Logistics: Difference between revisions

[[File:Broadcasting.jpg|frame|In the Fleet window, Ctl-click on your fleetmate's broadcast for reps to target them and provide support. If <span style="color:yellow;">you</span> are the one that needs support, click on the appropriate symbol at the bottom of the Fleet window. (It is also possible to bind these broadcasts to hotkeys in the game's General Settings window.]]

*<span style="color:yellow;">Prepare and use your fleet window.</span> If your gang is small enough, your fleetmates may be able to request repairs in comms. ("Hey, Antei! Tasti needs reps!") But in even a medium-sized fleet, comms are intended for communication between FC's and the rest of the fleet. Under these circumstances, fleetmates "broadcast for reps" via the Fleet window, and you can see their requests under the window's History tab. As described in the [[Fleet User Interface]] guide, use the Broadcast Settings window to make the "Need Armor", "Need Shield", and "Need Capacitor" broadcasts show up with distinct color backgrounds. When one of these broadcasts is listed in the Fleet History window, you can Ctl-click the broadcast to lock that pilot and immediately provide repairs or cap. Once your fleetmate no longer needs assistance—maybe because the enemy fleet has shifted targets—they will broadcast "In Position At" to indicate this. You will need to watch the Fleet window for this signal, and be prepared to switch the focus of your remote support. The only time this won't be true is when <span style="color:yellow;">you</span> are the enemy's primary target, in which case you will be the one broadcasting for reps.

::[[File:BroadcastSettings2.gif|frame|left|From the Fleet window, open the Broadcast Settings sub-window to adjust the appearance of your fleetmates' broadcasts, and to make them stand out against other fleet events. Use the dropdown boxes to the right of armor, shield and capacitor broadcasts to set their colors to something other than gray.]]

[[File:Watchlist_Example.jpg|frame|An example of a fleet watchlist. The three horizontal bars correspond to shield, armor, and hull for each pilot. Pilots that are off-grid don't show any bars. The symbols to the left of the bars correspond to the latest broadcast from that pilot.]]

*<span style="color:yellow;">Fill your watchlist.</span> The Watchlist is a window that allows you to monitor the shield, armor and hull HP of fleetmates that are on grid with you, without having to lock them. In addition, clicking on names in the Watchlist window has the same effect as selecting them in space or in the Overview window, which makes interacting with these particular pilots very easy. The Watchlist is an extremely important tool for logistics pilots, and will allow you to identify fleetmates that need repairs even before they identify themselves.

:Fleetmates can be added to your Watchlist by right-clicking on the pilot name and selecting "Add to Watchlist". Unfortunately, the Watchlist can only hold 15 pilots. If you are flying logistics in a small gang, this may be enough space to list your entire fleet. But if you are in a larger fleet, you will need to choose who to include (or you will need to follow the FC's or logi captain's instructions on who to add). In general, you will be asked to include fleet, wing, and squad commanders on your watchlist first, because they are critical to passing fleet boosts to the fleet. You will then probably add your fellow logistics pilots, because they are so often the primary targets of the opposing fleet. Finish out your list with any critical damage dealers or other pilots you expect to need early repairs.

*<span style="color:yellow;">Know your optimal and falloff ranges, and what distance you and your fellow logistics pilots plan to repair from.</span> As described above, different logistics hulls and modules have different characteristic repair ranges. Know how far from your damage-dealing fleetmates you plan to be.

*<span style="color:yellow;">Warp into the engagement at the appropriate range, opposite the enemy.</span> The FC will likely warp the fleet's damage dealers at their weapons' optimal range. You will need to be behind those damage dealers, so ignore the FC's fleet warp instructions to the damage-dealing group. (You might do this by canceling the fleet warp once it starts, or the FC may have organized wings and squads so that the logistics group warps separately.) You will warp at your own range to your fleetmates, with them in between you and the enemy. If you are flying armor logistics, this will probably be at your repair modules' optimal range. If you are flying shield logistics, your range will be dictated by the FC, but (optimal + half-falloff) is a good rule of thumb.

*<span style="color:yellow;">If there are multiple logistics pilots, orbit the nominated logi anchor.</span> Before the fleet gets underway, the FC should have named a logistics "anchor"—a pilot that logistics ships should orbit at close distance. In this way, only the anchor pilot is responsible for positioning the logistics group, and all the other pilots simply follow that anchor. (The logi anchor may or may not be the same as the logi captain.) The situation can get more complicated if your opponents field Command Destroyers, which use Micro Jump Fields to separate clustered logistics ships from their fleetmates; if the FC orders you to spread out, that might be why. But at least initially, stick to your anchor.

*<span style="color:yellow;">If you fall behind the rest of the fleet, out of repair distance, warp out and back in.</span> Logistics ships are sometimes slower than the rest of the fleet, especially when they are fit with afterburners instead of microwarpdrives. If you fall behind, try to warp to a tactical bookmark ''behind'' the logistics group, and then warp back to a damage dealer at closer range than you need. (This ensures that your fleetmate won't just race away from you again.)

*<span style="color:yellow;">Watch your capacitor.</span> Capacitor regenerates fastest when it is at 25% of maximum, but very slowly at 0%. Don't allow your capacitor to drop to 0%. You may need to deactivate one repair module for a while, deactivate an active resist module that you realize you don't need vs. the opponents' damage type, or be more conservative with your propulsion module. If you cap yourself out, you won't be able to activate anything, or even warp out—you'll be a sitting duck. Don't let that happen!

*<span style="color:yellow;">Stagger your repair modules' activation, if you can.</span> Repair modules can have pretty long activation times. If you activate them all at once, it might be 8 seconds before you can re-target them to a different fleetmate who calls for emergency reps. By staggering your repair modules, you can gradually shift the target of your repairs. Staggering also evens out the load on your capacitor.

*<span style="color:yellow;">Don't forget to launch and use your maintenance bots!</span>

*<span style="color:yellow;">If you are the target of a specialized ship or tactic, communicate that with the logi leader or FC.</span> If you find that a specific enemy ship is taking you out of the fight with neuts or EWAR, tell the FC (preferably in fleet/logi chat); the fleet may be able to switch targets to take out threat, or your FC may have other instructions for you.