Box launcher reload time

[James Patten (OP)]

I built a ship with a box launcher.  It says Hanger Reload 22 minutes.  There's an "MF Reload" which is much, much higher.  What does "MF Reload" mean?  Does it mean the ship with the box launcher can have an ammo rack and load the box launcher from the interior missile storage?  It was my understanding that a box launcher could only be reloaded inside a hanger or on the ground.

[Hawkeye]

It used to be that fighers were maintained by Maintenance Facilities and those could also reload Box-Launchers (thats the MF part)
With 5.20, this was done away with. Now fighters need hangars for maintenance (I´m sure of that) and for box-launcher reloading (I´almost sure of that)

[UnLimiTeD]

Well, no one's stopping you to build a 200k ton Battlecruiser with box launchers.
Aside from yourself.

[Hawkeye]

Yeah, that should have read "Now fighters need hangers for maintenance and box-launchers can only be reloaded in hangars"

[UnLimiTeD]

The question is why.
I mean, I didn't know that till now.
What with PDCs with Box launchers?

[Beersatron]

MF means maintenance facility reload time, so say you have a 6000 ton system patrol frigate with 20 box launchers you would have to reload at a planet with 6000 ton maintenance capacity if no hanger was available.

[James Patten (OP)]

Got it.  Thanks.

[Hawkeye]

Got it.  Thanks.

Beware however. As I wrote in my first post, I´m not 100% sure on the "box launchers can only be reloaded in a hangar" rule and am not able to find the post I got the idea from. Haven´t got the time right now to test but will come back to you later.

[Hawkeye]

Ok, forget what I said above. I played around a bit and MFs are still able to reload box-launchers.

Beware, however. When you order a ship with box-launchers to load ordnance from a planet (with maintenance facilities), you will get a "Orders Completed" message in the event log as soon as the ship reaches the planet. The fleet window will show 100% ammo and the individual ship screen will show the full ammo-loadout.

If you move the ship away from the planet before the TRUE reload time is over, the ship will be WITHOUT ammo. There also is no additional message, once the loading is realy finished.

So, take care.

[James Patten (OP)]

My biggest concern was whether I could load box launchers from on-board ammo storage.  It would appear not.

[Hawkeye]

My biggest concern was whether I could load box launchers from on-board ammo storage.  It would appear not.

No you can´t.

For that reason I have started to use the 25% size launchers and put enough magazines in to reload 1 or 2 times.
Yes, my Alpha Strike will be less than half than with box-launchers, but I was still able to cram 180 size-4 launchers into a 35.000t BB with enough ammo to reload two times and heavy armor and shields.
And that way, I can reload from my magazines AND from colliers.