Interesting Pathfinding issue with some ships

from Sins Forums

Hey all,

I have been noticing an odd behavior on some ships as I play through this amazingly addictive game. 

When pumping out more ships to add to a fleet, any fleet of any flagship, sometimes a select individual frigate seems to decide to always flee to the edges of the current gravity well, or even worse in some situation, always flee back to the grav well it originated from.  At first I only noticed it on TEC flak frigates, and they would not attack unless forced to individually.  Then, most recently, I noticed a Kodiak was not moving with the rest of its fleet after a forced move/attack, and would travel to the edge of the grav well, and then phase jump all the way back to its home grav well. 

This doesn't happen to often, but it is very odd to say the least and can really slow down a unified phase jump if I haven't caught the rebelling little bastard.  They almost act like planetary bombardment ships after a planet is razed completely, but they are most definitely not such frigates. 

I am on 1.4, any input or workarounds?  I have double checked they have all been on the same tactical orders as the rest of the fleet, and that they are indeed a part of the fleet I joined it with. 

15,472 views 10 replies
Reply #1 from Sins Forums Top
Had the same problem

I have also had ships told to jump out turn around completely and head STRAIGHT for the enemy fleet.. and when its a capship it can cost you the game.

Pathfinding needs some extra work and or they need to make ships turn/accelerate quickly when they are given an order to move and they find themselves "traped"
Reply #2 from Sins Forums Top
Had the same problemI have also had ships told to jump out turn around completely and head STRAIGHT for the enemy fleet.. and when its a capship it can cost you the game.Pathfinding needs some extra work and or they need to make ships turn/accelerate quickly when they are given an order to move and they find themselves "traped"
End of quote


I haven't had that problem, but I am quite sure its the same problem as mine just with an enemy fleet at the other end.

Otherwise, the pathfinding is A OK in my opinion, and my situation happens rarely, and has yet to happen with a cap ship.

I do no agree with you about the turning mechanism, its a great gameplay element that makes you think on when to retreat from imposing forces with capital ships. If you are getting trapped with a turning cap ship then you are not planning your strategies effectively enough. Or you were caught off guard, either or.

Elemental: Reforged
Reply #3 from Sins Forums Top
I have noticed this same exact problem. There's always one ship (almost always the last one that joined the fleet) that thinks it has to go back to my home planet - I can tell it to move or attack, etc and it will ... but once it's done it starts to head off back home again even though it's supposedly in a fleet.

I reproduce this just about every game right at the beginning as TEC - simply build your cap ship, select it and then form a fleet. Then queue up 4 cobalt light frigates. They will all auto-join the fleet just fine, but that fourth one will be "weird." :) That is, it will obey move orders etc, but then will always try to move back to the frigate factory.

It's really annoying when you're like 5 planets away ... this one ship will keep trying to move back home when it's current orders are finished.
Reply #4 from Sins Forums Top
Does anyone have any saves of this? ;) I've done the Capital + 4 Cobalts test, but it works fine.
Reply #5 from Sins Forums Top
Dang, that's just my luck ... as soon as someone else tries to reproduce it, everything works fine.  :D  I do actually have a save made under 1.05 though that demonstrates this. When I go home at lunch I can dig it up and send it ... except I'm totatlly clueless and don't know where to send it to.  :SURPRISED:  Should I just email it to Ironclad's support email?
Reply #6 from Sins Forums Top
Yes, email it to support@ironcladgames.com and point them where/what to look for :)
Reply #7 from Sins Forums Top
Thanks for the help Annatar11!

Just so everyone knows, I emailed the save and some steps to demonstrate the problem earlier this afternoon and already got a response back saying that they found and fixed the bug for 1.1. :D

I've heard that Ironclad/Stardock have good support, but wow! And on a Friday afternoon before a long weekend too.
Reply #8 from Sins Forums Top
Haha, it's great isn't it ;)
Reply #9 from Sins Forums Top
I have noticed the errant ship thing in 1.04 & 1.05.

One ship just goes the opposite way, even if you "re-fleet", change formation, etc.
Reply #10 from Sins Forums Top
I've had the same problem quite often.

I did discover a workaround: break up and re-form the offending fleet.

Obviously, a bug fix would be better.