v2.6.0 Changes List

[Steve Walmsley (OP)]

Standing Orders for Detachments

I've added three checkboxes under the standing and conditional orders list. These checkboxes will retain their state after the game is shut down and restarted.

• Copy Standing on Detach
• Copy Conditional on Detach
• Include Squadrons

When using the Detach button on the Naval Organization window, or the Divide Fleet order, the standing orders of the parent fleet will be copied to the newly created detached fleet if the 'Copy Standing on Detach' checkbox is ticked. The conditional orders of the parent fleet will be copied to the newly created detached fleet if the 'Copy Conditional on Detach' checkbox is ticked.

This applies to detachments of individual ships, sub-fleets and squadrons directly from the Treeview, plus ships selected from the ship list tab associated with fleet, sub-fleets and squadrons. However, fleets created from a Squadron, or from ships selected from the ship list tab when a Squadron is selected, will only have the orders copied if the 'Include Squadron' checkbox is checked.

[Steve Walmsley (OP)]

Replenish from Ship Standing Order

The new "LG: Refuel from Tanker" standing/conditional order will trigger a 'refuel from stationary tanker', if one is available. The order will check for the nearest tanker with fuel, refuelling capability and no movement orders. This will work across multiple systems.

The "LG Replenish from Ship" standing/conditional order will trigger a 'refuel from stationary tanker' order, followed by a resupply from stationary supply ship order', if a suitable fleet is available. The order will check for a fleet with no movement orders that has both a tanker with fuel and refuelling capability, plus a supply ship with supplies and a cargo shuttle bay. This can be the same ship for both cases. This will work across multiple systems.

[Steve Walmsley (OP)]

Flag Bridges and Naval Admin Commands

The role of flag bridges is changing for v2.6. Previously, an officer assigned to a flag bridge added a reaction bonus to the fleet under his command. For v2.6, the flag bridge can instead host a naval admin command.

On the Naval Admin tab of the Naval Organization window, the potential location list for a Naval Admin Command now shows ships with flag bridges as well as populations with naval headquarters. These can be assigned on creation or via updating the admin command. Multiple admin commands can be assigned to the same flag bridge. Admin commands on ships function in the same way as admin commands on planets, with two major restrictions:

• They have a zero radius, so they will only have an effect in the same system
• They cannot have subordinate commands. This is checked on creation, update, drag-drop, etc.

Because the admin command is based on the ship, its commander may be killed if the flag bridge is hit, or the ship is destroyed. He may also end up in a lifepod and subsequently be captured by another Empire.

[Steve Walmsley (OP)]

Hull Categories

I've added an optional Hull Category layer to the list of classes in the Class Design window. This splits up the listing into Military, Commercial, Space Stations, FAC (501 - 1000 tons) and Fighter (500 or less). Any class with no armour will be placed into space stations, regardless of size.

You can theoretically have the same hull type in two hull categories. For example, a fighter category Tanker class and a commercial category Tanker class.

Unchecking the Hull Category checkbox will remove the hull category layer.

Here is the full class design window with the latest version of all the treeview changes.

[Steve Walmsley (OP)]

Ignore Standing and Conditional Orders

I've added two checkboxes named "Ignore Standing Orders" and "Ignore Conditional Orders" to the Standing Orders tab of the Naval Organization window. If either is checked, the fleet will ignore any orders of the respective type until the checkbox is unclicked.

This is for situations where you have multiple orders set up and don't want to remove them during a period when they might be inapplicable.

[Steve Walmsley (OP)]

Random Wrecks

Systems may occasionally contain one or more random wrecks. These will generally be old precursor wrecks, although the type will be unknown unless you have detected an intact version of the same type.

While the player may salvage these wrecks, they may also draw the attention of NPRs and certain spoiler races.

[Steve Walmsley (OP)]

NPR Hostility

With the advent of multi-system NPRs, it is far more likely now than you (or another NPR) will meet an NPR at the edge of its territory, where you do not pose an immediate threat. Consequently, you are less likely to get into a confrontation over disputed systems.

Therefore, there is now a chance that some NPRs will be automatically hostile, regardless of territorial concerns. If the primary species of the NPR has Xenophobia and Militancy above 50, there is a percentage chance equal to Xenophobia + Militancy - 100 that any first contact situation will result in the NPR declaring the new race as hostile. This is done on a case by case basis, so it will not necessarily be hostile in all cases.

As species characteristics are determined on 4 x D25, the average characteristic is 52. Therefore this check will be performed on slightly more than a quarter of NPRs and many of those will have a low probability. However, the existing Hostility Modifier in game option adds that modifier to both Xenophobia and Militancy, so increasing that number will result in more immediately hostile NPRs.

This immediate hostility does not prevent communication attempts.

[Steve Walmsley (OP)]

Alien Race Portraits

Currently, Alien Race portraits are shown on the Intelligence window as soon as a new race is detected. For v2.6, the portrait will remain blank until one of the following events occurs

• Communication is established
• A populated colony of the alien is captured or transferred to the viewing race.
• A ship of the alien race surrenders or is captured
• A lifepod of that race is rescued.
• A boarding action takes place involving the alien race.
• Sufficient ELINT data is gathered to generate an Intelligence Event

Ships and Flags will still be displayed as normal.