quote:
Originally posted by Krakenup:
In tactical combat, fleets do not maintain formation. If the leader moves diagonally, the rest attempt to wheel in that direction. If the leader moves back, the rest mill around like a bunch of lost sheep.
Note: if your leader has a move of 5 (for example), and you move four steps diagonally and one step forward in a single movement, then the fleet does not wheel or mill around. They do the "right thing"--attempt to move four steps diagonally and one step forward without rotating or otherwise messing with the formation.
I move my fleets this way until I'm where I want to start actually fighting, at which point I break formation and move ships individually.