[Retsof]

In the mission Into the Maelstrom, there are 2 Elysium transports named Hauler 1 and Hauler 2. They have no purpose in the mission.

That's from the Wiki.  But if you hang around after the Collosus arrives they will move in and dock with the transports, then If I remember correctly, they will go to the Collosus.  Most of the time one of them gets splattered by asteroids though and this seems to mess up the orders for the second.

[Flipside]

I think it means that they don't serve a purpose from the players' perspective. I'm assuming they are not required to be protected etc and so are little more than decoration for the mission itself?

[Androgeos Exeunt]

I think they share the same purpose as the events that happen after you are ordered to return to base in Surrender, Belisarius!. In that mission, if you linger on for much longer and ignore Command asking you if there is something wrong with your jump drive, you can fly around and watch Iotas 1 and 2 dock with the Psamtik before the destroyer recalls its fighters and depart.

The Haulers, I think, are supposed to simulate the transferring of supplies from the convoy ships to the Colossus. In esscence, they are the ones who are doing the actual re-supply. However, a waypoint glitch in the game means that they take forever to dock with the convoy ships, and I don't think they undock after that.

If you play the mission at the highest difficulty level, both Elysiums stand a high chance of getting destroyed by asteroids.

[Snail]

I thought they dock with the miners and then dock with the Colossus.

[Androgeos Exeunt]

One of the two, definitely. I haven't flown that mission in a while, so I can't remember.

[Herra Tohtori]

Transports. They frakking deliver.

[WMCoolmon]

It's not delivery...it's Digiorno.

[Mars]

Oh god... now I want a frikkin pizza...

I've never actually seen those transports survive.

[Androgeos Exeunt]

They won't survive on Insane difficulty, but they will on Very Easy. Try playing the mission once at the lowest difficulty level.

[Jeff Vader]

Nvr dn tht mslf, but has anyone tried issuing the "Protect the damn thing, you wankers!" order to the wingmen?

[Mars]

AI is a little spotty when it comes to asteriods

[MP-Ryan]

AI is a little spotty when it comes to asteriods

A LITTLE?

Try useless =)

[Androgeos Exeunt]

A LITTLE?

Try useless =)

No wonder I find protecting the Iceni to be a nightmare...

[Jeff Vader]

A LITTLE?

Try useless =)

No wonder I find protecting the Iceni to be a nightmare...

It's not the Iceni. It's the Hinton that's a pain in the arse. You take a peek at the escort list and think "Oh, the Hinton is at 98. Coo.", you blink your eyes and "The Vasudans have destroyed the Hinton! Pilots, redouble your efforts.".

[Androgeos Exeunt]

It's not the Iceni. It's the Hinton that's a pain in the arse. You take a peek at the escort list and think "Oh, the Hinton is at 98. Coo.", you blink your eyes and "The Vasudans have destroyed the Hinton! Pilots, redouble your efforts.".

I know what you mean, sometimes, I see the Hinton at about 80%, then a few moments later, it gets destroyed without any warning.

[Mars]

I hate that mission... it's like Russian Roulette, with five chambers loaded. It's not really your skill that's put to the test, but your luck.

There have been times I've done nothing and both the Iceni and Hinton make it through
There have been times I've done everything and the Hinton goes down anyway.

And my favorite:
There have been times the Hinton makes it through the asteroids, but somehow it ends up in front of the Iceni... so when the Iceni jumps out it takes out the Hinton.

[Mobius]

Colossus: This is the GTVA Colossus. We have reached the rendezvous point. Now deploying transports. [...]

...that's more or less the message sent by the Colossus at the end of Into the Maelstrom. IMO the transports were supposed to take off from the Colossus fighterbay upon its arrival and dock with the convoy but since the procedure will take a long while the FREDder simply told the transports to follow a waypoint path...

[Snail]

Well, really it makes little difference since the player doesn't need to protect them or even be in-mission at that point.

[Mobius]

The player's missions ended with the arrival of the Colossus. It doesn't mean that the series of events surrounding the missions ended as well.

As FREDder I usually add things that go beyond the amount of time the player is supposed to spend on the battlefield. There will be transports ordered to dock with ships many minutes after the "official" end of the mission and such. IMO things shouldn't freeze when the RTB directive appears on the HUD.

[Androgeos Exeunt]

The player's missions ended with the arrival of the Colossus. It doesn't mean that the series of events surrounding the missions ended as well.

As FREDder I usually add things that go beyond the amount of time the player is supposed to spend on the battlefield. There will be transports ordered to dock with ships many minutes after the "official" end of the mission and such. IMO things shouldn't freeze when the RTB directive appears on the HUD.

You mean like "Surrender, Belisarius!"?