Author Topic: Power boost research  (Read 2642 times)

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Offline Michael Sandy (OP)

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Power boost research
« on: October 27, 2006, 01:49:58 PM »
I was just looking at the Power Boost tree.  It seems like a fairly cheap way to increase support ship speed.

Going from ion engines to magneto-plasma costs 32000 research.
Going from 0% boost to 20% boost cost 2,000 + 4,000 +6,000 + 10,000 or 22,000 for a 20% boost in power.

Combined, that goes from 60 power per engine to 96.  That is a 60% increase in speed or about a 50% increase in cargo and colonists transported per build point.

For boosting support ship efficiency, boosting armor tech, engine tech, and power boost tech is the way to go.

Boosting shipyard speed also helps, because each ship will spend less time being overhauled.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 06:00:00 PM by Michael Sandy »
 

Offline Erik L

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« Reply #1 on: October 27, 2006, 02:19:44 PM »
What about the explosion chance? For 32k RP it's 0. What is it for the 20% boost?
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 06:00:00 PM by Erik Luken »
 

Offline Michael Sandy (OP)

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« Reply #2 on: October 27, 2006, 03:39:14 PM »
20% boom if the engine is hit for 20% boost.
25% boom if the engine is hit for 25% boost. (15,000 RP)

Even for military ships, this is worth considering for ships with either heavy shields or long ranged weaponry like missiles or fighters.

The thing is, it acts as a multiplier on engines, so getting both increased engine tech and power boost is very powerful.

Certainly, when attempting to increase engine speed beyond magneto-plasma it makes sense to get up to Power Boost 20%, and even higher.

I estimate that for every two or three points of research into improving engines, one point should go into improving Power Boost.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 06:00:00 PM by Michael Sandy »
 

Offline Michael Sandy (OP)

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« Reply #3 on: October 27, 2006, 03:40:16 PM »
Actually, base engine boom chance is 5%, not 0%.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 06:00:00 PM by Michael Sandy »
 

Offline Erik L

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« Reply #4 on: October 27, 2006, 03:42:27 PM »
Quote from: "Michael Sandy"
Actually, base engine boom chance is 5%, not 0%.


Yeah... I noticed that too... Oops..

But that is still a 400-500% increase over the base chance. For stand off designs that are meant to flee when opponents get close, I can see using it. For ships in the knife-fight range, I'd want to limit things that go boom on my ship.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 06:00:00 PM by Erik Luken »
 

Offline Michael Sandy (OP)

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« Reply #5 on: October 27, 2006, 03:56:25 PM »
Inertial Confinement engines appear to be size 10 engines that generate 200 power.  So the sequence for engines goes:
Ion Engine 120 power for 10 HS
Magneto-Plasma 160 power for 10 HS
But the % increase for boost works properly.

At 64,000 for the Tokamak Reactor + IC Drive, 22,000 for 20%, 37,000 for 25% and 52,000 total for 30%, you can get a huge amount of power from one engine.  So much so that armored power boost engines may actually make sense.

They stay size 10 for a while.  At that size it cost 2 HS for an armor layer.  Armored, power boost engines probably don't make sense until the engines are size 20 or so.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 06:00:00 PM by Michael Sandy »
 

Offline Michael Sandy (OP)

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« Reply #6 on: October 27, 2006, 04:03:39 PM »
I figure that the Build Point cost of support ships:  Jump Cruisers, Scouts, Freighters, Colony Ships, grav survey and planetary survey and troop transports will far exceed the cost of warships.

And for all those support ships, every boost in engine efficiency is a boost in their economic efficiency.

Where each engine tech increases power by an average of about 25%, each Power Boost increase boosts it by 5%.  That forms a basis for figuring out how much to spend on engine tech vs boost tech.  Although power boost tech increases in cost by about 50% each level, and engine tech costs double each generation.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 06:00:00 PM by Michael Sandy »