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Hi everyone,
I was thinking of a reasonable way to add more fleet commands without breaking the current system and/or making the fleet menu too crowded. Hopefully the suggestions that follow will be useful in further developing the fleet mechanic. I figure the best way to add new commands is to use what already works; i.e., the current fleet command and weapons menus. I did search for this briefly but I didn't find a thread that addresses this feature in quite the same way. ...so here it goes.
Instead of showing a description inside a large panel for each fleet order, you could have a smaller panel with a button that is functionally similar to the "details" button in the weapons menu that opens up when you click it to reveal what the selected order does. This will allow experienced players to give an order without having to scroll through a long list of over-sized panels but still allow newer players to understand what each order does by opening the details of each.
The following is a list of fleet orders I think would work very well in a game like this. Please let me know what you think and feel free to vote in the poll.
New Fleet orders...
Attack selected target.
- The fleet will attack your currently selected target. Changing targets will cause the fleet to change target as well. Useful for situations where concentrated firepower is needed against multiple opponents.
Attack selected target, then idle.
- The fleet will attack your currently selected target, then idle when it is destroyed. Changing targets during the attack will NOT cause the fleet to change target. Use the existing "idle" order to cancel the attack. Useful for intercepting and destroying a *single* target without attacking other targets you may accidentally select but not wish to destroy (unlike turrets set to "selected", which can get you into trouble).
Defend selected target
- The fleet will follow your currently selected target at a range of 0.2 sectors (or server config). Ships will break off and attack all enemies that enter their weapons range, then abort the attack and return to following the defended unit when its distance exceeds 1.0 sector (or server config) or all nearby enemies are destroyed. The fleet will continue to defend the wreckage if your defended target is disabled or destroyed; making salvage/rescue operations possible.
Support selected target
- The fleet will close in, follow and use support tools on your currently selected target, e.g., power supply/drain, astro-technician, shield supply/drain, etc. The fleet will revert to sentry mode if the supported target is destroyed. Useful for repairing/buffing a friendly or locking down an opponent's shields and power grid. (Eve Online anyone?)
Salvage selected target
- The fleet will attempt to salvage a specifically targeted asteroid, decayed station, overheating ship or planet plate. The fleet will idle in place if the target is not something that can be salvaged, e.g., a planet core, an active ship/station or a ship core with no other blocks.
Evade
- Ships in the fleet will attempt to maintain a distance of 2.0 sectors between themselves and the nearest enemy. Useful for retreats and standoffs for non combatants (miners, support craft)
Regarding the existing "formation" orders: It may be beneficial to set the distance between ships in formation to be slightly more than the longest dimension to avoid the "bump and spin" thing they usually do. 1.25 x the longest dimension seems like a good place to start.
That's all I've got for now.
Keep up the awesomeness,
The Whammy
I was thinking of a reasonable way to add more fleet commands without breaking the current system and/or making the fleet menu too crowded. Hopefully the suggestions that follow will be useful in further developing the fleet mechanic. I figure the best way to add new commands is to use what already works; i.e., the current fleet command and weapons menus. I did search for this briefly but I didn't find a thread that addresses this feature in quite the same way. ...so here it goes.
Instead of showing a description inside a large panel for each fleet order, you could have a smaller panel with a button that is functionally similar to the "details" button in the weapons menu that opens up when you click it to reveal what the selected order does. This will allow experienced players to give an order without having to scroll through a long list of over-sized panels but still allow newer players to understand what each order does by opening the details of each.
The following is a list of fleet orders I think would work very well in a game like this. Please let me know what you think and feel free to vote in the poll.
New Fleet orders...
Attack selected target.
- The fleet will attack your currently selected target. Changing targets will cause the fleet to change target as well. Useful for situations where concentrated firepower is needed against multiple opponents.
Attack selected target, then idle.
- The fleet will attack your currently selected target, then idle when it is destroyed. Changing targets during the attack will NOT cause the fleet to change target. Use the existing "idle" order to cancel the attack. Useful for intercepting and destroying a *single* target without attacking other targets you may accidentally select but not wish to destroy (unlike turrets set to "selected", which can get you into trouble).
Defend selected target
- The fleet will follow your currently selected target at a range of 0.2 sectors (or server config). Ships will break off and attack all enemies that enter their weapons range, then abort the attack and return to following the defended unit when its distance exceeds 1.0 sector (or server config) or all nearby enemies are destroyed. The fleet will continue to defend the wreckage if your defended target is disabled or destroyed; making salvage/rescue operations possible.
Support selected target
- The fleet will close in, follow and use support tools on your currently selected target, e.g., power supply/drain, astro-technician, shield supply/drain, etc. The fleet will revert to sentry mode if the supported target is destroyed. Useful for repairing/buffing a friendly or locking down an opponent's shields and power grid. (Eve Online anyone?)
Salvage selected target
- The fleet will attempt to salvage a specifically targeted asteroid, decayed station, overheating ship or planet plate. The fleet will idle in place if the target is not something that can be salvaged, e.g., a planet core, an active ship/station or a ship core with no other blocks.
Evade
- Ships in the fleet will attempt to maintain a distance of 2.0 sectors between themselves and the nearest enemy. Useful for retreats and standoffs for non combatants (miners, support craft)
Regarding the existing "formation" orders: It may be beneficial to set the distance between ships in formation to be slightly more than the longest dimension to avoid the "bump and spin" thing they usually do. 1.25 x the longest dimension seems like a good place to start.
That's all I've got for now.
Keep up the awesomeness,
The Whammy
Last edited:
...then pictures of Terran SCVs started running through my head. Nice.
