1.12.0 Changes List

[Steve Walmsley (OP)]

Commander Assignment Priority

There has been some confusion about the commander priority for ship classes. Commander Priority is the most important factor in determining which ships are checked first for auto-assignment purposes, followed by the fixed primary and secondary priorities explained in the following v1.00 rules post:

http://aurora2.pentarch.org/index.php?topic=8495.msg104046#msg104046

Originally, zero was the highest commander priority, as it was in VB6. Then I mentioned in a bugs thread that I would change it so that 0 was the lowest priority. However, it looks like I only changed that for assignment to warships where no commander with crew training was available. Everything else still uses 0 = high. Not ideal

From v.1.12 onward, zero will be the lowest priority for all assignments, so it matches colony auto-assignment. I have included (0 = Low) in the label for the commander priority text box to make it clear and I have updated the original rules post. I will also set the default priority to 10, so that it is easy to make one class lower priority without having to change all the others.

[Steve Walmsley (OP)]

Survey Next Three Bodies or Locations

I've added a new standing order to 'Survey Next Three Bodies or Locations'. This is intended for survey ships that mount both geological and gravitational sensors. The ship will conduct either geological or gravitational surveys depending on whether survey locations or system bodies are closer.

This is mixed, so the order list may be a system body, then a survey location and then another system body.

This should save time and fuel when ships are handling both types of survey in a system.

[Steve Walmsley (OP)]

Fleet Escort Orders

Each fleet can be set to act in relation to another friendly fleet, designated the 'Anchor Fleet', and the presence of 'threats'. For example, you can order fleet A to place itself a million kilometres from fleet B in the direction of alien ship C. As fleet A and alien ship C manoeuvre, fleet B will attempt to maintain that position.

Once an Anchor Fleet is set, there is a descending order of potential threats. Firstly, you can specify a specific alien ship, even if that ship is not currently on sensors, in the same system or hostile. However, that threat will be ignored unless the specific alien ship is on sensors in the same system. Secondly, you can toggle the fleet to use the nearest hostile warship as the threat. A 'warship' in this context is an alien ship that you know has weapons (as per the Intelligence for the parent alien class). So if the specific threat is destroyed or moves out of sensor range, the fleet will use the nearest hostile warship as the threat instead. Third is the toggle for the nearest hostile contact. So with no specific threat or warship, the fleet will use any hostile contact as the threat. Finally, you can use the Anchor Fleet's destination as the 'threat'

You set a distance from the Anchor fleet and can also set an offset bearing. For example, you could have two fleets set to be 30 degrees either side and ahead of an Anchor Fleet to act as sensor pickets, or you might have your support ships set at 180 degrees so they follow the Anchor fleet.

The second and third panels on the screenshot allow you to choose anchor fleets and specific threats.

Finally, if a fleet joins another fleet using the 'Join as Sub-Fleet' order, the sub-fleet will retain its formation settings. While they won't be used by the sub-fleet while it is part of a fleet, the setting will become active again if the sub-fleet is detached and becomes a fleet again. This will allow easy detachment of escorts.

A new Detach Escorts button for Fleets will detach all sub-fleets with an Anchor Fleet set. A new Recall Escorts button will issue 'Join As Sub-Fleet' orders to any fleets in the same system that have the current fleet set as their Anchor fleet.

[Steve Walmsley (OP)]

Resupply from Stationary Supply Ship

I've added a new order to "Resupply from Stationary Supply Ship".

This functions exactly like Refuel from a Stationary Tanker, except for supplies instead of fuel. The order will not work if the target fleet is moving when the fleet arrives.

[Steve Walmsley (OP)]

Ground Forces Replacements

There can be a lot of micromanagement involved in re-organising ground forces after combat, especially if you have a very detailed OOB. Therefore, I have added an automated replacement process for v1.12

Each formation can be assigned a Replacement Template. By default, this is the template used to construct the formation initially. It can be changed using the 'Change Temp' button on the Order of Battle tab of the Ground Forces window. The current Replacement Template for each formation is shown on the same tab when it is selected. When you change to a different template, you have the option to change all formations with the same current template to the new template. Note the new template may have a different composition of units than the original template. You might do this to add extra capabilities or even stop replacing certain types of unit.

Each formation can be assigned a replacement priority on the same tab. When replacements are available, they are assigned to formations in descending order of priority. The default priority for a new formation is 10.

You can also flag a formation as 'Use for Replacements', in which case the Replacement Template is removed for that formation. During the Ground Replacement Phase, which happens in each construction phase and after ground combat, units are moved from designated replacement formations to any formations at the same population that are in need of replacements.



Over time, new ground units will be designed and will often be improved versions of existing designs. For example, in my current game, I have four different versions of the Chimera, a light vehicle armed with a crew-served anti-personnel weapon. Therefore you can organise similar ground unit designs into Unit Series using a new tab for that purpose. To do so, just drag and drop from the list of non-assigned units to the desired Unit Series. Dropping on to the series name will place the unit at the top of the series. Dropping on to an existing unit in the series will place the dropped unit below the target unit. Dragging an assigned unit into empty space will remove it from a Unit Series.

When replacements are required, the replacement process will use the Unit Series of each unit in the Replacement Template, rather than the actual unit. For example, assume I have a formation that was built using Chimera MK IIs and still has that same original template. When that formation looks for replacements, it will work down the Unit Series of the Chimera MK II looking for the highest unit available. In this case, the Chimera MK IV would the preferred option, followed by the MK III, etc. This means you don't have to update Replacement Templates when you create a new version of a build template with upgraded designs. 

This system should add a lot more flexibility and automation, while maintaining the realism aspect of shipping out replacements to the frontier. You can still use the existing drag and drop functionality for manual replacements.