How to launch ISPM (aka drones)

[Ruatha]

I want to launch some drones carrying planetary warheads (Inter System Planetary Missiles (ISPM) from a system 4 systems away from the target. But when I chose "Launch units remotely" it plots a course for the ship to the target and then adds the order launch.
I want the drones to go themself, how do I do this?

[geoschmo]

You give the launch to the ship. Tell it to launch right where it is, don't click on the eventual target this turn, jsut click where you wnat the drones launched. Then next turn you give the drones the attack order and the target. Keep in mind unless you have something in the system you are attacking giving you a view of the target you will not be able to give the attack order.

[Baron Munchausen]

Originally posted by Ruatha:
I want to launch some drones carrying planetary warheads (Inter System Planetary Missiles (ISPM) from a system 4 systems away from the target. But when I chose "Launch units remotely" it plots a course for the ship to the target and then adds the order launch.
I want the drones to go themself, how do I do this?<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Geo is right. You have to launch them first, then select a target the next turn. This is a problem with anti-ship weapons, of course, since the target can disappear from one turn to the next. Perhaps MM can be persuaded to make some special 'targetting' method for drones so they can be targetted before actual launch...

[Ruatha]

If I now that a planet is habitated, having seen it before. Can I order my drones to attack that planet even though it now shows as uninhabited on my maps.
Geo said I needed aspotter in the system, do I need it there when I target?

[Ruatha]

And another question, strategies for drones with kamikaze warheads.
What does "Drone attack" means, should I use Kamikaze instead?
Simultaneus game.

[Phoenix-D]

The spotter must be there from targeting to impact. Doesn't have to be the same ship, but someone has to be able to see the target the entire time.

Phoenix-D

[Ruatha]

What happens otherwise? If I target the planet without spotter?

[Baron Munchausen]

Originally posted by Ruatha:
If I now that a planet is habitated, having seen it before. Can I order my drones to attack that planet even though it now shows as uninhabited on my maps.
Geo said I needed aspotter in the system, do I need it there when I target?<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Yes, you need a 'current' view of a planet to attack it with drones. There has been an ongoing call for the ability to just send drones to an arbitrary location, like 'goto' for ships, but MM doesn't seem to want to do that. Apparently he considers it a 'balance' issue.

[Phoenix-D]

"What happens otherwise? If I target the planet without spotter?"

You can't. If you can't see it, you can't attack it. If you target the drone then before it arrives loose sight of the target, the drone will halt.

Phoenix-D

[Atrocities]

Thanks GEO. You answered one of my questions even before I could ask it. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

[capnq]

You have to launch them first, then select a target the next turn. <font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">That's only the case in simultaneous games. In sequential games, you can give orders to the drones immediately.