Aurora 4x
VB6 Aurora => Aurora Suggestions => Topic started by: Thiosk on May 21, 2011, 08:50:43 PM
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As it stands now, if I want a proper Space Station, I must construct it in my shipyards and tow it to a destination. Thats fine, but I have to tow it back for periodic overhaul.
I propose designing starbases in a as akin to a pdc, and building them using industrial base in prefab sections. Once sections are put together, they sit in orbit, akin to a shipyard. The sections can then be individually towed to a waypoint or object.
The fundamental difference between a starbase and a ship is that the overhaul clock is frozen IF maintenance supplies are available. The station burns maintenance supplies as a function of tonnage. Run out of maintenance supplies, and the overhaul clock progresses at 4x the rate for ships, ie, the station falls apart. Fast.
Fail to run regular deliveries and a starbase and it can crumble.
Create research line items for number max number of prefit sections.
Advantage: Simplifies the approach of having proper stationary or orbital starbases, complete with fighter wings, without cheesing the maitenence\overhaul issue. Stations can be towed, but it will be a slow tow with the starbase inactive.
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seems to be a reasonable idea, most popular science fiction shows use star bases around planets or within solar systems some are self sufficent others work on a freighter system ( this could open up additional options for trade and cilivan shipping) acting as a refuelling point as well between distant colonies
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YES. Please. Starbases are so not worth it right now.
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Yes please. I would like to have floating missile batteries.
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for the reason of balance starbase could have a certain *control points* that would allow them to control a certain points based of defensive structures ie basic starbase could control 4 of these missile batteries, with tech upgrades neural interface AI control thingy thingys they could end up controlling more defenses ( along wiht maintence costs and ammo resupply would be required from nearby colonies)
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Or alternatively simply limit them from using more than say, 25% of their size for weapons. They could still have some serious fire controls or huge magazines, but only so much firepower.
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Sized base limits also make sense
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I don't think size limits in space makes much sense.
The simplest solution to the starbase problem is to allow the player to build a base that can be used like a colony. With no living space of course. (need to use orbital habitats if you want residents)
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science-military-industrial orbital facilities perhaps
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why cant we have a ship to do the overhauls? that way the current system would work but instead of towing it back you just send out a maintenance craft.
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The simplest solution to the starbase problem is to allow the player to build a base that can be used like a colony. With no living space of course. (need to use orbital habitats if you want residents)
This; Additionally, you need cargo holds/fuel tanks to store anything (with orbital habitats for any civilians and barracks for any military). I would give a lot to be able to use mass drivers to shoot minerals to a collection point created right next to the jump point.
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This; Additionally, you need cargo holds/fuel tanks to store anything (with orbital habitats for any civilians and barracks for any military). I would give a lot to be able to use mass drivers to shoot minerals to a collection point created right next to the jump point.
While I agree that this would be glorious, I think we havn't seen the use of large starbases specifically to prevent such things.
One gains the ability to cheese things like jump point defense.
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Well, so does the AI if it uses them effectively. It might also lead to fun scenarios where you have to mass your fleet and make a jump point assault. At the moment, I haven't ever seen the AI even linger near a jump point.
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In what way? I've seen them guard jump points... much to the chagrin of my transiting fleet...
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I've run afoul of jump point defenders myself, the AI doesn't seem to survey as much as the player does and does not station jump point defense as standard, but if they notice me and find the JP I entered the system from they generally have a fleet in place when I come back to it.
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Well for me it wouldnt make a difference if its a driveless ship or a starbase that defends the jumppoint. My killsats are anyway just a generator straped to a freaking 500k range 20dmg particle gun and maintaince storages but thats not the point here.
I like the idea of starbases, what i wonder thought is how they are assembled. All in all you have some options there. It could be (like the Op suggested) build like a Orbital hab on a planet and then moved by a tug, or own drives or it could be assembled in space like a ordinary PDC would be on a planet. Either way works for me. For the heck of it, it could be even modular thus you tow some rump into space and later add new modules to it.
Since Spacesations would need a constant influx of maintenance-supplies, and could supply other services, why not just add another form of Hab-module that does not House workers but adds space for certain kinds of facilities like factories? This way you could build Maintenance-facilities as well as Massdrivers, Factories and whatever you have and need.
The only problem you might have is an economic one. A Orbital habitat for workers costs 100 Mercasium and 50 Boronide but provides space for 50K people which isnt a bad trade in my eyes.The thing is just that you also need 50K people for just 1(in words: one) factory in other words for every factory you would need 1 Habitat, for at 100% working shipyard 22 Habitats (1.1mill people) and so on. Without a freaking huge stockpile (or continuous production of supplies) and tons of Maintenance workers/crew i guess a armed Station with just a couple of Habs would fall appart immediately - you could (, if a station would count like a planet, ) have thought armed sats and PDCs that orbit a spacestation which get serviced by its maintenance facilities ^^.
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The problem with inhabitants is that the way populations are handled would have to be recoded.
Populations are linked inextricably with bodies. The orbital hab was steve's solution to that without changing much of the coding, as I understand it.