Breaking formation

[Ruatha]

How do I make my fleet brake formation when entering strategic combat on PBW.
There's no such option in strategy/formation.

The fleet is diversified with ship capture, rammers, fighter carriers and battleships with beams.
I can't set one strategy that makes them all do what they should.

(edit - set e-mail notification)

[ November 25, 2002, 10:13: Message edited by: Ruatha ]

[Mephisto]

Each Fleet has a Strategy assigned to it, normally "Optimal Firing Range". Go into the "Empire Status Window" (by pressing F11), there choose Strategies. Make sure you have selected the same Strategy here on the left that the Fleet uses (i.e. "Optimal Firing Range" most of the time). Chose "Formation" on the right. In the middle of the window you can now select everything that should break formation (i.e. the fleet formation) and should act on its own Strategy (selected in the design window). Make sure to have a green dot in front of everything that should break formation. That’s it.

[Ruatha]

Thanks.

[Pablo]

Didn't want to start a new thread because the question is about a similar thing.
Is it possible to change a ship's strategy if the ship is already built or captured? I just couldn't find such an option.
Or is it possible only in the design window? Thanx http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

[ November 27, 2002, 13:56: Message edited by: Pablo ]

[Suicide Junkie]

Changing the design's strategy affects the actions of ALL ship of that design, even if already built.

Ships you have captured follow their original design strategy, which you have no control over.
If you've captured the Last of a particular design your enemy had, he may even change that ship's strategy to "don't get hurt" or something http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

[Taera]

hey SJ - now that would be NASTY!
i can also set it to fire on friendly seekers ( i think) and whatsover.

Question: is Break Formation is useful? i've always used formations...

[Ruatha]

I made a startegy called Break formation and use it frequently.
As I want' some ships to capture other ships, some to try to capture the planet, some to ram and some to go optimum fare range and some to not get hurt.
As most of my ships have heavy weapons regardless of their real task 8capture ships/planets, fighter carrer) I dont want them to stay out of the fight.

[Stone Mill]

If you've captured the Last of a particular design your enemy had, he may even change that ship's strategy to "don't get hurt" or something <font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Yes, nasty indeed. You can counter this, however.

Remember, you can retrofit captured ships to a design you have control over. Always travel with a spaceyard handy. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

[capnq]

is Break Formation is useful? <font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Depending on the situation, anywhere from somewhat harmful to critically important.

I've seen fleets destroyed because they weren't breaking from a cluttered formation, and other times that ships were lost because they broke formation.

On average, I think it's better to break than not to.

[Taera]

i'll keep that in mind. recently i've been very annoyed with the formations.

[Grandpa Kim]

Originally posted by Stone Mill:
[QUOTE] Remember, you can retrofit captured ships to a design you have control over. Always travel with a spaceyard handy. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif <font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Wow! This I did not know! Gotta try it next opportunity.

Kim

[Stone Mill]

Glad you like the idea...

You don't even have to wait for repairs to be done... (whoops, that's secret info).

Anyway, don't get TOO excited. If the ship has special racial tech components (or any advanced tech components) your race does not posess, they will be lost in the retrofit.

[Baron Grazic]

A 'Break Formation' Strategy should be including in the standard Strategies. It would save people creating the strategy themselves.

What would be a nice idea is the ability to 'Copy' an Enemies Design.
It would save time in redesigning a Captured ship that you wanted to retro-fit. It would also allow you to retro-fit Racial ships that you can't repair.

IE. I capture I Crystal Ship, the ship has low-end engines with Crystal Armor. I go to the Enemy Design window, say Copy, upgrade the the Engines, save the new design and retro-fit the captured ship to the new design and repair the enginees.

I still wouldn't be able to build the ship or repair the Crystal Armour if they get destroyed, but now you could keep the ship up-to-date with the other technology.

[ November 28, 2002, 02:10: Message edited by: Baron Grazic ]

[PvK]

Yes Baron G, definitely.

By the way, you do not need to rebuild a captured ship to change its strategy. You can put it in a fleet whose strategy is something that does not break formation, and it will use the fleet strategy.

PvK

[Baron Grazic]

Pvk, Yes to which one?
Break Formation by default, or Copy Enemy Designs, or both? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

[capnq]

A 'Break Formation' Strategy should be including in the standard Strategies. <font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">All the standard strategies have a Formation tab to set this on; why do you think it should be a separate strategy?

[Taera]

interesting thing. i've never tried formation breaking before. works fine, though on non-gold ships still stick to their fleet strategy.

[jimbob]

They do? I thought they broke formation in the Last few games I've been playing...

[Taera]

no, they break formation, they just keep the fleet strategy for targeting.