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**Chowlett** · July 30, 2002, 08:52

Firstly, it depends on the relative positions of ship and unit.

If both the unit and the ship are in the same square (say, a base), then your method of pressing 'L' should work. The unit should move out with the ship next time the ship moves. Note that this assumes that the unit remains in "L" status - if the unit "wakes" for any reason (one of the options is to wake units whenever a hostile unit stands in the next square) it won't move with the ship. There also appears to be some movement-cost consideration, but I never really figured it out.

OTOH, if you're attempting to board a ship which is in an adjacent square to the unit, pressing "L" will not work (there's nothing in the current square to load onto). Instead, you need to move the unit directly into the square containing the transport. Simple as that.

Hope that answers it - let us know how you get on. Wlcome to the community!

**Method** · July 30, 2002, 10:22

Originally posted by Chowlett
There also appears to be some movement-cost consideration, but I never really figured it out.

when you move the transport into a base, it doesn't cost movement points to unload you mean?

also something semi-irrelevant, but regarding transports, try putting an infantry transport (only 16 mins IIRC) in a sea base. it allows units to move freely from land to sea base without amphibious pods.

**Spoot** · July 30, 2002, 12:05

Well, yes it does answer, and no as well.

I have had both units in the same square but they never seem to load.

Also, how does this work if you want to load a unit that is on the land into a Transport?

I have got a Transport to load a unit one time by pressing "L" for the unit having the Transpost in the same square, then making the Transport Fully Automatic.

But the problem with that was as soon as its turn came up it promptly unloaded the unit at the closest spot of land!

Also, what does (only 16 mins IIRC) mean?

Thanks,

Spoot

**Pandemoniak** · July 30, 2002, 12:12

Also, what does (only 16 mins IIRC) mean?

only 16 minerals If I Remember Correctly

**RedFred** · July 30, 2002, 12:33

Spoot, if the transport is not already full, and the unit you are trying to load up is in the same tile, a port base, go into the "Action" menu and select 'Sentry/Board Transport' option. Then just take off with your transport and you will still be able to offload your unit in the same turn.

As you suggest that you might be new to the game, I hope I won't insult your intelligence by adding that only transport ships can move units. So any ships that can attack, except IoDs, cannot move land units.

IoDs -> Islands of the Deep

**RedFred** · July 30, 2002, 12:40

...and regarding your other question on loading for land units adjacent to a transport, simply use your arrow key to move the land unit right on to the transport, as has already been suggested. In this case you will not be able to move your unit off the transport in the same turn.

In the 'Preferences' screen you will find an option to not wake the land unit from the ship automatically when the ship becomes adjacent to land.

Finally, if you want to get good at the game, and maybe increase your enjoyment too, consider un-'autoing' everything.

**spartak** · July 30, 2002, 16:55

Spoot - welcome. All questions will be answered here - some of which must have needed a disturbed mind to formulate.

**Spoot** · July 30, 2002, 17:13

I want to say thank you to each of you for your help.

I will apply what you suggest.

Also, the only unit I automate (fully) are the Terraform units (both land and sea).

Should I not be doing this?

Is there a better way once you have 20 or 30 of them running around?

Thanks again.

**Frankychan** · July 30, 2002, 19:28

Waddap Spoot! Glad to see ya in Apoly, the den of the crazy mofo's...

It sounds like your going about it the long way. This is what I do (which is fast for me)....that is, until my c.d. drive door broke and now I can't play ANYTHING now....
Transport

Bring your transport to the shore that is close to the unit you want to load.

When you select the unit, what I do, is use the NUMLOCK direction to move the unit directly onto the transport. Treat the transport like it is just another tile that your land unit can move on. If the transport isn't full, the unit should automatically load without having to right-click and selecting all that jazz....hope this sorta helps!

Auto-Terraforming ???-

I used to do this when I first started playing, but now I manually tell my formers what to do. Sure its tedious, but when I used to automate my formers, they'd fill every tile with roads and magtubes. This sucks cause when your territories are invaded, the other faction tends to use these roads to head straight for your bases.

Now I just build ONE road to each city. That way I can use it as a choke point for invading units.

Also, if you manually use formers, you can make "specialty" bases. Meaning, if you want one base to pump out units fast, you can surround it with mines to make production faster.

Lastly, if you have two formers on the same tile and want things to build faster (say a Borehole) you can tell both of them to build it and the time until completion is shortened.

Just some little pointers I picked up playing the game, Good Luck and welcome!

BAM!!!

**RedFred** · July 30, 2002, 20:14

Once you are familiar with the former hot keys, manual forming will be much quicker, although perhaps no less tedious.

The reason it is unusual to see an experienced player use the auto feature is partly because the autoformers make such poor choices. And also as Franky suggested you give up the opportunity to build speciality bases and energy parks if you are on auto.

In my very first game, the only one I used the auto feature, one of my formers built a circular road and then just kept doing laps. Another former seemed to enjoy road/mining rolling terrain.

So manual formers are an important edge. As is manual everything including governor, manually 'explore', and even manually overriding the tiles that are worked in a base. For example, the auto feature often maximizes nutrients for a base even when you have hit the hab limit.

**Pandemoniak** · July 31, 2002, 06:23

about auto terraforming, you'd better just use the auto-orders by square. Meaning when ur former is on a suare you just tell farm/ solar/ road, or farm/ mine/ road, or borehole, etc... It makes the constant terraforming a bit less bothering, but forget about autoing the terraformers, since they really do lots of mistakes.
The only good thing they have for me is that they build captors, which I always forget

**spartak** · July 31, 2002, 07:22

Captors?

Cto eto?

**Pandemoniak** · July 31, 2002, 07:41

huh...

I mean those little things u build by pressing "O" and that gives you +25% bonus in any comabt that takes place in a range of two squares.

**Spoot** · July 31, 2002, 08:13

Thank you all again for the advice. I now know what I was doing wrong in regard to loading units on Transports.

Well, I really was doing it right (just like you suggested) but what I was doing was clicking on the Transport after I gave units the "Load" command and I was expecting to see what was inside the Transport.

I did not realize that I had to move the Transport first! So every time I looked at the Transport it still showed the units in the base not the Transport.

I hope that made a little sense!!

Also, thanks for the help with the Terraformers I will now control them myself.

I know I did not say it (I guess I did not need to) but I am very new to SMAC. Just learning as a matter of fact. I have Civ. III, but I find SMAC much more interesting and fun. So I never learned how to play since I never played Civ. III that long.

I am sure I will have more questions as time passes, and it is great to be in a forum where people are friendly, helpful and swearing looks to be rare indeed!

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