Fleets Exposed

from Sins Forums
I have played a lot successfully online but I still don't use fleets or know why they are helpful so I have some questions:

1) How do you initially create a fleet? (I am assuming a fleet isn't the same as ctrl+#)
2) What is the purpose of a fleet? Is there any bonus other than ship grouping for quick control?
3) Do you need a capital ship to create a fleet?
4) If you have an existing fleet how do you add units or remove units?
5) How do you disband a fleet?
6) Are there any other fleet tips (such as optimal usage)?

I have this sneaking suspicion i have been missing something important and I am having trouble finding the answers.  I seem to remember somehthing about fleets in the tutorial but those tutorials were as bad as this game is good so I'd rather get some straight answers if possible.

Thanks to whoever can clear this up :)

strategy
3,782 views 5 replies
Reply #1 from Sins Forums Top
Can no one answer this? I thought this would be an easy one?
Reply #2 from Sins Forums Top
the below should cover most your questions, but i think that most of it's covered in a tutorial. only way i can explain i understand as well as i do :)


1)
select the ships, bottom right, second from right icon opens fleet options (hotkey 'f') then click the create fleet icon (hotkey 'f' again)


2)

a) fleets can be pinned, so they're always in your empire map

b) you can tell a fleet how spaced out you want it (tight, normal, loose) and the area you wish to attack (Gravity well, local area, hold position). also when phase jumping you can tell the fleet to only jump when everyone's ready (right click the move icon when the fleet is selected, so you can arrive in one big mass, rather than piecemeal.


3) no


4) same as 1) but you can also use the disband option (hotkey 'd') to remove selected ships


5) select fleet, open fleet options (hotkey 'f') and disband (hotkey 'd'


6) still a noob here so not from me, though personally i find this system a bit cumbersome compared to ctrl+#, though it adds the useful features listed in 2)a)+b)
Galactic Civilizations III
Reply #4 from Sins Forums Top
I will add to mrlarone's list:

-Fleets have their own special AI. Support ships will go behind in the formation, attack ships in the front, etc etc, they can attack something if you give the order and they will come back to the fleet formation after the target is destroyed, and a few more little details.
Reply #5 from Sins Forums Top
It reminds me of Homeworld2's 'strike group' system, which was independent of the Ctrl-# groupings as well.

It's good to have another way to bind ships besides Ctrl-#, It really frees up the #'s for micro purposes, rather than wasting a whole Ctrl group just to get a bunch of ships moving together.

The pinning and formation AI is the main attraction though -