attacking planets

[Dogboy]

When attacking planets, how do you get your attack ships to destroy defenses (satellites, fighters, drones, ships, weapons platforms) and then leave? And, how do you get your troop carriers to stay away until its safe before dropping troops?

[Hugh Manatee]

Dunno, I usually just put a [censored] ton of armor, shields, point defense and a few fighters in cargo bays and storm the planet saving private ryan style....

I think... think... it should be possible to have your ships bombard a planet to a certain % then hold, and it should be possible to order them to drop any available troops while they do this but I haven't fanagled the exact strategy settings(it's in the empire options, the crown in the main window, click the tab for strategies).(usually the troop thing circles the perimeter of the map, while the bombers twirl, literally, in place... once they did what they were supposed to... once...)

Once I had a planet defect due to a intel project, formed it's own empire, but my own gun platforms were still on it, this caused looooong combats every round, because it still said they were my platforms in the GC(they had nothing to attack the troops with and the troops couldn't shoot the platforms I guess, so everything spun around for awhile...), but when I went to retake the planet with an unescorted troop ship, my own platforms shot at me..... had to normandy it...

Solution, research napalm, glass and recolonize...

[Xrati]

Have fighters or escort units that have orders to ONLY attack those units. Set it up in the combat options.