Units are vehicles which's actions can be controlled by players and NPC's. They serve economic and military purposes and are an important part of the game. Most units can be build or otherwise acquired by players. Some units are restricted to certain NPC's.
Units can be divided into;
Building and Repairing Units[]
You need a Tycoon or Eco Shipyard in order to build a ship, a Submarine Base in order to build a submarine and an Airport in order to build aircraft.
You will also require certain building materials and weapons, depending on the unit type. The number of units which you are allowed to have depends on the total number of your inhabitants (see details). Once you have all the necessary materials, click on the respective shipyard / base / airport and select the desired type of unit from the menu. Right click on the respective unit’s symbol to interrupt construction. Left click to order more units of that type (the new vehicles will be built automatically if enough material is present on the island).
A repair dock
You can repair your ship and submarines at a Repair Dock that belongs to either you or any third party you have an active Repair Service with. Units are repaired automatically, so just send your damaged ships to a repair dock. Aircrafts will be repaired when parked at an Airport or an Atlas.
In the 5th Patch, the Unit limit was increased for all factions, which makes it possible to have more ships with the same population than before.
The maximum amount of unit points is 600 in a Continuous Game (on a large map). Adding any more population does not generate new unit points.
Unit Actions[]
Moving[]
Once you have selected a unit, you can move it in two different ways:
- The movement command is activated via a left-click on Start Action Mode in the unit’s menu, which transforms the mouse pointer. A further click on the game world or Minimap signifies marching orders.
- A right-click on a location in the game world or Minimap issues a direct movement command.
- If you keep down the Shift key while clicking, you're able to set a long working list for that unit. You can for example set it to explore the entire sector by randomly clicking on the Mini Map in the bottom left corner. The unit will then travel the whole route you have created.
Loading or unloading of goods[]
If one of your ships or submarines drops anchor next to your warehouse or that of one of your trading partners, you can load or unload goods between the warehouse and the ship via the goods transfer tab. The Goods Transfer Menu displays the storage area of the warehouse and cargo hold of the ship.
First set the quantity of goods to be loaded to one ton, ten tons or the entire quantity available by clicking on the corresponding symbol. Now transfer the quantity selected to a free cargo hold on the ship by clicking on a goods symbol in the warehouse.
Likewise, goods can be conveyed from the ship to the warehouse by selecting the cargo hold and quantity of goods to be unloaded.
Tip: You can also drag and drop cargo from one menu to the other or directly onto the warehouse or ship.
Tip: You can specify an exact amount of goods you would like to transfer by pressing down shift and then dragging and dropping the cargo on to the ship or warehouse.
Tip: You can also automate the loading and unloading of the ship for goods which you regularly transport with a trading route. Note: Aircraft are not able to carry goods.
If one of your units has to retreat in the face of attackers, you can increase its speed by throwing the goods loaded overboard. The mouse pointer changes when it is positioned over a full cargo hold and thus indicates that you can throw these goods overboard. The entire contents of this cargo hold are lost with a right-click. Thereafter flotsam boxes containing the goods appear on the water near the ship. If you are quick enough and your opponents don’t get there first, you can collect the goods again later.
Grouping[]
In order to group several unis together, select the desired units while keeping the left mouse button down or to select just that type of ships, double click on one of them. To assign the units into groups press down Ctrl and a number from 1-9 to assign them into that group. You can subsequently select the respective group by pressing the corresponding number. If you press the respective number twice quickly, the group is selected and shown in the centre of the screen section.
When a unit is left-clicked while the Shift is depressed, this means that it will be subsequently added to or removed from the selection. The altered selection must subsequently be reassigned the group number. In order to be able to better differentiate the various groups, all grouped units have a small number on their banner.
Attacking[]
You can attack enemy units as soon as you have sighted them. If you have selected one or several or your own ships, the mouse pointer changes as it moves over enemy troops, units and buildings, thus indicating that they can be attacked.
The attack command can be issued in two different ways:
- The attack command is activated via a left-click on Start Action Mode in the ship’s menu and executed via a second left-click on enemy troops, ships or buildings.
- The attack is executed directly with a right-click on the opposing unit.
Escorting[]
You can use this command to give your own units an escort. The escort follows the unit as protection and attacks approaching opponents automatically. First select the unit which should act as the escort. The escort command can now be issued in two ways:
- Activate the Escort command with a left-click on the Start Action Mode in the unit’s menu. The mouse pointer changes its appearance and you can assign the escort with a click on the unit to be protected.
- The escort can be directly assigned with a right-click on the unit to be protected when the escorting unit is already selected.
A unit can be escorted by as many other units as you desire. The escort is not finished until a corresponding command is given.