Convoys and Gas Stations

[hobknob]

Here is another solution that eliminates the need for 3 fleets.

 

Fleet 1 skims at the GG.

 

Fleet 2 is on the SUPP order at the WP. Using standing orders, send fleet #2 to the GG to LC fuel and then back to the WP.

 

SUPP order stays in effect and the fleet can refill the tanks every turn.

 

Standing orders also go before convoy routes so your tanker will always be full for the convoy routes.

 

Another way to go is to use 3 fleets as you described. It won't matter if the tankers try and refuel the shuttle ships since the next order, FUEL, will move all the fuel back to the tanker anyway. THat is assuming that you din't ahve full tanks to start with.

 

Yet another alternative that eliminates the tankers all together. Set up all your convoy routes to pit stop at the GG and load up on fuel. This is my preferred method as tankers are fragile and some what spendy when you need 1M fuel capacity for the war fleet.

 

[Magus666]

Yet another alternative that eliminates the tankers all together. Set up all your convoy routes to pit stop at the GG and load up on fuel. This is my preferred method as tankers are fragile and some what spendy when you need 1M fuel capacity for the war fleet

 

Well that option is great for you 100 AP types...but for those of us whose freighters and such are still puttering along at 2 AP...making side trips for fuel is a BIG time waster.

[Hughestrog]

TErnest is correct. It works quite fine.

 

Mind you I'm looking forward to the 100-200 AP days ahead- a long way ahead, but we should get there.

[hobknob]

Well, it does maka difference when your fleets are 80 ap or better.

[ali-t-akua]

Well, it does maka difference when your fleets are 80 ap or better. 

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Hobknob, what level of engine tech gives you 80 AP or better?

[hobknob]

Mk III Antimatter engines are rated at 32000 which gives a max rating of 320. A resonable ship design is 50% engines and that would be 160 AP with these engines. Mk IV Antimatters are twice the Mk III's so the numbers double at every level increase.

 

It is really quite amazing how many AP you get out of 500 MK III Engines.

 

I do have some ships that are 160 AP, mostly skimmers and freighters, but otherwise it is really not to practical to have ships that are that fast. Even my longest convoy route is only 65 warps on the longest leg.

 

[ali-t-akua]

Mk III Antimatter engines are rated at 32000 which gives a max rating of 320.  A resonable ship design is 50% engines and that would be 160 AP with these engines.  Mk IV Antimatters are twice the Mk III's so the numbers double at every level increase.

 

It is really quite amazing how many AP you get out of 500 MK III Engines. 

 

I do have some ships that are 160 AP, mostly skimmers and freighters, but otherwise it is really not to practical to have ships that are that fast.  Even my longest convoy route is only 65 warps on the longest leg.

 

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Thanks Hobknob. I can see that I have a long way to go to get to that point. Move over Hughestrog.

[EEOC]

The only problem with the high AP ships is that it takes a huge amount of paper to print your turn. We use them in a CONV to pick up from a large colony and it can run 8-10 pages for one CONV. At some point engine tech becomes insane.

[Octus Imperium]

The only problem with the high AP ships is that it takes a huge amount of paper to print your turn. We use them in a CONV to pick up from a large colony and it can run 8-10 pages for one CONV. At some point engine tech becomes insane.

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I would assume the insanity comes in hand when avoiding drones, fighters, missiles and torps in combat. Being a peaceful race, we know nothing of this....yet.

 

Octus

[Octus Imperium]

Yet another alternative that eliminates the tankers all together.  Set up all your convoy routes to pit stop at the GG and load up on fuel.  This is my preferred method as tankers are fragile and some what spendy when you need 1M fuel capacity for the war fleet.

 

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

This assumes you quadruple check your orders and have a couple third parties recheck your orders. One mistake buried in a 65 WP convoy route is expensive (in orders and $$$) to correct! I hate it when a 10 WP convoy route has a digit missing on the OC order line, which was the secondary reason for the convoy in the first place! (First reason was to move Colonists and their bagage to expand the colony.) So a 65 WP route would be even more frustrating.

 

Octus

[hobknob]

I have to agree on some points as well. HIgh AP fleets do use up lots of paper on the old report. Each new fleet that I add running a convoy route adds about 20-30 pages. This also gets increased if you are constantly getting fleet sightings on the route. My turn was approaching 550 pages several turns ago and much of it was convoy routes. This does make for some bit of tedium checking the routes to make sure they run properly, but it is well worth it. Once they are shown to run properly then you can forget about them. This is another reason I am also a proponent of the easiest possible routes and try and have my stuff just LC ALL and OC ALL.

 

Editing convoy routes is somewhat time consuming but it is well worth it in the end. The second time that you actually move a fleet along the route you have paid for it in time and $$$. Fixing convoy routes is tedious but not that difficult. I find the biggest problem is running out of numbers. This then takes a manual correction by Pete to space the orders out again so more modification can take place.

 

FWIW - I move 600k worth of cargo with a 30k ton ship. With 11 colonies in one system and 1 to 3 ships per route, I have about 450k tons worth of ships that are moving just under 9M tons of cargo a turn. That is well worth the added pages to the report.

 

[Octus Imperium]

I have to agree on some points as well.  HIgh AP fleets do use up lots of paper on the old report.  Each new fleet that I add running a convoy route adds about 20-30 pages.  This also gets increased if you are constantly getting fleet sightings on the route.  My turn was approaching 550 pages several turns ago and much of it was convoy routes.  This does make for some bit of tedium checking the routes to make sure they run properly, but it is well worth it.  Once they are shown to run properly then you can forget about them.  This is another reason I am also a proponent of the easiest possible routes and try and have my stuff just LC ALL and OC ALL. 

 

Editing convoy routes is somewhat time consuming but it is well worth it in the end.  The second time that you actually move a fleet along the route you have paid for it in time and $$$.  Fixing convoy routes is tedious but not that difficult.  I find the biggest problem is running out of numbers.  This then takes a manual correction by Pete to space the orders out again so more modification can take place.

 

FWIW - I move 600k worth of cargo with a 30k ton ship.  With 11 colonies in one system and 1 to 3 ships per route, I have about 450k tons worth of ships that are moving just under 9M tons of cargo a turn.  That is well worth the added pages to the report.

 

   

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Worth it and time consuming. Don't get me wrong. Looking forward to high AP ships and the 'tedium' of checking the first time a convoy route is run for those longer routes. However, keeping it simple is the key, and then quadruple checking.

 

Octus

[Hughestrog]

Mk III Antimatter engines are rated at 32000 which gives a max rating of 320.  A resonable ship design is 50% engines and that would be 160 AP with these engines.  Mk IV Antimatters are twice the Mk III's so the numbers double at every level increase.

 

It is really quite amazing how many AP you get out of 500 MK III Engines. 

 

I do have some ships that are 160 AP, mostly skimmers and freighters, but otherwise it is really not to practical to have ships that are that fast.  Even my longest convoy route is only 65 warps on the longest leg.

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Thanks Hobknob. I can see that I have a long way to go to get to that point. Move over Hughestrog.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Well, about a year or two, maybe.

[Lord Xaar]

Mk III Antimatter engines are rated at 32000 which gives a max rating of 320.  A resonable ship design is 50% engines and that would be 160 AP with these engines.  Mk IV Antimatters are twice the Mk III's so the numbers double at every level increase.

 

It is really quite amazing how many AP you get out of 500 MK III Engines. 

 

I do have some ships that are 160 AP, mostly skimmers and freighters, but otherwise it is really not to practical to have ships that are that fast.  Even my longest convoy route is only 65 warps on the longest leg.

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Last time I saw an ANZ on Mk IV Antimatter Engines their thrust was reported as 32,000 as well - most likely a typo that was fixed (time to double-check that). Though I do find it hard to imagine that higher level engines would keep doubling thrust - those Mk VI Total Conversion Engines would be absolutely insane.

 

-LX

[hobknob]

 

Could be an error on my part. I did not have tech data in front of me to refer to at the time. Lets just say that Mk III Antimatter Engines can give you all the thrust that you want to have and 160 AP fleets are being made.