Colonization

[Prospective]

All,

 

I'm planning for the future when I locate a world to colonize. Here's how I think it can happen in the shortest amount of time. The timeline below assumes that on turn x-1, I found a world in my homeworld system that I want to colonize...

 

Turn x

Build a colony beacon (BI)

Build a colonist unit (BI)

Design a colonial transport ship (NUD)

Build components for the col transport ship (BI)

 

Turn x+1

Build col ship (SHIP)

Load beacon onto ship (0 action points) (LC)

Load colonist onto ship (0 AP's) (LC)

Move col ship to the appropriate orbit (1AP) (NM)

Drop colony beacon to establish pop center (1AP) (COLB)

 

Turn x+2

Unload colonist into new pop center (0AP) (OC)

Move col ship home (1AP) (NM)

Load another colonist unit (0AP) (LC)

Move col ship to colony (1AP) (OC)

Unload colonist unit (0AP).

 

 

Is the above correct? I'm confident that turn x and x+2 is ok. My concern is on Turn x+1. Can I build a ship, then use it in the same turn? I saw the chart that describes the production sequences. However, I don't recall ever seeing a similar chart for how things work the whole game (or I just plain missed it which is possible). Does ship movement occur before production or after? When do research centers work? Just curious.

 

Steve

[TErnest]

Nope! When you issue a SHIP order, it collects up all the component parts from your pop center and places them in your shipyard READY for assembly. The order itself does not actually build the ship. The actual ship construction will take place during that turn's production phase, shipyard capacity permitting.

 

Bottom line, the earliest your ship will be ready to issue orders to is the turn AFTER your SHIP order.

 

TErnest

(aka Arcane Services, Inc.)

[SargonKingOfSlith]

One minor correction on Turn x:

 

"Build a colonist unit (BI)", CTRN is the command used to make Colonists.

[octagon999]

Why are you waiting for turn x to build those things, or train your colonists?

 

I would start out on turn 1 (or whatever turn you are on now) building colonial berthings, colony beacon(s), and whatever else you think you are going to need so they are ready when, not if, you find a suitable world, either in system or out.

 

Of course, if you are not a good colonizer, you can still use those beacons for your EXPL missions.

 

And if you aren't able to colonize at least something reasonably within your parameters, well, enjoy the game anyways.

[ali-t-akua]

Nope! When you issue a SHIP order, it collects up all the component parts from your pop center and places them in your shipyard READY for assembly. The order itself does not actually build the ship. The actual ship construction will take place during that turn's production phase, shipyard capacity permitting.

 

But dont forget that shipyards operate prior to Industrial Complexes so you ahve to give the order to build components the turn prior to building ships as I learned the hard way.

[Prospective]

TErnest,

 

I'm confused. You state:

 

When you issue a SHIP order, it collects up all the component parts from your pop center and places them in your shipyard READY for assembly. The order itself does not actually build the ship.

 

However, this from the order's supplement:

 

SHIP

Build Ship

This order is used to construct ships at Shipyards. The Items that are required to build each ship are deducted from the Population Group they

are ordered built at when this order is executed. If Item stockpiles prove insufficient to construct every ship indicated, the Quantity of ships will

be reduce to meet available stocks.

 

The rules indicate that this order is used to construct ships at Shipyards, but you say "The order itself does not actually build the ship". Which statement is right?

 

Thanks.

[hobknob]

The ship order only puts the ship componenets into the shipyard queue. They then get built when the shipyards run. If for some reason your shipyards don't run like lack of power or you have other ships already waiting to be built with a higher priority, then the shipyard will show your new ship waiting to be built. On the next turn the shipyard will try again to complte the build. The other issues is building a large ship in a small shipyard. You may only get a fraction of the ship built in a turn and so any other ships behind it in line won't get built at all. In this case all of your shipyards will continue to wrk on the ship already started before starting another ship, assuming you have more than one shipyard slip.

 

 

It should also be noted that you must wait for a ship to be built before you can scrap it. This means that you can't scrap the original pathfinders in your shipyard until they are built.

 

Edited October 2, 2004 by hobknob

[Krelnett_of_Kraan]

Also, we have separate cargo ships (for mining, dropping off conmats, and the occasional COLB order) and colony ships (nothing but colony berths and engines.

Oh, we recently discovered something that might be of use to others:

Once you have Mk II Fusion Engines, it's cheaper to build a ship with, say, 25 colony berths and 4 APs than it is to build one with 50 colony berths and 2 APs. Counter-intuitive (you'll see why when you calculate the engines needed) but true.

[ShadowKitsune]

Also, we have separate cargo ships (for mining, dropping off conmats, and the occasional COLB order) and colony ships (nothing but colony berths and engines.

Oh, we recently discovered something that might be of use to others:

Once you have Mk II Fusion Engines, it's cheaper to build a ship with, say, 25 colony berths and 4 APs than it is to build one with 50 colony berths and 2 APs. Counter-intuitive (you'll see why when you calculate the engines needed) but true.

Why is that counter-intuitive?

 

Each Colony Berth is 10kTons while each Mk II Fusion Engine wieghs 100 Tons. So, ton-for-ton, it takes 100 Engines to equal one Colony Berth.

 

For the same weight, you could have a ship with 50 Colony Berths and 1 Engine for 2 APs, or a ship with 25 Colony Berths and 2501 Engines for more than 2 APs.

 

-SK

[ali-t-akua]

Each Colony Berth is 10kTons while each Mk II Fusion Engine wieghs 100 Tons.

 

I thought Fusion Engines were 1000 T, not 100 T

[hobknob]

All engines are 100 tons which makes the math all that much easier. Any way you look at it higer AP ships are the way to go.

 

With Mk II Fusion Engines the optimal build for me is 10 AP ships.

 

[ali-t-akua]

All engines are 100 tons which makes the math all that much easier.

 

Thanks for clearing that up as I had seen that Pete at one time had considered making Fusion Engines 1000 T and I am glad to see that that change has not happened.

[Krelnett_of_Kraan]

Actually, we discovered it's more efficient to make an 11 AP ship with 9 berths, than 10 with 10.

Btw, it's mathematically impossible for a useful ship to break 19 APs with Mk II Fusions. Just as it's impossible to break 2 APs with starter engines, no matter how many you put on. Mk I Antimatter, however, lets you get up to 49... *drool* Imagine a ship that can tie up more than one turn-sheet all on its own...

[Ur Lord Tedric]

All engines are 100 tons which makes the math all that much easier.

 

Thanks for clearing that up as I had seen that Pete at one time had considered making Fusion Engines 1000 T and I am glad to see that that change has not happened.

Oh enlightened member of the second most intelligent species once inhabiting the Super Computer 'Earth'.....

 

There was indeed a change to engine sizes - and there still is.

 

Fusion Jump Drives are now 1,000t.

 

All the maneuver engines so far seen, however, are all 100t.

 

And to add to the discussion, although the maths is a little tortuous....

 

With 4th Gen engines, 8AP or 10AP are pretty much equivalent in terms of the economics of logistics, with the sweet-spot actually being at 9AP.

 

However, this does depend on the cost and availability of the Cargo Bays or Colonial Berths and your individual availability of resources....

 

Chief Planner to Ur-Lord Tedric

[hobknob]

Actually you can build an 80 AP ship (all engines) with antimatter engines and make really practical 40 AP ships.

 

:lol: