Naval Encounter Order

[RTGPete]

Since the Encounter Orders do not take Total Alliance into account, the Total Alliance setting is meaningless for space combat. Similarly, "GATK will engage every

pop group on the target planet, including Total Allies (this applies to Andromeda as well)". So I have two questions:-

 

1) Is there now any game effect of declaring someone a Total Ally?

2) Was this done to change the dynamic of player interactions, or to simplify choosing sides in battles with multiple empires?

 

It's for #2 (choosing sides). Suppose you move a war fleet to a location where you spot two enemy empires. You are on Romeo and have declared one of them to be your enemy (at War with them), but not the other. The two empires have declared each other as Total Allies, so both get pulled into the fight against you. Without that Total Alliance, only your declared enemy would have been pulled in. With it, your non-enemy comes to the assistance of his ally who is coming under attack by your warships.

 

Alliances have no effect in either galaxy for ground combats -- GATK attacks everybody on the world to consolidate every pop group into your control. This was done because many-empire pop group conglomerations were getting out of hand and it was a nightmare to figure out cross-way alliances between everybody present, never mind having to check for armies from many empires to get the whole thing sorted out. Ugly for processing (and that's putting it mildly). GATK's take a lot of time already, and the multi-empire pop group thing made it a whole lot worse.

[rfouasnon]

Two positions on one planet , not really much to figure out for a ground battle . Sure , that argument is ok if 7 or 8 positions were on one planet , but if they are all on one planet , they are going to be allies .

[RTGPete]

Two positions on one planet , not really much to figure out for a ground battle . Sure , that argument is ok if 7 or 8 positions were on one planet , but if they are all on one planet , they are going to be allies .

 

Sadly, that was not always the case. Sometimes they were allied, sometimes not. Sometimes they were enemies who hadn't cleared out each other's pop groups. On some worlds empires were trading several pop groups back and forth, but not these others ones, changing which ones mind you, every few turns. It was a mess, had very little upside, and adversely affected the time it took to get the turns out. Good riddance to that.

[hobknob]

Is there realy that much ground combat going on? I can hardly get an enemy to hold still long enough to land troops and by then everything but a token force has been gated off.

 

Before the bomb order was turned off troop were not used as much as mdds.

[hobknob]

In my view, regarless of programming issues, this gatk change will make brain blobs more vulnerable as it effectively eliminates the role of mercenary.

 

In draco this is especially the case since it is challenging to sail into a hw without engaging a pdf that is on permanent Zulu.

 

I suppose that you might have to ask a good neighbor to come in and destroy your bastions so you can build something better.

[Lord Deependra]

What happens in this scenario?

 

Empire Able is at War with Empire Baker. Empire Charlie is allied to both empires Able and Baker. A fleet of Empire Able under Romeo orders encounters fleets of Baker and Charlie. They attack Empire Baker. Which side, it any, does Empire Charlie join?

[Guest]

I think Empire Charlie would attack both of them that is just my thoughts about it

[hobknob]

I hàve seen the side allied with both just sits out and does nothing.

[hobknob]

My apologies to all and sundry friendly folks and allies. Owing to the necessity of engaging potentially hostiles I will be engaging anything that moves, since the other option is not acceptable.