Waves of Units
This is a method I use to allow attacks using automatic groups which don't result in newly built units being sent into battle with weak numbers. This will be better explained after the method for automatic grouping, a feature of the game that isn't all that easy to find if you don't know to look for it.
The Method - Automatic Groups
- Open the production centre build panel and point at the unit that you want to assign a group number to.
- Press Ctrl-# where # is the group number you wish to assign.
- When the unit is built, it will be added to the specified group, even if you have the group selected at the time.
- In case anyone is unfamiliar with groups, what this means is that you can now press the number you've assigned the units to to select all the units in that group
A bit of a problem
This is an excellent way to organise units and I only rarely need to actually drag or double-click to select units in a game using this method. You can sort your units easily into different types by group number, or just separate your units in different areas by giving them different group numbers automatically. However, there is a problem. Take this situation:
- You build some Spiders in group 1 as above and send them into battle by pressing 1 and clicking on an offensive area.
- Your Spiders obediently zoom off to the target area and begin fighting. While this is happening, more Spiders are built at your base and join the group.
- You give an attack order at the enemy base for your Spiders. The group at the base begin a trek on their own towards the enemy base.
- Your Spider force at the enemy base wears thin and is defeated - but because of the earlier orders your new Spiders keep single-filing into the enemy base and are slaughtered.
Sorting this out is a bit of a mess as you have even newer units at your base following every order, and units in a line all the way down the map who are nowhere near the enemy base or your base.
Sorting the new from the old
My way around this particular problem is as follows. This is an example assuming I'm putting all built units automatically into group 1:
- When you are ready to move your forces out, press 1 and then Ctrl-2 to put these units into group 2 as well as 1.
This means that selecting 2 won't send orders to units built after this, but it still leaves the problem that pressing 1 selects both the units in group 2 and any new units which are created after this point. The following is one way of dealing with this problem:-
- Before you send your group 2 out, click a building and use Ctrl-1 to assign it togroup 1 instead of your units.
- This means you can use 2 to order the original units around, and when new units are created they will be assigned to group 1 in place of the building (which disappears from the group).
- When you have sufficient numbers built at your base, you can select 1 and start over again, either using a different group number this time or if your original units have been destroyed assign them again to group 2, and follow the process through again for your next assault.
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