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Offline doofusstomper (OP)

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Couple of questions from complete beginner
« on: March 04, 2018, 01:54:56 PM »
Hello.     
First, let me apologize for asking questions which are already answered.     I did search the forums for some of my questions using advanced search and found satisfying answers.     For others i was not so lucky or would like to make sure the answers are up to date (7.   1).     I note that while advanced search helps, the search sometimes is hit and miss since same things can be expressed and phrased differently, so not knowing correct terminology or phrase can generate a miss.   

Game questions:
1.     How do you do fleet training at anchor? (stationary)
2.     How likely is a closed warp point? How often did it happen to you? Especially NPR appearing in your system? - known stars.   
3.     When do civilian lines update their designs? Does it take just new engine, new engine with new tech or just time? I'm playing conventional start and its an eyesore to see those big (mostly useless) colony ships designed before invention of cargo handling systems unloading for twenty days.     And those freighters!!!
4.     Are shipping lines with more freighter sounding names more likely to build cargo ships? Seems so to me, but I have too small sample so far.   
5.     Is there saturation for subsidizing? This one line got load of money from me an it seems to have upped its dividends considerably.     If they are just going to just eat my money above certain amount I will subsidize the others even if I get colony ships half the time.   
6.     Do colonies with infrastructure outgrow their capacity and then die of, rinse, refresh, repeat or can even a single ship overload colony capacity? I know of multiple ships doing it, not making checks.     Does it happen that single -slow- colonizer overfills colony cap because the pop grew while he was underway? Or are the citizens of my mighty British Empire too proper to use contraceptives while f*cking like rabbits in the cold and lonely space colonies (or hot and lonely)? Mighty meaning the only, being the uninteresting targets of the last world war, yet having enough organization and infrastructure to survive what came after more or less intact and having annexed what remained of the world more or less willingly.   
7.     Jump point defense.     What is practical against higher level opponent? What should i develop first? Missiles or beams? If beams then i guess on fast cockleshells.     Caronades for short range throw weight? If missiles then the same or are heavily armored slow forts with longer ranges practical? Do that kind of ships stand a chance after jump shock wears of? Mines.     Are minefields good option / addition? Did it  happen that they blasted explorers of relatively peaceful NPR making them hostile?
8.     Which beam weapons are mostly good for conventional start beginner?
9.     Is there a way to export all system information? Not just major bodies?
10.     Now this one is most likely futile.     Any way to make team survey less a hassle? Taxiing them around lost lots of its appeal.     Is the disband reform exploit any improvement on that?
11.     What is the shelf life of my officers/admins/scientists? At what age do those accident prone bastards retire? (How i would like to cryo freeze them for later use.     We have the technology!! What do you mean no volunteers !?)

Forum questions:
1.    If I have suggestions, should i just suggest away in C# suggestions topic or make sure i don't suggest already suggested? I mean, checking the changes article is a given, but how do i show interest in something already suggested? By thanking that post or by double suggesting?
I used to use this forum unregistered.    From time to time it asks you a question before allowing you to search, to make sure you are not a robot.    Question like "Color of sky" or "Fourth planet".    Good idea.    BUT.   
2.    "What number am I thinking of?" What the hell is that kind of question? Does it want a concrete answer or is it something general?  Like "question" or "sentence".    Or metaphorical? It is not 42.    I may have gotten it right once and forgotten it the next day.    Is the answer obvious to someone from English speaking country or from north am? Or is it just a dastardly ploy to make people register or go away with a heart attack?
« Last Edit: March 04, 2018, 05:47:16 PM by doofusstomper »
 

Offline Graham

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Re: Couple of questions from complete beginner
« Reply #1 on: March 04, 2018, 07:16:23 PM »
1. I do not believe this is possible. Task force training will always cause the ships to move around in order to perform maneuvers. The cost of this in maintenance clock and fuel is the price of training.
2. In terms of game mechanics a "Closed JP" does not actually exist. Rather every time a new JP is explored a new system is created at the other end. However there is a small chance (I believe it is 5%) that it will instead select an existing system.
3. I am fairly certain it relates only to engine tech.
4 - 5. I'm honestly not sure.
6. Colonies which reach maximum capacity simply stop growing. I have seen colony ships offload where there is no room before, but I don't remember exactly why.
7. Pretty much what you said. But it is important to remember that enemies using squadron jump may appear fairly far from the JP, so beams should still be put of fast ships. Plasma is generally considered terrible still, though some people use it for JP defence because it is cheap. Mines are a viable option though a little complex to set up. Mines will only fire at empires marked as "Hostile" in diplomacy. So they can cause an issue in first contact, but if that is a real issue just put a sensor buoy on the other side of the JP.
8. Lasers are very general purpose since they can be turreted and put in spinals, though from a conventional start a fleet of fairly fast ships with massed rail guns can be used both for anti ship and point defence. Some people swear by mesons for everything but generally lasers and rails are the most common beams used.
9. Not sure
10. No, I basically don't survey because of this. It is being changed in C#.
11. There is an age (somewhere in the 50s I think) after which they will make a roll each construction cycle to see if they retire. This is modified by health and maybe some other thing, I have never actually seen the full mechanics laid out this is just what seems to happen.
 
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Offline Erik L

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Re: Couple of questions from complete beginner
« Reply #2 on: March 04, 2018, 08:36:30 PM »

2.    "What number am I thinking of?" What the hell is that kind of question? Does it want a concrete answer or is it something general?  Like "question" or "sentence".    Or metaphorical? It is not 42.    I may have gotten it right once and forgotten it the next day.    Is the answer obvious to someone from English speaking country or from north am? Or is it just a dastardly ploy to make people register or go away with a heart attack?

Since you have an account, you don't need to worry about the question again. I believe that it is just on account registration. I will check this.

Offline Gabethebaldandbold

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Re: Couple of questions from complete beginner
« Reply #3 on: March 04, 2018, 09:27:49 PM »
Scientists usually retire at around 70. But they often die sooner than that.
for jump point defense, well it depends a lot on what technological fields your civilization is faring better in terms of scientists... but mid-range size-6 missile alpha-strike are very popular, along with meson canons and lasers. but you see, if you go for beams, you are likely to need good engines to chase your enemies down, and they get pretty fast when they are of higher tech levels. (but they may try to ram you if they are using beams of their own). If you are unsure if your designs are any good try and take a look at the bureau of ship design, you will often find some low-tech ships that can be quite effective, often against high tech Spoiler races. my tip is: within the things you like, find one that works, and then, specialize heavily on it. If you are going for alpha strike, put 40 missile launchers on your 10 kton whatever, If you are going for lasers, grab a lot of them and make the ship carrying them as fast as your engine tech makes viable. as you progress through the game, the new designs will almost appear on their own.
To beam, or not to beam.   That is the question
the answer is you beam. and you better beam hard.
 
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Offline El Pip

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Re: Couple of questions from complete beginner
« Reply #4 on: March 05, 2018, 01:02:02 AM »
Game questions:
1.     How do you do fleet training at anchor? (stationary)
Include a stationary base into the fleet, has the benefit of training up your orbital defence bases as well. Or if you are using fighters include a big orbital base full of hanger decks in your training fleet and get your fighters trained up before deploying them.
 
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Offline doofusstomper (OP)

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Re: Couple of questions from complete beginner
« Reply #5 on: March 05, 2018, 04:55:46 AM »
Quote from: Erik Luken link=topic=9850. msg107001#msg107001 date=1520217390
Since you have an account, you don't need to worry about the question again.  I believe that it is just on account registration.  I will check this.

It didn't happen on account registration.  It happens sometimes when using search while unregistered.  Older version of now widely used captcha.  I have the habit of not registering to forums unless i want to ask or have some contribution.
 

Offline doofusstomper (OP)

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Re: Couple of questions from complete beginner
« Reply #6 on: March 05, 2018, 05:30:46 AM »
Alpha-strike meaning heavy throw weight with slow reload (or no reload in case of box launchers)? With goal of the first strike being overpowering and the only one needed?

Also did you know its possible to launch a PDC into space? I have a couple of Shed class barns containing one hangar and warm seat for an officer.  Since it is so small it is offered for manufacture as fighter.  During learning how to work with squadrons I managed to assign it to fighter and then unassign said fighter from the same squadron and not notice it.  And it got left behind the planet.  Is it possible to do with PDCs of bigger size than fighter? Would you be capable of towing them? Being built with industry and having five times the armor they might come handy for JP defense.  Or would it bee too much of an exploit?

Also, does jump blindness affect ammunition as well as ship? If not, my thinking is ship deploying mines just after jump and those using their onboard seekers.  But they would all go after the biggest contact, wouldn't they?

Quote
Mines will only fire at empires marked as "Hostile" in diplomacy.  So they can cause an issue in first contact, but if that is a real issue just put a sensor buoy on the other side of the JP.
Do mines with active sensors have the same behavior as those with passive? I remember reading somewhere of passive mines opening up on neutrals? Also how NPRs respect your space? Does putting sensor buoy on the other side of JP make it marked for non-hostile NPRs?
 

Offline Graham

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Re: Couple of questions from complete beginner
« Reply #7 on: March 05, 2018, 07:14:46 AM »
Also did you know its possible to launch a PDC into space? I have a couple of Shed class barns containing one hangar and warm seat for an officer.  Since it is so small it is offered for manufacture as fighter.  During learning how to work with squadrons I managed to assign it to fighter and then unassign said fighter from the same squadron and not notice it.  And it got left behind the planet.  Is it possible to do with PDCs of bigger size than fighter? Would you be capable of towing them? Being built with industry and having five times the armor they might come handy for JP defense.  Or would it bee too much of an exploit?


PDCs should not be able to leave the surface, If they can then it is a major bug.

Do mines with active sensors have the same behavior as those with passive? I remember reading somewhere of passive mines opening up on neutrals? Also how NPRs respect your space? Does putting sensor buoy on the other side of JP make it marked for non-hostile NPRs?

Passive sensors still recognise friend and foe.
 

Offline TMaekler

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Re: Couple of questions from complete beginner
« Reply #8 on: March 05, 2018, 07:48:13 AM »
3.     When do civilian lines update their designs?
For once when you upgrade the engine tech and they have enough money, they will upgrade their ships. And also when their ships are over a certain age and they have enough money, they will create a new ship with same engine technology (but I don't know if they upgrade other stuff).

6.     Do colonies with infrastructure outgrow their capacity and then die of, rinse, refresh, repeat or can even a single ship overload colony capacity?
The colony will overgrow their capacity and the growth will become negative. However it can happen that it overgrowth too far and they will begin unrest on your colony which you can control with ground forces until you have stocked up the infrastructure.
The colony will also create a demand for civilian infrastructure which will be shipped in from other colonies - but that kind of growth is extremely slow.
Colony ships don't check for overgrowth and just dump what they have to deliver. Can get your colony into serious trouble. The checks in the new C# Aurora will be way better. The only way to prevent is to set the colony as "balanced" so no new colonists arrive (in the 'Civilians' tab inside the 'Economics' window under 'civilian colonization status'.
« Last Edit: March 05, 2018, 08:08:25 AM by TMaekler »
 
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Offline Red Dot

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Re: Couple of questions from complete beginner
« Reply #9 on: March 05, 2018, 08:46:06 AM »
Here a few other answers from my POV.

1. Train in a different star system than your Capital.  You will still face maintenance issues and overhaul requirements but if Fuel is an issue, that will save you some fuel.
2. Very, very rare. I have never have had a NPR appear from a closed warp point in my Capital system in the 8 years I have played this game.
3. Well covered by TMaekler.
4. Since the names are randomized, there is absolutely no link between the name of a civilian company and the ships they produce.
5. I do not subsidise my civilian companies as a matter of principle. However, the way I have achieved some level of control over the production of civilian liners is by preventing the movements of population by putting all my source colonies to 'stable' on the Civilians/Ind Status' Tab of the F2 page. Over time, the civilians will start to scrap their liners and not rebuild them, but that is admittedly a very slow process.
6. Already well answered.
7. The problem with the slow/beam ship approach is that an enemy crossing a jump point cannot fire, but he can move very well thank you. A slow/beam ship will quickly lose the ability to fire at this kind of target. You need to saturate the targets quickly and to me, that best done by railguns or missiles. Experiment with both and see what works for you.
8. Good points were already provided but all I would like to add is to chose your beam weapon early and then focus your research efforts. All the beam weapons have their pros and cons, it's a matter of experimenting and getting a feel for their differing capacities.
9. I do not know the answer to this.
10. I like to micromanage so to me, this aspect of the game is fine.  In my current game, I have 9 Geo Teams surveying in 8 different star systems. ;D
11. Unemployed Navy and Ground Force officers will also be released after 6 to 7 years of inactivity. The compulsory age of retirement is usually closer to 60-65 and that happens to all of them.
 
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Offline doofusstomper (OP)

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Re: Couple of questions from complete beginner
« Reply #10 on: March 05, 2018, 01:33:50 PM »
Thank you all for your answers.

Quote from: Graham link=topic=9850. msg107008#msg107008 date=1520255686
PDCs should not be able to leave the surface, If they can then it is a major bug.
They are.  At least fighter sized ones.  By swapping them to orbiting fighter squadron (Any squadron? Didn't try that).  Size may be the key factor, since they are offered in fighter construction.

Quote from: Red Dot link=topic=9850. msg107012#msg107012 date=1520261166
1.  Train in a different star system than your Capital.
I understand that as train your fleets wherever they are.  You don't have to shuttle them to Capital for training.  Or did you actually mean training in your capital system is more fuel intensive? If so then why.

Quote from: Red Dot link=topic=9850. msg107012#msg107012 date=1520261166
10.  I like to micromanage so to me, this aspect of the game is fine. 
Well for me the novelty is wearing thin.  I'm still in Solar system surveying with four teams(lots of surplus officers, so far I'm keeping them all through zero length assignments, waste not want not) and seeing those 400+ asteroids is not making me feel well.  The potential reward is tempting.  But it ceases to be fun and starts to be work.  If i was capable to sort them by size in command menu that would be different.  Some kind of criteria sort wold be even better, say distance from fleet and min size.  Heck even sorting in System display would be great help.  Just add colonies to the bigger ones and go from there (without jumping to start every time you add a colony).  Of course if there was conditional command --pick team after finished-- and possibly --crew rest at nearest colony if deployment time > 90%--  that wold make it more practical.  You can still choose your targets but now you can queue them.  Even exporting full system  info wold be a huge help for planing.

Also what size components for military ships? I guess bigger is better for HTK with some emergency backup off lesser capability?
 

Offline TMaekler

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Re: Couple of questions from complete beginner
« Reply #11 on: March 05, 2018, 02:14:14 PM »
They are.  At least fighter sized ones.  By swapping them to orbiting fighter squadron (Any squadron? Didn't try that).  Size may be the key factor, since they are offered in fighter construction.
Hmmm, you must do something wrong here to cause that. If I create a new hull and give it type PDC none of my engines are displayed in the available components list - and all which I before switching to PDC put in the "ship" were removed.
 

Offline Gabethebaldandbold

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Re: Couple of questions from complete beginner
« Reply #12 on: March 05, 2018, 02:18:29 PM »
Never do a geological survey on asteroids that you are not already mining. It is a waste of time. I usually only do full team on the ground surveys on planets and moons. The galaxy is plenty of resources, and if it does come to it you can do some desperate research on your home sistem's asteroids.this is specially useless now that survey team quality doesn't increase the number of minerals you find but rather the time it takes for you to do so. Not worth the effort in my opinion
To beam, or not to beam.   That is the question
the answer is you beam. and you better beam hard.
 

Offline doofusstomper (OP)

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Re: Couple of questions from complete beginner
« Reply #13 on: March 05, 2018, 03:54:36 PM »
Quote from: TMaekler link=topic=9850. msg107020#msg107020 date=1520280854
Hmmm, you must do something wrong here to cause that.  If I create a new hull and give it type PDC none of my engines are displayed in the available components list - and all which I before switching to PDC put in the "ship" were removed.

Oh, a bit of misunderstanding.  Maybe I should have explained myself more.  The PDC doesn't have any engines.  It is just a boat bay, fuel tank and a few crew quarters for crew of the docked fighter wrapped in minimum armor.  I have managed to launch it to space, I did not managed to make it go somewhere after that.  When the planet moves it just gets left behind.  Siting.  Getting cold.  Lonely.  And low on beer god damn it !! If the crew manage to survive a Year Without Beer they will see mother Earth again.
 

Offline Steve Walmsley

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Re: Couple of questions from complete beginner
« Reply #14 on: March 05, 2018, 05:15:55 PM »
Oh, a bit of misunderstanding.  Maybe I should have explained myself more.  The PDC doesn't have any engines.  It is just a boat bay, fuel tank and a few crew quarters for crew of the docked fighter wrapped in minimum armor.  I have managed to launch it to space, I did not managed to make it go somewhere after that.  When the planet moves it just gets left behind.  Siting.  Getting cold.  Lonely.  And low on beer god damn it !! If the crew manage to survive a Year Without Beer they will see mother Earth again.

If it is a PDC, that definitely sounds like a bug :)  Is the Type field set to PDC on the Class window?