The Host Order looks really long and painful.  However, knowing what order the host processes your turn is something you really need to understand to avoid frustration.  There are complex tasks that the host will allow, and other things that will occur in the wrong order for them to be as useful as you might want.

I’m going to outline the host order as presented in the latest Planets.Nu server:

1. Cloaking actions are handled first.  This means that even though you could see the ship last turn, if it can cloak, it can re-cloak before you can do anything, except that Loki de-cloaking occurs immediately afterwards…
2. Most “racial missions” will happen next.  This covers most racial abilities such as Dark Sense, Rob, Hiss, etc.  Does NOT include Pillage or RGA.
3. Cargo drops and beaming, including Ground Assault, happen next.  This means that you can’t destroy a ship before it has a chance to drop what it’s carrying!
4. Laying and Scooping Minefields happen next.  Yes, you can lay and scoop a minefield in the same turn.  However, no one is going to have a chance to interact with it before it’s scooped back up, unless they are also trying to sweep the same minefield (in which case it happens in ship ID order).
5. Starbase building, cloning and repairing happens next.  This includes forcing surrenders at starbases.
6. Movement happens next.  Towing happens first, then regular movement, then intercept movement.  This means that if you’re chasing a ship, it will reach its final destination, THEN you’ll intercept it.  Thus, you will not “meet it on its way”, but rather “meet it at its final destination”.  This sucks when attempting to intercept a freighter before it reaches its starbase.  This also means that you can’t move away to avoid a tow.
7. Some special ship functions occur next.  Includes another round of Loki de-cloak, Glory Devices, and Firecloud Chunnel.
8. Non-building Starbase functions occur, as well as some ship-building functions like “mkt” (MaKe Torpedoes).  This includes loading/unloading and fighter building (Empire).  This means that if a ship is built that turn, and the Starbase set to “refuel”, the ship can fight.  However, it will NOT also have torpedoes or fighters…
9. Combat is next – ship-vs-ship, then ship-vs-planet.
10. Pillage, Rebel Ground Attack, and Terraforming next.  Note that this happens AFTER combat, so if you can’t beat any defending ships, you can’t Pillage or RGA.
11. Colonist and Native Happiness changes, plus mining and factory activities next.
12. Sensor sweeps and scans occur.
13. Messages are sent, win condition checked, scores updated.