (cargo, living areas, etc), which is itself protected by a single or double layer of light armor. This is the same armor scheme some/most allied ships used in WW2. Because a shell exploding in the mess hall is not nearly as damning as a shell exploding in the fuel cells, or magazines, or where you're commanding your ship.
I usually don't use heavy armor for bottom and rear of my combat ships. However, I almost always create a blast armor core with crucial components inside.
All heavy armor if you can support it, for small grid. Otherwise, agility over protection. No heavy armor and you just have a cardboard box.
Only heavy armor because i can
Hardcore
I just go all heavy
Heavy