Matrix Games Forums

How do you use them?

I designed a few, and read the description, but they aren't mining on their own even if I turn on their automation. I also don't see a "deploy" button which I figured was like a "stop moving and turn into a docking base for refuel" according to the description.

Mine are just sitting around with zero cargo costing me maintenance.

You need to target a fuel source to have a useful deployment.

I think i can actually deploy on any planet-like stuff. Deploying at gas clouds can be a bit tricky, make sure you try deploy on the cloud inside the gas system, not on the system level. Move in a bit and click the cloud to know that you got it if having issues. Then "back" to resupply ship, deploy.

Select the ship, and then Rick Click a Gas Giant and there should be the "Deploy at" option.

So my military has to fly to the resupply ship as it is sitting in the gas cloud?
Or does the resupply ship supply itself in the cloud and then I can drive it to my military?

military to resupply ship

oh that kind of sucks. Why not just build a station then?

Mobile. Can move with fleet if you wanted to new supply.

If you want a permanent solution, yeah just build a station there. Resupply Ships are intended to be temporary solutions, to allow your fleets to resupply deep in enemy territory.

Or in my case, they are used as Super-Capital Ships that can double as mobile fueling bases.

An advice for resupply ships : They are terrible in currents implementation of the AI.

- Do not automate them.
- Do not add them to a fleet.
- Change their stance to "On attack only"

If you do all this, and manage them manually, you won't have problems.

I reported problems with resupply ships many times but the developers never addressed the issues.

Think of your resupply ship as a mobile gas station that can follow your fleet. I use them in small independent fleets of 1 supply ship and 4 combat ships to guard it. I send them ahead to unoccupied systems near target worlds I wish to invade and set them up. I then send my invasion fleets to refuel at that location before making the final short jump into the system I wish to invade.

As soon as the attack fleets finishes refueling, I give them orders to head to their targets and send the resupply fleet ahead to a system near my next target. This gives you the ability to keep the momentum of a successful campaign going and the only thing that limits you is the number of troops you bring along since some troops need to be left on every world you conquer. You also don’t need a bunch of guard fleets to protect immobile mining stations and only need the small guard that follows the resupply ship.

Another advantage to using resupply ships is you don't need huge excess fuel capacities on your combat ships with enough fuel to get them out and back from attack targets, you only need enough fuel to get to the mobile supply locations, so it leaves you more room for weapons and other things in your designs.

Jim