Range finding Question (Or how do i increase the range on my Beam firing control

[iceball3]

Turrets pay a mass premium, but weapons tracking speed can be increased past its normal limits by using turrets.   So when you make a turret that is the same speed as your basic tracking technology (10,000 kms), you're paying extra tonnage for no benefit at all.

Well, there is a minor benefit in that using armored turrets to protect your beam weapons, but the tonnage premium is still very significant to not use them for increased speeds.

[AL]

I believe you can set the turret tracking speed to 0km/s, so then you wont incur any mass premium for tracking gears while your ship/base tech level speed is used instead. Any increase in mass compared to a non-turreted design would then be from armouring (if applicable).

[Catman115 (OP)]

So turrets add tons of weight to allow for better small craft/Missile killing tracking gotcha.
So after designing the engines and weapons and Beam Firing Control, i have added on these components to the design and i hesitantly call this finished.

Okhotsk class Scout Frigate    4 450 tons     136 Crew     1655.5 BP      TCS 89  TH 144  EM 0
1617 km/s    JR 3-50     Armour 9-24     Shields 0-0     Sensors 1/1/0/0     Damage Control Rating 3     PPV 18
Maint Life 4.7 Years     MSP 698    AFR 52%    IFR 0.7%    1YR 52    5YR 776    Max Repair 576 MSP
Intended Deployment Time: 15 months    Spare Berths 1   

State Engineering Commune 4500 Tons Military Jump Drive     Max Ship Size 4500 tons    Distance 50k km     Squadron Size 3
State Engineering Commune Light Vessel Ion Drive (1)    Power 144    Fuel Use 42.59%    Signature 144    Exp 12%
Fuel Capacity 250 000 Litres    Range 23.7 billion km   (169 days at full power)

State Engineering Commune 30cm C8 Soft X-ray Laser (2)    Range 384 000km     TS: 10000 km/s     Power 24-8     RM 6    ROF 15        24 24 24 24 24 24 20 18 16 14
State Engineering Commune CIWS-200 (2x8)    Range 1000 km     TS: 20000 km/s     ROF 5       Base 50% To Hit
State Engineering Commune Beam Fire Control (1)    Max Range: 384 000 km   TS: 10000 km/s     97 95 92 90 87 84 82 79 77 74
State Engineering Commune Light Vessel Stellarator Fusion Reactor (1)     Total Power Output 24    Armour 0    Exp 5%

This design is classed as a Military Vessel for maintenance purposes

The purpose of this class is to be an armed jump capable scout as well as provide PPV early on. I want them to operate in groups of two or three.

[iceball3]

So turrets add tons of weight to allow for better small craft/Missile killing tracking gotcha.
So after designing the engines and weapons and Beam Firing Control, i have added on these components to the design and i hesitantly call this finished.

Okhotsk class Scout Frigate    4 450 tons     136 Crew     1655.5 BP      TCS 89  TH 144  EM 0
1617 km/s    JR 3-50     Armour 9-24     Shields 0-0     Sensors 1/1/0/0     Damage Control Rating 3     PPV 18
Maint Life 4.7 Years     MSP 698    AFR 52%    IFR 0.7%    1YR 52    5YR 776    Max Repair 576 MSP
Intended Deployment Time: 15 months    Spare Berths 1   

State Engineering Commune 4500 Tons Military Jump Drive     Max Ship Size 4500 tons    Distance 50k km     Squadron Size 3
State Engineering Commune Light Vessel Ion Drive (1)    Power 144    Fuel Use 42.59%    Signature 144    Exp 12%
Fuel Capacity 250 000 Litres    Range 23.7 billion km   (169 days at full power)

State Engineering Commune 30cm C8 Soft X-ray Laser (2)    Range 384 000km     TS: 10000 km/s     Power 24-8     RM 6    ROF 15        24 24 24 24 24 24 20 18 16 14
State Engineering Commune CIWS-200 (2x8)    Range 1000 km     TS: 20000 km/s     ROF 5       Base 50% To Hit
State Engineering Commune Beam Fire Control (1)    Max Range: 384 000 km   TS: 10000 km/s     97 95 92 90 87 84 82 79 77 74
State Engineering Commune Light Vessel Stellarator Fusion Reactor (1)     Total Power Output 24    Armour 0    Exp 5%

This design is classed as a Military Vessel for maintenance purposes

The purpose of this class is to be an armed jump capable scout as well as provide PPV early on. I want them to operate in groups of two or three.

provide PPV early on

Seems like this point is moot, mainly because you're using late-end game technology. Unless you are planning to start the game with late-end game technology, which I can't understand why you would.

On the ship overall, this seems to be rather specifically usable for blockading a gate with significant firepower, as the low speed means that you can't force engagements with it in any other situation, most military-speed task groups will outpace it and be able to chose whether they want to fight it or not.
Could also be useful for orbital defenses.

I'm still wondering why you have soft x-ray lasers at ion tech. Lopsided research, perhaps?

[Catman115 (OP)]

low speed

...frakk. So how i improve the speed?

[iceball3]

...frakk. So how i improve the speed?

I'm still wondering why you have soft x-ray lasers at ion [engine level] tech. Lopsided research, perhaps?

[Catman115 (OP)]

Quote

Ok then since im at late game tech (still dont have a clear understanding of what that is and where early game ends and mid game begins, What are the general tech benchmarks i should be doing things like fleet building and conquesting at vs exploring and exploiting?

[iceball3]

Ok then since im at late game tech (still dont have a clear understanding of what that is and where early game ends and mid game begins, What are the general tech benchmarks i should be doing things like fleet building and conquesting at vs exploring and exploiting?

Think about it this way, the engine tech you're using? That's the default technology for a starting Trans-Newtonian race. That is starting tech, essentially. It hasn't been advanced at all. Ion tech, that is.

The best way to find out what technologies are appropriate for your tech level is to start from the beginning, and do the ingame research distributed to advance your technologies while also making sure you take the time to advance engine tech.

[Catman115 (OP)]

Think about it this way, the engine tech you're using? That's the default technology for a starting Trans-Newtonian race. That is starting tech, essentially. It hasn't been advanced at all. Ion tech, that is.

Ions are starting tech huh, well i guess that's what i get for playing conventional start only.
Look i will be perfectly blunt i have little to no real experience with the 4x genre outside of MAYBE a few hours civ 4. I do get the tech levels are a thing throughout strategy games no matter if its RTS, Grand Strategy, 4x, or whatever other iterations exist out there. In this game can i assume that the Engine tech level is when you start upgrading to other things or what?

[iceball3]

Ions are starting tech huh, well i guess that's what i get for playing conventional start only.
Look i will be perfectly blunt i have little to no real experience with the 4x genre outside of MAYBE a few hours civ 4. I do get the tech levels are a thing throughout strategy games no matter if its RTS, Grand Strategy, 4x, or whatever other iterations exist out there. In this game can i assume that the Engine tech level is when you start upgrading to other things or what?

Engine tech level is basically the type of technology you are using for your engines, which significantly increases the base engine-power per HS of the engine designed without loss of efficiency. It is researched under Power and Propulsion, and requires a certain level of reactor technology to be researched at each level before the engine technology is accessible by research.
http://aurorawiki.pentarch.org/index.php?title=Engine
Ion tech is only the fourth level tech, and what trans Newtonian empires usually start with.

[TheDeadlyShoe]

add more engines to increase the speed.

It's possible  you can fit more engines by reducing the armor significantly, although i dont know what armor tech you have.  9 isnt much for Soft-Xray tech level armor, but its a huge amount of tonnage if its Composite.  Honestly, a ship like this shouldn't rely on taking hits.

Similarly, you should dump the CIWS;  IMO it's not worth the tonnage. It's likely that anything you encounter with missiles will be able to overwhelm the CIWS anyway.

[doulos05]

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What deadly shoe is saying is this: Does this ship's mission prioritize surviving hits? If it doesn't, you can increase speed by dropping some armor and all the CIWS. That's tonnage spent outside the primary mission. Consider a WWII destroyer. They had paper thin armor because their mission didn't prioritize taking hits without sinking.

Typically, light constants don't prioritize self defense. Heavy constants do. In Ion tech, you need to hit at least 4,000kmh. Preferably, 5000-6000 since you've got a high multiplier engine. Strip out armor and CIWS and replace them with engines until you get that speed.

[Catman115 (OP)]

Well then if that is the case would this be a better design?

Okhotsk class Scout Frigate    4 400 tons     160 Crew     1688 BP      TCS 88  TH 432  EM 0
4909 km/s    JR 3-50     Armour 1-23     Shields 0-0     Sensors 14/14/0/0     Damage Control Rating 3     PPV 18
Maint Life 4.71 Years     MSP 719    AFR 51%    IFR 0.7%    1YR 53    5YR 797    Max Repair 576 MSP
Intended Deployment Time: 15 months    Spare Berths 2   

State Engineering Commune 4500 Tons Military Jump Drive     Max Ship Size 4500 tons    Distance 50k km     Squadron Size 3
State Engineering Commune Light Vessel Ion Drive (3)    Power 144    Fuel Use 42.59%    Signature 144    Exp 12%
Fuel Capacity 250 000 Litres    Range 24.0 billion km   (56 days at full power)

State Engineering Commune 30cm C8 Soft X-ray Laser (2)    Range 384 000km     TS: 10000 km/s     Power 24-8     RM 6    ROF 15        24 24 24 24 24 24 20 18 16 14
State Engineering Commune Beam Fire Control (1)    Max Range: 384 000 km   TS: 10000 km/s     97 95 92 90 87 84 82 79 77 74
State Engineering Commune Light Vessel Stellarator Fusion Reactor (1)     Total Power Output 24    Armour 0    Exp 5%

State Engineering Commune Basic Ship Sensor Suite (1)     GPS 3600     Range 50.4m km    Resolution 100
State Engineering Commune Thermal Sensor Suite (1)     Sensitivity 14     Detect Sig Strength 1000:  14m km
State Engineering Commune EM Detection Sensor Suite (1)     Sensitivity 14     Detect Sig Strength 1000:  14m km

ECCM-5 (1)         This design is classed as a Military Vessel for maintenance purposes

[doulos05]

Well then if that is the case would this be a better design?

Okhotsk class Scout Frigate    4 400 tons     160 Crew     1688 BP      TCS 88  TH 432  EM 0
4909 km/s    JR 3-50     Armour 1-23     Shields 0-0     Sensors 14/14/0/0     Damage Control Rating 3     PPV 18
Maint Life 4.71 Years     MSP 719    AFR 51%    IFR 0.7%    1YR 53    5YR 797    Max Repair 576 MSP
Intended Deployment Time: 15 months    Spare Berths 2   

State Engineering Commune 4500 Tons Military Jump Drive     Max Ship Size 4500 tons    Distance 50k km     Squadron Size 3
State Engineering Commune Light Vessel Ion Drive (3)    Power 144    Fuel Use 42.59%    Signature 144    Exp 12%
Fuel Capacity 250 000 Litres    Range 24.0 billion km   (56 days at full power)

State Engineering Commune 30cm C8 Soft X-ray Laser (2)    Range 384 000km     TS: 10000 km/s     Power 24-8     RM 6    ROF 15        24 24 24 24 24 24 20 18 16 14
State Engineering Commune Beam Fire Control (1)    Max Range: 384 000 km   TS: 10000 km/s     97 95 92 90 87 84 82 79 77 74
State Engineering Commune Light Vessel Stellarator Fusion Reactor (1)     Total Power Output 24    Armour 0    Exp 5%

State Engineering Commune Basic Ship Sensor Suite (1)     GPS 3600     Range 50.4m km    Resolution 100
State Engineering Commune Thermal Sensor Suite (1)     Sensitivity 14     Detect Sig Strength 1000:  14m km
State Engineering Commune EM Detection Sensor Suite (1)     Sensitivity 14     Detect Sig Strength 1000:  14m km

ECCM-5 (1)         This design is classed as a Military Vessel for maintenance purposes

I would use something like this, yes. I'm sure others will propose tweaks, but you've got it in the ballpark of an efficient light combatant.

[Catman115 (OP)]

I would use something like this, yes. I'm sure others will propose tweaks, but you've got it in the ballpark of an efficient light combatant.

Ok then task one complete. However i have had to restart once again due to encountering the Progenitors in the first system off of Sol and the game proceeding to lag me right out of it. (ie i had a 0% chance to hit the Progenitor ship that was in my path but after it blew up my entire survey fleet it proceeded to park itself off of my Battlegroup and not attack them. So i was stuck in a loop of, you can hit this but we are going to slow time down due to a potential fleet interception to 20 sec, for an ingame month before i said screw it and restarted)

Will take the lessons i learned onto the next game however.