Strategic help
 

Ok, while having played lots of games I never used Strategic combat much. Now that I'm in an email game I find strategic combat very difficult. My fleets ignore space stations to bomb defenceless planets. I have a mixed fleet of bombers and torpedo ships. Everytime my leader ship shoots it moves away (good tactic), which makes every other ship in the formation turn away also (bad tactic). How do I get them to bLast the space station? I changed the capture planet tactics to include the disabled weapons option which I thought would make them stop bombing once the weapon platforms were destroyed . . . didn't work.

Can anyone give me some hints on how to use the strategies effectively with mixed fleets?

Re: Strategic help
 

break up your fleets into two fleets, one for bombers, one for torpedo's. simultaneous movement should have both fleets attacking at the same time.

make sure you have apropriate tactics set for each fleet.

[This message has been edited by Triumvir Emphy (edited 27 February 2001).]

Re: Strategic help
 

You can also try fiddling with the "Can Break Formation" toggle. Certain ships will break formation and follow their own strategy.

You can also change targeting priorities so the ships will go for the bases first...

In all, strategic combat is tricky. Basically, the same code that controls AI ships in combat is controlling your ships. So AI combat improvements should improve the utility of strategic combat. But we humans can also tweak the system by allowing ships to break formations, switch around targeting priorities, etc.

Good luck!

Re: Strategic help
 

Thanks for the tip. I've been messing around and finally figured out how the strategy change screen works (I hate!!!! the lack of documentation in this game)

I'm now finding a problem where my ships are attacking these satellite launching ships. They seem to classify satellite launchers as weapons so they chase it down while the planet is mauling me. How do I get around this strange classification (as satellite launchers are not weapons)?

Re: Strategic help
 

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Poliorcetes:
I'm now finding a problem where my ships are attacking these satellite launching ships. They seem to classify satellite launchers as weapons so they chase it down while the planet is mauling me. How do I get around this strange classification (as satellite launchers are not weapons)?

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

edit the components file to change the Category of launchers? that would be a rude defensive stragegy though. load up a planet with defenses, then put 5 escorts with DUC1's in orbit with 'dont get hurt' orders.