Fleet orders vs ship orders

[Dragonlord]

Question:

Let's say I design a missile ship and set the strategy for that kind of ship to "Maximum weapons range". Then I create a fleet which includes variuos other ships (PD, etc) as well as some of these missile ships. The Fleet orders are "Bull formation, Optimal weapons range". I then send the fleet to attack something in strategic combat (PBEM). Will the missile ships follow the strategy of their ship design, or of the fleet?

If they follow fleet orders, they may get too close to the action and need more shields. And their "ship type" orders would only ever kick in if they attack something solo (no fleet).
However if it turns out that fleet orders always supercede specific ship type strategy ...why use ship type strayegy ?

Also, under empire options, strategies, you can set what type of units will break your formation. Does anyone know how exactly this works and how to use it to your advantage?

[Suicide Junkie]

quote:

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Also, under empire options, strategies, you can set what type of units will break your formation. Does anyone know how exactly this works and how to use it to your advantage?

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Try using it to have your Missile ships break off and follow their "max range" strat, rather than following the beamer fleet in.

Or, try the opposite, breaking off the beamers so they can swarm more effectively, and leaving the fleet of Missile ships to maintain max range.

[Phoenix-D]

That won't work, because you can only set planets, ships, satelites, fighters, colony ships, transports, etc to break formation. But your fleet is composed totally of ships!

Phoenix-D

[Suicide Junkie]

How is a ship classified as a transport? By the hull?
If so, you could use large transports, and put missiles on them. The extra space that has to go to cargo can store spare fighters for your carriers or troops for the assault transports.

You missile ships could then be ordered to break formation and stay at max range.

[Dragonlord]

SJ:

How do I order attack ships (just missile ships, not ALL attack ships) to break formation?

And my original question stands: when, and if so, for how long, do fleet orders supercede ship type orders/strategies?

[Suicide Junkie]

quote:

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How do I order attack ships (just missile ships, not ALL attack ships) to break formation?

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I was just suggesting that you classify your missile ships as transports. (or, alternatively the beam ships)

Whether you can do that by giving them a design type of "transport", or make them using freighter hulls, you should be able to do it somehow.

Then, the ships would break formation on turn 1 of battle, and proceed to their objectives independently, following the only remaining strategy, their individual one.

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[This message has been edited by suicide_junkie (edited 27 June 2001).]