Convoy Routes

[Hughestrog]

If I create a convoy from my HW to a planet in my Home System (dropping off colonists, say) this turn, can I assign a new ship to this fleet in subsequent turns, or would I have to create a new fleet and assign it to the colony run?

 

Also does this look right to get the job done:

 

CNVR, Colony#1

LC, 12345, 801, Colonists, 999999

NM, 801, Planet#3

OC, 801, 54321, ALL

NM, 801, Planet#1

CNVR, Colony#1

CONV, 801, Colony#1, 0

 

801 being the fleet number.

 

Another question: if I create a convoy route and assign a fleet with no ships in it, it will fail, but will it activate when ships are assigned to that fleet?

[AKO]

This will work. The convoy route will be there, but not executed when there is no fleet assigned to it.

 

Do not forget to LC con mat's on the homeworld, OC them on the colony, LC usefull resources from your colony (unless you are not constructing mines on the colony) and OC them at home.

 

Kind regards,

[Hughestrog]

AKO- thanks. Just wanted to check that if I issued the orders that they'd work. Good to know.

[Ur Lord Tedric]

If I create a convoy from my HW to a planet in my Home System (dropping off colonists, say) this turn, can I assign a new ship to this fleet in subsequent turns, or would I have to create a new fleet and assign it to the colony run?

 

Also does this look right to get the job done:

 

CNVR, Colony#1

LC, 12345, 801, Colonists, 999999

NM, 801, Planet#3

OC, 801, 54321, ALL

NM, 801, Planet#1

CNVR, Colony#1

CONV, 801, Colony#1, 0

 

801 being the fleet number.

 

Another question: if I create a convoy route and assign a fleet with no ships in it, it will fail, but will it activate when ships are assigned to that fleet?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

The Convoy Route as written will work just fine, as mentioned, however the Fleet ID# you use in actually writing the convoy route (we tend to use 999) is merely a place-holder and isn't stored.

 

When you assign a fleet (#801 in your example) then that's the ID# used. So, you can assign many fleets to the same convoy route and they'll all go and do it.

 

You can leave a convoy route assigned to a fleet with no ships and nothing will happen. You can even leave a fleet on a convoy route and do other things with it: if it's not in the right place, then the convoy will not work; or if you use up all the APs, it will not run either.

 

For our part we have many fleets now with the 'Refuel' convoy route and nearly always put fleets on this rather than use the CONV, NONE, 0 order.

 

That is:

 

CNVR, Refuel

SKIM, 999

CNVR, Refuel

 

So, if the fleet is parked over a planet it just SKIMs away....

 

They also SKIM at WPs, but not a lot happens!

 

Chief Planner to Ur-Lord Tedric

[Hughestrog]

If I assigned a fleet to the convoy route listed above, and it had an AP of 8, would it run the route four times in a turn or just the once?

 

I'm thinking four, but just checking.

[Ur Lord Tedric]

If I assigned a fleet to the convoy route listed above, and it had an AP of 8, would it run the route four times in a turn or just the once?

 

I'm thinking four, but just checking.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Your thinking is quite right!

 

Only the NM orders consume APs and at the end of the convoy route the fleet will automatically loop back to the beginning.

 

Indeed, in your example, it will run the LC order for the Colonists before finding out it hasn't enough APs to carry out the next NM order, so your fleet will always finish the route fully loaded - which is important if you're going to change it to something else.

 

We'd also recommend having the LC order at the end of the Convoy Route, rather than the beginning, as then it saves orders if you want to change it - i.e. it's worth planning your convoy routes backwards.....

 

Chief Planner to Ur-Lord Tedric

[Hughestrog]

Thanks

[Sssarass]

It isss alsso nice to do the colony buildsss via the convoy route.

 

CNVR, Test 1

LC

NM (Colony)

OC

CON (minesss)

CON (other installationsss if needed)...

LC (we find on worldsss with multiple resourcesss, we do a limited quantity of each resssource firssst, like 25000 each and then the resourcesss again at 999999)

NM (HW)

OC

CNVR Test 1

 

This only takesss 2AP for the fleet. A Fleet will run until out of AP'sss, an 8 AP fleet would run the route 4 timesss and a 9, 4 1/2 timesss, it would stop on the NM back to HW.

 

CTO, Sssarasss

[Hughestrog]

How would you use the 'exclude' order in a convoy route?

 

Just thinking of the ICE-1 thing and a convoy to pick up EXPL finds.

[Ur Lord Tedric]

How would you use the 'exclude' order in a convoy route?

 

Just thinking of the ICE-1 thing and a convoy to pick up EXPL finds.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

As far as we know (and we haven't experimented much with the Global Exclude options) the OC/LC orders in convoy routes, just as the XOC/XLC standing orders, operate exactly as normal OC/LCs and the exclusions will be applied.

 

So, set the exclusions and they'll be appllied to all OC/LC, ALL orders wherever they are used.

 

Chief Planner to Ur-Lord Tedric

[Krelnett_of_Kraan]

As far as we know (and we haven't experimented much with the Global Exclude options) the OC/LC orders in convoy routes, just as the XOC/XLC standing orders, operate exactly as normal OC/LCs and the exclusions will be applied.

 

So, set the exclusions and they'll be appllied to all OC/LC, ALL orders wherever they are used.

 

Chief Planner to Ur-Lord Tedric

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

This is correct. We use it in all our convoys.

[Drasn]

Where is the 'exclude' order listed? I've scanned the Orders Supplement and the Rules Addenda Notes and nothing jumps out at me.

[Lord Xaar]

I'm still hoping to see the ability to call another CONV route from within a CONV to be implemented.

 

-LX

[Lord Xaar]

Where is the 'exclude' order listed? I've scanned the Orders Supplement and the Rules Addenda Notes and nothing jumps out at me.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

It's not a separate order. In an OC/LC order you can select "Exclude" or "Global Exclude" (I forget which-probably the latter) in the first item field. Any items you put into that order (using 0 quantities) will be added to the Global Exclude OC or LC list. As far as I know you can put any pop group/fleet number you like.

 

I use the LC exclude to prevent things like Construction Materials and Coal from being pulled off my colony worlds.

 

-LX

[Ur Lord Tedric]

I'm still hoping to see the ability to call another CONV route from within a CONV to be implemented.

 

-LX

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

We believe it's supposed to work now, but doesn't seem to.

 

If the execution is difficult, perhaps we could request a couple of linked alternatives?

 

Firstly an order that will copy an existing Convoy Route and call it something new (whilst retaining the original) with the same structure as the copying FBP order.

 

Secondly an order that adds two Convoy Routes together by effectively adding the orders of the second listed to the first - again the same syntax as above.

 

With these options we could have a lot of flexibility and could look to growing Convoy Routes in a structured way...

 

M2CW

 

Chief Planner to Ur-Lord Tedric