Why is it...

[Carcer]

That sometimes when I order ships to attack a target, they are fairly intelligent about it and they attack from their maximum range, protecting squishy cruisers and the like, but sometimes they decide they need to charge their target down to point blank range and consequently get slaughtered?

Recently, I've had trouble regarding SF stations, where frigates ordered to attack the thing would charge in and get slaughtered for no particular reason, making things difficult if there are other turrets near the SF post, as I can't order them to focus fire for fear of them wondering into range. Is this an issue when you've only got one type of ship selected, becasue thats when I tend to notice it most often.

EDIT: I've also now recieved a wave warning telling me to expect a wave going to . Wha?

[keith.lamothe]

The ? ? ? warning means the wave is going to a planet where you don't have a unit that can detect warps (command station, sentinel frigate, that sort of thing).  This will happen if you have "cross planet waves" turned on or have destroyed all warp gates on or adjacent to your planets.

As for the cruisers-rushing-to-their-deaths I'm not sure what would be causing that, do you have a save where they consistently close erroneously?

Thanks
Keith

[Carcer]

I'll see how easy it is to replicate it. I've only really encountered the problem with SF posts, which is why my above post may come across as a bit annoyed. I'll have to find another SF post and see if my brave frigate (Or cruiser, where did they get that name?) captains decide they need to sacrifice themselves for the cause again.

[keith.lamothe]

Oh, sorry, they used to be called Missile Cruisers, but were changed to the more-sensible Missile Frigate not long ago.

With the SF posts it's expected that the frigates will get closer than maximum range in order to get their hit rate up (hit chance is related to my_max_range - my_current_range - enemy_shield_rating), but as I recall they hit 100% hit chance well before they actually get within the SF post's range.

[Carcer]

Thats what I expected, I know ships get more accurate the closer they are, but this was above and beyond simply trying to get their hit chance up.

And thanks for the explanation on the name.

[Carcer]

I believe I've figured out why Snipers at lest go charging to their doom sometimes. They treat an anti sniper turret nullifying thier shots the same as if thier actual hit chance were bad, so they get closer to try and alleviate this, with obvious results.

Still no idea on the frigates.

[keith.lamothe]

Hmm, that would be odd with the snipers, as all infinite range ships have 100% chance to hit all the time, except in counter cases like you see.  Perhaps, though.

[Baleur]

Maby its a UI problem?
Maby the zoomed out (or zoomed in) SF sprite isnt being clicked on unless being a fair bit "within" the actual image? Maby a click on the edges of the icon goes "through" and counts as a move order?

[Carcer]

I'll see if that effects anything, but I know for a fact that the snipers start moving forward once a counter sniper turret is setup. I noticed because after parkng my fleet of snipers way on one end of a planet, I noticed about half of them moving past my main fleet which was much closer to my target.

[Fleet]

Oh, sorry, they used to be called Missile Cruisers, but were changed to the more-sensible Missile Frigate not long ago.

I still call them Cruisers when talking with allies. If I change the name in the language folder, will that change it everywhere else that unit is referenced? I rather like cruiser..

[triggerman602]

there isnt a radar jammer on the planet is there?

[Kalzarius]

This is also an issue with fortresses, I've found.  Perhaps there should be a control node to indicate what threshold of a hit chance we will allow them to move closer for.  I'm general of the thought that I don't particularly care if they don't have a perfect hit chance, so long as they're not in range of being shot.  But often, I will tell fortresses to attack a starship, and they'll go right up to the them even though they are well within range.

[orzelek]

Fortresses ignore shield.. so they should not need to approach their target to get better hits at all... unless something changed recently?

[Draxis]

I ordered a load of bombers to attack a special forces outpost that was under a shield when they were already within range, and half of them charged under the enemy shield, and stayed there.  If I ordered them to move, they correctly jumped out of the shield in one go.

[vonduus]

I have met this problem too. You click on an enemy, and your fleet moves into range and starts shooting. You click on the enemy again, and some ships will move closer, before they realize that they actually already are in range. This happened to me a lot (because I am quite trigger-happy), but I have learned to trust my subordinate commanders, and not ordering them to attack several times in a row. If I can behave myself and refrain from clicking on the target more than once, preferable when my fleet is far away from the target, they never go closer than they should.

I believe this behaviour is in some way caused by the command lag: You give a combined move/attack order, and the ships start moving before they have figured the exact coordinates of the target, then when they figure, they have already moved too close and get shot.