Getting defensive fleets to defend.

[jaweknee530]

Hey guys, I can't for the life of me get my fleets to actually DO anything. For example I have a fleet of 10 frigates and 10 escorts sitting at my home station set to be a defensive fleet and to engage anything within 50% of their fuel. For some insufferable reason this fleet just sits here and laughs to its self while mining stations etc are attacked over and over just one system over, barely a jump. How do I get it to stop being lazy as hell? And for that matter how do I figure out where the damn pirate bases are at so I can wipe them off the face of the galaxy?

[deMangler]

You are certain you don't have military attacks set to manual in the policy settings, right?

That was it... Where would I be without this community....

[jaweknee530]

Thanks. So to be clear defending with a defensive fleet counts as "attacking" in this context? And Will I have to go to the threats page to target threats or should the fleet just fly out to threats on its own?

[deMangler]

Thanks. So to be clear defending with a defensive fleet counts as "attacking" in this context? And Will I have to go to the threats page to target threats or should the fleet just fly out to threats on its own?

My experience is that they respond according to the setting, like location or system or %fuel range automatically.
This still does not guarantee sane behaviour but they do respond.

[Miravlix]

The long range scanner detects incoming fleets and direct automated defense fleets to gather at the location they arrive at.

I'm not sure if proximity or other small scanners is used by defense fleets, but the game does love to put them on everything.