Combat: Do you control or do you watch?

[Asmodean]

I got to thinking. I just don't seem to get the hang on combat, and I was wondering if I was the only one. In my last to games, I have ceded control of combat completely. I just make sure that every time I choose combat, I go in with overwhelming forces, so that I don't have to wonder whether I could have done better myself.

What I find confusing is that I have a hard time seeing what TF contains which ships, and thus I can not decide whether to assign it this or that task. Anyone agree?

Don't get me wrong. I like the game. I just find combat pretty darn hard, if the two sides are even in strength.

Asmodean

[Harry Seldon]

I'm a voyeur at heart when it comes to combat. I just wish you could watch and hit the general retreat if you're getting murdered.

[kalbear]

I love playing it. I usually have overwhelming force, but sometimes I don't (or I'm getting creamed) and I have to start guessing. And then it becomes really, really fun when I guess right and obliterate the opponent.

[Tuberski]

I am starting to control combat, y ships seem to do a better job.

I just wish you could pause in combat, sometimes it's a little tricky target moving ships. Pausing would simplify things.

Ground combat has been pretty tough for me so far, I'm not quite sure what is the best to use with what yet.

ACK!

[vmxa1]

I use control if I want to bombard the planet. I wish you could expedite the combat once it has been engaged.
IOW, I see the fight is being won and I just want it to end quickly.

[Eric S]

I just watch. I've got senate vote turned off in my current game, and when I get around to crushing the last non-Anteran race, I might practice on that victim. I don't like realtime games. That's why I mostly play TBS rather than RTS. I'll agree that the MoO2 combat model wouldn't scale to the number of ships that I've had in some MoO3 battles (over a hundred ships on each side), but that doesn't mean that it has to be realtime. Needs to be a compromise, or at least make the bloody "General Retreat" button work even if I'm just watching.

Some of the other reasons I watch rather than fight is because my better TFs seem to know more than is shown on the screen. Perfect example: I've got a LR Armada composed of Titans, with SD scouts (with the best ECCM/scanning I've got) in the picket. The first step of watching them is always to zoom out all the way, otherwise they can see and shoot off the screen if you've got them centered. Then, I watch them take off in what seems to be no particular direction, since the enemy isn't visible. Then, all of a sudden, they'll start firing off into what appears to be empty space, and those big red numbers will magically appear, followed shortly by either by an explosion, or a TF fading into visibility.

I don't know if the AI is cheating here chasing or firing at something that it shouldn't be able to see or if I should be able to see it but can't, but watching this happen, and remembering how well my first combat against a gardian went when I couldn't see what was shooting at me, there's no way I'm going to take charge of combat.

[Arnelos]

I play them, mostly. The tactical AI is competent, but not much more than simply competent. The tactical AI does some annoying stuff that I like to avoid.

The other reason is that I've noticed that the tactical AI never retreats, even when you're clearly beaten and you aren't going to do any more damage if you stick around... you might as well bug out with whatever you can manage to keep alive.

[Epistax]

I would control more if they gave you some indication as to where the enemy starts

[asleepathewheel]

I would control more for the same reasons above, pause.

But I just love watching hundreds of fighters buzzing around crafts and destroying them. Sweet. Almost makes me wish I could control one, ala X-wing or Tie-fighter.

[Starlord]

Re: Combat: Do you control or do you watch?

Usually I watch. I only select control if I know that my fleet will get massacerred by the enemy if I can´t give retreat orders.


Starlord

[MarkG]

Originally posted by Harry Seldon
I'm a voyeur at heart when it comes to combat. I just wish you could watch and hit the general retreat if you're getting murdered.

what he said

[Proteus_MST]

I like it to have full control over my Fleets.

Only on rare Occasions, for example one Silicoid Ship tries to attack 16 of my Battleships I cede control to the Computer

[N4M8-]

If I trip across a Guardian I take control so I can give the General Retreat order (you'd figure a scout would realize he can't take on such a thing and would do so automatically). Other than that I simply watch.

[Ghostbear]

If you don't

control combat, then what do you actually do besides click the next turn button?

[N4M8-]

The little things:

Decide what type of spies are necessary and where they should be.

Design ships and decide where they should be built.

Diplomacy

Planetary development

Determine allocation of research priorities

Direct ships to the various places they need to be.

Assemble military units.



Frankly I'm curious what you do that allows you to have fleets in the first place if all you do otherwise is press the next turn button.