problem with "repeat orders" command

[Silent Sorrow]

My problem is I can't access the command in certain situations. It's as follows:

I have a minelayer and it's at station at a planet. I click "load cargo" and pick up some mines. Then I click "launch remotely" and choose a destination. The "repeat orders" command is still not selectable. But when I get to the destination and click to travel back and pick up more mines, "repeat orders" IS selectable. When I then click "launch remotely" I can again select "repeat orders" and set up the loop. OK, I can live with this even though it seems to be backwards.

But here's what I don't get and can't live with:

If the destination is within one turn's range of movement for my minelayer (i.e. I've got six move points but it only takes three to get to the destination) at no point is "repeat orders" ever selectable. Even on the return trip, it's not selectable. I guess this is because everything is being done in one turn. The problem with this is there seems to be no way to set up a repeating loop, forcing me to come back each turn and labouriously redo the process.

So what's the problem here and is there a way around this?

[Wardad]

I think the program is setup to avoid an "endless loop" situation with the AI players.

I do find it frustrating.
For example, Lay SAT order cannot be given if there are none in cargo. Lay order is cleared if SAT cargo drops to zero.

You can easily carry more mines than can be laid. It is easier to manage repeat orders with mine layers.

[Puke]

if its within one turns travel, maybe you can give orders for two or three trips before hitting the repeat button?

[Silent Sorrow]

No you can't--that's just it. You see the repeat button flash live for a fraction of a second but you certainly have no time to select it. Everything's pretty much instantaneous.

Originally posted by Puke:
if its within one turns travel, maybe you can give orders for two or three trips before hitting the repeat button?

[Puke]

eh, you must be playing turn based. in a simultanious game in Version 1.49 you can set a repeat order for anything. it can be a single move order thats only one square away, and then you can repeat it. it can be a load cargo and a drop cargo that are within a single turns move. anything.

honestly, i have not played a turn based game since the Last scenario (dronewars) that i tried, so i guess i cant give you very good advice. other than that you may have found a bug / limitation in the way the game works. try simultanious, you might like it better anyway.

[Baron Munchausen]

Yeah, SE IV seems to have been designed primarily to be simultaneous move. The turn-based mode is a 'carry-over' or relic of previous Versions. I think this is one of the reasons that the AI has so much trouble. It's designed for simultaneous move mode and is 'thinking' in those terms even in a turn-based game.

[Silent Sorrow]

Yeah, of course I did figure out the "move around until zero MP" workaround but my God is that ever tedious; especially not good for a game that's already as micromanage-happy as this one. I just wondered if I was missing some other obvious solution.

Originally posted by Suicide Junkie:
You give the order, and the ships immediately follows it. The order is complete, and dissapears from the order queue. There is then nothing to repeat!

Just move the ship around until it has zero MP.
Then give the orders and press repeat.

You will lose some time if the first destination is less than 1 turn away.
As was described before, you can also just do the repetition manually: when the ship runs out of MP, check the orders, fill in the missing bits, and press repeat.

[Spuzzum]

I wonder how many people miss the old Halt command from SE3. =)

[Suicide Junkie]

You give the order, and the ships immediately follows it. The order is complete, and dissapears from the order queue. There is then nothing to repeat!

Just move the ship around until it has zero MP.
Then give the orders and press repeat.

You will lose some time if the first destination is less than 1 turn away.
As was described before, you can also just do the repetition manually: when the ship runs out of MP, check the orders, fill in the missing bits, and press repeat.

[dogscoff]

halt command from SE£

Hell yeah. In fact, more complex movement/ command sequencing options for the game is one of my pet rants, but a simple "halt" command would make a big difference.

*sigh*