newby's guide to ship and fleet strategy

Gryphin · #1 February 2nd, 2002, 03:46 PM

PsychoTechFreak,
Using standard SE IV,
Once you have clicked on Formations
You must click on each of the items you listed
You will be provided with:
Bases
Ships
Carriers
Colony Ships
Fighters
Satelights
Mines
Planets
Transports
Bases (no weapons)
Ships (no weapons)
For each strategy on the left, you can select or de-select the desired "Types That Break Formation" strategy on the right.
This is so you can customise the strategy taken based on the type of Attack Strategy you have assigned to a type of ship.
Based on earlier post, it looks like you would want to set this for each strategy.
Possibly with Kamakazi or "Capture Enemy Ships" you may want them to all move in together so they strike at the same time. I don't know if that works. I have not figured out how Mines, Planets, Bases, or Satelites break formation. Neither have I figured out if their is an advantage to it.
Good luck.
Just a thought, but why would I want to capture Allied Ships? < bemused grin >

tesco samoa · #2 February 2nd, 2002, 04:51 PM

Capture AI ships and use them or take them back to be analyzed for tech.

I recommed you break formation on everything .

And all non fighting ships to ram.

Hey there only going to die anyway.

Gryphin · #3 February 2nd, 2002, 05:18 PM

tesco, Thanks, I forgot to program in the non fighting ships RAM, but I do it in Tactical. However: in early games I have rammed Escorts and Frigates with Colony Ships and survived to actualy colonize a planet.
"It ain't over till it's Over and the crew is sucking space"
(paraphrased by Gryphin with apologies to the original author)

PsychoTechFreak · #4 February 2nd, 2002, 07:16 PM

Lovely, but I still have no idea how to create the strategy "break formation". Since it does not appear with the standard strats, I would have to add it manually: "B-R-E-A-K F-O-R-M-A-T-I-O-N", but I don't think the ships would do what I want them to do.

EDIT: Got it, finally !

[ 02 February 2002: Message edited by: PsychoTechFreak ]

Fyron · #5 February 3rd, 2002, 08:19 AM

Hmm, this doesn't seem to have been answered. Better late than never!

quote:
Originally posted by Growltigga:
primary strategy and secondary strategy (what's the difference by the way)

The primary strategy is the movement strategy that the ships normally use. When the AI determines that the primary strategy is no longer a good idea to use, it will change to the secondary movement strategy. I have no clue as to when or why the AI decides to change to the secondary movement strategy.

PsychoTechFreak · #6 February 4th, 2002, 12:06 AM

I have fiddled around with the strategy windows now: What if I want to have a different strategy for special targets, like planets. I want the attack ships to toast everything except the planet, this should be taken over with a troop transport (which btw should not arrive too early at the planet). For the planet they should: Damage targets until all weapons are gone (see damage window), and Damage Per cent per planet: as low as possible.

This seems to be not possible yet, except maybe if I create special ships which just target planets, and I put every other attack ship to "don't fire on planets".

EDIT: Quikngruvn 's solution with the ships do not break formation would be the only solution I see, but with the disadvantages of the formation.

[ 03 February 2002: Message edited by: PsychoTechFreak ]

PsychoTechFreak · #7 February 4th, 2002, 01:36 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Imperator Fyron:
.... When the AI determines that the primary strategy is no longer a good idea to use, it will change to the secondary movement strategy. I have no clue as to when or why the AI decides to change to the secondary movement strategy.

That is what I want to know also, since I have seen many AIs which use
1. Don't get Hurt
2. Ram

Nice idea, but does it work the same way as a human would decide when he has no chance not to get hurt any more ?