Beginner questions

[AndonSage (OP)]

Just started playing Aurora on Friday. Awesome game   And Steve, if you read this, playing Aurora is like recreating the Starfire books by David Weber and Steve White :mrgreen:

P.S. I had no idea about the history behind Starfire until I read your "bio" on the forum. That was really cool

[sloanjh]

Hi,

  I've moved this thread out of Mechanics and into The Academy, since that's the forum for new user/beginner questions.  Please read the "Where Should I Post?" FAQ on the FAQ board.

1. On the F2 P and P screen, Industry tab, I created some projects for Research Labs, Automated Mines, Financial Centers, Mines and Infrastructure. When I checked the Mining/Maintenance tab, there were several lines in orange, showing that my Projected Usage was greater than the Stockpile plus Production. What happens to projects in that situation? Do they automatically get put on hold until more minerals are available?

Yes, when you have a mineral shortage you'll get error events telling you that progress can't be made on the appropriate topics.

2. I want to ship Infrastructure and Automated Mines to Mars (Sorium 842k 0.6, Mercassium 226k 0.1, Boronide 139k 0.1 - looks like good source for making fuel), where I have a Colony with Terraformers in orbit. I'm building some freighters to ship my own items, but I'd also like to use Civilian Contracts if possible. My question is do I set up the contracts as a supply (as in supply Mars with these items), or demand (as in Mars demands these items)?

I think you need one of each (supply on Earth and demand on Mars).

3. Does a receiving Mass Driver (5000 ton max) on Earth need to be able to catch ALL incoming minerals at once, or just the maximum at one time? IOW, if I had 6 Mass Drivers elsewhere, all throwing 1000 tons at Earth, would I need one Mass Driver (catching 1000 tons at once at most), or two Mass Drivers (catching 6000 tons at once)?

You only need 1 mass driver to catch any amount of minerals.

4. I set up a Geology Team (Rating 95) on Earth. Do I have to tell them to do anything, or do they just do their own thing?

They just do their own thing, but you might want to consider sending them to the Moon or Mars until they're trained up to a higher level.  You are more likely to "survey out" a planet with a low quality (below ~150 IIRC) team.  There should be a thread somewhere where Steve introduces survey teams which will give you the exact numbers.

5. I want to build more of my GEV Essex geological survey ships (classed as a military vessel due to engines), so I used the Retool order on my Shipyard #2 (N) which had No Class Assigned to it. I then tried to Create Task for Shipyard #2 (Task Type: Construction, New Class: GEV Essex, Ship Name: GEV Essex 003, Task Group: Shipyard TG), but the Add Task button remains greyed out. I tried advancing time 1 day, and that didn't help. Why can't I get the Add Task button to be available?

I think you're hitting a known bug.  Look in the official 5.0 bugs thread (in Bugs) for workarounds.

Have Fun!
John

[UnLimiTeD]

Pretty much covered here.

You'll find a more detailed, though not necessarily complete, introduction on civilian shipping here:
http://aurora.pentarch.org/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=2132&start=15

[Maximillian]

1.  Dunno

2.  Supply is the source location and demand is the destination.

3.  Mass drivers can receive any amount.

4.  I believe that geo teams work on their own once set up.  Steve wrote up a description of them somewhere.

5.  Did the retooling process finish?  It can take months before the shipyard is ready to build a new class.

[AndonSage (OP)]

I've moved this thread out of Mechanics and into The Academy, since that's the forum for new user/beginner questions.  Please read the "Where Should I Post?" FAQ on the FAQ board.

Thanks

Yes, when you have a mineral shortage you'll get error events telling you that progress can't be made on the appropriate topics.

Will the projects automatically start up again when minerals become available? Or do I need to manually restart them?

They just do their own thing, but you might want to consider sending them to the Moon or Mars until they're trained up to a higher level.  You are more likely to "survey out" a planet with a low quality (below ~150 IIRC) team.  There should be a thread somewhere where Steve introduces survey teams which will give you the exact numbers.

Thanks for the pointer. I found the thread here: Geology Teams, in case anyone else is interested.

I think you're hitting a known bug.  Look in the official 5.0 bugs thread (in Bugs) for workarounds.

Yep, that was it.

You'll find a more detailed, though not necessarily complete, introduction on civilian shipping here

Thanks This was the post that helped: http://aurora.pentarch.org/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=2132&start=15#p24005, in case anyone else is interested.

[AndonSage (OP)]

I'm still trying to get a handle on what's worth mining, and what isn't. One of my geological survey ships just found 7 million Duranium and 9.5 million Corundium each at 0.1 accessibility on Venus. The type and amount of minerals is awesome, but the accessibility is terrible. Is it worth plopping down Automated Mines and a Mass Driver on Venus?

Let me know if I've figured this correctly:
Assuming new mines are created for Venus...
1 Automated Mine = 120 Duranium + 120 Corundium
Current production of 1 mine at accessibility 0.1 = 1 ton/year

So it would take 120 years (at current mining production of 10) to recoup the mineral cost of each mine? In that case, the ROI is really low. However, it might make sense to move mines there from Earth, once Earth is depleted?

Also, if I research better Mining Production, will current mines automatically use the new amount?

[sloanjh]

So it would take 120 years (at current mining production of 10) to recoup the mineral cost of each mine? In that case, the ROI is really low. However, it might make sense to move mines there from Earth, once Earth is depleted?

You're thinking the right way.  Automines cost 2x manned mines, so ROI is 50% that of manned mines.  Acessibility 0.1 has 10% the ROI of accessibilty 1.0.  Duranium tends to be the mineral that's used (at ~50% level) by almost everything, so you usually want large quantities and at least ~0.7 accessibility for it, although for habitable planets this can be lower.

Also, if I research better Mining Production, will current mines automatically use the new amount?

Yes.  Productivity techs induce instant upgrades in capabilities (think of it as a software patch for existing emplacements ).

John

[AndonSage (OP)]

Oh man, I just realized it's 5am here, although it's not because of "just one more turn" syndrome, it's "just read one more thread" syndrome  

[Steve Walmsley]

1. How do I upgrade my Deep Space Tracking Station? I know I can research up the Planetary Sensor Strength, but how do I increase the Level of the DSTS? It's currently Level 4. The process doesn't appear to be like Spaceports, where building another one increases the Level, because I read that building another DSTS only increases the strength by 25%.

That used to be the case but now every additional DSTS increases the sensor rating by the same amount, which is your planetary sensor strength.

2. Is it important to build a Civilian Spaceport on Earth? With Cargo Handlers on ships, are they really necessary?

They are very useful. The time to load cargo is divided by the number of civilian spaceports +1. So if you have no spaceports, the load time is normal. One spaceport will halve load times, two spaceports will divide it by 3, etc.. This is cumulative with the effects of cargo handling systems.

3. I'm having trouble understanding why anyone would build Financial Centres. According to the wiki (Wealth is calculated by wealth technology x population for annual "tax". Financial centres add 1 to this total/year), they only add +1 to your wealth per year. I'm currently making over 11,000 per year. Spending 240 resources (the cost of one Financial Centre) to add 1 to that total seems like a waste of resources.

Each financial centre is equivalent to one million pop, not 1 weath, so if your wealth tech is 24 wealth per year, each financial centre will add 24 wealth, plus any bonus from your planetary governor. Just think of financial centres as extra population.

4. What's required for a Courier ship? Is it Cargo bays? Troop Transport? Luxury Passenger Accomodations? Would anyone mind showing me an example build of a Courier ship please? (BTW, I'm assuming a Courier ship is what is used to transport things like Xenologist or Espionage teams to their planets. Is that correct?)

A team can travel on any ship because they don't take up much room so your team-transporting courier ship should be jump-capable and as small and fast as possible. It doesn't require any special systems. You could just transport a team on any available warship or freighters - you don't necessarily need a specialised ship.

5. Is there a list of Wealth Requirements anywhere? I'm trying to find the expenditure calculations for things like Research or Installation construction.

Wealth translates directly to build points and research points. So if you research something for 1000 RP, it will cost 1000 wealth. A ship costing 1500 BP will cost 1500 wealth, a missile costing 3.5BP will cost 3.5 wealth, etc. Mining costs nothing, as does refining fuel. You don't pay for commander bonuses though, so if you have a commander with a 20% production bonus and your construction factories produce 1200 BP per year including the bonus, it will only cost you 1000 wealth.

Steve

[AndonSage (OP)]

Thanks for the answers, Steve!

I was also wondering if you plan on doing a "Designing a Missile-armed Warship" Tutorial like you did with "Designing a Beam-armed Warship?" The Missile creation screen is hard to understand.

[randal7]

2. Is it important to build a Civilian Spaceport on Earth? With Cargo Handlers on ships, are they really necessary?

They are very useful. The time to load cargo is divided by the number of civilian spaceports +1. So if you have no spaceports, the load time is normal. One spaceport will halve load times, two spaceports will divide it by 3, etc.. This is cumulative with the effects of cargo handling systems.

Steve

I thought I read that spaceports also increase trade revenue. Did I remember wrong? Also, if they do, what is the increase?

[AndonSage (OP)]

I thought I read that spaceports also increase trade revenue. Did I remember wrong? Also, if they do, what is the increase?

Oh! Oh! I can answer that one!
Spaceports used to increase revenue, but no longer do so. Their function was changed with the reworking of the trade system and civilian shipping lines. Can't tell you which version that was, though.

[Father Tim]

You did read that, though the rules may have changed since it was written.  Spaceports increase trade in the sense that without them, there is no trade.  A colony requires 10,000,000 pop and a spaceport before civilians will start moving trade goods (which generates tax revenue for you).

[randal7]

I'm using 4.9-something, if it matters, but I'm sure my civvies have moved trade goods without a spaceport. As much as they cost, it seems pointless to build these just for faster load times. I'll check the wiki entry again.

Edit: according to the wiki, which does have some out of date info on this topic, the only function of spaceports is to speed loading/unloading. I don't have time to look right now, but I'm pretty sure I've seen a Steve post recently that said new shipping lines will only form at planets with a spaceport. This would give a reason to build them, because in-system trade is so much faster and hence more profitable if you can get it going.

[AndonSage (OP)]

A colony requires 10,000,000 pop and a spaceport before civilians will start moving trade goods (which generates tax revenue for you).

I knew they required the pop, but I haven't read anywhere about requiring a spaceport for trade goods.

...I'm pretty sure I've seen a Steve post recently that said new shipping lines will only form at planets with a spaceport.

Hmm... can we get Steve or another moderator to confirm this? He didn't mention that in his answer to me about Spaceports, previously in this thread.

Hehe, this game has so many updates (which is good), but then information gets out of date, and isn't always updated (which isn't good).