How to not glass

[Cyrien]

That only solves part of the problem. Armed starbases and satellites will still be attacked bringing ships into range of the planet.

Also the enemy could have missile equipped ships that can bring allied ships into range of the planet with the dance of the missiles.

There is no easy answer to the question. If playing against the computer turning planet, unarmed ships, satellites, and starbases off will probably do it. If against a human though... beware the missile ship dance.

[Karibu]

Phoh. Sometimes AI makes... shoud I say Exceptional battles in simultaneous games. In one PBW game I am playing now, I send a fleet which formation was Wall and strategy Capture Planet. Of course there was troop transport with troops inside. Planet had one weapon platform in it.

My fleet advanced in wall formation and shooted the platform away and formation stopped there. Now, my dear troop transport starts to go through planet from the edge of the battle field to land the troops. My wall of warships is between planet and transport and they are still in wall formation. Troop transport goes as near as just behind the fleet leader. It was almost fun to look at 25 turns when nobody moved, because my idiot transport had no idea how to go around my fleet. The captain was executed.

I think I'll use break formation from now on (it works also when capturing planets if you have troop transport in your fleet, tested)...

btw, does anybody know if fleet experience counts in battles when formation is broken?

[Suicide Junkie]

Yes. Fleets still retain the experience and skill of working together even when they're not in a fixed formation.

[Karibu]

Thanks, Suicide Junkie.

[Grandpa Kim]

Pocus, please post back here if any of those ideas work. I don't think they will. I believe the only thing that will work is to set your movement strategy for both fleet and ships to "Don't get hurt". They will then cower in the corner and only fire at ships and units that come in range.

[Pocus]

I have yet to check the most advanced ideas throw here. As I play solo exclusively as of now (I'm a former stars! veteran), I lazzily (sp? i'm a foreigner) move my transports by hand.

So there is no orders to fire at a defended planet but not at the population in essence.

Also, seems like the AI always glass and never invade. Do you see that often too? A pity really, I like the idea of ground combat. I multiplied the colon defence by 25 in the hope that the AI will use troops, but I'm really unsure that they will do that. Now that I think of it, the Orks race build many troops. Do they invade?

[Pocus]

to follow on firing on the planet but not on the pop : would the 'fire on target until all weapons gone' works?

must try, where is my testbed???