two MAJOR questions for simul-games...

[Grandpa Kim]

ship strategy at Max.Weap.Range and program the fleet's strategy to break on Planets.

No, not quite.

If your fleet strategy is set to "max range" and you have set formation for that strategy to yes for "ships" and no for all the others, then only your ships will break formation. Carriers, colony ships, fighters, transports and ships(no weapons) will NOT break formation! (You are right about the other selections, they are nulls.)

[TurinTurambar]

Originally posted by PvK:
Generally, yeah. Exceptions can be if you really want some ships to escort a specific ship (but then that ship needs a weapon and a combat strategy, or it will break formation anyway ), and getting a few specific ships to fight as a group in a certain formation, which I've used successfully when micro-managing in a competetive game, but ya, that would be the 0.1% ...

I've been working on that too. I've developed a strategy called Carrier Group with one Carrier and two "Protectors" loaded with nothing but P.D.cannons. I use it against missile-mongers like the Terrans, who also use alot of fighters. ....It still needs tweaking...

Chris

[Phoenix-D]

Unfortunately ships without weapons will ALWAYS break formation; that check box does nothing.

[TurinTurambar]

Originally posted by Grandpa Kim:

quote:

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ship strategy at Max.Weap.Range and program the fleet's strategy to break on Planets.

No, not quite.

If your fleet strategy is set to "max range" and you have set formation for that strategy to yes for "ships" and no for all the others, then only your ships will break formation. Carriers, colony ships, fighters, transports and ships(no weapons) will NOT break formation! (You are right about the other selections, they are nulls.)

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A valid but insignificant detail because I never mix ship-types. Missile Cruisers in one fleet, Attack Ships in another, Carrier Groups, etc. That way you can devise or edit a strategy per type and not worry about different weapon/range idiosyncracies interfering with the plan.

[TurinTurambar]

Originally posted by Phoenix-D:
Unfortunately ships without weapons will ALWAYS break formation; that check box does nothing.

OK, so hence my "needs tweaking" comment about the Protector ship-type in a "Carrier Group." The crucial piece of data being: Does the Game consider a Point Defense Canon a weapon?

[Asmala]

Originally posted by TurinTurambar:
OK, so hence my "needs tweaking" comment about the Protector ship-type in a "Carrier Group." The crucial piece of data being: Does the Game consider a Point Defense Canon a weapon?

Point Defense Cannons aren't considered as weapons. That means if you want to make anti-fighter ship you have to put at least one normal weapon.

[TurinTurambar]

Ah! Good information! Ya see... THIS is the problem with the manual and the Online help!

So if I give the Protector one little Dep.Ur.Cannon, it'll hang with the Carriers and do what it's supposed to! I was wondering why every other time it retreated to the opposite corner!