Advice on protecting unarmed ships

Joe Cool · #1 July 3rd, 2003, 09:11 AM

If I have two fleets at the same location and they are attacked, will they fight together? If so, I could have a couple of escorts protect my valuable stellar manip ship (and NOT break formation so they stay with him) while another fleet is free to break formation and go on the offensive. Will this work?
And, if I have two fleets, one with mine sweepers, is there any way to make sure that the one with the sweepers sweeps, so the other isn't lost to mines?
Thanks!
Joe

Loser · #2 July 3rd, 2003, 11:47 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Joe Cool:
... if I have two fleets, one with mine sweepers, is there any way to make sure that the one with the sweepers sweeps, so the other isn't lost to mines?

Yes. In sequential, send in the sweeping fleet first. In simultaineus, you need to make certain they arrive on the same 'day'.

Joe Cool · #3 July 17th, 2003, 07:33 AM

FYI, I ran some tests and it appears that if the sweepers arrive earlier in the turn than other fleets, the mines are swept and the fleets that follow that turn do not encounter them. This seemed to work if sweepers and other fleet start at the same location and sweepers are faster. It also seemed to work if the sweepers were equally fast, but started nearer the mine field. When the sweepers were equal in speed and equally distant, they did not sweep and the other fleet was damaged, at least on the few trials I tested.

Suicide Junkie · #4 July 17th, 2003, 03:23 PM

Try shift-clicking the two fleets before you order them to move into the field.

The ships will move as if they were in one single fleet for one turn.

Slick · #5 July 17th, 2003, 05:48 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Suicide Junkie:
The ships will move as if they were in one single fleet for one turn.

Just to be clear, are you saying that if I shift-click 2 ships (or fleets) and move/attack, they will move as a fleet for the first turn even if they have different speeds? i.e. if 1 ship has a movement of 10 while the other has a movement of 7, will the first ship "slow down" and move with the second, and only move 7 for that turn? I thought that shift-clicking was only a faster means of giving out the same order to multiple ships.

Slick.

Thermodyne · #6 July 17th, 2003, 05:59 PM

I have played a few games where I was up against unarmed ships, usually mine sweepers. First thing I do is to make unarmed ships a priority target; that will often kill the mine-sweepers even when you loose the battle. This has a slowing effect on the opposing fleet, as they need to replace the mine-sweepers or risk running afoul of mine fields. Adding a single weapon will defeat this tactic. It looks like this is a mistake that lots of new players make.

Slick · #7 July 17th, 2003, 06:06 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Thermodyne:
I have played a few games where I was up against unarmed ships, usually mine sweepers. First thing I do is to make unarmed ships a priority target; that will often kill the mine-sweepers even when you loose the battle. This has a slowing effect on the opposing fleet, as they need to replace the mine-sweepers or risk running afoul of mine fields. Adding a single weapon will defeat this tactic. It looks like this is a mistake that lots of new players make.

Ooooo. Sneaky. This might work agains me. *scribbles it down*. Would even work on my spaceyard, repair and supply ships. *pouts* I will have to keep this in mind at PBW. I will paraphrase this for the FAQ. Thanks!

Slick.