the Patrol button

[Joetrek123]

When I first started playing this game. I was a super noob just like every one else here. It's the same story with any new game. But in A1 there was an orders command button, that I didn't know how or when to use it. It was this Patrol button.
At first when I tried to use it. All it would ever do for me is send my ship in tight little circles. This made it very annoying, and useless. To make matter worst I didn't know what they were talking about in the instruction area that scroll down form the button icon. So for years I ignored it, and it was only 3 years form now since I started to play with other online players.

I didn't learn what it was use for until I started to make my own maps in the game. I was learning path ways of asteroids, and by that time I had learn how to use the TAB Key to make fine commands to my armada of ships; to send them in tight areas of the map. So in the last few weeks I figure out how to use the patrol key. You click on the icon, hold down on the TAB Key, click Just in front of your ship, and Click out some where in the map; where ever you want your ship to go. And your ship well go out in a circle of your size and wideness. This patrol is like auto polite and frees up your hands for bigger things.

So here is a nice little tactic for your ships.
If your playing in a in close map. Such as if the map has asteroids to protect your base and just leaves a opening for ships to pass through. Then you send off your ship just in front for your enemy base. Note that most maps are 2v2 types. You might want to send your scout ship on a patrol path way between both enemies bases. Just to make it that much harder for them to send out a con with you noticing it.

What I like to do is make a huge amount of scout ships and just send them in a lops all over the map. Making it very hard for the enemy to surprise attack any were.

Now what about attacking your enemy. How would you use patrol to kill off your enemy bases stations hands free. Simple. Lets give you an Idea. Lets say your playing as the feds and your mass AKRING your enemy.
You only need to make 4 groups of 8 and send them off to the heart of the enemy base. Set a tight lop path way around enemy station that are unprotected. Make sure your path ways are short enough to where to or more station are being hit. Your enemy will not be able to self destruct his battle ship on your ark so easily. You can just leave them alone and start building your next wave of ships or send in your main group of heaver attack groups on to your main target (such as your enemy weaker allies )

Thats it on the patrol speech

[Mighty Santa]

Aye, I'll often use 2 or 3 scouts on patrol. Usually in horizontal track lines across the map. On a warsquare, this can usually easily cover most of the open centre area, and you will get at least a good 30 seconds warning of any scouts/fleet invasion.

I always used to wonder if scouts on patrol would make the game lag a bit. I've never actually seen anyone mention it.

Santa - on patrol.