Attack move, or something like that

[Elim]

posted on August 22nd, 2010, 10:31 am

Last edited by Elim on August 22nd, 2010, 10:33 am, edited 1 time in total.

I don't know if it was suggested before or not (I looked after on the forum, and I didn't find it)

I'm sure everybody experienced when trying to chase some retreating stuff, if you send them with move order, to keep up with the opponents speed, your ships just never fire on that one wich you want to kill first.

For example: If you are raiding mining with bugships, and some sabers approaches, if you try to chase them, the bugs will keep firing on mining ships, or constructors til the point they are in range, and let the sabers run, and if you try them force fire on sabers they will be "pleased" with thier range, and stop move, then the sabers can escape again. (Yes you can avoid that happening with excellent rhytmic sense, just knowing when to click to move, and when to click to fire, but i think this is a bit stupid and also olny works in completely lagfree games)
The phenomen also happens when chasing dancing spheres, or in any situation when you try to chase ships with the same or almost the same speed of yours.

Yes, good players can even "abuse" it when retreating, and it gives some more tactical depth to the game, but wouldn't it be nicer if your ships would fire on the stuff you want to kill? (and also more realistic)

I don't exactly know, how it can be implemented, perhaps with a new "attack move" order that works similar to guard order (when the cloaked scout guards a fleet and tries to stay in visual range) . The ships will move after your target and try to stay in firing range, and don't split firepower in silly ways.

The second option (also more complicated), to have a two component order. You click first where to move, then wich ship to fire on while moving.

posted on August 22nd, 2010, 10:40 am

i like both of these suggestions 

posted on August 22nd, 2010, 10:40 am

Second that.  :thumbsup:

posted on August 22nd, 2010, 11:48 am

Depends on what is capable with the engine.  One way would be to lower the priority of mining ships as targets so at least ships will naturally fire on combat ships above other targets.

If it is possible then the idea of ships trying to keep a closer range than their maximum when attacking in order to avoid the stop/start business, but saying that it doesn't always try max range anyway.  For example, what sometimes annoys me is if I select my fleet and attack a mining station then my ships have a habit of swarming all around the station bringing them into range of other possibly defensive structures so I have to micro manage where i shouldn't have to.  If they simply sat at max range (where they were before I issues the order) then there wouldn't be a problem.

posted on August 22nd, 2010, 12:03 pm

Depends on what is capable with the engine.  One way would be to lower the priority of mining ships as targets so at least ships will naturally fire on combat ships above other targets.

that wouldn't work well, as a lot of the time i actually wanna kill the miners, they are slow and weak, and i can munch several of them, while faster intreps/sabres/mons/leahvals would probably run away or escape before death. kill what you can.

posted on August 22nd, 2010, 2:24 pm

This doesn't solve all the issues, but using "K" when you are trying to keep up with a ship and kill it works . The ships will stay in range constantly and keep attacking the vessel.

posted on August 22nd, 2010, 2:34 pm

Unfortunately if the ships get too far out of range after pressing k, they will go off in random directions.
The normal attack order should work so that if the target is moving away and is almost out of range then your ship will keep moving toward it until the target stops or is well within range. The current mechanics of having to order a move to chase is very frustrating and pressing k will lead to more micro since you have to make sure those ships that go off in random directions don't end up running into enemy fleets or defenses.

posted on August 22nd, 2010, 2:54 pm

thats because k is the hotkey for search and destroy.  they will destroy ships in range, and then go and look for more.