Firing at maximum range.

[Randallw]

One of my allies is trying to fight our common enemy by telling his missile ships to fire at maximum range. He says it works in the simulator but in real combat they move closer and end up getting destroyed by the enemies long range planet weapons. Does anyone know how to make missile ships or other kinds fire only from their maximum range?

[dogscoff]

Check strategies, and also ship design. If the ship has a load of missiles and a short-range direct fire weapon as well, it will fire its missiles as soon as it can, then keep closing to get its direct fire weps into range.

Anyone know the difference between "maximum range" and "optimum range"?

[NullAshton]

Maximum range is the maximum range that you can fire at the enemy. Optimum range is the range where you do the most damage, otherwise known as point blank for most stock weapons. Although, if there's two of them that are the same, it may do the furthest away range. Not sure.

[Fyron]

Maximum range is as close out to range 12 (IIRC) as it can get.

[Parasite]

Also make sure you use Max range as a primary stratagy and "Don't get hurt" as a secondary one. Otherwise the ship will not move away once it reaches max range. It will just stay there or wonder around while the other ship closes.

[Strategia_In_Ultima]

I always set my missileboats, like Parasite says, to "Max range/Don't get hurt". If you have "Max range/Max range", and your weapons are reloading, the max range of all available weapons is essentially 0, therefore it tries to close to range 0 and gets whacked. If your secondary strategy is "Don't get hurt", however, it'll move away from the enemy when reloading. Works like a charm in one-on-one combat with early-game DUC scout ships, as they have the exact same speed. I think it'd work in a one-on-one missile vs missile duel too, provided you used the same missiles on ships with the same speed and you get to fire the first shot. In skirmishes or battles involving multiple ships, I guess the first shot is somewhat less important where missileboats are concerned, provided your high-speed short-range ships take care of the enemy missileboats, while your own missileboats take out the enemy's close-range warships. But then again I guess there's also truth in the old adage of "safety in numbers"; bring a large enough force of close-rangers, and you'll kick some alien excrement valve.