Moving Minerals Around

[Theodidactus (OP)]

I assume there's some stupendously easy way around this, but I don't know it.

I'm playing my first long game, and getting to that point where earth is starting to run down on minerals.  I wasn't given the best starting system, so I'm a little low on minerals in the Sol System itself.

fortunately, I've found some good mining potential in nearby systems. 

Here's the problem: I don't want to micromanage constantly shipping minerals from this planet to Earth.  Is there some way to establish a dedicated shipping line to move, say, duranium and neutronium from Planet A to Planet B once every year?

[Dutchling]

There is a cycle order buttons where you give the orders for a fleet. So if you just need to give the order and let the ship cycle through them endlessly.
You will need to give it orders to refuel every once in a while though, because conditional order (if fuel >10%, refuel) seem to remove all the standard orders (in this case: bringing the minerals).

[Thiosk]

Heres how I do it:  I get a freighter. 

Refuel at earth
Go to planet X
Pick up duranium when 5000 available
Go to earth
Drop off minerals

Set to cycle orders.  It doesn't run constantly because its waiting for however many minerals to become available.

[Dutchling]

Personally I prefer something like this:
Pick up X when Y available
Drop of minerals
(repeat this as often as the ship can without running out of fuel)
Refuel

Set to cycle orders.

This will make it waste less time refueling assuming that refueling actually costs time and that the fleet doesn't have to wait anyways.

[Thibaut]

I use a slightly different version


Pick up X when Y available [use the most faster extracted mineral here]
Pickup all minerals
Drop of minerals on target
(repeat this as often as the ship can without running out of fuel)
Refuel

[sloanjh]

This will make it waste less time refueling assuming that refueling actually costs time and that the fleet doesn't have to wait anyways.

Unless Steve changed it for 5.52, refueling doesn't take any time.

John

[Dutchling]

Yes I already though it was like that. Too bad really.