Secondary movement strategy in combat?

[Karibu]

When does it apply in strategic combat? I have run test simulations with combat simulator and I have tried to make a total strategy which would combine both maximum weapons strategy and point blank. Maximum strategy as long as enemy has either weapons or supplies and point blank when the enemy is helpless.

But I can't. My ship just stays at max range and shoots helpless enemy ship wasting precious combat turns (and lots of ammo) instead of closing in point blank range and finishing its job.

[geoschmo]

It doesn't work like you are trying to make it work. Secondary strategy is used when your ship cannot perform their primary strategy. So as long as your ship has weapons it's going to stay at maximum range regardless of enemy condition.

For example, a boarding ship would have a primary strategy of capture ship, and then when their boarding parties are expended perform seconday starategy. Optimal range perhaps, or if you don't have oher weapons it would probably be either Don't get hurt or ram. A troop ship would have a primary strategy of droop troops, then after troops are droopped would go to the secondary strategy.

[Suicide Junkie]

Optimal range might take into account the enemy weapons automatically.

[Randallw]

As Geoschmo said the secondary strategy only works if the first is impossible. For example, I created a strategy so that my ships would ram enemy vessels. Ram is the secondary strategy and firing point blank is the first. The ships will only ram when they have been damaged so that they have no weapons left. Works quite well, the ships can no longer serve their primary purpose without weapons so they do the only thing they can and take the enemy with them.