[Pax]

Originally posted by dumbluck:
Ok. Here's my first real contribution to this mod. Tell me what you think. I'm expanding on Geo's idea of a maintenance reducing component, called Engineering. [...]

Names for maintenance reducers:

• Engineering Department
• Crew Mess
• Officer's Mess
• First Aid Station (available with biology + ship const. )
• Maintenance Access Tube
• Recreation room (available with Psychology + ship const.)
• Small arms locker (available with AdvMilSci + ship const 6.) (grants small Boarding Party defense)
• Automated Repair Drone (available with Repair 3 + ship const. 7)(repairs 1 per turn)
  

I'd say ... no dice. The problem here is, what's to stop someone with a 200kT escort from essentially getting more maintenance -reduction-, than they get -maintenance- ... ?
The upper limit of maintenance reduction must not drive a race with so much inherent maintenance reduction they are already paying very little as-is, or their ship could be PRODUCING resources (and I don't know if negative maintenance costs gives the EXE fits or not). Possibly a maintenance model more like that of P&N could help.

But the main thing is, the "one per ship" components, won't have a minimum shipsize (unless you go with an mQNP style series of mounts for THEM, too. Come to think of it, mount-based Lifesupport and Crew Quarters and Bridge units sounds like an interesting idea ... the bridge of a 1600kT Dreadnought should be larger than the bridge of a 200kT Escort ... shouldn't it?).

And one other thing for all you modding gurus out there: Will this work? If I've got a ship hull with (for example) an inherant +60% maintenance modifier, will it be cancelled out by 6 components each with a -10% maintenance modifier?

Actually, the protential problem is, ESCORTS with net NEGATIVE maintenance. An escort where you get, say, 25% of it's value back, every turn ... ugh! (120% racial maintenance trait, 3 maintenance reducers at 10% each, stock SE4 maintenance costs paradigm; your normal 5% maintenance costs, minus 30% from the components, gives you back 1/4 of the cost to build the ship in the first place).

The problem is, I don't believe COMPONENTS can be limited to minimum hull sizes.

Also, some of the medical-related and Pyschology-based facilities might do well as Life Support replacements, or else, a LS/Maintenance component especially for Organic-tech ships (a la Living Ships in P&N perhaps).

PS. I know there is a modding tool out there, but I can't find it... Any pointers would be appreciated...

Check the SE4 Modder thread. Or maybe PBW's Utilities downloads ...