Ships

From NEBULOUS: Fleet Command Official Wiki

Movement controls

The movement controls menu

If a formation action menu is opened movement controls will be applied to the guide ship.

Display Setting Effects
ORB Orbit Position Move to a designated area and orbit around it
POS Move To Position Move to a designated area and hold position
CHD Clear Hold Heading Cancels a Hold Heading command
HDG Hold Heading Face the selected direction regardless of heading
CRS Drive Course Travel in a direction indefinitely
CRL Clear Roll Ship Cancels a Roll Ship command
ROL Roll Ship Selects a new direction as the "up" direction of the ship
FRM Form With Ship Choose a ship to become a guide ship and then designate a position around it
CLR Clear HDG/ROL Cancels Hold Heading and Roll Ship commands
ALD Assume Lead Become the new guide ship of the formation
ALL STOP Hold Position Cancels all movement commands

Tactics

  • ORB / Orbit Position allows most weapons to have a good angle on the target. However it also exposes the same armor side continuously, which can be whittled down with enough fire.
  • HDG / Hold Heading can be used to avoid exposing the main engines, drive module and reactor to enemy fire but the ships will have less acceleration.
  • ROL / Roll Ship can be used to keep certain weapons or radar panels angled at an enemy ship. Ships can roll faster than enemy ships of the same size can position around them.
  • ALD / Assume Lead is useful if the guide ship becomes disabled but the rest of the fleet need to carry on with their objective.

Posture controls

Posture controls determine how a ship will operate and maneuver and which sensor and defensive systems are enabled.

Display Full name Settings
THRTL Throttle Control
  • 1/3: Ship will move at 1/3 of max speed.
  • 2/3: Ship will move at 2/3 of max speed.
  • FULL: Ship will move at max speed.
  • FLANK: Ship will move above max speed. Causes damage to engines.
MNVR Maneuvering Posture
  • DIRECT: Ship will move in a straight line.
  • EVADE: Ship will make random course changes to attempt to avoid incoming fire.
FORM Formation Positioning
  • REL: Ships will have the same orientation of the guide ship. The guide will wait for other ships to catch up.
  • TRU: Each ship will keep its own orientation. The guide will wait for other ships to catch up.
  • LOOSE: The guide will not wait for other ships to catch up.
BSHRT Battle-Short
  • OFF: Specialized equipment will shut down after 90 seconds of use.
  • ON: Specialized equipment will periodically receive damage after 90 seconds of use.
RADAR Radar Emissions Control
  • ON: Ship sensors are active.
  • OFF: Ship sensors are inactive. -25% signature.
COMM Communications Emissions Control
  • XMIT: Ship comms are active.
  • RECV: Ship sensors are inactive. -10% signature.
ESUPT Electronic Support Modules Controls the activity of passive electronic support modules. Does not reduce signature, but can be toggled to reduce clutter once a sensor track has been acquired on a signal.
WCON Weapons Control
  • FREE: Ship will automatically return fire with non-missile weapons on targets that are firing at them.
  • TIGHT: Ship will not attack except when given a target.
  • HOLD: Ship will not attack. Turrets will still bear on any current target.
PDTRT Point Defenses - Turrets
  • AUTO: Dedicated point defense turrets and dual-purpose weapons will target the closest missiles.
  • DEDI: Dedicated point defense turrets will target the closest missiles.
  • MAN: Point defense turrets will only shoot at designated missiles.
PDSML Point Defenses - Missiles
  • Controls the firing of interceptor missiles. Click to open policy settings.
DECOY Point Defenses - Decoys
  • LEAST: Only the lowest-capability decoy necessary to defeat a given threat will be deployed. If the missile type is unknown all decoys will be fired.
  • BEST: Only the highest-capability decoy necessary to defeat a given threat will be deployed. If the missile type is unknown all decoys will be fired.
  • AUTO: All decoys compatible with the threat will be deployed. If the missile type is unknown all decoys will be fired.
  • MAN: Decoys can only be deployed manually via the Action Menu.
PDZNE Point Defense Zone
  • AREA: Point defenses will target all missiles, prioritizing the ones threatening the ship.
  • POINT: Point defenses will target only missiles threatening the ship.

TODO: ADD PIC

Missiles

Missiles are the most powerful weapons but they have limited ammunition, can be shot down and fire slower than other weapons. The number of missiles that can be prepared to fire at the same time depends on the ship's maximum salvo size. There are three types of missile guidance:

  • Command guided missiles are guided by the launching ship. They fly in a straight line and if they miss the target they will turn around and try again until they runs out of fuel, are shot down, or finally hit the target. They are very difficult to avoid but can be rendered harmless by destroying the launching ship or jamming its sensors or communications. Command guided missiles must be shot at a sensor track.
  • Active radar guided missiles guide themselves. They can be ordered to fly along indirect paths. When they reach the end of their path they will seek a target in a cone in front of them. If fired at long range they can be avoided with evasive maneuvers. They are also vulnerable to jamming or sufficiently advanced decoys.
  • Semi-active guided missiles guide themselves but require an illuminator to home in on a target. The illuminating signal can be provided by any ship with an illuminator but can be blocked by asteroids. They are less vulnerable to jamming and decoys.