Task Force

At the heart of Aurora is a naval simulation that isn't too different from modern seafaring vessels and their operations. Ships are organized in fleets, task forces and task groups. They need fuel, spare parts and ammunition. They need maintenance and repairs. The crews need a lot of training before they can be expected to perform well in a battle. And they need up-to-date information about the enemy. All that is simulated in the game.

Organization

A task force (TF) is the administrative body of a fleet. Fleet Headquarters is the name of the default starting task force, and is set on your home-planet. Headed by a Task Force Commander(CTF) and several staff officers. A quarter of the leader bonus of the Task Force commander apply to all ships in the TF, as long as he's in the same system. See Naval Organization.

A task force is divided into task groups (TGs). Your actual fleets. Ships, once built at a planet-based shipyard, are assigned to a "Task Group". Task groups are given orders which all of their ships follow as a single unit. Ships can be detached into sub-groups or assimilated into new groups at will. Task Groups are assigned to one, and only one, Task Force. Can be further subdivided into additional TGs. Can contain from one to an unlimited number of ships.

The Fleet operates in tandem with ground forces. The military academy is the primary training faculty and commission source for the fleet's officers and crew.

Fleet Operation

Fleet operations in Aurora require some logistics. Military ships require a lot of regular maintenance to stay ready for action. Deployed fleet for combat or training require additional expanses, due to increased usage of fuel, ammunition and or maintenance supplies.

Long deployments times will reduce crew morale affecting the fleet combat readiness. Ship past a certain age starts costing more to maintain and will require overhauls.

• Ship Crew, Grade training, Fleet Training.
• Ship Roles
• Task Group Initiative, jump shock‎‎

Fleet Command

When a Task Force commander is on a flag bridge, one quarter of their leadership bonus effects (Crew Training, Initiative, etc.) apply to all Task Groups that make up the Task Force.

In your home system, the Task Force leader is usually the officer in charge of Fleet Headquarters on your home planet, but the TF leader must be in the same system as the TGs under his command for his bonuses to apply. When a TF leaves your home system, having one ship with a flag bridge there can be very useful for training and combat initiative.

Note that you don't need a TF commander, it's just an added bonus. Also make sure the leader you want to be TF commander is assigned to the ship containing the bridge and that he's the highest ranking officer in the TF, because the highest ranking is in charge, even if he's not on the flagship, and if he isn't, he doesn't get the Flag Bridge bonus.

Support Vessels

If you equipped every ship with enough fuel tanks to travel halfway through the galaxy, you'd have no more room for weapons. Dito for missile reloads and spare parts (maintenance supplies). So you build specialized vessels to transport these and assign them to a task force as per your needs.

All special orders related to them are only available if you designate ship classes as tanker, supply ship or collier in the ship design window. Unlike other design parameters, you can change the designation of ship classes already in service.

You can also build maintenance ships which contain maintenance modules instead of performing standard maintenance at a base.

Formations

Formations allow you to split a Task Group into several parts which travel together, but keep a predetermined distance from the main group.