Way Points

Also see: Navigation Pad

media/MAPWAY.gif

The main map screen allows you to change the way points of the ship simply by dragging the way point that you wish to change to a new object. If you wish to add a way point you can drag the mid point to a new point in space or object. When you drag a mid point to a new point the mid point is transformed into a new way point. Mid points will be added between the new way point and the previous and next way points.

In the above map if you were to drag the labeled mid point that exists between way point 2 and way point 3 to a new spot on the map, that new spot would become the new way point 3. The current way point 3 would become way point 4.

A quick way of deleting a way point that you no longer want is to drop it into another way point. To delete way point 2 on the above map you could take way point 2 and drag it over to way point 1 and drop it Way point 2 will be gone. These leave you with only 2 way points. The point in space that is currently way point 3 will be transformed into way point 2.

If you would like the way point to not lock onto the nearest object when you drop the way point, after dragging it, you need to turn off the Magnetic Way Point Locking by clicking on the tool bar switch or by using the map menu option.

To select a kill, transfer, intercept, tow or escort target you need to use the map and the space command panel to select the desired target object as the anvil object. Once the desired object is made the anvil object you can use
the navigation panel to mark the anvil object as the kill, transfer, intercept, tow, or escort target object. You can mark a single object as several target types. For example, you can have an object that is both the intercept and kill target.

The most important target object is the intercept target. The ship will ignore its escort target and all its way points in order to give chase to the intercept target. The ship will follow the intercept target until the target object is destroyed or disappears off of the ship ' s scanners.

The second most important target is the escort target. The ship will ignore all its way point settings and just follow its escort target. Commonly the escort target is a fleet leader or a large cargo ship that needs protection. You can escort a ship belonging to another race if you wish.

The third most important settings are the ship ' s way points. The ship will travel to way point 1 and then on to way point 2. As a ship moves through a way point it is deleted from memory. It is possible for a ship to pass through many way points in a single turn if it has the speed to do so.

The capture, transfer, tow and kill targets do not cause the ship to change course at all. The ship will only interact with those target objects if it comes into contact with the object during its way point, escort or intercept guided travels.

If a ship comes in contact with its capture target it will do what it can to capture the ship if it can. If the ship comes in contact with its transfer target it will attempt to transfer cargo to and from the target object. Transferring can be done to ships belonging to another race if the two ships have matching friendly codes or the ship attempting the transfer has the universal friendly code of the target ship ' s race.

The ship will attempt to begin towing its tow target if it is encountered during normal travels. The ship will tow the target if it has the tow power and has a tractor beam that has the power to tow a hull of the target ' s size. A ship can not be towed through hyperspace.