[1.0.6.0] Refuelling priority in AI logic

[AesirAvatar]

Getting the sense the priority has been lowered, multiple experiences of fleets being stalled as a small number of ships have run out of fuel and are proritising getting to the destination over picking up fuel.

Some examples:

1) Main attack fleet stalled. While all bar one ship has fuel, one ship has no fuel and limiping towards the fleet. It'll take a good 20+ years to get there. It just happens to be right next to a system that has a mining station over a gas giant chock full of fuel. Ok, I click the ship, manually target it to refuel at the mining station full of fuel a few days travel away. Then for good measure, change it back to full auto. I go do something else, then check back on the ship - it''s changed its manually assigned order back to "get me to the fleet in 20 years"

2) Many of these fleets I've assigned a (minimum of one) fuel tanker for just this reason. Can't see this helping - they also seem to prioritise haning out with their fully fuelled fleet mates, not flying to help out their fleet straggler mate. Beats workin I guess.

3) I've taken to dropping 0 fuel ships from fleets, manually tasking them to fuel while going back to the fleet and clicking to buid replacement button to build new instead. That or manually tasking fuel tankers to chase after low fuel ships which I'd hope would be automated.

[Thineboot]

[...] I click the ship, manually target it to refuel at the mining station full of fuel a few days travel away. Then for good measure, change it back to full auto. I go do something else, then check back on the ship - it''s changed its manually assigned order back to "get me to the fleet in 20 years" [...]

That's the perfect example why ships/fleets should finish their orders before switching to whatever other than manual is selected.

It's easy to accomplish, stop overriding existing orders.

If the player wants to stop the actual order they always can order a stop until you come up with a better, more elegant solution. Right now we don't expect everything going smoothly but won't babysit and micromanage each and ever single of those ships.
If it's about preventing the breaking of player styles, add a policy setting that allows us to switch to finish manual order before switching to automatic.

Adding ETA would help the AI, too. Refueling at a nearby fuel deposit or running dry for (20) years to catch up with a fleet is a no-brainer for brainers. AlgorIthms have to rely on (basic) data to make proper decisions.