Fleet commands

60x420 · Post by **60x420** » Mon Apr 23, 2012 10:03 pm

Hi all,

So, after having amassed some credits, I started experimenting with some of the more costly features in the game, one of them being fleets.

I am not sure if there is an upper limit to the size a fleet can be, but I was able to build one with about 8 ships or so. I assume, that as long as you have the money, you can keep your fleet together for as long as you like.

As a noob, most of my combat missions have involved situations where the number of enemy units is between 4-8. While I can generally take out 4 now on my own (I have been practicing my combat manuevers and techniques

but it is so much easier when you have a fleet of wingman at your command.

I appreciate of course, that when you have a large fleet, the money you earn from most missions will hardly be enough to cover your expenses of maintaining the fleet. But assuming you have money to burn, and aside from personal glory, is there any reason why one would not want to have a fleet when going into a combat situation?

Also, when one gives the "refuel/rearm" command, does it cost any credits? IOW - do I get charged when my wingmen rearm?

One last question. I currently am using a Mantis drive. I assume that no one else in my fleet has one. When I jump are they pulled along with me, or will I have to wait for them to catch up?

Thanks!

SeeJay · Post by **SeeJay** » Tue Apr 24, 2012 6:06 am

Hi 60x420.

I have only tried to hire 1 ship in my fleet to see if it worked LOL!

I think the limit is around 15 ships in your fleet. (Not sure thou).

They can help you out a bit if you can afford them.
I don't use the fleet at all. The challenge for me is to complete the missions on my own, or with friends in MP.

I do not think that you pay for their fuel/reload, but I'm not sure about it.

You need to let them catch up. They have different classes of jump drives I think.
I don't think that they will jump with you through gates to other systems, but not sure about this either.

Hope it helps a bit, even if I don't use them myself and can't be sure about my answers.
I'm sure someone else will correct me if I'm wrong.

60x420 · Post by **60x420** » Tue Apr 24, 2012 2:47 pm

Thanks SeeJay. Good info and much appreciated. I'll continue my discoveries on my own and report back with any information I discover.

Jerry

Nigel_Strange · Post by **Nigel_Strange** » Tue Apr 24, 2012 3:27 pm

In my experience, the fleet ships will follow you through gates, to wherever you go.

As for the mantis drive, I don't recall having problems with waiting for them to show up, but then, I don't usually take a fleet with me when I'm doing deep-space exploration: I stay around the planets and starbases where I can pick up missions, since that's where I need them.

Another thing you will notice is that the higher developed systems will have better ships available as wingmen. You might look around Alpha Centari, for example. Or, if you know where Al's Quay is, you might find some starmasters or leviathans to join your group. Then again, maybe you want something lighter.

I am not sure if these higher-end mercenaries charge more. I suspect they do, but I have not tested.

I'm also not sure about asteroid mining. It seems to me that I've tried it a few times, but never actually noticed an increase in wealth from doing it. Meanwhile, having a fleet costs by the cycle.

Cargo · Post by **Cargo** » Wed Apr 25, 2012 6:20 pm

I keep a couple ships in my fleet mostly because I think it looks cool. They're useful for running interference or keeping a threat occupied while I'm waiting for a station to finish building but there next to useless for actual combat missions. As they're AI they will never be as fast as you or drift like you do and they have a habit of getting in between you and your target.
I've never noticed any creds being deducted when they refuel but seeing as each ship costs me around 165,000 credits per cycle, any fuel costs would be negligible.
My fleet ships followed to me to Sol, and though I lost them along the way they were there after the final jump, acting all nonchalant liked they've been their all day and I was the slow poke.

60x420 · Post by **60x420** » Wed Apr 25, 2012 7:36 pm

Thanks guys. Really appreciate the different povs.

As far as the fleets being useful in combat, what I found was that if there are only 4 enemy ships, but my fleet has 8, I can almost sit back and do nothing. Of course that isn't really fun, and it doesn't improve my kill count, but it does make most of the early missions pretty simple.

FWIW - my fleets are costing about $73K each, not $160K

Jerry

Cargo · Post by **Cargo** » Wed Apr 25, 2012 8:00 pm

I haven't figured out what determines the cost, it's not the type of ship because the pair of Guardians I have following me now cost more than the Starmaster and Leviathan pair they replaced and I hired both fleets in Pearl so it's not location. Hmm, maybe it's rank or cash on hand or something because that's the only thing that did change between the two hirings.

60x420 · Post by **60x420** » Tue May 01, 2012 5:40 pm

Hi all,

I understand most of the fleet orders that are available, but I am having problems understanding "Mine asteroids". Can someone point me to the place where this is explained, or perhaps give an explanation?

Thanks.

SeeJay · Post by **SeeJay** » Wed May 02, 2012 9:59 am

I have never tried it, but I think that you send your fleet dudes to do some mining for you.

I don't think you'll make a good profit out of it thou.

Nubarus · Post by **Nubarus** » Wed May 02, 2012 10:09 am

Since the AI cannot use the IDS Multiplier I found that my fleet (A long time ago when I had a fleet) was always lagging behind due to this, by the time the fleet arrived in battle the battle was over so I ditched my fleet, also because each ship costed me 1 million credits per cycle.

For me personally it wasn't worth the money since they where completely useless to me as wingmen in their slow arse buckets and I was not going to reduce my speed to compensate for this since speed = life in combat.

Post by **DaveK** » Wed May 02, 2012 10:54 am

From post: 135599, Topic: tid=9220, author=Automatic Jack wrote:I haven't figured out what determines the cost, it's not the type of ship because the pair of Guardians I have following me now cost more than the Starmaster and Leviathan pair they replaced and I hired both fleets in Pearl so it's not location. Hmm, maybe it's rank or cash on hand or something because that's the only thing that did change between the two hirings.

A lot of things in the game depend on how much money/civ rank you have.

A station licence costs me many many millions - in one system they were asking for 3/4 billion (yep with a b). You also earn more for contracts as well - some are harder but inspect or retrieve don't change - you just get more $$$. I'm not sure about fuel prices - I need a volunteer newbie to tell me how much she/he is being charged!

countjimula · Post by **countjimula** » Wed May 02, 2012 3:31 pm

I think the cost is based on rank. I feel it is much better to play in multilayer and join up with others for missions. I never have a fleet because I hardly ever play single player.

Maarschalk · Post by **Maarschalk** » Wed May 02, 2012 10:42 pm

I ussualy do not hire a fleet for combat mission as I can easily kill all hostiles by myself and it is more of a chalange and you won't feel guilty sending some poor souls to their death!......

:P