1.5.0.2beta: Erratic Fleet Behavior under Retrofit

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1.5.0.2beta: Erratic Fleet Behavior under Retrofit

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All Forums >> [New Releases from Matrix Games] >> Distant Worlds 1 Series >> Tech Support >> 1.5.0.2beta: Erratic Fleet Behavior under Retrofit

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1.5.0.2beta: Erratic Fleet Behavior under Retrofit - 1/31/2011 7:38:00 AM

sbach2o

Posts: 378
Joined: 3/26/2010
Status: offline

I haven't checked on this issue under the recent 1.5.0.4, yet, but nothing regarding this is mentioned in the patch notes.

I had a hard time getting a hold of this, but starting with 1.5.0.0 I often found my fleets (under manual control) where I didn't expect them. I think I now have a handle on what must be happening:

When I retrofit ships in a fleet, as soon as the retrofit for the lead ship is finished it starts out with an order to go some other place, usually (or always) another planet with a space port. If I don't intervene immediately, the lead ship will start on its journey and the other fleet members will follow. Since often the lead ship isn't the last to complete its retrofit, this can tear apart a fleet's cohesion quite a bit.

I think it doesn't matter how the retrofit order was issued, for this to happen. I.e., I can give the order to the whole fleet or on a ship-by-ship basis via the right-click menu, or I can use the retrofit button on the Ships and Bases dialog for all or part of the fleet. All that seems to matter is that the lead ship is among those being retrofitted.

I can prevent the fleet from going runaway by catching the lead ship when it is finished and overriding the errant order.

I think this issue ought to be reproducible without a save game, although i don't know what other conditions, if any, must be met for the errant orders to crop up. I have prepared a save just in case. It has one of those lead ships with an errant order selected and hotkeyed (~30 MB save game, though), just give the word, if I should upload it.

< Message edited by sbach2o -- 1/31/2011 7:40:45 AM >

Post #: 1

RE: 1.5.0.2beta: Erratic Fleet Behavior under Retrofit - 1/31/2011 7:39:40 AM

Data

Posts: 3909
Joined: 1/3/2011
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this sounds alot like the ship/fleet going to the corners of the map issue
there are quite a few reports on that as well

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(in reply to sbach2o)

Post #: 2

RE: 1.5.0.2beta: Erratic Fleet Behavior under Retrofit - 1/31/2011 7:45:19 AM

J HG T

Posts: 1093
Joined: 5/14/2010
From: Kiadia Prime
Status: offline

This happens because the fleets homeplanet is not the same as the planet where they retrofit. When the leading ship has finished retrofitting it sets its course to homeplanet of the fleet and other ships follow it. If you want them to stay where they are when retrofitting just go to fleet menu and set fleets home colony as the planet where they are retrofitting before giving them the retrofit order.
This can be annoying and I think fleets should stay at the planet where they retrofit.

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Nothing is impossible, not if you can imagine it!
"And they hurled themselves into the void of space with no fear."

(in reply to sbach2o)

Post #: 3

RE: 1.5.0.2beta: Erratic Fleet Behavior under Retrofit - 1/31/2011 7:47:46 AM

sbach2o

Posts: 378
Joined: 3/26/2010
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Yes, that is possible, then the issue would be fixed already. In my case, I didn't let the fleets go to their destinations, but I didn't have the impression those were located 'at the corners of the map'. It could be far away, though.

(in reply to sbach2o)

Post #: 4

RE: 1.5.0.2beta: Erratic Fleet Behavior under Retrofit - 1/31/2011 7:49:09 AM

sbach2o

Posts: 378
Joined: 3/26/2010
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: J HG T

This happens because the fleets homeplanet is not the same as the planet where they retrofit. When the leading ship has finished retrofitting it sets its course to homeplanet of the fleet and other ships follow it. If you want them to stay where they are when retrofitting just go to fleet menu and set fleets home colony as the planet where they are retrofitting before giving them the retrofit order.
This can be annoying and I think fleets should stay at the planet where they retrofit.

Now this sounds like a plausible explanation! So when I choose to exert manual control I need to micromanage the fleet's home planets as well (and that is a chore, so I never do it)!

(in reply to J HG T)

Post #: 5

RE: 1.5.0.2beta: Erratic Fleet Behavior under Retrofit - 1/31/2011 7:58:54 AM

J HG T

Posts: 1093
Joined: 5/14/2010
From: Kiadia Prime
Status: offline

I don't find it that hard myself and expansion, with its new tech-tree, really cut the need for retrofitting nicely.
Retrofitting was my nemesis in original DW. In worst case scenario I had to retrofit fleets that had just finished retrofitting!

_____________________________

Nothing is impossible, not if you can imagine it!
"And they hurled themselves into the void of space with no fear."

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Post #: 6

RE: 1.5.0.2beta: Erratic Fleet Behavior under Retrofit - 1/31/2011 9:40:09 AM

Data

Posts: 3909
Joined: 1/3/2011
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yap, thumbs up for improvments instead of new tech components to upgrade again and again

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Post #: 7

RE: 1.5.0.2beta: Erratic Fleet Behavior under Retrofit - 2/1/2011 6:34:48 AM

sbach2o

Posts: 378
Joined: 3/26/2010
Status: offline

This has led me to review the handling of the home base for fleets. In previous versions, this feature was pretty pointless, as it was difficult to set (or was there alredy a right-click context menu option in, say, 1.0.4.x?) and little I found worthwhile about it. Anyway, I came to completely ignore the feature.

Now the isn't the chore it once was to set the home base, anymore. There's an right-click option on a planet (space port required?) with a fleet selected, making the change of the home base easy as cake. Just remember to either refit a fleet at its home base or change the base for the job.

I also found a (hitherto ignored) option 'Return to home base' or something like this on the right-click menu of a fleet itself. Now this is useful. Was it always there?

Anyway, the fact that a lead ship of a fleet starts out with a 'return to home base' order after retrofit is still a bit irritating - if you are unaware of how to manage this.

Besides that, I don't retrofit my fleets or other ships often, it just still happens.

(in reply to Data)

Post #: 8

RE: Home bases in 1.0.6.0 - 2/9/2011 3:02:08 PM

Wreck

Posts: 49
Joined: 2/8/2011
Status: offline

Setting the home base is not obvious in 1.0.6.0, but it is possible via the fleets dialog (F8). And 1.0.6.0 does have the 'Return to home base' item. It took me a while after knowing that there was a home base to figure out how to set it.

(in reply to sbach2o)

Post #: 9