Stupid troop transports that don't drop troops...

[trooper]

I think there must have been a problem while executing the turn. I saw that I had the same problem during that turn with a classical non-armed small transport hull sized troop transport.

Another bug I've noticed during that turn (I checked the saved Version just before submitting the turn ) : I've declared war to the enemy empire, and after turn execution, I have a "treaty none" state with it.
Strange, strange...

[Wardad]

Trooper
A few strange things happened to me in that game. Maybe the size of the game is a problem.

I broke a treaty with the double crossing Electrum. His fleet attacked my partner's planet the next turn while my fleet was in orbit. He had enough fuel to destroy the planet and handfull of my partners ships. My ships slaughtered his fleet. His fleet never fired at mine.

I wish he had answered my questions about: fuel, firing strategy, etc...
A good answer with some third party verification, and I would have scrapped my fleet.

[Grandpa Kim]

Trooper, I can't see why your ship won't capture the planet.

I capture planets all the time with no difficulty. Well, two difficulties: The transport could be locked in the corner by other non-combatant ships (not the case in your graphic) or the transport is blocked from the planet by the warships.

Other than those it always works for me. The location of your troop transport, in the corner, tells me your strategy is probably right.

One possible that I have never run into: Is your transport cloaked? This may prevent planet capture.

is the ship hull important for the role ?

No, of no importance at all.

R these ships refits? refits keep prior strategy.

To the best of my knowledge this is not true. I've made all kinds of refits and the new design always acts as expected. The refit ship takes on the new strategy.

Is it possible they don't attack because I'haven't declared war "officialy" to the ennemy empire ?

No, only if you have a "green" treaty will you not be able to attack... and then not attack at all!

having both weapons (a Warship role) and troops on board the ship.

This is no problem. Virtually all my troop transports have a standard weapon and a PDC. They have never caused a problem with planet capture... but with troops aboard, they will not go on the offensive against enemy ships even if there is no planet in the sector.
My strategy is Primary: Drop troops (if carrying), Secondary: Maximum Range.

Are you sure all the weapon platforms are gone.

I have captured planets with intact WP's. In all cases, though, they contained only PD weapons.

I'm pretty sure Geo captured a planet of mine in a game when I had weapon sats still active.

Quite right! The troop transport is only concerned with the planet. Sats, fighters,(in space or on the planet) even enemy warships will not prevent it from attempting to capture the planet.

Troops are over rated... Just glass the planet and recolonize it.

Glassing is obscene!

His fleet never fired at mine.

Same thing happened to me. My enemy fired mercilessly at me and my ships just sat there and took it. *Sigh*

[JLS]

Great stuff Grandpa Kim - Thanks, you answered many of my questions.

Your site (in your sig) is fantastic did you do the graphics?

[capnq]

Is it possible they don't attack because I'haven't declared war "officialy" to the ennemy empire ?

No, only if you have a "green" treaty will you not be able to attack... and then not attack at all!

Not just green, yellow too.

[ July 12, 2004, 18:36: Message edited by: capnq ]

[vanbeke]

You wouldn't happen to have the vessel cloaked would you?

[trooper]

Last turn has confirmed what I was thinking :
this pb has been caused by some kind of bug linked to turn execution. With the same ships and same troops, all have worked well this turn...

Too bad for planets glassed Last month...
(Excuses to the families, etc, etc... )

[Paul1980au]

Lol cant speak about PBW but against the AI i always go tactical battle if i want to capture a planet.

Used in conjunction with the emotionless racial ability you can capture without the threat of mutiny - that said if you capture a rioting planet you need to a) build a planet and then urban pacification or have another planet which is not rioting.

Another bug in SE4 i would like to see fixed for SE5 ie if you capture a rioting planet it stops if you have the emotionless ability.

[Roanon]

Originally posted by Grandpa Kim:
I capture planets all the time with no difficulty. Well, two difficulties: The transport could be locked in the corner by other non-combatant ships (not the case in your graphic) or the transport is blocked from the planet by the warships.

Or the transport is blocked by a moon and the artificial stupidity doesn't find a way around it to the planet Pathing is definitely one of the weak spots in Aaron's programming.

One possible that I have never run into: Is your transport cloaked? This may prevent planet capture.

Definitely not. If combat occurs, all ships regardless of cloaking status will participate. So in a big cloaked attack fleet, uncloaking a single ship is enough.

Same thing happened to me. My enemy fired mercilessly at me and my ships just sat there and took it. *Sigh*

There are definitely some severe bugs in the combat engine. I think most of us have discovered that the only, at least partially reliable, difference in strategies is having "don't get hurt" or not. Fancy strategies - forget them. For instance, it is very difficult to convince a ship close in and fire on the nearest ship, even if your priorities are point blank / point blank and nearest/nearest/nearest/nearest. Likewise, maximum range seems often to be interpreted by some captains with a definite unability to read the numbers on the range finder. I even had cases where the lone unloaded transport with "don't get hurt" headed for the map edge for one combat turn, and then turned around and proceeded straight to the planet into the WP's defense fire. And of course, all time favorite is the famous "sitting duck" strategy being followed instead of your choice.
Ok, strategies work most of the time, but I wouldn't bet my main fleet on the shaky luck of it working just in a critical battle - if your fleet can't win with standard optimum range strategy, better wait for reinforces.