Formations

[godsvoice]

posted on December 4th, 2011, 6:27 am

Last edited by godsvoice on December 4th, 2011, 6:31 am, edited 1 time in total.

At moment, I think the best formation is probably the wedge one, where you get one point guard ship in the front, with two wings.

But, there is only four to choose from, a line, square, wedge, etc.

I propose a 'scouting party' formation.

The fastest 1-3 ships in the fleet will fly a fair bit ahead of the other ships. This way, on your mini map, in addition to any scouts cloaked or otherwise, you will get a heads up information about what is ahead.

This, or the formation will simply set it self up like with the square, but with 3 ships flying ahead like fighters zig zagging perhaps, and seeing what all is ahead of the fleet. If the formation is set to green alert while the advanced guard is attacked, they will retreat. If they are set to red alert, they will engage, and the rest of the fleet will swoop in.

I know you can already do this manually to some degree... but this just makes it an automatic formation. I think it might free up some microing for some. But you still have to pay attention.

Other formation suggestions might as well add em in if you have any. It isn't too hard to create a formation setting is it?

(In particular, might be useful in some cases like for playing against Dominion. I don't want to send my whole fleet forward to find out I'm walking into right where the AI has build a star base with double perimeter protection, exposing my whole fleet to that fire power. However, if I can get an automatic three ship point guard system going which gets me the same information but in time to retreat or give new orders to my fleet to avoid a certain area, would much rather lose only a few ships.

Perhaps 2 ships works. If they are destroyed, the next two fastest cycle upwards to the guard position.)

And obviously if you don't like this formation you don't need to comment on it negatively... as just use the other formations. But for what is stated above and many other realistic situations, I think it could be useful)

posted on December 4th, 2011, 12:44 pm

well if formations were to be improved i guess it would be nice to alow direction the formation is facing to be added aswell, like in the game cossacks, in my personal opinion that game has the best formations i have ever seen in a game (and which is also easy to use) however those formations are based on massive armies.
And alow for lose and tight formations and stuff so you can adapt to area effect weapons, can blob (in a limited way) without circling and needing 360 degree firing arc. or a lose formation to prevent ships going around you and stuff.

posted on December 4th, 2011, 12:47 pm

we do indeed have some ideas to improve formations, but sadly not on that high priority at the moment, as we have a lot of stuff to do for the next patch already

posted on December 4th, 2011, 6:18 pm

Wasn't a high priority request. just a random thought.

Additionally, I was thinking of a formation that moved well at rest. Sort of like how fighters do their figure eight around the mother ship.

The formation might 'swarm' an area when it is not moving. So either figure eight, or does circles, or random movements. Or, they do lines back and forth.

So, if they were attacking  station, instead of just staying in one spot shooting they would be moving around it. Some way to have them circle at firing range, or zig zag criss cross in a straight line back and forth over the structure, or just do figure eights over an area.

In cases where turrets are set up, it might force more ships to be targeted and more difficult for certain ships to be constantly made the target. Sitting in one spot while they fire.