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Overview -
The primary use of subtargeting is to strip a ship of one or more systems, to gain a tactical advantage. Since subsystem armour and geometry varies ship to ship, captain's should adjust their targeting to suite their target. However, within the available targeting options, certain themes exist.
Warp:
- directly reduces available power.
- loss of power reduces ability to maintain combat stance AND speed, to effect damage control,
and to reinforce sensors.
- at levels below 25%, the warp drive is inoperable -- this allows one to remove ships from the battlefield via in-system warping.
- at levels below 25%, the warp core may loose containment, causing either an ejection (and loss of warp) or catastrophic core breach.
- damaging warp has psychological aspects; many captains cherish warp and protect and repair it to the detriment of other systems. Damaging warp (without the intent to destroy) may distract an opponent long enough to strip another key subsystem.
- typically warp nacelles are lightly armoured and easily stripped. There are some exceptions to this.
Impulse:
- directly reduces available power.
- increases energy required to maintain given speed; decreases max speed (marginal).
- as with warp, loss of power limits ability to affect repairs, counter ecm, and detect cloaked ships.
- below 25%, impulse engines go offline and ship looses forward movement (though it may still turn). A ship without impulse is easily separated from the battle.
Sensors:
- damage to sensors reduces sensor efficiency.
- reduced efficiency decreases targeting accuracy, and increases the amount of sensor reinforcement needed to counter ecm and detect cloaked ships.
- below 25% sensors go offline; weapons must be target via boresight, and cloaked ships cannot be detected.
Primary / Secondary / Heavy / Advanced Weapons:
- damage to weapons systems reduces firing rates, and can destroy the weapon.
- note: damage indicator shows the overall weapons status (i.e. aggregate of all arcs -- damage may be concentrated in specific arcs).
Subtargeting to Increase Weapons Accuracy -
When firing at medium to long range, at cloaked ships or at small fast vessels, targeting 'central' subsystems may improve secondary/heavy weapons accuracy (e.g. the Euromastyx' sensor array is centrally mounted). Although fire may stand little chance of damaging the 'target' subsystem, the central location increases the likelihood of a hit causing hull or shield damage. The corollary is also true: targeting peripheral systems greatly decreases the accuracy of secondary/heavy weapons (e.g. the Constitution's warp nacelles are pylon mounted--inaccurate fire is likely to miss entirely, causing no hull damage).
Subtargeting to Focus Fire on a Single Shield Facing -
By choosing subtargets carefully, captains can concentrate their fire on one or two of their target's shield facings. For example, a Tholian cruiser may subtarget a Constitution's impulse engines or sensor array to quickly buckle it's dorsal or ventral shields. Once the shield facings are down, it may then choose to target the easily damaged warp nacelles. Note: had the warp nacelles been target from the outset, fire would be more evenly dispersed across port and starboard facings as well as dorsal and ventral, increasing the amount of time needed to buckle any one shield.
Subtargeting to Track Cloaked Ships -
While subsystem geometry varies ship to ship, subsystem targeting brackets provide an additional visual clue about the direction of travel a cloaked vessel. This information is especially useful when bore site targeting or when choosing the best moment to fire secondary or heavy weapons (the probability of hitting is greatest when facing the target at its widest).
Other Notes -
At medium and long ranges, use primary weapons to strip peripheral systems; switch to central systems when firing secondary or heavy weapons.
Change your subtargets frequently. Not all subsystems are vulnerable from a given angle of attack. For maximum effect, match your target to your aspect of approach. Once you have gained a decisive advantage, move in for the kill. Resist the temptation to 'toy' with your opponent, especially in multiplay.
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