Questions Not Worth Their Own Thread: C# Edition

[db48x]

One item I would like confirmed is that while adding more Xeno teams will speed that process, adding Geo teams does NOT speed that process.

This is incorrect. Every planet has a fixed number of points that you need in order to survey it, either from ground or from space. I think this is just based on size, but I'd have to look that up. When you survey from space, the survey fleet generates a certain number of survey points per hour, based on how many geosurvey modules are present. The time the task takes is then the total divided by the rate; easy to figure out.

Ground surveys work exactly the same way, except that they are slower. Still, because this is a linear equation, doubling the number of geosurvey units will double the speed of the survey and halve the time it will take. But you don't get any ongoing feedback like you do with ships, which is confusing and should be changed.

2) On some sites, the Xeno team will discover 'buried' ancient installations (that look and operate exactly like yours) that will require Construction Teams to uncover and make usable which you can then ship off site or use there if that works for your situation. The game will tell you when this happens. Const Teams are like Xeno, in that more = faster.  Some sites do not require Const after Xeno finishes their work. (Reasarch Bonus sites for example)

Yes, construction units recovering facilities are also probability-based like xenoarchaeology units decyphering the ruins. However, the probabilities are much higher, so a single 10kt construction unit will usually recover a facility once every construction cycle. I forget what the exact formula is, and I couldn't find it when I looked just now. Does anyone else know?

[vorpal+5]

So what is the ruin called when you need XEN and when you need CON?

Careful about unit GEO, if you compare them to how GEO survey points from fleets work that would mean that 2 fleets are not adding their points and would work in parallel (and in redundancy). That would imply that you need to group ALL your GEO in a single formation so they work together.

[Froggiest1982]

So what is the ruin called when you need XEN and when you need CON?

The ruin needs Xen when the following is on the given population under the colony management screen







Once Xen completed or in case the owning race was known before, the amount of installation and their owner will be displayed. Obviously, if the race was known you will not need to send the XEN units to translate the language.







Usually, you get also a text.







So when you can see the number of installation available you can send Construction units to uncover what that actual installation is. Could even be a warehouse with some minerals in it or fuel not necessarily you looking at ground equipment. There is no difference in names, you will always see the below until ruins are exploited and the ruin text will disappear.

[vorpal+5]

Thanks a bunch for the comprehensive information, should be part of the manual 


EDIT & unrelated. What is the use of the picket order?

[xenoscepter (OP)]

 - Yeah, what is the picket order for?

[StarshipCactus]

I too would like to know what the picket order is for.

[Droll]

The machinations of the picket order are indeed an enigma

[vorpal+5]

a left over of VB6? Does it reduces your speed and thus heat signature? I never tried in fact!

[Froggiest1982]

What is the use of the picket order?

http://aurora2.pentarch.org/index.php?topic=5304.15

It essentially orders the ship/fleet to go to the destination and then reduce its speed to 1 km/s, which will make its thermal signature almost zero. This is useful if you want to have a ship with passive sensors spy on enemy forces.

A ship ordered to move to a location, or orbit a body, still has a thermal signature based on its speed setting, even if it isn't moving.

This was VB6 although I remember conversations on how to change this and I honestly cannot remember if it was indeed changed. I don't think so.

[TheTalkingMeowth]

What is the use of the picket order?

http://aurora2.pentarch.org/index.php?topic=5304.15

It essentially orders the ship/fleet to go to the destination and then reduce its speed to 1 km/s, which will make its thermal signature almost zero. This is useful if you want to have a ship with passive sensors spy on enemy forces.

A ship ordered to move to a location, or orbit a body, still has a thermal signature based on its speed setting, even if it isn't moving.

This was VB6 although I remember conversations on how to change this and I honestly cannot remember if it was indeed changed. I don't think so.

It was changed. Ships with no current order have signature as if they were at 1km/s

Thus, the picket order is now redundant.

[Steve Walmsley]

It was changed. Ships with no current order have signature as if they were at 1km/s

Thus, the picket order is now redundant.

Yes agreed. I'll remove it.

[Borealis4x]

So as a rule of thumb, Spinal Mounts are for smaller ships you want to get the most offensive ability out of. So my 3000 ton frigate would benefit from a 500 ton Spinal Mount but my 10,000 ton destroyer would not since it has space for multiple regular weapons of roughly the same offensive capacity.

[xenoscepter (OP)]

So as a rule of thumb, Spinal Mounts are for smaller ships you want to get the most offensive ability out of. So my 3000 ton frigate would benefit from a 500 ton Spinal Mount but my 10,000 ton destroyer would not since it has space for multiple regular weapons of roughly the same offensive capacity.

 - Yes and no. Spinal weapons allow you to make lasers of a calibre that is higher than the maximum calibre you can design. This allows Spinal lasers to have better range, and thus you may find a use for them even on bigger ships, especially when you've researched the larger ones... They're a great candidate for Reduced Size Modification as well.

[Jorgen_CAB]

So as a rule of thumb, Spinal Mounts are for smaller ships you want to get the most offensive ability out of. So my 3000 ton frigate would benefit from a 500 ton Spinal Mount but my 10,000 ton destroyer would not since it has space for multiple regular weapons of roughly the same offensive capacity.

I would say that you really want large heavy lasers on larger ships too as they are really effective. I made some tests a while ago on how effective they can be. Even if a larger weapon do less damage per time until the fact that they do more burst damage is quite significant, especially in combination with higher DPS weapons.

I made some tests such as a ship with 6 15cm lasers one with 3 30cm lasers and then one with 4 15cm and one 30cm laser. The 15cm laser had much better DPS but the result clearly showed that the ships with a mixed weapon battery was better and the one with only 30cm lasers was the worst in this test.

DPS is good but if all it does is sand papering enemy armour you have a problem versus more powerful weapons. High DPS is very effective against shields though... but on armour then high burst damage weapons have an advantage in both shock and penetration damage to score internal hits.

[Borealis4x]

For larger ships don't you want to invest in Particle Lances that you can attach multiple of?

Unrelated, but how do you add Ancient Structures via the SM? Do you have to colonize a planet first?