What are the requirements for boarding?

[Oddible]

I never seem to get the "Board" command in the right click menu. What size ship or what equipment other than marines do I need to board another ship?

[{DSHE} KILLDOZER]

Marines, a capable ship, disable shields and turrets on target, have a fun.

[Oddible]

But I don't even get the "Board" option. So... what do you mean 'a capable ship'? How do I know what ships are capable?

[Stealthkibbler]

more marines = good,
obviously larger ships means more crew but some ships of the same size can have more crew than others.
Boarding has three phases, the first phase they launch themselves, active turrets will shoot down your boarding pods and the shields need to be lowered for them to begin the second phase which is the breaching phase, the third phase they just fight the onboard crew.

The thresholds you set on the first 2 phases effects when they choose to launch and board. for example setting medium on the breaching phase (second one) will mean they wont breach until the hull is 50%.

keeping in mind that pods can be shot down by turrets and destroyed modules can be repaired by service crew over time you probably should only be trying to board large miners or gas cranes. Attempting to board during battles or against large combat ships can be very difficult and usually isnt worth the time and effort.

Again, your boarding pods can be shot down while in flight so destroy turret and shield modules.

[Stevie Lee]

Being lazy, I tried to order my fleet commander to board Behemoths four times now... No problem sending order and all the attacking forces are under his command so I thought he would control fires. Four times they reduce Behemoth to smouldering wreck within a minute, and no boarding. Another issue-- Given the high visibility and security restrictions on Behemoth construction, how the heck does a faction they dislike (Scale Pact) get them to produce the ten I've destroyed already... No way this could really happen. Like the US finding out Iran had ten of our destroyers. The idea that maybe they could pull off getting one or two against imposible odds, okay-- but no way a main faction is going to ever let that happen again. I bet that's more than the Arogons have lost themselves (they seem to win most fights handily in my game).

[Gwizzz]

Originally posted by Stevie Lee:

Being lazy, I tried to order my fleet commander to board Behemoths four times now... No problem sending order and all the attacking forces are under his command so I thought he would control fires. Four times they reduce Behemoth to smouldering wreck within a minute, and no boarding. Another issue-- Given the high visibility and security restrictions on Behemoth construction, how the heck does a faction they dislike (Scale Pact) get them to produce the ten I've destroyed already... No way this could really happen. Like the US finding out Iran had ten of our destroyers. The idea that maybe they could pull off getting one or two against imposible odds, okay-- but no way a main faction is going to ever let that happen again. I bet that's more than the Arogons have lost themselves (they seem to win most fights handily in my game).

Haven't you ever heard of the Argonian arms deal? Some high ranking officials in the last cabinet were caught selling arms to criminals. Yes, but it gets worse! They never got sent to prison for it once they were discovered as the political system is full of corrupt judges too!

Oh, the shame.

[Oddible]

Guys I'm still trying to get an answer to the ORIGINAL question. What do I need to get the Board command to show up in the right click menu? Shields are down, turrets are down, I have marines on board, what next? Is there some special kind of ship required? Some special equipment on the ship? Some special kind of ship? How do I get the right click menu?

[Alith-Ahnar]

Originally posted by Stevie Lee:

Being lazy, I tried to order my fleet commander to board Behemoths four times now... No problem sending order and all the attacking forces are under his command so I thought he would control fires. Four times they reduce Behemoth to smouldering wreck within a minute, and no boarding. Another issue-- Given the high visibility and security restrictions on Behemoth construction, how the heck does a faction they dislike (Scale Pact) get them to produce the ten I've destroyed already... No way this could really happen. Like the US finding out Iran had ten of our destroyers. The idea that maybe they could pull off getting one or two against imposible odds, okay-- but no way a main faction is going to ever let that happen again. I bet that's more than the Arogons have lost themselves (they seem to win most fights handily in my game).

There are missions for the SCA to capt... aquire Ships of certain make.

SCA are Pirates not a 5th World Country that is ruled by a Religious Hegemony they don't care what you do care about.

[Gwizzz]

Originally posted by Oddible:

Guys I'm still trying to get an answer to the ORIGINAL question. What do I need to get the Board command to show up in the right click menu? Shields are down, turrets are down, I have marines on board, what next? Is there some special kind of ship required? Some special equipment on the ship? Some special kind of ship? How do I get the right click menu?

Sorry for hijacking your thread there, honestly i can't answer your question. I've seen the board option pop up but there were so many allied ships pounding the enemy that I never had a chance to start boarding before they were destroyed. Have you tried checking for some youtube videos, i'm sure there must be several out about boarding by now. Good luck capt.

[Alith-Ahnar]

Destroy the engines get the hull below 80% launch marines are the most basic conditions to board.

These can still tweaked in the boarding window each of the 3 boarding step can be set to different threshold you should take a closer look at this to get a deeper understanding.

Everything else that someone is mentioning above 80% hull and dead engines is only necessary to increase the speed and chance of your boarding operation to be successful.

[Grimjaw]

His problem is the Board command is greyed out, meaning he cannot give the command to launch the marines. Can i ask what ship you are using Oddible?

[Alith-Ahnar]

Originally posted by Grimjaw:

His problem is the Board command is greyed out, meaning he cannot give the command to launch the marines. Can i ask what ship you are using Oddible?

Well or rather what Ship is supposed to be boarded?

Anything smaller then L classiefied is not boardable anything Xenon is not boardable.

[Tashine (Da)]

I have only just started trying to board. I think you need to target anything as large or larger than L size. Easy to see on the map screen with the legend selected (as long as you have sight through satelites etc - otherwise harder to find targets).

I suggest you would need to use a ship that can and does hold no less than about 10 marines. You can change crew into marines in the ship info screen.

When you find your potential mark, get into scan mode shift+2, then select target, get close (under 1KM) and then right click and choose scan. Take a look at the target info to get an idea what you are up against in boarding strength

At that point you 'setup' your board mission (you have fired no shots yet). Once you finish setup then you are actually started to open fire and start the main boarding process.

I seemed to find I could not cancel a boarding mission once I started (cancel was greyed) so I guess save the game before you commit.

I am currently loading up x2 extra ships with more marines to make as my subordinates to help with boarding (overwhlem a relatively easy target with marines hopefully).

With the above already in mind. I recommend you press H in game and go on the in game boarding tutorial to get a feel for it and also look for a boarding video on youtube.

Good luck with it - I am going to go try it myself now!

[Bardicheart]

To the OP: Did you scan the ship you wish to board first? The option should be available after a scan. You don't need any special ship or equipment to board, you just need to scan it first.

[Oddible]

Yep, scanned it. Scan is the only rightclick option I ever see, I don't see board.

[Bardicheart]

Then I'm really not sure.

I just went back over it in my own game so I'll relate that and you can compare to what you are seeing / experiencing.

I'm in a Nemesis Vanguard in the Trinity Sanctum system.
About 94 km away is a Helios Vanguard freighter (L size, counts as a capital ship).

I have NOT scanned it, I'm not even in scan mode. I select it, then right click on it while in 1st person view. I see the Board option is white / available. I click it and get the boarding setup screen.

So despite what the tutorial says, scanning apparently is not required, but it IS a good idea to do first so you know how many marines the target ship has and so forth.

Next I selected a fighter (S size) that is also some distance away. I right click and there is no Board option (there shouldn't be you can't board S or M ships if I understand correctly, to get those you have to get the pilot to bail and then claim it).

So that's the only thing left I can think to ask, are you targeting a size L or XL ship? Or is it size S or M. If its the later then that's why there's no option, sor smaller ships damage them until they bail (which maybe they do or maybe not, its random but I've captured about 6-8 ships that way so far in my first game).

Hope that helps.