Can you cancel auto-FRD for a specific group of ships?

[supamanu]

I have auto-FRD on in my settings because this way I'm sure that while my production line is churning out new ships they will react to an intrusion even if I'm not around. BUT there are times when I would like to set specific groups of ships to not have that behaviour. I thought that if I gave them a manual move command that would cancel the FRD mode, but that's not the case, they switch back to FRD as soon as the move is complete.

Any ideas how to achieve that?

[Mánagarmr]

Give them a manual FRD order and I believe it cancels out the basic setting. (It essentially reverts the controls, I think)

[x4000]

Giving them a move order of some other kind will put them in that other mode until they are done, but you are correct that they will then switch back.  I'd suggest giving them an attack-move order, as I think that would override auto-FRD, but I can't remember for sure.

[Hearteater]

Auto-FRD on engineers kills me, when I want a handful to do something like repair a fleet ball.  Unless I manually queue up every ship, the best I can do is move them next to the ball and they'll repair for about 2 seconds before they get FRD again and go off to assist something else I care a lot less about.  I wish Auto-FRD was just "when built" not constantly refreshing.

[BobTheJanitor]

I wish Auto-FRD was just "when built" not constantly refreshing.

I wouldn't necessarily like that, I like it to be the default fallback for ships. When I take a system, for example, they'll nicely go and automatically mop up any leftover bits of AI. I just wish there was an override. Like, if you give the ships any other move type order, they will stick out of FRD until such time as you give them a normal move order, or another FRD order. Or if we could have a new order type, like 'stay here and don't move until I tell you'.

[Hearteater]

Don't you put your ships on FRD when you clear a system anyway?  I don't use auto-FRD on military because I generally don't want them on FRD all the time.  I guess I'm not clear what the situation is you are describing.

For me, I attack a system and use a lot of Attack-Move (X) while clearing it.  Once I have it under control, I'll normally FRD my fleet ball right next to the newly constructing Command Station.  You want to set the proper staging location of FRD units anyway, so you at least need to move them to the right spot.  Why not hold down V when you do that?  It almost seems a "default movement to FRD" would be preferable, where holding down-V is required for a normal no-special orders movement, otherwise you get FRD unless you've selected an incompatible movement mode (say X).

[supamanu]

@harteater your approach makes the most sense. Why don't I do it? Because I'm always afraid that I might have ships sitting there and not defending when I'm not looking + it reduces management overheads a little bit. So auto-FRD is a lazy approach, or one that's useful when you get overwhelmed by events.

But thinking about it, the best approach would probably be what you're suggesting + setting the Dock rally point (flag) in FRD (I think you can do that - ships exit the yard in FRD).

[Orelius]

I also have a similar problem, but not for military ships.  Is there any way to make remains rebuilders auto-FRD while keeping normal engineers not on auto-FRD?

[Buttons840]

When you give ships an order they should avoid being in FRD mode for a few minutes.