[Slick]

Originally posted by Grandpa Kim:
Sorry, Slick, this is incorrect. Ground troops are not destroyed by space-born attacks. Both the troops present on the planets and the militia defend the planet against invading troops.

If weapon platforms are on the planet, the troop ship will not make a bee line for the planet till they are gone. Fighters, of course, would be launched so they are not a factor. Satellites in cargo, I have no idea, but it seems likely they would be a null item in both space and ground combat. So, as I see it, the only thing that prevents a troop transport from heading immediately to a planet is weapon platforms. Once the line ships have destroyed the platforms, they will cease firing on the planet and the troop transport will move in. If the attacking troops fail, the line ships will destroy the planet (and defending troops) for its termerity.

Kim

See IF response regarding why troops do get bLasted from space. Note that I did say it is rare not impossible to have troops vs. troops on the ground. The other thing that can kill troops on a planet is how the strategy is set up.

If there are no WP's on the planet (i.e. the planet is not a threat to the troop transport) AND there is nothing in the strategy to make the fleet attack the planet AND the fleet strategy is to capture planet AND the troop transport does have troops in it, then yes, the rest of the fleet will hang back and the troop transport will drop its troops to give you a troop vs. troop battle. If you don't mess with the default strategy to capture planet, a fleet won't attack a planet which is not a threat to the troop transport. If the planet is a threat, the fleet will try only to attack it until it is no longer a threat and during this phase, the troop transport will hang back and wait till the planet is no longer a threat. Sometimes the fleet will fire in such a way that it will eliminate the threat, but so much firepower was used that the planet will be glassed in the same combat round.

Also, regarding satellites MM reported that it was a conscious decision to not auto-launch satellites during combat due to they might be recon (or other non-combat satellite) so you are correct in saying they are null either way if unlaunched.

Cheers,
Slick.