[geoschmo]

It doesn't work like you are trying to make it work. Secondary strategy is used when your ship cannot perform their primary strategy. So as long as your ship has weapons it's going to stay at maximum range regardless of enemy condition.

For example, a boarding ship would have a primary strategy of capture ship, and then when their boarding parties are expended perform seconday starategy. Optimal range perhaps, or if you don't have oher weapons it would probably be either Don't get hurt or ram. A troop ship would have a primary strategy of droop troops, then after troops are droopped would go to the secondary strategy.