0
1) NTWD
2) Enough APs to SKIM fuel, drop off cargo and colonists to a planet a few systems away and COME BACK - ALL IN ONE TURN
I'll go out on a limb and guess that nobody has the Mk III Fusion Engine that will take someone 5-8 turns to develop spending all 25 RCs on JUST Mk III's -- and not even considering the Advanced Goods needed to be researched just to BUILD it (can be bought with SRPs, though) [which is why I discount any and all claims of these existing at this stage]
Thus - my spreadsheet calculates a ship built with Mk II Fusion Engines
I have designed a spreadsheet where you enter two values:
1) Number of APs you want the mega colonizer to have
2) Number of CBs you want on it (= # of people to be colonized per turn)
and you also enter in the Warp Point path the ship will take for the colonization route.
The spreadsheet will then calculate:
a) Total Tonnage Required
Total Mk II Fusion Engines Neededc) Fuel Tankage Needed
d) Fuel Shuttles Needed*
e) Cargo Bays Needed**
*Believe me - these suckers will absorb a TREMENDOUS amount of fuel per turn if you are warping merely NEXT door in one turn with any sizeable amount of CBs - it will eat existing stockpiles FAST - yes - even if you have gargantuous fuel skim convoys already in place (example below) Thus - it makes sense to SKIM for fuel if you can!
** This is (500*CBs) as this represents how many CM/Improved CM it will take to supply 1 pop worth of materials to build a basic industry
Note: You'll need a supplemental cargo ship to transfer goods and carry the initial investment of CMs for that first power source
Example: (Cut and Paste From SpreadSheet)
===================================================
THRUST OUTPUT 2000
APs Wanted 6
CBs Wanted 500
Total Tonnage: 8,294,023
Total Mk II Fusion Engines Needed: 24,882
Fuel Tankage Needed: 132,704
Fuel Shuttle Needed: 664
Cargo Bays Needed: 250,000
Includes 1 NTWD: 25,000
Includes 1 NTWD: 25,000
PATH
A 0
B 0
C 0
D 2
E 0
F 0
G 0
=====================================================
This is a design for a ship that will carry 500 CBs that starts in the Alpha System, SKIMS for fuel, warps to the BETA system, drops off colonists and warps back home (through 2 D warp points
)The Path was calculated thusly:
[LOAD stuff]
AP1) NM to Gas Giant
AP2) SKIM
AP3) MOVE to Alpha-> Beta Warp Point
** WARP ** (costs no AP
NTWD so we keep goin 
)AP4) NM to Beta Colony
[OFFLOAD stuff]
AP5) MOVE to Beta -> Alpha Warp Point
** WARP ** (costs no AP
NTWD so we keep goin )AP6) NM to Alpha Homeworld
Note that the design is greatly dependent upon the path you are taking to the system(s) away from your homeworld. I used two D systems as an example only.
There only remain slight adjustments for rounding. If you are interested in how I came up with this or want a copy, send me an email
I'll be sure to send you stuff next week as I wont have much time before now and when turns are due to send it out -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Big question - sure I get to land 500 Colonists per turn with enough CM to keep em busy on a world at the system next door. I can tell you that the resources to construct such a monstrosity will take TURNS......so its a very interesting call if you want to accomplish such a ship. (If you can build 10,000+ Mk II Fusion Engines per turn you are cooking - presume if you are a colonizer that you have the 1000 CBs lying around anyway)
The obvious solution is to wait for the development of MK III Fusion Engines or better.....but thats a LONG way off for most of us.
Another option is to SLUG it along at 2 APs per turn (my choice for now
)Here is another example for you to chew on......not saying it EXISTS (yet) :lol:
====================================================
THRUST OUTPUT 2000
APs Wanted 10
CBs Wanted 1000
Total Tonnage: 24,139,933
Total Mk II Fusion Engines Needed: 120,700
Fuel Tankage Needed: 386,242
Fuel Shuttle Needed: 1,931
Cargo Bays Needed: 500,000
Includes 1 NTWD: 25,000
PATH
A 0
B 0
C 2
D 4
E 0
F 0
G 0
=====================================================
Here endeth this rambling treatise
