Ship Capture Problem

[Cipher7071]

I designed a ship that has 3 Boarding Parties III, some DUCs and PDs, then tried to capture a lone colony ship with it. Instead of capturing the ship, my ship destroyed it.

I rechecked the designs and the colony ship had no shields and no self-destruct device. The default strategy for my ship was set to capture ships and it was not in a fleet.

What could have gone wrong here?

[douglas]

Everything sounds like it should have worked. The only thing I can think of is to double check that you didn't put on security stations instead of boarding parties by accident, as they look very similar.

[Ed Kolis]

Check the replay - did the ship close to DUC range, then destroy the target in a single volley before it could reach an adjacent square to board? You'd think that a ship set to capture would not actually fire on its target unless it had shields, but you never know...
/me wonders how capture will work in SE5 - will you have to close to a set range to beam over troops, or are there boarding shuttles that have to "ram" the enemy ship, or has boarding been removed like in Starfury???

[Kana]

Ed Kolis said:
/me wonders how capture will work in SE5 - will you have to close to a set range to beam over troops, or are there boarding shuttles that have to "ram" the enemy ship, or has boarding been removed like in Starfury???

That would suck...it would take alittle wind out of my SFB mod if you couldnt board by beam or shuttle...

[Slick]

The other guy could have rammed you if this was in simultaneous movement.

[Fyron]

Ed Kolis said:
...removed like in Starfury???

Why do people keep thinking SE5, a strategy game, will be at all like Starfury, an "action rpg?"

[Cipher7071]

I wonder about the "ram" explanation. I didn't realize the AI would ever use that tactic, and my ship didn't take any damage. Wouldn't the colony module have caused some? I'll try capturing another kind of ship to see what happens.

[Puke]

I think the Rage and the Space Orcs both have ramming colony ships. Maybe some others.

[Parasite]

Also check the order of the weapons and boarding parties when designed. If the weapons are first, the ship will fire at range and movement end. Then next turn it can close to range 1 and fire again, then board. If the BP is first, it will fire while closing, but board first at range 1. If the ship still has shields, it can not board and will fire it's weapons. Even if shields drop that turn you will not board, but must wait till the next turn.

Besides the above, I agree with Slick. It must have rammed.

[Cipher7071]

Thanks guys. The boarding parties are placed ahead of the DUCs in the ship design. So that leaves ramming.

Given that, I think I know what happened. My boarding ship had been given orders to capture the colony ship. It had also been given orders to resupply. So, it tried to capture the colony ship, was rammed, and the colony ship was destroyed. It did take damage, but neither that nor the ram was apparent in the combat replay. In the same turn it flew to the nearest planet with a resupply depot, AND a spaceyard. It was repaired.