More questions but it is starting to make sense

[UnLimiTeD]

Should be rather easy, seeing how the smallest magazine with maximum armor will probably have more missiles^^

[Hyfrydle (OP)]

Do I need a separate magazine for each missile launcher if so how do I specify which launcher uses which magazine.

[Hawkeye]

Do I need a separate magazine for each missile launcher if so how do I specify which launcher uses which magazine.

No, any number of magazins work. All magazines capacity is added up by the program. Each launcher will draw missiles from that total, no matter which magazine the missiles are in.

[The Shadow]

If you go into SM mode, unlock this ship design, and change it to how you want it, the already built ships of the original model will be changed also. This may be cheating, depending on your perspective. IMHO, since this was an honest mistake based on ignorance of the game mechanics rather than just a bad decision on your part, it's not a cheat. That's what I told myself when it happened to me, anyway.

 I so totally did not know that.  Thanks!  The things you learn about this game...

And Hyfrydle, magazines are a separate item to be researched in the new research project pop-up.  They are pretty essential for missiles, yes - as I found out the hard way myself!

[UnLimiTeD]

Well, unless you use box launchers.

[Father Tim]

Hi, I've got a question. If I have a colony producing surplus minerals, and Earth is running a mineral deficit, do I need to manually tell my freighters to ferry the minerals,

Yes.  Either 'Load <mineral name>', 'Load all minerals', or 'Load <mineral name> when X available'.

or will civilian freighters transport minerals from surplus to deficit colonies automatically?

No.

Or do I perhaps have to tell them to do it, with a contract or something?

Yes.  On the Civilian Contracts window set your producing colonies to 'Supply X <mineral name>' and set Earth to 'Demand X <mineral name>'.  If you set supply greater than the amount currently available you may get an error, but you can certainly set the demand higher and later add more supply orders when more of whatever mineral is available.

[Hyfrydle (OP)]

Over the weekend I've been playing and trying lots of new things and the game is starting to take over my life

I still have lots of questions and the best answers I have found in the fiction section the only problem with this is for a beginner some of the stories start with multiple races and are quite complicated. Is there an AAR or fiction from a beginners viewpoint? If not I'm going to start one which I will post and as I come across problems or questions I will post and hopefully my AAR will help other beginners like me this is the way I find easiest to learn a game.

Hope to start this tonight and it will include plenty of screenshots and by the end of it I hope to have a better understanding of gameplay I will take things slow.

I will post this in this forum in a seperate thread hope that's ok.

[EarthquakeDamage]

On the Civilian Contracts window set your producing colonies to 'Supply X <mineral name>' and set Earth to 'Demand X <mineral name>'.  If you set supply greater than the amount currently available you may get an error, but you can certainly set the demand higher and later add more supply orders when more of whatever mineral is available.

Actually, that's incorrect.  While IMO we should be able to set up mineral contracts, they don't yet exist (or they're in a completely different window that I haven't seen).  You can only set up installation contracts for shipping mines, infrastructure, factories, &c around.

[Maximillian]

How about Commercial Spaceports?  Do they have to be built in place?  I don't see a way to move them with civilian freighters. Are they still needed for trade in 5.x?

Thanks,
Max

[waresky]

Should be rather easy, seeing how the smallest magazine with maximum armor will probably have more missiles^^

Better MAXIMUN magazine's armor than minimum.Everywhere.

[Hawkeye]

How about Commercial Spaceports?  Do they have to be built in place?  I don't see a way to move them with civilian freighters. Are they still needed for trade in 5.x?

Thanks,
Max

Nope, they only help in loading/unloading and yes, they have to be build in place.

Note: the loading/unloading bonus can get quite large, especially in a system with several larger colonies and lots of commercial traffic going on (i.e. if loading/unloading time is a significant percentage of total transport time), , so they can pay for themselfs (in money at least) in such a case. In a system with only a single colony, they probably aren´t worth it.

[UnLimiTeD]

I'd always build a single level on any colony over 20m, no matter where, it halves the loading time, and it really isn't that expensive.

[Maximillian]

I'd always build a single level on any colony over 20m, no matter where, it halves the loading time, and it really isn't that expensive.

Thanks!

That brings up another question.  I've settled a few planets with no minerals but haven't bothered to build them up other than with terraforming. How does everyone else handle these?  Ship some CF there with minerals or mostly let them be?

Max

[UnLimiTeD]

Why do you settle them in the first place unless the system is strategically important?

[Maximillian]

Why do you settle them in the first place unless the system is strategically important?

'cause I can't not settle Mars!  

Its just so... there.  I have it terraformed fairly well and hadn't found any other planets with a colony cost hat low. Once the survey teams get ramped up I'm going to send them in and hope for the best.

Max