Attacking Planets (or trying not to)

[Dan C.]

I think the problem is probably the "break formation" settings. If your "Ignore Planet" strategy has fighters or ships break formation, then they will use the strategy listed in their design.

No. That should not be the problem the only ones checked for break formation were: Carrier, Colony, Satelite and transport. (Besides the strategy in their design was set to the same as the fleet).
I am beginning to believe (after trying some more examples) that it might be a bug with fighter Groups...

[Hank]

I noticed a similar issue in one of my PBW games. I had a mixed ship and fighter fleet set to my blockade strategy (max range, max range, everything stays in formation, use types, do not fire on planets) and the fighter Groups went ahead and glassed the planet.

No enemy ships around the planet, 1 WP on the planet surface.

edit: included planet desc.

[ December 05, 2002, 21:32: Message edited by: Hank ]

[PvK]

Originally posted by Hank:
I noticed a similar issue in one of my PBW games. I had a mixed ship and fighter fleet set to my blockade strategy (max range, max range, everything stays in formation, use types, do not fire on planets) and the fighter Groups went ahead and glassed the planet.

No enemy ships around the planet, 1 WP on the planet surface.

edit: included planet desc.

Were the fighters part of the fleet?

Does the fighter unit strategy tell them to fire on planets, or not?

PvK

[Krsqk]

Are you saying that launched fighters are automatically "Break formation"? Do you have to include fighters in your fleet to get them to follow the fleet strategy?

[Hank]

Originally posted by PvK:
Were the fighters part of the fleet?

Does the fighter unit strategy tell them to fire on planets, or not?

PvK[/QB]

Yes the fighter Groups were in the fleet.

The fighter unit strat does let them fire on planets. The fleet strat does not however and I set all types to not break formation. The fighters should have stayed in formation with the rest of the fleet and not gone off to glass the planet.

At least that is what I suspected. I dunno.. Doesnt that sound right? Or am I missing something... Running a blockade has proven to be quite difficult for me. My captains must have very itchy trigger fingers. Or perhaps they all want to be Captn Kirk pounding the command chair boldly ordering his crew to, "FIRE!"

[capnq]

I sent the fighters in the first wave. They made straight for the planet and bombed it (as well as taking out one ship on the way), then I moved the cruisers in, and then everyone seemed to ignore the planet. (but the situation was different)

The strategy was "Maximum range, Drop Troops (if any)", Has weapons, Nearest, Largest, Most Damaged.

Did the fighters destroy all the planet's Weapon Platforms? The cruisers might then no longer see the planet as Has Weapons.

[Dan C.]

Did the fighters destroy all the planet's Weapon Platforms? The cruisers might then no longer see the planet as Has Weapons.

That is exactly what I meant by the situation was different. - No WP when the ships came in.

There wouldn't be a complaint if they took out the weapon platforms and then stopped, without damaging the population (or whatever small percent would be damaged due to excess damage when the Last WP was destroyed), but they don't they continue to attack.

You can check out the scenario yourself by dowloading the file (location in earlier post). However it seems that only fighters are affected by this bug on further testing. (Even if the fighters broke formation as suggested earlier - I have the fighters with the same orders as the fleet).