Construction stops and other movement issues

from Sins Forums

I've noticed a few strange things, like construction frigates that start construction and then stop. It's really strange, sometimes I've about 8 buildings that are half finished. After a while (can be 10 minutes or so) construction resumes, but it takes a really long time to finish construction this way.

And there was this Orkulus Starbase that moves to attack position and then ... well it doesn't attack. It seems like it stopped just outside attack range. When I gave it an explicit attack order it did attack... this happened at least twice, once against a siege frigate and once against an enemy starbase that was being constructed. It happened while I was looking elsewhere (I wasn't focusing on the gravity well) and I only noticed it a lot later when I actually zoomed in on the gravity well.

Also, at one time I've noticed how an Orkulus starbase pushed away a Titan from a planet bombardment and the Titan didn't move back into bombing range. It was only after I ordered it to attack the planet again that it moved back into its bombing position.

This leads me to think, maybe these things have to do with the range checking ... maybe the ships thinks it's in range, but the weapons or construction beams think otherwise ...

Also, on several occasions I ordered an Orkulus starbase to move into a region which contained a set of defensive structures, so that it would stay close to the repair bays. When I looked a while later (I noticed an enemy fleet coming in) I saw that it was still trying to move in position, but it couldn't because there was no room. It was stuck there and completely ignored the fleet. It was only after I pressed "S" (stop) that it turned around and started attacking the invaders. I think it's strange that the ship just keeps trying to move to a position that it can never reach...

 

technical
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Reply #1 from Sins Forums Top

I've noticed a few strange things, like construction frigates that start construction and then stop. It's really strange, sometimes I've about 8 buildings that are half finished. After a while (can be 10 minutes or so) construction resumes, but it takes a really long time to finish construction this way.
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This may be a case of when you upgrade your logistic/tactical capactiy for the planet and it is not yet finished upgrading. You can still place the buildings but they will only be built part way until the upgrade is finished.

And there was this Orkulus Starbase that moves to attack position and then ... well it doesn't attack. It seems like it stopped just outside attack range. When I gave it an explicit attack order it did attack... this happened at least twice, once against a siege frigate and once against an enemy starbase that was being constructed. It happened while I was looking elsewhere (I wasn't focusing on the gravity well) and I only noticed it a lot later when I actually zoomed in on the gravity well.

Also, at one time I've noticed how an Orkulus starbase pushed away a Titan from a planet bombardment and the Titan didn't move back into bombing range. It was only after I ordered it to attack the planet again that it moved back into its bombing position.

This leads me to think, maybe these things have to do with the range checking ... maybe the ships thinks it's in range, but the weapons or construction beams think otherwise ...

Also, on several occasions I ordered an Orkulus starbase to move into a region which contained a set of defensive structures, so that it would stay close to the repair bays. When I looked a while later (I noticed an enemy fleet coming in) I saw that it was still trying to move in position, but it couldn't because there was no room. It was stuck there and completely ignored the fleet. It was only after I pressed "S" (stop) that it turned around and started attacking the invaders. I think it's strange that the ship just keeps trying to move to a position that it can never reach...
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Sounds like pathing issues. They do happen from time to time in all RTS games.

Reply #2 from Sins Forums Top

We have a save we're investigating where the Orkulus is trying to auto-attack but isn't moving itself into range of its target. This sounds related, though I'm not sure what's up with your construction frigates off-hand.  If you have a save game that replicates this, can you zip it up and send it to support@stardock.com?  Please mention that Yarlen asked you to send it in and provide a URL to this thread. Thanks!

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Reply #3 from Sins Forums Top

This may be just wild speculation, but the Orkulus starbase can upgrade to receive longer range weapons. I have noticed that when issued attack orders on a distant target, the Orkulus often seems to sit just outside its attack range for its short and medium range weapons, even before assault upgrades are completed, but within range for the later, longer ranged weapons. (I usually issue move orders instead for this reason, also so that enemy ships cannot run away as quickly.)

Maybe the attack order / auto-attack is using the higher ranged weapons as the baseline, and not the shorter ranged weapons?

And pathing issues happen all the time for the Orkulus, but I do not think this can be fixed. If the programming were changed for ships to give up moving after a certain amount of not moving successfully, that would cause other problems. Better to just realize where the giant starbase can and cannot fit, and give orders accordingly.

Reply #4 from Sins Forums Top

CyberCheese that's a possibility I'll look into.

Reply #5 from Sins Forums Top

"Better to just realize where the giant starbase can and cannot fit, and give orders accordingly."

Yes, I will do that.

" If you have a save game that replicates this, can you zip it up and send it to "

Ok, I'll look for a savegame that shows this.

It's late in the game and I haven't researched anything for a while.

I've noticed the Orkulus problem only when I'm not focused on the gravity well - it happens when it autoattacks and I'm not looking at the gravity well. It only seems to happen against targets that don't move (a starbase, a siege frigate).

When I'm focused on the gravity well, then the auto-attacking is always fine (as far as I know I've never noticed problems then).

 

Reply #6 from Sins Forums Top

Oh... the construction problems only seem to happen when I have just captured a planet and it's in the process of upgrading its logistic and tactical slots. The frigates just abandon their current construction project, then move to the next. When I scuttle all structures of a fully developed planet and construct them again, then all is peachy. Should I still send a savegame of this, seems kind of redundant now?

Reply #7 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting GeomanNL, reply 6

Oh... the construction problems only seem to happen when I have just captured a planet and it's in the process of upgrading its logistic and tactical slots. The frigates just abandon their current construction project, then move to the next. When I scuttle all structures of a fully developed planet and construct them again, then all is peachy. Should I still send a savegame of this, seems kind of redundant now?
End of GeomanNL's quote

Be aware that any enemy structures still in the gravity well will take up logistic/tactical slots. Every time I've seen this it is either that or because the slots upgrade was still in progress (constructors seem to build 1% of a structure then wait until enough slots are available).

Reply #8 from Sins Forums Top

Could that be it? Perhaps.

Or maybe it's the deliverance signal that the Advent AIs are sending to my planets. Can that cause constructors to stop?

Well anyway, I found an auto-save where the constructors were doing nothing and I've sent it to support. The construction takes place at the Iceworld "Prometheus".

 

Reply #9 from Sins Forums Top

The Kostura Cannon may cause problems (can't remember if it disables construction or not) but the Deliverance Engine shouldn't affect things.

Reply #10 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting GeomanNL, reply 8
Well anyway, I found an auto-save where the constructors were doing nothing and I've sent it to support. The construction takes place at the Iceworld "Prometheus".
End of GeomanNL's quote

Thanks.  Support received it and sent it on to Yarlen.