Long distance cross-planet raids get "elongated"

[Haagenti]

Having suffered more than two dozen cross-planet raids (CPR) in my current game, I now see the following:

1) If a CPR comes from a planet directly adjacent to its target, it gathers at the wormhole and then comes through in a sizable clump.
2) If a CPR comes from a planet further away (e.g. three hops away), it gets elongated on the way, and emerges in groups of identical units:
- first the fighters (who are then handily defeated by my bombers)
- then the bombers (who run into massed cruiser fire)
- finally the cruisers (who are massacred by my fighters)
Therefore, the long-distance CPRs are easily defeated.

Short-distance CPRs suffer from the same problem, but much less as there is not so much distance to spread them. But again, I use the above tactic to defeat them.

Both CPRs would be *much* (and I really mean *much*) more effective if they:
- gather at the first wormhole they have to cross until 90% of the total raid is present
- group move towards their target (usually an orbital)
- they will only unclump when they are in striking range of their target

I have also made some suggestions on CPRs in the Suggestions forum

[x4000]

I'll be very curious as to whether this is still an issue with these with the new AI logic.  I suspect not as much, or at least that the behavior is different.  You are still correct that the CPRs need to be scaled to the AI Progress, but I think some of the other issues may be at least partially resolved.

[Haagenti]

Having migrated the 014 series today, it's too early to tell for me: I haven't progressed to the stage where I see raids coming from further away.

The normal raids have gone vicious though

[liq3]

Well I can say something on this.

The AI launched 2-3 cross-planet raids, all 700-1000 ships. None of them ever came (the last might have, but if it did it was ludicrously stringed out). They just sat on the planet where they were supposed to launch from.

[x4000]

The normal raids have gone vicious though

That's good to hear.

The AI launched 2-3 cross-planet raids, all 700-1000 ships. None of them ever came (the last might have, but if it did it was ludicrously stringed out). They just sat on the planet where they were supposed to launch from.

They will intentionally queue up like this, but they should progress to actually attacking you.  Can you check and see if there were any AIErrors.txt or similar files created in your game data folder?  Just open up the settings window and look a the bottom to find that folder, it might be your base game folder or (depending on your OS) it might be in your user profile folder.

[liq3]

The AI launched 2-3 cross-planet raids, all 700-1000 ships. None of them ever came (the last might have, but if it did it was ludicrously stringed out). They just sat on the planet where they were supposed to launch from.

They will intentionally queue up like this, but they should progress to actually attacking you.  Can you check and see if there were any AIErrors.txt or similar files created in your game data folder?  Just open up the settings window and look a the bottom to find that folder, it might be your base game folder or (depending on your OS) it might be in your user profile folder.

Nope, none there.

[x4000]

Okay.  I'm not sure what they are doing then, I will watch for that in my session tonight.  Last night I didn't have any cross-planet raids, so I don't have any first-hand data for it yet.