Editing Orders

<!-- NOTE: [[C#]] only, I won't even attempt to make this VB6 compatible.-->

Orders are used to command [[fleet]]s. Orders are issued from the [[Naval Organization]] window {{key|F4}} by clicking on a fleet, and going to the Movement Orders tab for that fleet. 

==Parts of an Order==
An order has two essential parts - what do you want the fleet to do, and where do you want the fleet to do it? You choose the "where" first, in the left section of the Movement Orders window. By default, this will show the major [[body|celestial bodies]] of the current solar system, plus any [[jump point]]s you have discovered. The buttons at the top left allow you to instead pick "Autoroute by System", which means you simply choose a system and go there by an automatic route, or "Order Templates", which let you pick from orders you've set up as templates (see below). The checkboxes beside that let you choose which items appear in the targets list when you're in the default "System Locations" view. 

Once you've determined where you want to go, you then pick what you want to do in the middle window. Click on a target (a [[body]], a [[jump point]], etc.), and a list of actions will appear. For most orders, you can simply double-click to add the order to the list. Or, if you want the default order for a given target (moving through a jump point, resupplying at a [[colony]], etc.), you can just double-click the target and skip this step entirely. 

However, orders can have additional parts which can be set. For some orders (especially ones that involve loading things from a colony), these can be mandatory. For example, if you are ordering a fleet with freighters and pick the Load Installation order, a list of available installations at that planet will be displayed on the right part of the Movement Orders tab. You must pick which installation you wish to load before you can issue the order. You can optionally put a value in the "Maximum Items" field at the bottom of the tab, which will limit the amount of that installation you're picking up (with the default value of "0" meaning unlimited). Similarly, you can set an order delay on any order, which is the number of seconds before the fleet will begin executing that order. (Note: Once the order is issued, the time will display as days:hours:minutes.)

==Order Queues==
Orders are processed as a queue, where the fleet will execute the first order it's given before moving on to the second. Any number of orders may be issued to a fleet. 

Once an order has been issued, however, the list of available orders will often change to reflect what the fleet will have already done by that point. For example, if the queue is ordering the ship to jump from Sol to Alpha Centauri, then you will no longer see the list of targets in the Sol system - instead, you'll see the list of targets in the Alpha Centauri system. If the fleet has loaded infrastructure with one order, it'll have the option to unload infrastructure on subsequent orders. 

Once an order queue has been established, you can use the Repeat Orders button at the bottom to have the fleet perform the same list of tasks over and over. The fleet can only use this option if its order queue ends with it in the same system as it's currently located in. The number beside the button determines how many repeats you want - you will get the one set you already have, plus this number of extra sets (so if you order a ship to load colonists on Earth and drop them off on Luna, then Repeat Orders with the value set to "2" will result in 3 total trips). This can be pressed repeatedly, which will grow the order queue exponentially (so if you press it again with a value of "2", then the entire list of 3 trips will get repeated an extra two times, plus the original, for 3*3=9 total trips. Press it again, and you'll get 9*3=27 trips.). For long order repeats, you may want to ensure that there's a refuel/resupply in the order loop at some point, so your ships don't run out and get stranded. If it's a military ship, you may also want to consider overhaul, for the same reason.

Orders can be cancelled, but only from the bottom of the queue up. Use "Remove Last" to clear one order at a time, or "Remove All" to completely clear out the order queue. 

==Order Templates==
You can copy a fleet's existing order queue to a template, using the Create Template button. Any other fleets in the same system may then choose to use that template, if the targets list is in "Order Templates" view. Templates can also be deleted (and this will not cancel any orders you've already issued). 

==Standing and Conditional Orders==
A fleet may be given up to two standing orders and two conditional orders. These are issued on the Standing Orders tab. 

Standing orders are things that a fleet will attempt to do once it has run out of other orders. If a fleet has no orders given, it will attempt to do its primary standing order. If it can't, it will attempt its secondary standing order. If it can't do either one, it will throw a warning message into your [[Event Updates]] log. If you want this warning to go away, you can a) give the fleet orders manually, b) change both standing orders to "No Order", or c) issue it a dummy order (typically, Send Message) with a delay before the order happens. 

Conditional orders are much like standing orders, except that they're triggered by certain specific situations. When a conditional order triggers, the existing order queue is deleted, and the fleet will immediately try to perform the listed action. 

Both standing and conditional orders work by adding the necessary orders to your normal order queue. Once they're in the queue, they can be removed as nromal, and extra orders can be added as normal. 

==Formation Orders==
Formation orders are used for [[formations]]. Typically, these are for combat purposes, such as putting anti-missile screening ships ahead of the main fleet, or putting vulnerable carriers and sensor ships behind.  

==More Information==
The article [[C-Ship Tasks]] has some notes on order types, including changes between [[VB6]] and [[CSharp|C#]].

[[Category:Fleet Operations]]