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IDProjectCategoryLast Update
0003736AI War 1 / ClassicSuggestion - Interface Ideas - Unit Selection, Management, and OrdersAug 19, 2011 6:31 pm
ReporterRanakastrasz Assigned ToChris_McElligottPark  
Status closedResolutionwon't fix 
Summary0003736: AI War, FLEET command.
DescriptionI enjoy playing AI war Fleet command, but I think that the micromanagement requires to manage much more than a *blob of death* fleet
is quite a bit more than I can handle easily especially correctly replacing lost ships and rebinding them to a fleet key.
Considering the name of the game, "Fleet command" You have to wonder where the anti-micromanagement aspects of fleet management is,
when the economy is maintained automatically (to an extent, but it is simpler than other games use)

So I think a *hueg* change like this would allow you to easily manage, replenish, and more importantly, easily *deblob* your fleet.


Fleets (T1) are objects that somehow allow the indirect control of a arbitrary sized group of ships.
They are controlled by a dummy *fleet* ship (or some other method to control them) that relays any orders it receives to ships in the fleet.
ships in a fleet will use group move so as to attempt to stay together.

Task Forces,(T2) (Battle fleet or Sub-fleet would work as well for a name) are subsets of fleets, are able to be split easily
out of the fleet, and controlled separately.

Squadrons(T3) are subsets of Task Forces, that are normally controlled by their parent Task Force, but will in combat automatically detach from the Task Force's group move effect,
and use their own group move instead, so as to take advantage of their usually higher speed.

(note that this is just an idea as to how to manage the fleet)
Fleets (and their subsets, possibly allow for more than three tiers) are created via a context menu command (fleet command menu)
After selecting a group of ships, and declaring them a fleet, a menu comes up that lists all of the ships. Initially the whole fleet
will work like a *ball of death* with just a (T1) group containing all the ships. (groups are shown in a separate list, and can be *opened*
to show their subsets, similar to window folder navigation on the sidebar, where you can open or close a folder, but still see the tree)
Right clicking on a group will allow to disband it, (if you disband the fleet, all ships are released, while disbanding a subset will release it's ships to it's parent)
or to add a new group (it will bring up a menu to select how many ships of each type and tier to add out of what the fleet contains (as well as how many are in it's
parent, and it's parent parent etc. (and possibly in the same tier, but requires same parent, meaning a transfer of ships), that could be added, as well as how
many loose ships (on the planet)/unbuilt available ships could be added, loose ships will automatically try to join the fleet and valid
(on planet, or whatever the validator is for a factory that could replenish this fleet) factories will automatically try to build the requested ships)
via a slider/text-box or some other method to determine how many to add. An extra tab would allow adjustment of a group's, or a group of group's
(but not the parent of the group of groups, if you know what I mean) behavior, such as how long their *leash* is, or targeting priorities ("this is Anti-bomber squad one, reporting!")
(targeting priorities would basically be values that the attractiveness of a type of enemy ship is, 2 would mean that your ships would act as if they have about
twice the damage vs the target when deciding who to shoot/chase (since current logic I think makes bombers for example attack force fields because they get 6x damage or so)
(this would allow you to make sure your fleet always prioritizes, say, parasites and shredders, due to their high threat regardless of how much damage they would take)
or adjust the ship count in the selected group (same menu as creating a new group)



(A number of shortcuts/pre-made fleet designs may be necessary for easy of access)

In automated combat (FRD or auto-acquire mode) fleets will usually go after the acquired group of ships. If there are multiple separated groups of hostile ships
(I am unsure how to determine if they are grouped, having read the article on how AI ships appear to be grouped, but are not really coded that way)
the fleet will split off their Task Forces to attack the groups. If a Task force (regardless of whether or not it is still grouped with a fleet) has squadrons,
They will be split off to engage, each taking separate (group) targets if possible, doubling up the squadrons if available.
Groups containing high threat ships (threat for ship types is determined by CTRL fleet setup values)
Squadrons will not stray more than (CTRLs value, or squadron specific value) distance from their parent Task Force, they
will return (possibly use some AI similar calculations to determine whether or not to fall back)

Factories, (possibly warp gates, but would require a fleet to somehow indicate that it will be there for a long enough time)
automatically replace ships in a fleet that have been destroyed. If a fleet is on a
planet with a factory which is able to replace ships the fleet has lost, it will automatically queue and
produce them. If *loose* (using old control system) ships that are required by the fleet to replenish itself exist on the planet
the fleet is on, they will automatically join the fleet. (they will fly at their full speed first, then when reaching the fleet activate group move)



Active fleets are fleets that are currently controlled directly by the player. This is what you would usually use as your *ball of death*
Some kind of command would allow to switch to having sub-groups, super-groups, (reverses previous command) cycle through groups,
and some other options to easily allow you to give orders to your fleet, and micro any group you need to.

Garrisons are fleets that are linked to a certain planet, generally set to Free roaming defender.
The dummy *Garrison* ship(s) act as the FRD rally point. (probably will act similarly to rally posts do as well)
You would use this to protect a planet, but without having to worry about accidentally sending the ships to a new planet.

Patrols are fleets that will automatically move between set planets (they will get a group move order to each planet in turn, so will choose their route themselves unless you indicate each planet in order), and engage enemy forces they encounter.
You would use this to protect multiple planets without having enough ships to put a Garrison at all of them.

All three fleet states can be changed similarly to any other movement modifying comment, or with a new context menu setting.
Garrisons -> FRD the fleet dummy ship
Patrol -> In galaxy view, ___ click each planet the patrol should go to in order. (possibly another method to save patrol routes)
Active -? Any right click movement command to the fleet dummy ship.
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Chris_McElligottPark

Aug 14, 2011 9:02 am

administrator   ~0012875

We're not looking to build q whole new game and call it ai war 6.0, sorry. ;)

Ranakastrasz

Aug 14, 2011 9:03 am

reporter   ~0012876

Last edited: Aug 15, 2011 9:26 pm

darvit :p

I suppose I will have to continue using the blob of death.

Actually, I wonder If another method to manage ship groups would be possible and acceptable.

Mayjori

Aug 19, 2011 3:37 pm

reporter   ~0012912

Last edited: Aug 19, 2011 3:38 pm

something minor to make ships replace themselves in assigned groups when they die and the factory pumps out another would be nice.

motai

Aug 19, 2011 6:31 pm

reporter   ~0012913

just a note rather than the whole fleet organization thing which i can give or take. it is an interesting idea to organize the fleets and the ships that should be in them and then have factories autobuild to provide that fleet(with orders to rendevous automatically of course). this would help alot with the micro in some ways and cause other micro issues on the side.

Issue History

Date Modified Username Field Change
Aug 13, 2011 11:25 pm Ranakastrasz New Issue
Aug 14, 2011 9:02 am Chris_McElligottPark Note Added: 0012875
Aug 14, 2011 9:02 am Chris_McElligottPark Status new => closed
Aug 14, 2011 9:02 am Chris_McElligottPark Assigned To => Chris_McElligottPark
Aug 14, 2011 9:02 am Chris_McElligottPark Resolution open => won't fix
Aug 14, 2011 9:03 am Ranakastrasz Note Added: 0012876
Aug 14, 2011 9:09 am Ranakastrasz Note Edited: 0012876
Aug 15, 2011 9:26 pm Ranakastrasz Note Edited: 0012876
Aug 19, 2011 3:37 pm Mayjori Note Added: 0012912
Aug 19, 2011 3:38 pm Mayjori Note Edited: 0012912
Aug 19, 2011 6:31 pm motai Note Added: 0012913