More Control over fleets needed

[Xmudder]

I am having a horrible time managing my fleets, especially after I start inheriting pirates.

When I automate fleets, I get a bunch of useless half strength "defense" fleets. When I don't automate fleets I get a bunch of fleets that run out of Caslon and never do anything. When I turn on "upgrade fleet templates" nothing happens to my premade fleets. I'd like a way to force upgrade a fleet once I get some larger ships, that would also prune excess (smaller) ships. I'd also like to be able to assemble a fleet from nearby ships.

Ideally, I'd like to be prompted to create a new fleet from available ships, instead of it just making a bunch of too small fleets once I automate it. Like the existing automate / suggest and execute / suggest / manual.

I also hate "fleet ship management" because the game will bankrupt me trying to build ships to fill all my fleets to maximum, while constantly adding new fleets. That is also something that should lead to a prompt.

I ended up making my defense and attack fleets the same, which just led to a mess of understrength fleets. The game does not seem to limit the number of fleets to available hulls, I have no idea how it does manage it. In my current game I have a bunch of weak fleets, and a bunch of ships without a fleet, but the game keeps adding new fleets instead of consolidating them. And none of they are near the enemy I want to declare war on.

Is there a way to manage the ratio of attack, defense, and raiding fleets?

I'd also love it if the ships from pirates showed up as an actual raiding fleet based at their pirate lair. Would be much easier to handle / manage.

Finally, should I leave my refuelling ships independent or joint them with a fleet? joining them with the fleet doesn't seem to do anything that I can see.

[Xmudder]

So I found the button to do some of what I wanted, but that button keeps wanting to build new ships, not include ships that already exist, so I am now using ti to manually add new ships to existing fleets.

[Xmudder]

Here is a specific example with screenshots. Tech wise, I just researched Hyperfusion, Torrent Drives, and Comprehensive Exploration (Survey 70). I then manually upgraded all of my ships to use them which often meant I was able to remove a fusion reactor. I only have Light Cruisers, bigger hulls are next.

battleship.png (725.87 KiB) Viewed 477 times

Here I have a battleship I picked from somewhere (debris field). I have 3 more battleships and 3 carriers as well, but all of those are in my attack fleets, which are supposed to have 6 frigates, 6 destroyers, 6 cruisers, a battleship, and a carrier, 3 fuel tankers, and a troop carrier for boarding actions. 3 of them do, 5 do not. This picture also shows 3 cruisers and some destroyers. Yet when I go to make a new fleet with them, I get this: No ships available to form fleet based on this template. I get the same no matter which template I choose.

template.png (303.46 KiB) Viewed 477 times

Any idea what is going on? The rift striders are arriving soon and I want to be ready.

[MaximKI]

Do you have a save you could share that shows this situation?

[Xmudder]

Do you have a save you could share that shows this situation?

Yes, but it is 15 megs so I can not upload it here.

[MaximKI]

You can upload using a file-sharing service like Google Drive or WeTransfer and post a link here. You can also send the save to this email at maxim.k@slitherine.co.uk.