Exceeding Deployment Time

[Jarhead0331 (OP)]

1. What causes it?
2. What are the consequences?
3. How is it corrected?

I designed a geo survey vessel to survey my local solar system (not jump capable). I set a expected deployment time of 9 months. Standing orders were to survey next 5 closest objects, return to earth for refuel at less than 50% and return to earth for resupply at less than 20%. Before I knew it, I was receiving reports that the vessel had exceeded deployment time and it was indeed over 9 months and in the red. I cancelled standing orders and returned the vessel to Earth immediately to refuel and resupply. It has completed the order and is now in orbit, but the deployment time has not reset.

Maintenance supply is good, no damage reported, and I believe crew morale is ok too, but I'll have to double check that.

Thanks.

[Vortex421]

To answer your questions as best I can (note, there are probably some people with far more extensive knowledge than me):

1.  It's caused on military ships where the ship exceeds the deployment time as set in the design.  If you look at the class design info it will say "Intended Deployment Time", followed by a number in months.  The deployment time can be changed in the class design screen.

2.  Consequences are that your crew starts losing morale.  This can cause delays in carrying out orders if, say, they were to get into combat.  You can see the details on the ship listing in the fleet screen.

3.  Bring them back to an inhabited port and have them wait there until you get a message in the log that crew shore leave is completed.  Then they can go back out again.

[YABG]

2.  Consequences are that your crew starts losing morale.  This can cause delays in carrying out orders if, say, they were to get into combat.  You can see the details on the ship listing in the fleet screen.

I believe it also affects survey rate, so a ship with 25% moral will only produce 25% of its on designed survey points.

I like to build my survey ships with 3 years + of deployment time just to reduce micro. Since we don't have a 'stay in orbit until you've completed shore leave order' yet, I often match maintenance life with deployment time and overhaul whenever the ship needs shore leave - if I've built them with years of deployment time they'll be sat there a while anyway. The downside to this I suppose is that maintenance locations are a little more important to base survey operations out of.

If this seems like too much work, one way to automate shore leave, in a roughshod kinda way, is to design a ship with less days-at-full-power than deployment time and then set the ship to overhaul when at 50% fuel. When doing this, bear in mind that survey ships might spend a significant amount of time stationary depending on the power of your sensors and skill of your officers.

Otherwise, checking the logistics tab now and then is another good way of managing deployment/maintenance/ect.

[Mr.Nap]

1. What causes it?
2. What are the consequences?
3. How is it corrected?

I designed a Geo survey vessel to survey my local solar system (not jump capable). I set a expected deployment time of 9 months. Standing orders were to survey next 5 closest objects, return to earth for refuel at less than 50% and return to earth for resupply at less than 20%. Before I knew it, I was receiving reports that the vessel had exceeded deployment time and it was indeed over 9 months and in the red. I cancelled standing orders and returned the vessel to Earth immediately to refuel and resupply. It has completed the order and is now in orbit, but the deployment time has not reset.

Maintenance supply is good, no damage reported, and I believe crew morale is OK too, but I'll have to double check that.

Thanks.

I think your deployment time is much too short, because certain distances, to reach them (for comets or asteroids)
takes over 2000 days to travel. You should also know, that the Geo ship does not start, systematically towards the planets close to the earth.
Your ship had the capacity, to hold 9 months in fuel and MSP, to continue the Geo surveys, but not your crew.
Conclusion increase deployment time.
For my part I always put 120 months (but you put what you want), the ship will do the whole solar system (Without counting the other systems in one go, maybe 9 or 10)
 no problem, with of course the necessary to do so.

[Jarhead0331 (OP)]

Thanks for the input and suggestions.

So what is deployment time intended to represent? The quantity of supplies, food, recreation facilities, etc. on the ship? Seems odd that exceeding this number only impacts morale and efficiency.

[Bughunter]

I think quality of crew quarters and to some extent probably also entertainment and general niceties.

[Zincat]

It's mostly an abstraction of how long it takes before the crew starts to suffer the long period in space.
So, mostly the crew physical and mental exhaustion, I believe.

Longer deployment time shuold be better crew quarters, amenities and entertainment in general. Maybe they have a gym onboard!

[Mr.Nap]

Thanks for the input and suggestions.

So what is deployment time intended to represent? The quantity of supplies, food, recreation facilities, etc. on the ship? Seems odd that exceeding this number only impacts morale and efficiency.

I agree. Because in real life the longer the deployment time the less happy people are.
Even after 10 years of VB6, I never found the answer. Only a person, trained in algorithms could answer you, see Steve himself.
Sorry that I can't help you.

[Geezer]

I thought you had to do an overhaul to reset the deployment clock, not just sit and wait?

[Jarhead0331 (OP)]

I thought you had to do an overhaul to reset the deployment clock, not just sit and wait?

Negative. I've been waiting in orbit and the clock resets.

[Erik L]

I thought you had to do an overhaul to reset the deployment clock, not just sit and wait?

Negative. I've been waiting in orbit and the clock resets.

Just need to be at a colony so the crew can visit Risa.

[JacenHan]

I thought you had to do an overhaul to reset the deployment clock, not just sit and wait?

You may be thinking of the maintenance clock, which does require an overhaul to reset.

[Geezer]

You may be thinking of the maintenance clock, which does require an overhaul to reset.

That must be it.  Thanks.