Ship prototyping...

[ardem]

I think there is an issue in building similar ships, 20% change effect is not really good enough, many time I have built a Cargo ship and troop ship with exactly the same engines and sensors etc. But they don't show up in the same class even if I imagine them as the same hull layout and design.

Or if i have a frigate with the same engines, magazine size and sensor size but have upgrade sensor performance and weapon performance, I cannot build this as the same class.

I think some things should be weighted in the ship design / class window.

[Jorgen_CAB (OP)]

I'm still pretty aware that there is a retooling effect in the game but it is not the same as designing a new ship type/class and all the time it will take before you can lay down that first hull. Retooling is something you must do at every naval yard every time you want to produce another ship type there.

I would also think that the prototyping/designing of the ship should be a research project and not a naval yard retooling effort. In my view you could do the research at the same time you perform the retooling. So it will not necessarily take more time but you would have to consider both time AND research. As you would in reality.

My suggestion were more of a reality sake than a game balance sake. I have seen many comment on these forums of features being included for the sake of reality, so why not consider this if it could easily be included without adding much additional micromanagement. One more research project for a single ship is not that much extra you have to do.
Sure, research will take a little longer... personally I don't see anything wrong in that in principle. I like when things take a long time.

[TheDeadlyShoe]

I responded to the thread twice 

Sorry about that.

Or if i have a frigate with the same engines, magazine size and sensor size but have upgrade sensor performance and weapon performance, I cannot build this as the same class.

It all depends on the cost differential.  There's several methods to making ships more shipyard cross-compatible.  For civilian ships, faster ships tend to be more cross-compatible because non-engine components are a smaller proportion of ship cost.  Sensor and weapon upgrades at the same time are pretty significant.

Bear in mind that shipyard retooling also scales with the difference between classes. So even if you need to retool, similarity in ship design keeps retooling costs down. 

[Person012345]

I'm not really seeing how this would benefit the game. It just seems like yet another component to research.