Re: PDC Ships head for corners
 

Gryphin, yes. But as I said, I have never seen a planet accidently glassed, if a troop transport was present and the fleet had the correct orders. As to the size the weapon, planet napalm 3 on large mounts (LC and up) can wipe out the platforms real fast.

Rollo

Re: PDC Ships head for corners
 

Oooops,
Um, PaladinOfEarth ,
I'm sorry to be responding to Rollo when addressed to you.

I'm still trying to master Planetary Invasion. I frequently end up with a fleet or ships that will not attack the planet at all.

Can anybody tell me what Stratigic orders will prevent:
My troop ships from attacking an un armed planet
A well armed Frigate from attacking a helpless mine layer

Thanks

Re: PDC Ships head for corners
 

A few words of warning on Planetary Napalm: the ROF is 2, and the maximum range is 2. Which can make a napalm-armed ship vulnerable to weapon platform fire (unless you take out the WP's with the first volley).

Re: PDC Ships head for corners
 

Fleet strategy vs. Ship strategy.

Combat is more successful when ships can break fleet orders. Especially when the fleet leader is stopped dead.

Make sure the ship carrying the troops is set to the capture planet strategy. It might help you to set all of your transports to capture planets, just in case you use one for troops.

Be carefull with the quantity of seeker weapons you bring along. Generally, a full volley of seekers will be fired against a target. A low population planet can be glassed by the overkill.

Re: PDC Ships head for corners
 

IIRC, you have to include at least one other direct-fire weapon on a ship carrying planetary napalm. I tried creating PN-only DS and LC and sending them to a planet without WPs, and they sat. Didn't run, just sort of wiggled around. When I put a DUC I on them, they went straight for the planet.

Re: PDC Ships head for corners
 

Something else for planet capture: set your 'Capture Planet' strategy to 'Damage targets until all weapons are gone', and use direct-fire weapons to knock out weapon platforms. Once the planet itself is defenseless, your fleet will stop firing on it. This does not work with seekers, since your fleet may launch a volley of missiles that can glass the planet before the planet is considered defenseless (the game doesn't calculate how much ordnance is needed to just knock out defenses).

Quikngruvn