Patrolling

Playing Stars!

While on Patrol, your fleet will automatically intercept and attack any incoming enemy fleets within a specified range. Fleets on patrol will not target neutrals or friends.

Assigning Patrol Orders

To place a fleet on patrol duty:

1.        Give the fleet one waypoint in the scanner.

2.        In the Waypoints Task tile, select the Patrol task.

3.        Select an Intercept Range. Your fleet will only attempt to intercept enemy fleets it detects within the specified range.

4.        Set the intercept speed using the warp factor gauge, or accept the default of Automatic. The default chooses the optimum speed (attempting a speed that uses the least amount of fuel to intercept in the shortest possible time). You will be notified when a patrolling fleet is given a new target and can adjust the warp speed or retarget it before the intercept happens.

5.        Set any additional waypoints. The Patrol order will be carried out automatically for each waypoint, until you assign a different task.

⇒        To station a patrol at a particular location, send the fleet to that location and then give it the Patrol task and check the Repeat Orders checkbox. The fleet will only target enemies within its Intercept Range from that point and will automatically return there after the intercept.

Patrol Targets Enemies Only

Fleets on patrol will only intercept and attack Enemy fleets. In a single player game against AIs, all other players are your enemies. In a multi-player game, you can choose who is your enemy, friend or a neutral.

To make a player your enemy in a multi-player game:

1.        Choose Commands (Player Relations), opening the Player Relations dialog.

2.        Select the player in the dropdown list, then click on Enemy.

3.        Click OK, closing the Player Relations dialog.

Patrol does not immediately target an enemy fleet. Targeting occurs after all players move, as one of the last tasks in generating a new turn. This allows you to receive a message and inspect the patrol order that was given, altering it if necessary before the ship commits to the attack. 

If you want the ship to patrol and attack a particular enemy fleet you see right now, simply add a waypoint at the enemy fleet with orders to Patrol at that ship.

Patrol and Battle Plans

Patrol takes battle plans into account when deciding who to intercept. Your primary target will be matched according to its hull type. For example, if you target unarmed ships, your patrol fleet will only target fleets guaranteed to be unarmed. You would not target a battleship, even if you've fought it before and know that it doesn't have any weapons on board.

Learn more about:

Battle Plans