Usefulness of supply ships?
 

When ships are in a fleet, they pool their supplies, but how does that pooling work? I was contemplating if it would be useful to have a supply ship which carries an array of solar panels, with the goal of vastly extending the range of a fleet. Say you make a ship with enough solar panels to generate 3000 supply each turn. This would be enough to power, say, 8 ships' engines indefinitely (well, depends on the engine level but let's assume this is true). But when these supplies are generated, are they actually generated into the fleet pool, or are they generated on the supply ship?

Specifically, consider that much of the regenerative power would be lost if the individual ship's supply capacity prevented it from being stored. That is, if the supply ship itself has x supply, and expends ~400 per turn for movement, then it essentially only generates 400 back since that is the difference between the ship's current supply and the ship's capacity.

Re: Usefulness of supply ships?
 

Solar panels generate supplies, and apply them to the ship they are on. They cannot exceed the capacity of that ship.

At the end of each turn, ships will share supplies (this is where your supply ship will distribute its supplies).
The sharing is a "one for you, one for me" approach, where every ship tries to get the same *number* of supply points (Not % of max or anything)

So, for a supply ship which generates 3000 points a turn:
- The supply ship must have at least as many supply storage points as the highest storage elsewhere in the fleet. (Otherwise the supply ship will max out before that other ship, and all of the solar generation will be wasted)
- For maximum efficiency, the supply ship must have 3000 storage points MORE than the biggest other ship in the fleet. This ensures that even when the ships are *almost* full, the supply ship can still collect the full 3000 supply generation, and then distribute it.

Example:
- Supply ship with 2500 supply storage, and 1000 generation
- Fleet of 4 ships with 3000 supply storage.
- All ships start empty
1) supply ship generates itself up to 1000/2500

2) supplies are shared out, so each ship now has 200 supplies
2b) supply ship generates itself up to 1200/2500

3) Supplies are shared out, giving 400 to every ship
3b) supply ship generates itself up to 1400/2500

...many turns later...

4) Supplies are shared out, giving 1400 to each ship
4b) supply ship generates itself up to 2400/2500

5) Supplies are shared out, giving 1600 to each ship
5b) Supply ship generates itself up to MAX (2500) (100 points wasted)

6) Supplies are shared out, giving 1780 to each ship
6b) Supply ship generates itself up to MAX (280 points wasted)

7) Supplies are shraed out, giving 1920 to each ship.
7b) Supply ship generates itself up to MAX (420 points wasted)

Re: Usefulness of supply ships?
 

Just one correction to SJ's layout.

Sharing is done before supply generation. Therefore on the first turn, no supplies are available for distribution. On turn two those 1000 supply generated on turn one are distributed, then the supply ship generates more.

At the end of turn two, the supply ship has 1200 supplies, the other ships 200 each.

Re: Usefulness of supply ships?
 

Who's post are you reading??

Re: Usefulness of supply ships?
 

http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...es/redface.gif It's official: I'm losing my mind. Sorry SJ, that's not the way I read the first time. I'm moving to the old folks home; the room with the rubber walls.

Wickedsick, once solar panels are available, I cease using supply ships. Instead all ships get at least one solar panel. Fleets can go considerably farther with this this simple arrangement.

Re: Usefulness of supply ships?
 

I just make sure to stick enough supply storage on the supply ship to hold one turn of full supply generation more than my warships can store. With 10 Solar Collector III's, generating 1500 supplies per turn in most systems, and 6 engines on all ships for 3000 supply storage, my supply ship would have a minimum of 4500 supply capacity.

Re: Usefulness of supply ships?
 

Re: Usefulness of supply ships?
 

In the example, the fleet has one supply ship in addition to 4 other ships for a total of 5 ships, right?

Re: Usefulness of supply ships?
 

I love supply ships and even included a special one in the STM. I dislike the Q-reactor very much as it is really unrealistic to have it. Now having one for very large ships would be nice, but making it cost a bajillion dollars in resources is the best thing. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/laugh.gif

Re: Usefulness of supply ships?
 

Yep!