Possible "event triggers" in Scenario Creation

[Taera]

Hi all.

I dont know have this idea been suggested before, but i've never seen it here so thought i'd post it.
We all lack the even triggers in scenario "creation".
But there is one kind of triggers.

Sentry order.
As far as i know ships sit still in their place untill an enemy/neutral ship enters the system.
Then the ship performs all the commands that it has in the Orders list below the Sentry order.

This is kind-of trigger that can be used for various things. Like a maintance-less colony ship sitting in the middle of storm that will in time create a new race.

[Taz-in-Space]

Thanks Taera, I wanted to know that for many days... Any idea what the AI will do after it executes the orders? (re-establish sentry mode?) And what does the patrol command do?
Inquiring Taz's want to know!!

[dogscoff]

I didn't know that about the sentry order. Very handy, in games as well as in scenarios. Thanks T

[capnq]

Far too many times, I've given an order which was ignored because I forgot to clear the previous Sentry order first.

Any idea what the AI will do after it executes the orders? (re-establish sentry mode?)

No, after it executes the orders, it won't have any orders. To re-establish sentry mode, you'd have to put another Sentry command at the end of the list, but if the ship is still in a system with a non-ally, the final Sentry command will immediately clear again.

Also, a ship that has low or no supplies won't accept a Sentry order, even if there are no enemies present.

I've yet to find a use for the Patrol order in SE IV, but if it works the same as every other game I've seen it in, the ship will just shuttle back and forth between its current position and a target destination. I don't know if supplies will have any effect on a Patrol order.

You can use the Repeat Orders command for a similar effect, as well.

[ May 23, 2002, 00:43: Message edited by: capnq ]

[steveh11]

Hi: is that 'Sentry' order documented anywhere? I always wondered what it did as it (at first sight) seemed to be a waste of space...

Steve.

[dogscoff]

I always assumed that it was just a "dummmy" command which doesn't do anything, but allows you to easily differentiate between ships awaiting new orders and ships which have no orders but are guarding a location.

If what Taera says is true (and I've no reason to believe that it's not) then it could be something far more useful.

[Phoenix-D]

"I've yet to find a use for the Patrol order in SE IV"

If you can't defend the warp points, don't have a specific target for your fleet to kill, but can't split the fleet or risk being defeated in detail.. the patrol order can let you defend multiple planets per turn. If you're lucky.

Phoenix-D

[Taera]

Very well.
I have just tested the feature, and it _does_ work, in fact making the sentry command far more useful than it was before.

First why to use it? Lets see.
I bet many here have played Civ of any Version, there was a similar command there - "sleep/sentry/board next ship".
The ship with the order sits in its place and does not list in the "next ship" window.
Once a no-treaty/enemy ship enters the system with the ship, the sentry command will clear out and the next one in the list will be executed.

I didnt know that before. Still i was using the order a lot. Useful for those border guard/outlook ships. just hit the next ship button and if the ship had encountered enemy it would appear in the list.

Another thing is using it for mining ships - send it on sentry to the mining field, after the sentry order give it order to go to refuel and then to go back. then give it order to go back. repeat orders.
Thus you will never need again to take care of the miners.

Now to the point.
Sentry order can be used a lot in scenario creation.
For example, if any empire enters X system, then the Y empire's no-support mighty full tech etc.etc. ships would go to specific point, say your homeworld . You kill them, you win the game.
Could be nasty if there are, say four fleets of dreadnought and sun destroyers heading towards your starting systems.
Or another example, put a colony ship on sentry in a storm or group of storms.
Then just wait untill someone [the player] reaches the system. Once he does, the no-maintance colony ship will head to next order - zolonize Z planet. That'll start a new race, say the Monsters.
Just two i can think of right now. sure there are more options.

Just want to see good scenarios

[geoschmo]

Originally posted by capnq:
I've yet to find a use for the Patrol order in SE IV, but if it works the same as every other game I've seen it in, the ship will just shuttle back and forth between its current position and a target destination. I don't know if supplies will have any effect on a Patrol order.

You can use the Repeat Orders command for a similar effect, as well.

Except the repeat order doesen't clear when an enemy ship appears. IIRC the Patrol order does, like Sentry.

As far as applying this to scenario creation, that definetly bears some experimenting. I will test it when I get a chance. However, I don't wnat to get your hopes up. It may not work as expected becuase in the past when I have tried giving AI ships orders at the begining of a scenario, the AI tends to change those orders once they take over running things. It's not quite the same as using sentry or patrol for your own ships during a game beacuse you aren't going in and changing that order the next turn like the AI is perfectly capable of doing.

Geoschmo

[Taera]

geoschmo:

Except the repeat order doesen't clear when an enemy ship appears. IIRC the Patrol order does, like Sentry.

What do you mean?
I was talking about mining ships, the repeat order does not remove itself when put in repeat orders.
THe point is that the mining ship will mine, when it'll be short on resources it will move to the ressuply, go back and mine again without you even bothering to take a look at it, and it wont appear in the next ship list.

As for scenarios, yes the AI does control the ships, but it adds orders only after the current orders are executed. As far as i know, the AI does not use the "cancel orders" command, meaning you can control what will the given ship do to a period of time (orders like sentry -> go to system -> destroy sun shouldnt be to much complex)

hey, can i give an order to "destroy sun" or is it aviable only from stellar manipulations dialog? Never used it.