Automatic fueling as constructed?

[Prospective]

Hi all,

 

I'm constructing some exploration ships and wonder if there is any way to have them automatically load fuel as they are built?

 

Or, do I have to do a LC order to fill them up?

 

Thanks.

[ShadowKitsune]

There are multiple ways to have them be 'automatically' fueled. Two of the easiest are:

 

1) Have a Fleet in orbit of the world you are building the ships set on SUPP(ly). Anytime a Fleet leaves orbit (NM or MOVE), the SUPP Fleet will transfer as much FUEL as it can.

 

2) Build your ships into a pre-existing Fleet that has a standing order (XLC or LC as part of a CONV route) to keep the tanks topped off.

 

Hope that helps,

 

-SK

[Krelnett_of_Kraan]

We just have floating fuel tanks (HoneyPot class) sitting at our home system's warp points on SUPP orders. We also have Worker and Worker II class vessels constantly filling up said tanks from the gas giant.

[ali-t-akua]

Like Krelnett I have floating Orbital Fueling stations that automatically generate fuel through standing orders and supply all ships in orbit through a SUPP order. If you have an HW that can support them, this is the best way to go.

[Hughestrog]

We just have floating fuel tanks (HoneyPot class) sitting at our home system's warp points on SUPP orders.  We also have Worker and Worker II class vessels constantly filling up said tanks from the gas giant.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

OK, question: If you have Worker and Worker II ships topping off your HoneyPot which is on SUPP, then wouldn't the Honeypot 'fill-up' the Worker after it's just transferred it's fuel?

[Krelnett_of_Kraan]

OK, question:  If you have Worker and Worker II ships topping off your HoneyPot which is on SUPP, then wouldn't the Honeypot 'fill-up' the Worker after it's just transferred it's fuel?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

We thought of that as well, but the Designers (long may they fill the universe with stars) anticipated this problem and made the SUPP order so that it only triggers if a ship NMs, MOVEs, or WARPs into the vicinity of the fuel depot.

So the HoneyPot tries to fill the Worker on approach, but it refuses the transfer as it's already full. Then the Worker's convoy tells it to transfer fuel to the HoneyPot (no movement, so no SUPP) and then it goes back to the gas giant to get more.

Our only problem now is that the HoneyPots were designed at teh beginning of our space-faring days and we only designed them with 100 ktons of storage. Barely sufficient to fuel a modern exploration ship, and what happens if we build more than one in a single turn? We need to get more fuel tanks out there.

[Drasn]

OK, question:  If you have Worker and Worker II ships topping off your HoneyPot which is on SUPP, then wouldn't the Honeypot 'fill-up' the Worker after it's just transferred it's fuel?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

That's the problem I'm having at my HW, but only on arrival.

1. SUPP ship loads from the planet

2. Convoy tanker arrives with more fuel, get's topped off by the SUPP ship

3. Convoy tanker OCs the fuel to the planet

4. Convoy tanker returns from whence it came (doesn't get resupplied by the SUPP ship)

 

This leaves the SUPP ship with a fraction of it's total capacity filled with fuel. The real problem is when I build a new tanker. The SUPP ship transfers all of it's fuel to the tanker, which I have to transfer off before it can leave. Well, unless I want to leave fully laden.

 

I set this up 2 turns ago. I'm still working on a better solution. This wasn't quite what I intended. Only arriving with a full convoy tanker would solve half the problem, and I don't build that many tankers, so maybe that's not a huge issue.

[Hughestrog]

OK, question:  If you have Worker and Worker II ships topping off your HoneyPot which is on SUPP, then wouldn't the Honeypot 'fill-up' the Worker after it's just transferred it's fuel?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

That's the problem I'm having at my HW, but only on arrival.

1. SUPP ship loads from the planet

2. Convoy tanker arrives with more fuel, get's topped off by the SUPP ship

3. Convoy tanker OCs the fuel to the planet

4. Convoy tanker returns from whence it came (doesn't get resupplied by the SUPP ship)

 

This leaves the SUPP ship with a fraction of it's total capacity filled with fuel. The real problem is when I build a new tanker. The SUPP ship transfers all of it's fuel to the tanker, which I have to transfer off before it can leave. Well, unless I want to leave fully laden.

 

I set this up 2 turns ago. I'm still working on a better solution. This wasn't quite what I intended. Only arriving with a full convoy tanker would solve half the problem, and I don't build that many tankers, so maybe that's not a huge issue.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

As you only need fuel to transverse warp points- not for naval movement around the system - perhaps placing fuel ships at the warp points only?

[Hughestrog]

We thought of that as well, but the Designers (long may they fill the universe with stars) anticipated this problem and made the SUPP order so that it only triggers if a ship NMs, MOVEs, or WARPs into the vicinity of the fuel depot.

 

Indeed thank the Designers , that answers a question that I had. Thanks Krelnett!

[Drasn]

As you only need fuel to transverse warp points- not for naval movement around the system    - perhaps placing fuel ships at the warp points only?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That makes sense, and I've seen it stated else where too.

 

I got this idea from one of the other threads. Seemed like a good idea at the time. The economy of maintaining a single fueling station as opposed to 1 per WP seemed attractive. I just didn't anticipate the down side.

 

I'm taking measures to ensure my tankers are full when they move into the system. This may work for me still. Even if it does, I'd guess I'll switch to your tactic once I have a little more traffic flowing.

[ali-t-akua]

The real problem is when I build a new tanker. The SUPP ship transfers all of it's fuel to the tanker, which I have to transfer off before it can leave. Well, unless I want to leave fully laden.

 

I have my supply ships also load from the planet. When I build a new tanker, I solved the problem of depleting my fuel supply by building more Orbital tankers. I also use a standing OC order to build my fuel stock pile on the planet.

[Hughestrog]

The real problem is when I build a new tanker. The SUPP ship transfers all of it's fuel to the tanker, which I have to transfer off before it can leave. Well, unless I want to leave fully laden.

 

I have my supply ships also load from the planet. When I build a new tanker, I solved the problem of depleting my fuel supply by building more Orbital tankers. I also use a standing OC order to build my fuel stock pile on the planet.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I'm fairly lucky in the planetary composition- I can skim fuel from my homeworld , not as efficient as Gas Giants, but every little helps.

[Drasn]

I have my supply ships also load from the planet. When I build a new tanker, I solved the problem of depleting my fuel supply by building more Orbital tankers. I also use a standing OC order to build my fuel stock pile on the planet.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm fairly lucky in the planetary composition- I can skim fuel from my homeworld , not as efficient as Gas Giants, but every little helps.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hmmm, my home world is as skimmable as a non-Gas Giant can be, so that would solve my problem too. Good idea.

 

My current standing orders are:

1. Supply ship XLCs fuel from home world

2. Tanker XLCs fuel from Gas Giant popgroup

3. Tanker XNM to home world (gets SUPP'd at this point)

4. Tanker XOCs fuel to home world

5. Tanker XNMs to Gas Giant

 

This setup leaves the SUPP ship low on fuel until the next standing order phase. If I simply reprioritize step 1 to be after step 5 (or even step 4) then the SUPP ship should have it's full load during the standard order phase of the next turn.

 

If I also use Ali's idea of keeping more SUPP capacity than new tankers being built at a time, then all of the problems are more or less eliminated. I think. Am I missing anything?

[Ur Lord Tedric]

Why not just have a bunch of Fuel Tankage as a 'ship' - say 500,000 Fuel tankage (or as many as you wish)....

 

Have this in Fleet #1001 over the HW.

 

At the end of each turn have an XLC loading 99,999,999 fuel to fleet #1001. Have fuel at HW from any source you wish

 

New ships get built into fleet #1001 as normal.

 

RN ships to their new fleet next turn and they'll go fully loaded with fuel.....

 

Add new fuel tanks to #1001 as ships get bigger......

 

Fleet #1001 can also be on permanent Resupply if this helps you.....

 

Chief Planner to Ur-Lord Tedric

[Drasn]

Why not just have a bunch of Fuel Tankage as a 'ship' - say 500,000 Fuel tankage (or as many as you wish)....

 

Have this in Fleet #1001 over the HW.

 

At the end of each turn have an XLC loading 99,999,999 fuel to fleet #1001.  Have fuel at HW from any source you wish

 

New ships get built into fleet #1001 as normal.

 

RN ships to their new fleet next turn and they'll go fully loaded with fuel.....

 

Add new fuel tanks to #1001 as ships get bigger......

 

Fleet #1001 can also be on permanent Resupply if this helps you.....

 

Chief Planner to Ur-Lord Tedric

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks, that's good advice

 

I guess if you didn't RN till the next turn then the XLC would load the new ships even without the tanker there. I assume the reason for the tanker is to allow you to RN on the same turn the ships are built (before the XLC occurs).