Buoys not following bodies, bug or feature?

[Llamageddon (OP)]

I just wanted to check here before posting it as a bug; If you make an engineless buoy with a sensor on it and want to leave it at a planet, dropping it at the planet either with a waypoint and fire control or with the "Drop ready ordnance" order leaves the buoy floating in space and it gets left behind as the body orbits. I was a bit disappointed as I thought the probe would obvious be orbiting the body and therefore follow it.

If you put an engine on the buoy it does follow the body but the buoy is destroyed when it runs out of fuel, not so useful for either efficiency of design or for listening posts/survey probes. If you but and engineless buoys on a second stage of a probe engine then it is deployed and will follow the body forever or until the survey is complete. I would have thought this is how deployed enginless buoys would be supposed to act, which it why I thought the first example, of just an enginless buoy being left behind an orbiting body is not working as intended. If it is a feature I will post in the suggestions forum instead.

[Gabrote42]

They used to follow in VB6 I think but I can't remember if they do here. They probably do though so post it in the bug thread with all the information requested.

[liveware]

It is possible to get buoys to follow bodies. Here is one method:

1. Place a waypoint directly on a body (you will know you did it correctly if the waypoint follows the body).

2. Target the newly placed waypoint using your buoy launcher's MFC.

3. Fire ze missiles.

4. Buoy should stay at the waypoint (which follows the planet).

Tested in v1100. Haven't tested yet in v1200.

[Llamageddon (OP)]

That only worked for me if I have a buoy with an engine. I will test again though.

Edit: I just tried it, definitely doesn't work. Didn't work for me in 1.11 either. It even says "Buoy Waypoint #1" Whilst stubbornly not being on waypoint #1 any more, which has correctly followed the body.

[Froggiest1982]

That only worked for me if I have a buoy with an engine. I will test again though.

Edit: I just tried it, definitely doesn't work. Didn't work for me in 1.11 either. It even says "Buoy Waypoint #1" Whilst stubbornly not being on waypoint #1 anymore, which has correctly followed the body.

Buoys, same as mines, are bugged; don't waste time with them. the big drawback is that you cannot even remove them afterward, leaving the map a disaster as well.

Steve did not test/realize as in his campaign he uses missiles with buoys which it's a working feature from launch and as you have tested as well works just fine.

I am sure he does read all these reports though so either he is not interested in touching this aspect at the moment or simply he hasn't yet found out why they don't work considering all was fine in VB6, therefore possible to achieve.

I recommend you limiting your buoys to sensors on Jump points (but again soon you'll be having plenty with no possibility to replace/update) and 2 stages missiles/sensors.

[Llamageddon (OP)]

Well, in a pinch I can just use a dirt cheap "empty" 1 MSP first stage with a buoy in it as a workaround, but yeah, it seems like for the most part they aren't worth the hassle unfortunately.

[liveware]

That only worked for me if I have a buoy with an engine. I will test again though.

Edit: I just tried it, definitely doesn't work. Didn't work for me in 1.11 either. It even says "Buoy Waypoint #1" Whilst stubbornly not being on waypoint #1 any more, which has correctly followed the body.

That is odd. I tested this extensively in v1100 as I was curious about the mechanics of buoys and I was able to get buoys to follow planets (though I was using 2 stage missile-deployed buoys in my tests). I recall a discrepancy between using the fleet order 'launch ready ordnance' and the ship order 'open fire' regarding buoy behavior. You might try targeting a planet-following waypoint using a ship MFC and using the 'open fire' ship command and seeing if that works for you.

FWIW, I know that using the 'launch ready ordnance' fleet command at a jump point will cause the buoy to remain at the jump point. As jump points do NOT orbit their parent star, I assume buoys launched using the 'launch ready ordnance' fleet command will not follow a planetary body.

[Oitaul]

In the most recent version, he fixed it so bouy's follow planetary body