Star Bases discussion

[Alfapiomega (OP)]

In my let's play I am currently considering large scale projects of several Starbases.

I would like to ask you guys to share and discuss how you/if you use them.

Do I get it correctly that any vessel with Orbital habitat module stationed over a moon/planet will never require shore leave? Also would it work if I say put enough maintenance facilities on the group below the Star Base with a few orbital habitats? Would they provide enough maintenance so that the SB is set?

Few things that I am considering:
a) Refueling post - SB over a remote moon where the ship can dock and have repairs carried out together with refueling. Will be thus equipped with orbital habitats, giant fuel tanks (I will probably have a sorium harvester in the system), large dock so repairs can be carried out. Alternatively could have harvesting equipment and be placed over Gas Giant. But would orbital module consider this a planet?
b) military installation - guns, guns, guns on JP
c) mining SB - a lot of orbital habitats over inhabitable moon/planet

Any other ideas? Also post your Starbases!

[SteelChicken]

I don't do much with starbases.  Way too much resource investment and micromanagement for little benefit.   I dont bother with towing anything except the occasional shipyard.  All my fuel harvesters have engines to get around (slowly) and if I want a forward base somewhere, I just setup a colony with infrastructure.  WAY cheaper in time and resources.

For jump point protection I just build slower ships with a long on-station time.

[Jorgen_CAB]

Your best bet would be a station with a recreation module that serve as a means for resting your crews, you then add some maintenance modules to it to serve whatever ships you need docking there for maintenance. The recreation module is 100.000t and each maintenance module is 5000t and service 200t of regular ship. So a station that is 360.000t would be able to service about 10.000t of ship.

You will have to station it at a planet, moon or asteroid to use it though so you can then ship fuel, minerals and supplies to that body and role-play that it is actually on the station.

Although, you probably would need a large empire to find them useful or in case you want to build up a forward base quickly someplace.

Here is an example base...

Code: [Select]

Nova class Maintenance Base    358,350 tons     3590 Crew     13665 BP      TCS 7167  TH 0  EM 0
1 km/s     Armour 1-449     Shields 0-0     Sensors 1/1/0/0     Damage Control Rating 17     PPV 0
MSP 405    Max Repair 200 MSP
Intended Deployment Time: 3 months    Spare Berths 1   
Recreational Facilities
Maintenance Modules: 50 module(s) capable of supporting ships of 10000 tons


This design is classed as a Commercial Vessel for maintenance purposes
It is not cheap but also not that expensive for how mobile and useful it actually can be. Just building the maintenance facilities in a planet would cost you 7500 BP so its just twice as expensive and that is not counting everything else you will need to do with a real colony.

[alex_brunius]

Your best bet would be a station with a recreation module that serve as a means for resting your crews, you then add some maintenance modules to it to serve whatever ships you need docking there for maintenance. The recreation module is 100.000t and each maintenance module is 5000t and service 200t of regular ship. So a station that is 360.000t would be able to service about 10.000t of ship.

You will have to station it at a planet, moon or asteroid to use it though so you can then ship fuel, minerals and supplies to that body and role-play that it is actually on the station.

Wouldn't Cargo holds, Fuel & maintenance storage take up small amounts of space compared to a 360'000t space station? You probably want a massive amount of engineering space anyways to get 10+ years maintenance life so that part you get almost for free!

Should at least work for maintenance and fuel supplies. I'm not so sure if maintenance modules can use minerals from a ship cargo hold instead of the colony.

[Jorgen_CAB]

Supply bays will make it into a military ship and you will need minerals on the planet anyway for it to function. It will also reduce micromanagement to dump the fuel on the planet it is parked over.

But, sure, fuel tanks and cargo holds can be added if you like, it would not make much of a difference I guess.

[MarcAFK]

I believe for maintenance to function it needs to happen at a colony, you can't make a colony at a gas giant, but there's always moons close by.