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Troop Transport Loadout Conundrum - 9/9/2018 9:17:09 PM   
Omnius


Posts: 833
Joined: 6/22/2012
From: Salinas, CA
Status: offline 		I ran into a baffling situation where I can't seem to load more than 1 Special Forces unit per transport. What's most baffling is that the first transport in my fleet loaded up 2 Inf, 2 Arm and 2 SF just fine. The second transport just wouldn't pick up any of the two Special Forces units that were ready to be picked up after it picked up 2 Inf and 2 Armor. The transports are all retrofitted to the current latest Nottingham XV version with 800 transport capacity. I have to take the second transport out of the fleet to get it to load one of the SF units. I have other transports at the planet and in many tests I found that each transport can only load 1 SF unit per transport, even when I have multiple SF units ready to be picked up and no other units to use up the 800 capacity.


I doublechecked the options to ensure that the loadout percentages for transports were 25% Infantry, 50% armor and 25% Special Forces. That should mean 2 Inf, 2 Arm and 2 SF per transport, just like I got with my first transport. I can add another Inf to reach 800 capacity and each SF unit registers as 100 of that capacity as they should. Is this a known bug? I didn't see any posts about this problem and didn't see anything in the manual regarding limiting SF units to one per transport. So weird that one has two SF units but none of the other ones can replicate that feat.

< Message edited by Omnius -- 9/10/2018 5:22:18 PM >
Post #: 1
RE: Troop Transport Loadout Conumdrum - 9/9/2018 9:57:44 PM   
Aeson

 

Posts: 784
Joined: 8/30/2013
Status: offline 		My experience is that the computer often appears to reserve space on transports as though each unit of Special Forces requires 200 capacity rather than the 100 capacity that the units actually use. I don't know why it does it. Usually, you can "fix" the problem by ordering the transports to pick up troops a second time, after they've loaded the first batch of troops, though of course this wastes time.

Also, just to be sure that you're aware, know that the troop loadouts are more of a fleet-wide thing than a per-transport thing. The fleet should in theory have roughly 25% infantry, 50% armor, and 25% special forces by transport capacity once it's finished loading, but individual ships might have very different loadouts.

(in reply to Omnius)
Post #: 2
RE: Troop Transport Loadout Conumdrum - 9/9/2018 10:57:59 PM   
SirHoraceHarkness


Posts: 400
Joined: 5/17/2015
Status: offline 		I've gotten around the issue by making dedicated troop worlds which only produce one type so a typical invasion force will have specific transports dedicated to each type. How they get there doesn't matter after you land them.

Oddly enough using the Imperium of Man's military hierarchy system works quite well in this game with dedicated troop and manufacturing worlds held together with an iron grip.


(in reply to Aeson)
Post #: 3
RE: Troop Transport Loadout Conumdrum - 9/10/2018 5:29:49 PM   
Omnius


Posts: 833
Joined: 6/22/2012
From: Salinas, CA
Status: offline 		Aeson,
Thanks for letting me kow it's not just me but this troop loading routine seems to be a little buggy. It is odd that the SF units seem to be problematic for loading, really weird that when I ask to load 2 SF onto an empty transport with a capacity of 800 that only one loads up. Sadly too late for this to get fixed but hopefully this will be fixed in DW2.


I wasn't sure if the loadouts were per fleet or per transport. Really strange that when I have 2 transports in a fleet the second transport with 200 free capacity remaining refuses to pick up any unless I take it out of the fleet. I guess I'll have to dumb it down to 3 Inf, 2 Armor and 1 SF per transport so that I don't have problems loading. I'm going to try a few more tricks to see if I can get this working so picking up 2 SF per transport isn't a problem.

(in reply to Aeson)
Post #: 4
RE: Troop Transport Loadout Conundrum - 9/10/2018 5:37:38 PM   
Omnius


Posts: 833
Joined: 6/22/2012
From: Salinas, CA
Status: offline 		SirHoraceHarkness,
That's interesting that you've taken the approach of individual worlds producing one kind of troop unit. I have just started spreading my troop making out but have opted to make all 3 types at certain worlds with large spaceports. I figure my avenues of advance and use worlds as advance bases from which to build fleets and launch invasions from.

I'm curious as to if you can pick up multiple SF units in a single transport. I built 4 SF units to go along with the 2 at the world I was working from and tried to pick them up using a single transport. I could only ever get my transports to pick up only 1 SF unit. I'd even order them to pick up again after they picked up one but they failed to pick up a second despite having the free capacity to do so. I'm going to try a test with 2 empty transports in a fleet to see if they'll load 2 Inf, 2 Arm and 2 SF into a single transport like it did before. I think I'll play around with the loading percentages to see if I can fake out the system for SF units.

(in reply to SirHoraceHarkness)
Post #: 5
RE: Troop Transport Loadout Conumdrum - 9/10/2018 10:05:01 PM   
Omnius


Posts: 833
Joined: 6/22/2012
From: Salinas, CA
Status: offline 		Aeson,
I figured out the solution to the transport SF loading problem. Apparently it takes two empty transports in a fleet for one of those transports to load 2 Inf, 2 Arm and 2 SF. I knew that I was on to something when I had one transport load up correctly in a fleet but the second wouldn't. I had extra transports at the port so could try some tests. I tried to put one empty transport into the fleet with the other two loading. This allowed the one transport to add one of the two SF units on the planet for pickup. Then I took out the full transport and placed another empty one in the fleet after I unloaded the troops in the second transport on planet. Then I was able to load the 2 Inf, 2 Arm and 2 SF into one transport. Just for grins I tried another test unloading the troops but placing an empty transport into one of my smaller one transport Transport Forces. Once again I was able to load up the 6 units into one transport.


So it looks like we need to use an extra transport and load one at a time. I'll have to try some tests with multiple transport fleets, I was going to use 4 in my Assault Fleets, while I use one in my Transport Forces which I use for ferrying infantry around to garrison new planets. So it's either place an extra transport in assault fleets or use a transport force to come in right after the assault to place garrison infantry on a newly conquered planet while allowing the assaulting force to be picked up one transport at a time. The key is two empty transports to start in one fleet. Ungarrison one transport's worth of troops and get one transport loaded at a time. Switch out the loaded transport for another empty one and repeat until finished.

(in reply to Aeson)
Post #: 6
RE: Troop Transport Loadout Conumdrum - 9/10/2018 10:08:24 PM   
Omnius


Posts: 833
Joined: 6/22/2012
From: Salinas, CA
Status: offline 		SirHoraceHarkness,
I figured out the solution to the transport SF loading problem. Apparently it takes two empty transports in a fleet for one of those transports to load 2 Inf, 2 Arm and 2 SF. I knew that I was on to something when I had one transport load up correctly in a fleet but the second wouldn't. I had extra transports at the port so could try some tests. I tried to put one empty transport into the fleet with the other two loading. This allowed the one transport to add one of the two SF units on the planet for pickup. Then I took out the full transport and placed another empty one in the fleet after I unloaded the troops in the second transport on planet. Then I was able to load the 2 Inf, 2 Arm and 2 SF into one transport. Just for grins I tried another test unloading the troops but placing an empty transport into one of my smaller one transport Transport Forces. Once again I was able to load up the 6 units into one transport.

So it looks like we need to use an extra transport and load one at a time. I'll have to try some tests with multiple transport fleets, I was going to use 4 in my Assault Fleets, while I use one in my Transport Forces which I use for ferrying infantry around to garrison new planets. So it's either place an extra transport in assault fleets or use a transport force to come in right after the assault to place garrison infantry on a newly conquered planet while allowing the assaulting force to be picked up one transport at a time. The key is two empty transports to start in one fleet. Ungarrison one transport's worth of troops and get one transport loaded at a time. Switch out the loaded transport for another empty one and repeat until finished.

(in reply to SirHoraceHarkness)
Post #: 7
RE: Troop Transport Loadout Conumdrum - 9/11/2018 6:21:59 PM   
SirHoraceHarkness


Posts: 400
Joined: 5/17/2015
Status: offline 		Interesting on the needing two transports to load one with a mixed force. My way is to simply send a separate transport fleet to each world and load up and they have no issues filling each one to whatever capacity I have researched.

(in reply to Omnius)
Post #: 8
RE: Troop Transport Loadout Conumdrum - 9/13/2018 8:59:50 PM   
Omnius


Posts: 833
Joined: 6/22/2012
From: Salinas, CA
Status: offline 		SirHoraceHarkness,
Yeah that was interesting how I was able to use two empty transports plus the fleet load troop command to get one transport properly loaded with a mixed load including SF units. It is a bit of a pain to load one transport at a time but as long as it works I'll do it.

I was wondering if you could load 8 SF units onto a transport without problem. Do you use the fleet load command or the ship one? When I tried loading more than 1 SF unit with the ship command I could never get more than 1 to load.

I'm enjoying the game. I did see one bug when I used my 101st Combat Fleet to attack a planet and had an assault fleet along to capture the world. After the dust settled my 101st Combat Fleet became the 87th Combat Fleet but I couldn't find it anywhere in the ship list from the top of the screen or from the left, it simply didn't show up on my lists. I had to disband the fleet and recreate it so that it was numbered properly and showed up in my lists.

(in reply to SirHoraceHarkness)
Post #: 9
RE: Troop Transport Loadout Conumdrum - 9/13/2018 9:34:45 PM   
SirHoraceHarkness


Posts: 400
Joined: 5/17/2015
Status: offline 		I select my transport fleet and make sure they are next to the troop world and click the fleet load troops button on the ui. They beeline for the planet and fill to whatever capacity I have researched which means that there is sometimes spare space. You are probably experiencing a bug as there are so many ways to do the same thing. Experiment around till you get it to work is all we can really tell you as the ui is clunky and not very intuitive at times.

(in reply to Omnius)
Post #: 10
RE: Troop Transport Loadout Conumdrum - 9/17/2018 3:40:42 PM   
Omnius


Posts: 833
Joined: 6/22/2012
From: Salinas, CA
Status: offline 		SirHoraceHarkness,
Funny thing happened after I created the 60th Fleet, I was able to join new fleets again from the ship list on the left, for some odd reason that ability dropped off after 30 then came back after 60. So now I'm back to creating new fleets the easier way through the ship list on the left.

I've got my transports up to 800 capacity so know that's not an issue on loading full loads. I'm going to experiment a bit with trying to load 3 transports at a time with one empty and only ungarrisoning the right mix of troops so that I can hopefully get 3 transports to load quickly so that I only have to play the trick of using two empty ones to get the last one loaded properly with SF units.

Yep the Artificial Ignorance does make a mess of things, as in all games. One feature I liked about Armada 2526 better than DW was the turn-based system allowed me to play multiple alien races at once so I could get them all up to speed and have better more even combats.

(in reply to SirHoraceHarkness)
Post #: 11
RE: Troop Transport Loadout Conumdrum - 9/17/2018 10:34:18 PM   
Shark7


Posts: 7937
Joined: 7/24/2007
From: The Big Nowhere
Status: offline 		In my experience, you don't really need a lot of Special Forces units in invasions. The problem I've found is that once I get armor units researched, the AI decides I don't need infantry anymore, so it quits making them. Also, once you build a robotic troop foundry, the AI will build only those units for some reason.

My solution is similar to what others have stated. Choose planets to home base my assault fleets at and order about 20 of each troop type manually at those planets periodically. It also seems to help if you build a starport at these colonies as the transports won't be flying all over the galaxy to refuel or repair constantly. I also mix my troop transport (in empire policies) to carry 40% Inf, 30% Armor, 20% Special Forces, and 10% Defense units and get a pretty good mix on each fleet.

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RE: Troop Transport Loadout Conumdrum - 9/17/2018 10:51:10 PM   
Retreat1970


Posts: 948
Joined: 11/6/2013
From: Wisconsin
Status: offline
quote:

I also mix my troop transport (in empire policies) to carry 40% Inf, 30% Armor, 20% Special Forces, and 10% Defense units



Why would you invade with a PDU?

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Post #: 13
RE: Troop Transport Loadout Conumdrum - 9/18/2018 12:37:33 AM   
Aeson

 

Posts: 784
Joined: 8/30/2013
Status: offline
quote:

Why would you invade with a PDU?

I'm not positive, but I think invading PDUs can shoot at reinforcements as they land if the defender drops some in during the invasion. It also gives you some PDUs to leave with the garrison, if you leave a garrison behind when you take the invasion force off the colony.

(in reply to Retreat1970)
Post #: 14
RE: Troop Transport Loadout Conumdrum - 9/18/2018 12:43:00 AM   
Shark7


Posts: 7937
Joined: 7/24/2007
From: The Big Nowhere
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Retreat1970

quote:

I also mix my troop transport (in empire policies) to carry 40% Inf, 30% Armor, 20% Special Forces, and 10% Defense units



Why would you invade with a PDU?


So they are there when the planet gets reinforcements or invaded and/or the populace rebels.

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RE: Troop Transport Loadout Conumdrum - 9/18/2018 12:46:50 AM   
Retreat1970


Posts: 948
Joined: 11/6/2013
From: Wisconsin
Status: offline 		I'd take the two armor instead in every situation.

(in reply to Shark7)
Post #: 16
RE: Troop Transport Loadout Conumdrum - 9/18/2018 1:04:40 AM   
Shark7


Posts: 7937
Joined: 7/24/2007
From: The Big Nowhere
Status: offline 		With my fleets it isn't an issue. Currently my assault fleets all have 24-28 units embarked.

I design most of my bigger ships to carry troops as well as the dedicated transports.

If I weren't using custom designs, I'd probably drop the defense unit and up armor to 50%.

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RE: Troop Transport Loadout Conumdrum - 9/18/2018 2:36:35 AM   
SirHoraceHarkness


Posts: 400
Joined: 5/17/2015
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Retreat1970

I'd take the two armor instead in every situation.


Which is why I make troop worlds. Easier to build an invasion fleet by what each transport has loaded than trying to get the game to get the right mix of troops on each individual ship.

(in reply to Retreat1970)
Post #: 18
RE: Troop Transport Loadout Conumdrum - 9/18/2018 6:37:50 AM   
Shark7


Posts: 7937
Joined: 7/24/2007
From: The Big Nowhere
Status: offline 		Just goes to show that different players come up with different solutions. Each to fit his or her own playstyle.

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RE: Troop Transport Loadout Conumdrum - 9/18/2018 3:56:15 PM   
Retreat1970


Posts: 948
Joined: 11/6/2013
From: Wisconsin
Status: offline 		The only reason to have a PDU is for the troop invasion intercept (does anyone know what is intercepted? One troop or one transports load?), and the bombardment intercept. They fight at 75%/50% Defense/Attack of one infantry unit. They are also susceptible to Special Forces, who attack PDU's and installations first. I want to use more PDU's, but they are underwhelming for their cost.

(in reply to Shark7)
Post #: 20
RE: Troop Transport Loadout Conumdrum - 9/18/2018 4:12:41 PM   
Omnius


Posts: 833
Joined: 6/22/2012
From: Salinas, CA
Status: offline 		I managed to load 7 Assault Fleets at once on 7 different planets, made the micromanaging less of a problem. I definitely like making troop worlds with large spaceports, then fleets can load, or refuel or retrofit as needed.

(in reply to Retreat1970)
Post #: 21
RE: Troop Transport Loadout Conumdrum - 9/18/2018 10:51:55 PM   
Shark7


Posts: 7937
Joined: 7/24/2007
From: The Big Nowhere
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Omnius

I managed to load 7 Assault Fleets at once on 7 different planets, made the micromanaging less of a problem. I definitely like making troop worlds with large spaceports, then fleets can load, or refuel or retrofit as needed.


Yep, my experience doing this is that it takes all the micro-management out of it since the fleets are based where they load the troops and refuel. I'm basically constantly ready for war with 7 fully loaded assault fleets (Ironic that you mention 7 assault fleets which is the exact number I keep as well). The other good thing about it is if I decide to wipe out an empire, I have enough troops already loaded to take the home-world, which is heavily defended on the hardest game difficulty.

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'When in doubt...attack!'

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Post #: 22
RE: Troop Transport Loadout Conumdrum - 9/29/2018 4:04:21 PM   
Omnius


Posts: 833
Joined: 6/22/2012
From: Salinas, CA
Status: offline 		Shark7,
I just ruined our Assault Fleet numerical symmetry by making an 8th assault fleet. Planning two more soon, after I finish up capturing a few more home worlds and conquering alien races. Plus I want to make another 10 combat fleets and 13 cruiser forces so I have 40 each.

(in reply to Shark7)
Post #: 23
RE: Troop Transport Loadout Conumdrum - 10/1/2018 2:20:42 AM   
Shark7


Posts: 7937
Joined: 7/24/2007
From: The Big Nowhere
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Omnius

Shark7,
I just ruined our Assault Fleet numerical symmetry by making an 8th assault fleet. Planning two more soon, after I finish up capturing a few more home worlds and conquering alien races. Plus I want to make another 10 combat fleets and 13 cruiser forces so I have 40 each.


Corruption hits me hard since I play on the hardest difficulty. Unfortunately, my navy is as big as I can afford at the moment, and that is with 144 colonies. So I'll be staying with the 7 assault fleets, but I do have 3 carrier fleets (that can hold about 12 troops each) to use for low level stuff, IE small enemy colonies.



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Post #: 24
RE: Troop Transport Loadout Conumdrum - 10/1/2018 4:58:54 PM   
Omnius


Posts: 833
Joined: 6/22/2012
From: Salinas, CA
Status: offline 		Shark7,
I'll have to try the hardest level now that I've figured out how the game works. I'm lucky in my game that corruption isn't a problem. One thing I hate is having to clean up the mess after conquering an alien race, have to rid myself of all of their pathetic ships and check their mining stations for whether to keep or retrofit.

(in reply to Shark7)
Post #: 25
RE: Troop Transport Loadout Conumdrum - 10/4/2018 3:11:52 AM   
Hattori Hanzo


Posts: 734
Joined: 3/21/2011
From: Okinawa
Status: offline 		it's always a good choice to retrofit alien mining stations: instant free money from the private sector !!!

< Message edited by Hattori Hanzo -- 10/4/2018 3:13:43 AM >

(in reply to Omnius)
Post #: 26
RE: Troop Transport Loadout Conumdrum - 12/9/2018 10:18:14 PM   
zebanovich

 

Posts: 17
Joined: 12/7/2018
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Hattori Hanzo

it's always a good choice to retrofit alien mining stations: instant free money from the private sector !!!

Is this true, that upgrading mining stations gives you cash from private sector??, I thought only new purchases in spaceports gives you money from private sector?

(in reply to Hattori Hanzo)
Post #: 27
RE: Troop Transport Loadout Conumdrum - 12/9/2018 11:59:41 PM   
Aeson

 

Posts: 784
Joined: 8/30/2013
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: zebanovich
Is this true, that upgrading mining stations gives you cash from private sector??, I thought only new purchases in spaceports gives you money from private sector?

The state gets paid for all private sector ship and station upgrades as well as for all private sector ship and station construction.

(in reply to zebanovich)
Post #: 28
RE: Troop Transport Loadout Conumdrum - 12/20/2018 7:41:07 PM   
Shark7


Posts: 7937
Joined: 7/24/2007
From: The Big Nowhere
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Aeson


quote:

ORIGINAL: zebanovich
Is this true, that upgrading mining stations gives you cash from private sector??, I thought only new purchases in spaceports gives you money from private sector?

The state gets paid for all private sector ship and station upgrades as well as for all private sector ship and station construction.


And while this is true, making civilian ship upgrades an easy source of money, you can bankrupt your civilian economy doing it. That means no tax money coming in.

I honestly do not upgrade the civilian stuff very often at all.

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Post #: 29
RE: Troop Transport Loadout Conumdrum - 1/1/2019 9:12:46 PM   
bubb_tubbs

 

Posts: 23
Joined: 12/20/2018
From: Lindsay, Ontario
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Hattori Hanzo

it's always a good choice to retrofit alien mining stations: instant free money from the private sector !!!

Disagree, unless you enjoy being saddled with a lot of mediocre mining locations eating up the private sector revenue, or all the messages and tied-up freighters that result from upgrading 30+ stations outside your original borders.

Better to just scrap all of them and build your own, upgraded stations only where warranted (which is probably no more than 10 locations, unless it's extremely late game.

I also design everything manually, including private bases and ships, so I usually have two or three different designs for ore bases, luxury bases, gas bases, and combinations of those; some armed, some with long range scanners, some completely barebones and expendable (usually non-fuel stations very close to colonies). Figuring out where all of those should go is far easier with the expansion planner and map than it is going through a bunch of existing locations and upgrading.

< Message edited by bubb_tubbs -- 1/1/2019 9:18:35 PM >

(in reply to Hattori Hanzo)
Post #: 30
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