[NGTM-1R]

I know that the player can be rearmed from a non-support ship, and not docked, using various jiggery methods, particularly since it's been done. But how practical is it to try and have the AI using the same method?

[Shivan Hunter]

Shouldn't be too hard.

Decide when there's an appropriate lull in the action- give the "support" ship orders to dock with the AI- give the AI orders to play dead when it's close enough- wait a second, then rearm the AI using a SEXP- tell the "support" to undock- remove the "play dead" order. This is, of course, assuming that FRED doesn't have some insane quirk that stops some of this from working.

You could even do this with an actual support ship if you referenced it as "support #" using arguments or if you set a certain ship as the support ship

[NGTM-1R]

Whoops. I wasn't specific enough here I think.

[Shivan Hunter]

well...

You can set primary and secondary ammo for the AI using a SEXP (like I mentioned previously). Beyond that it's all smoke and mirrors to make it look like the AI is being rearmed, however you want to do that (docking or no docking).

[NGTM-1R]

Figures.  I was expecting I'd have to get jiggery with waypoints.