Matrix Games Forums

Platform: Steam
Build version: v1.3.0.4 Beta + Expansion and all DLCs (started with 1.3.0.3)
Severity: Medium
Annoyance factor: High
Confusion for new players: Stratospheric?
Saved game:
What happened initially

3rd Fleet, one of my automated attack fleet, was continuously going back and forth between 2 planets in the Terak Monda system. First, it was going to Terak Monda 3, where there are some powerful Vordikars. Then, after a few seconds, it jumped to Terak Monda 2, where there aren’t any Vordikar. Then it went back to Terak Monda 3, and then, back to Terak Monda 2 again. Rinse and repeat, ad nauseam...

Needless to say: super annoying!


What happened when I loaded the attached save

Instead of jumping to Terak Monda 2, 3rd Fleet decided to jump to the Kanes system, where there are also some threats (much less powerful). And while 3rd Fleet retreated to Kanes, Strike Force 1 (also an automated fleet), much less powerful than 3rd Fleet (strength of 1,039 versus 2,823 for 3rd Fleet), is merrily going toward Terak Monda 3! Arrived there, it does what 3rd Fleet had done initially in my game: it jumped to Terak Monda 2, and then back again to Terak Monda 3. You see where this is going...


Dangerous Locations list implicated in the problem?

Even when the threats at Terak Monda 3 are visible (mention “Currently Visible” in CC’s Dangerous Locations’ entry), it shows a strength of 1,000 for those threats. But the visible threats are 4 Vordikars, totaling a strength of 5,598 (525 + 2,272 + 2,233 + 568). So clearly, there’s something wrong there, and it might very well be play a role in the problems I’ve encountered.


A related request... or two

While a fleet has been assigned (by the automation) to investigate a dangerous location (ie: when the a fleet icon appears on the corresponding entry in CC’s Dangerous Locations list), there are no way to cancel the “investigation” from CC’s Dangerous Locations. Nor to select the assigned fleet from it. Please make it possible to either cancel the investigation at the location even when a fleet is assigned. Or at least, possible to select the assigned fleet by clicking on its icon in the Dangerous Locations entry, which would then allow to cancel the current investigation by “halting” the fleet from the selection panel, and *then* be able to cancel the investigation from the Dangerous Locations list.

Another addition that would help when encountering problems like the ones described in this report, and in the gameplay in general [EDIT: as in preventing automated ships from going in systems with dormant Hive ships in them, without having to go through micro-management hell], would be the ability to tag certain systems to indicate to our ships and fleets that they should avoid those systems. I suggest something similar to what Paradox did with their “Man the Guns” DLC for Hearts of Iron IV. With it, each sea zones (which would be systems in DW2) have 3 possible settings:

* Allowed
* Avoid: ships will try to avoid, unless there is no other route (to reach a destination)
* Blocked: trade routes will never pass through the region (in DW2: civilian ships will never go to that system); fleets will never pass through this region (system), unless there is no other route (to reach its destination).

Here’s a screenshot of what it looks like in Hearts of Iron IV:


Of course, there would have to be indications in the interface (map, CC’s lists, etc.) of the status of systems, at least of those that are blocked.

yeah, defense fleets love to investigate threats in system xyz to find a bunch of Vordikars and actually engage even though your fleet has 6k strength and the Vordikars 16k and it may even show on Galaxy map cause explorer ship determined that before.
It may have to do with Vordikars stealth but still should not happen that they engage...even though they might go there initially but should run instead of fight and die. Also advisors should not repeat to ask for permission to investigate threat xyz if this happend.

To be honest, I'm not sure I've ever realized that Vordikars had some stealth. And if I ever did, I forgot about it (I often played without any space creatures). So, yes, that might have something to do with it...

But if I see the Vordikars in the system, and I see their respective strength when I hover above them, shouldn't those infos also be known by my ships and fleets, even with the vordikar's stealth? Especially given that many of my fleets went to investigate precisely at the planet where the vordikars are.

100thMonkey wrote: Sat May 17, 2025 9:03 pm But if I see the Vordikars in the system, and I see their respective strength when I hover above them, shouldn't those infos also be known by my ships and fleets, even with the vordikar's stealth?

Once enemy strength is known it is displayed on the Galaxy map next to the star in red number. This the moment all your fleets should know and no fleet with less than 1,5 times that strength should go there.

100thMonkey wrote: Sat May 17, 2025 9:03 pm I'm not sure I've ever realized that Vordikars had some stealth

They are super stealthy, during combat they may go behind some asteroid and vanish from the screen. Fighting them in Asteroid fields is highly risky as there they can trash fleets with more nominal strenght than theirs except you have high tech level and they are no match anymore.

Based on what you wrote and what I'm seeing in my current game, it looks as though it's not a good idea to use automated fleets against Vordikars (just got one automated strike force almost entirely annihilated). Are you able to use automated fleets against them and have good results? (I mean before you reach a point where you're so advanced technologically that they can't touch you)

100thMonkey wrote: Sun May 18, 2025 12:23 am Based on what you wrote and what I'm seeing in my current game, it looks as though it's not a good idea to use automated fleets against Vordikars (just got one automated strike force almost entirely annihilated).

Yup, just what I said. Even stronger fleets can easily get trashed.

100thMonkey wrote: Sun May 18, 2025 12:23 am Are you able to use automated fleets against them and have good results? (I mean before you reach a point where you're so advanced technologically that they can't touch you)

I dont think so. Not reliably. Even automated fleets of missile cruisers with "Evade" and long range missiles can get annihalated as they not maintain formation and do not act in a coordinated way with focus fire and nor do they lure them out of the asteroid fields but they go in fight there, wasting salvos on visible Vordikars behind cover then get swarmed on reload. Its not really working.
Fighting Vordikars inside asteroid fields is a bad idea.
They are quite the menace Honestly I only deal manually with them with 3 to 4 speed build cruisers packed to the brim with long range missiles then lure them out of the asteroid field as best as possible, once they are in open space they easy targets good hunting

ChrisGb wrote: Sun May 18, 2025 8:34 am

100thMonkey wrote: Sun May 18, 2025 12:23 am Are you able to use automated fleets against them and have good results? (I mean before you reach a point where you're so advanced technologically that they can't touch you)

I dont think so. Not reliably. Even automated fleets of missile cruisers with "Evade" and long range missiles can get annihalated as they not maintain formation and do not act in a coordinated way with focus fire and nor do they lure them out of the asteroid fields but they go in fight there, wasting salvos on visible Vordikars behind cover then get swarmed on reload. Its not really working.

After reading this, it seemed strange to me that the devs would introduce a mechanic (Vordikar's stealth) that would make another mechanic useless (fleet automation). Especially given how much work has been put in the automation and the ways to control and modulate it.

So I did some research and what I've found, combined with another similar problem I've encountered (not reported yet: a fleet of 903 strength "investigating" a Vordikar swarm of strengh 35,160!), has convinced me that there's something wrong with the fleet automation. At least when it comes to Dangerous Locations and Vordikars. I believe that what I've encountered (and, likely, what you've described) isn't intended behavior. In other words: a bug.

I've found quite a few threads in the forum of people reporting "suicidal" automated fleets attacking targets much stronger than they are. And in one of those (link below), Erik posted this:

The advisor can be a bit ruthless at times, but if you have a save showing the advisor recommending that a fleet go fight something it could never beat, please share it with us per the reporting form here so that we have it for our reference.

Which implies that the AI/advisors should not recommend (even less do it) assigning fleets to attack or "investigations" targets much stronger than they are.

The link for Erik's post:
https://www.matrixgames.com/forums/view ... 6#p4978736

Thanks, we'll investigate.