A question about Q-Ships
 

I'm trying to add the option of building Q-ships in my mod, and wanted to get some opinions on this.

Here's the "designs" (?) I have at the moment.


Name := Small Q-Ship
Short Name := Small Q-Ship
Description := A transport ship outfitted as a commerce raider or armed tranport.
Code := SQ
Bitmap Name := TransportSmall
Vehicle Type := Ship
Tonnage := 300
Cost Minerals := 150
Cost Organics := 0
Cost Radioactives := 0
Engines Per Move := 1
Number of Tech Req := 1
Tech Area Req 1 := Ship Construction
Tech Level Req 1 := 1
Number of Abilities := 0
Requirement Must Have Bridge := True
Requirement Can Have Aux Con := True
Requirement Min Life Support := 1
Requirement Min Crew Quarters := 1
Requirement Uses Engines := True
Requirement Max Engines := 6
Requirement Pct Fighter Bays := 0
Requirement Pct Colony Mods := 0
Requirement Pct Cargo := 20

Name := Medium Q-Ship
Short Name := Medium Q-Ship
Description := A transport ship outfitted as a commerce raider or armed tranport.
Code := MQ
Bitmap Name := TransportMedium
Vehicle Type := Ship
Tonnage := 600
Cost Minerals := 300
Cost Organics := 0
Cost Radioactives := 0
Engines Per Move := 1
Number of Tech Req := 1
Tech Area Req 1 := Ship Construction
Tech Level Req 1 := 4
Number of Abilities := 0
Requirement Must Have Bridge := True
Requirement Can Have Aux Con := True
Requirement Min Life Support := 2
Requirement Min Crew Quarters := 2
Requirement Uses Engines := True
Requirement Max Engines := 6
Requirement Pct Fighter Bays := 0
Requirement Pct Colony Mods := 0
Requirement Pct Cargo := 20

Name := Large Q-Ship
Short Name := Large Q-Ship
Description := A transport ship outfitted as a commerce raider or armed tranport.
Code := LQ
Bitmap Name := TransportLarge
Vehicle Type := Ship
Tonnage := 900
Cost Minerals := 450
Cost Organics := 0
Cost Radioactives := 0
Engines Per Move := 1
Number of Tech Req := 1
Tech Area Req 1 := Ship Construction
Tech Level Req 1 := 6
Number of Abilities := 0
Requirement Must Have Bridge := True
Requirement Can Have Aux Con := True
Requirement Min Life Support := 3
Requirement Min Crew Quarters := 3
Requirement Uses Engines := True
Requirement Max Engines := 5
Requirement Pct Fighter Bays := 0
Requirement Pct Colony Mods := 0
Requirement Pct Cargo := 30

Re: A question about Q-Ships
 

What is a Q - ship?

Re: A question about Q-Ships
 

They were a kind of armed freighter/raider used by the Germans during WW2 to fairly good effect

Re: A question about Q-Ships
 

Also an armed freighter in Star Fleet Battles, but essentially the same thing.

You could even call it a disguised freighter. Basically a freighter with big guns.

Re: A question about Q-Ships
 

You'll have to make almost everything about the hull size identical to the standard transports, including the Name, Short Name, Description, and Code. Your enemies can see most of them without scanners. I don't think it's enough to simply match the images.


Unfortunately that makes it confusing for the owner of a Q-ship, since they have to pay attention to which hull they use when creating the design.

Re: A question about Q-Ships
 

Q-ships or Q-boats were disguised merchant vessels that carried cannons, depth charges and anti-submarine equipment.
They were used as a bait to attract and then sink German U-boats during World War I primarily by Britain and, later, during World War II predominantly by the United States.

In the United Kingdom the vessels chosen for this service were code-named Q-ships by the Admiralty, but they were also known as Decoy Vessels, Special Service Ships or Mystery Ships.

The Germans had similar ships called merchant raiders.

Taken from Wiki, which, in this case, is actually correct.

Re: A question about Q-Ships
 

I think the cost of the ship should include organics to represent the "labor" going into its construction. Workers have to be recruited, housed and fed.

Just my 2 euros...

Re: A question about Q-Ships
 

After further consideration, I think all ship construction should require varying amounts of all three materials.

When you build a space vessel you're not only building a hull. It takes design, planning and administrative resources, as well as labor and materials.

I've always thought construction in SEIV should simulate this by making greater use of the "other" two resources, especially organics. I've played so many games where I've finally built resource converters and the only thing I use them for is to convert my huge surpluses of organics and radioactives into minerals.

Ideally, I had hoped SEV would be more like SEIV, only with more resources to mine (and maybe produce!) and more political depth. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/smile.gif

Re: A question about Q-Ships
 

Also, Honor Harrington was a captain of Q-ship Wayfarer

Re: A question about Q-Ships
 

I would put the engine max at 5, not 6. they are in effect a converted transport, but with cargo switched out for guns. therefore a copy of the freighters with the Pct Cargo lowered would be what I would use.

Possibly also add some type of intrinsic cloaking to the hull. Can you do a +1 to other cloaking tech added? This would even allow you to cloak at level 4 so no sensor could see you. With the big fleets in SEIV and very little lone ships, I don't really see a use for this unless it has some type of advantage. Of course it would be FUN :-)

Re: A question about Q-Ships
 

The increased speed was a reflection of improved engines, to better serve as a raider.

The cloaking suggestion you made was a good one, though I'm curious as to how to go about it. Any suggestions?

Re: A question about Q-Ships
 

All you have to do is add the cloaking abilities to the hull entry in VehicleSizes.txt. You could even cut and paste them from one of the mines.

Re: A question about Q-Ships
 

Is this more along the lines of what you were suggesting?

Name := Small Q-Ship
Short Name := Small Q-Ship
Description := A transport ship outfitted as a commerce raider or armed transport. A transport ship outfitted as a commerce raider or armed transport.
Code := SQ
Primary Bitmap Name := TransportSmall
Alternate Bitmap Name := TransportSmall
Vehicle Type := Ship
Tonnage := 300
Cost Minerals := 250
Cost Organics := 100
Cost Radioactives := 0
Engines Per Move := 1
Number of Tech Req := 1
Tech Area Req 1 := Ship Construction
Tech Level Req 1 := 1
Number of Abilities := 5
Ability 1 Type := Cloak Level
Ability 1 Descr := Prevents level 3 Active EM scans.
Ability 1 Val 1 := EM Active
Ability 1 Val 2 := 3
Ability 2 Type := Cloak Level
Ability 2 Descr := Prevents level 3 Passive EM scans.
Ability 2 Val 1 := EM Passive
Ability 2 Val 2 := 3
Ability 3 Type := Cloak Level
Ability 3 Descr := Prevents level 3 Psychic scans.
Ability 3 Val 1 := Psychic
Ability 3 Val 2 := 3
Ability 4 Type := Cloak Level
Ability 4 Descr := Prevents level 3 Gravitic scans.
Ability 4 Val 1 := Gravitic
Ability 4 Val 2 := 3
Ability 5 Type := Cloak Level
Ability 5 Descr := Prevents level 3 Temporal scans.
Ability 5 Val 1 := Temporal
Ability 5 Val 2 := 3
Requirement Must Have Bridge := True
Requirement Can Have Aux Con := True
Requirement Min Life Support := 1
Requirement Min Crew Quarters := 1
Requirement Uses Engines := True
Requirement Max Engines := 6
Requirement Pct Fighter Bays := 0
Requirement Pct Colony Mods := 0
Requirement Pct Cargo := 20

Name := Medium Q-Ship
Short Name := Medium Q-Ship
Description := A transport ship outfitted as a commerce raider or armed transport.
Code := MQ
Primary Bitmap Name := TransportMedium
Alternate Bitmap Name := TransportMedium
Vehicle Type := Ship
Tonnage := 600
Cost Minerals := 400
Cost Organics := 200
Cost Radioactives := 0
Engines Per Move := 1
Number of Tech Req := 1
Tech Area Req 1 := Ship Construction
Tech Level Req 1 := 4
Number of Abilities := 5
Ability 1 Type := Cloak Level
Ability 1 Descr := Prevents level 3 Active EM scans.
Ability 1 Val 1 := EM Active
Ability 1 Val 2 := 3
Ability 2 Type := Cloak Level
Ability 2 Descr := Prevents level 3 Passive EM scans.
Ability 2 Val 1 := EM Passive
Ability 2 Val 2 := 3
Ability 3 Type := Cloak Level
Ability 3 Descr := Prevents level 3 Psychic scans.
Ability 3 Val 1 := Psychic
Ability 3 Val 2 := 3
Ability 4 Type := Cloak Level
Ability 4 Descr := Prevents level 3 Gravitic scans.
Ability 4 Val 1 := Gravitic
Ability 4 Val 2 := 3
Ability 5 Type := Cloak Level
Ability 5 Descr := Prevents level 3 Temporal scans.
Ability 5 Val 1 := Temporal
Ability 5 Val 2 := 3
Requirement Must Have Bridge := True
Requirement Can Have Aux Con := True
Requirement Min Life Support := 2
Requirement Min Crew Quarters := 2
Requirement Uses Engines := True
Requirement Max Engines := 6
Requirement Pct Fighter Bays := 0
Requirement Pct Colony Mods := 0
Requirement Pct Cargo := 30

Name := Large Q-Ship
Short Name := Large Q-Ship
Description := A transport ship outfitted as a commerce raider or armed transport.
Code := LQ
Primary Bitmap Name := TransportLarge
Alternate Bitmap Name := TransportLarge
Vehicle Type := Ship
Tonnage := 900
Cost Minerals := 550
Cost Organics := 300
Cost Radioactives := 0
Engines Per Move := 1
Number of Tech Req := 1
Tech Area Req 1 := Ship Construction
Tech Level Req 1 := 6
Number of Abilities := 5
Ability 1 Type := Cloak Level
Ability 1 Descr := Prevents level 3 Active EM scans.
Ability 1 Val 1 := EM Active
Ability 1 Val 2 := 3
Ability 2 Type := Cloak Level
Ability 2 Descr := Prevents level 3 Passive EM scans.
Ability 2 Val 1 := EM Passive
Ability 2 Val 2 := 3
Ability 3 Type := Cloak Level
Ability 3 Descr := Prevents level 3 Psychic scans.
Ability 3 Val 1 := Psychic
Ability 3 Val 2 := 3
Ability 4 Type := Cloak Level
Ability 4 Descr := Prevents level 3 Gravitic scans.
Ability 4 Val 1 := Gravitic
Ability 4 Val 2 := 3
Ability 5 Type := Cloak Level
Ability 5 Descr := Prevents level 3 Temporal scans.
Ability 5 Val 1 := Temporal
Ability 5 Val 2 := 3
Requirement Must Have Bridge := True
Requirement Can Have Aux Con := True
Requirement Min Life Support := 3
Requirement Min Crew Quarters := 3
Requirement Uses Engines := True
Requirement Max Engines := 5
Requirement Pct Fighter Bays := 0
Requirement Pct Colony Mods := 0
Requirement Pct Cargo := 40

Re: A question about Q-Ships
 

I think he suggested cloacking level 1 instead of 3, so, with the use of components, you eventually can reach cloack level 4...

Re: A question about Q-Ships
 

Perfect. How do they play in the game?

Re: A question about Q-Ships
 

And almost as important--how do they look? They should look like mass-produced freighters. They should be functional-looking, but also cool-looking. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/smile.gif

Re: A question about Q-Ships
 

They look the same as a normal transport, of course. That's the whole point.

Re: A question about Q-Ships
 

They function quite well, though they do look like any other transport.

The purpose of the Level 3 cloaking ability is to completely confound an enemy about it's true nature.