Ship Strategy & Fleet Strategy in strategic combat-how does it work?

[MegaTrain]

I've known for a while that you can adjust the Formation/Strategy of a fleet by choosing one of the pre-defined strategies.
I only discovered recently, however, that you can apply different strategies to individual ships in the "Design" window and also edit strategies under "Empire Status." I just want to make sure I totally understand what I'm doing when I customize these strategies. (All questions assume strategic combat--PBW game)

1. If I apply a specific strategy to an existing ship Class in the Design window, does it apply to existing ships of that design? Or just to brand new ships created after I've specified the strategy?

2. If an individual ship has a strategy assigned, does it only have an effect when the ship is solo, or does it also do something when it is part of a fleet? i.e., do fleet strategies override ship strategies?

For editing strategies in the "Empire Status" window:

3. How does "Primary movement" interact with "secondary movement"? Does it pick the one that seems the most convenient at the time? Will "Maximum Weapon Range" and "Don't get hurt" together work like I think? (Creep into range, shoot, and retreat until weapons are ready to fire again)

4. If I select "Ships" under "Types that break formation", then will all my ships flee for the corners? Or will they simply be free from the bounds of the assigned formation to kick butt at will. (I hate it when ships move out of firing range just to maintain their position in the formation.)

Thanks for your help...

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-MegaTrain-
Athlon 1.3 GHz running at 1.6 GHz on an iWill KK266

[Mephisto]

Deep in the night over here so only short answers:

>1. If I apply a specific strategy to an existing ship Class in the Design window, does it apply to existing ships of that design? Or just to brand new ships created after I've specified the strategy?

It does apply to all the ships of this design. You can even assign a new tactic and all the ships of this class will now follow this new strategy.

>2. If an individual ship has a strategy assigned, does it only have an effect when the ship is solo, or does it also do something when it is part of a fleet? i.e., do fleet strategies override ship strategies?

Fleet strategies will override ship strategies. See below.

>3. How does "Primary movement" interact with "secondary movement"? Does it pick the one that seems the most convenient at the time? Will "Maximum Weapon Range" and "Don't get hurt" together work like I think? (Creep into range, shoot, and retreat until weapons are ready to fire again)

It will follow the first one until for some reason this is not longer possible (e.g. all weapons destroyed). Then it will follow the second strategy. But whatever your strategy is, if the design is unarmed (and PDC are not weapons for this matter!) or all weapons are reloading (i.e. it IS in fact unarmed ) it will always follow the "Don't get hurt" strategy. A missile ship will fly in, fire its missile and retreat until reloaded. So make sure that you don't mix missiles with beam weapons as this ship is not unarmed. It will fly in, fire its missle and go ahead to fire its beam weapons.

>4. If I select "Ships" under "Types that break formation", then will all my ships flee for the corners? Or will they simply be free from the bounds of the assigned formation to kick butt at will. (I hate it when ships move out of firing range just to maintain their position in the formation.)

They will just break free from the fleet strategy and will follow whatever strategy the ship class has in the design windows.

[This message has been edited by [K126]Mephisto (edited 27 October 2001).]

[MegaTrain]

I played with these strategies in some solo games to see if I can get the hang of them, but I couldn't quite get the result I wanted.

My goal was to come in to an enemy's home sector, wipe out all ships and bases with weapons, but not destroy his home world (so I could get his surrender and use his oxygen-breathing population).

You can set it to NOT fire on planets, but then your ships just sit there and take a pounding from the weapon platform missles from the planet. They don't move away from the planet, even when the secondary strategy is "don't get hurt" and all other targets are destoyed.

If I ALLOW them to fire on planets, then the planet and everything on it will die, no matter what I do. Even if I set it to "Damage until all weapons gone" or set the "Damage percent per planet" to 50%, they always come back to finish them off.

Obviously, the context here is strategic combat, as I can do whatever the heck I want in Tactical. Anything I'm missing? Or is there no way to make it do what I want?

[Mephisto]

Try setting them on "Capture Planet". As combat ships can't do this, they will run for cover but I think they *should* destroy weapon platforms and ships first, at least when a transport is also in the fleet. But I'm not sure of this either.

[This message has been edited by [K126]Mephisto (edited 30 October 2001).]

[MegaTrain]

Ooo. Good idea. I'll have to try it and let you know...

[MegaTrain]

Setting it to "Capture Planet" didn't work.

Capture planet actually consists of 2 movement strategies: Drop troops and Optimal Weapons Range. It also allows firing on Planets.

Since my fleet has no troop transports, all my ships fall back to the secondary strategy of blowing everything in sight to kingdom come.


The closest I've come is to NOT allow it to fire on planets, and with a movement strategy of Optimal Weapons Range and Don't Get Hurt. They come in and wipe out everything with weapons (except the planet), and then just sit around the planet for the Last 20 turns or so, getting fired on by the weapons platforms on the planets. The ships do use their point defense, and I seem to only be losing a ship or two to the missles.

Not as precise as what I can do with Tactical combat, but it may be the closest I can come.