[Puke]

Originally posted by Arkcon:
See, I wouldn't design it like that. I'd launch the colony module planetside and keep the ship in space. It's solar cells could transfer power down by shuttleing down fuel cells, or transmit to microwave relay stations. It could function as a communications sattelite. It could survey the rest of the planet or other planets in the system.

who says they dont?

Or like the colony ships that left Europe for the New World, they could return home for redepoyment.

okay, they clearly dont do this. it would be nice if there was a variable for 'ship destroyed when used.' That way you could have cheap, disposable colony ships, and larger mid-grade colony ships that just have the colony component destroyed on use, and could be repaired at a spaceyard (like stellar manip, where simple repair wont work). and high end spaceyards (truely massive) that could basically plop down colonies at will, as long as there is population available.

Or to keep the SE4 model, every new planet gets a bare bones 300 kt space staion. That you can retrofit with weapons so your new colonys aren't defenceless.

yeah, thats a good idea too. maybe a little smaller, since some of the ship components would go unused, and bases would require other components. maybe a seperate technology branch would be required that would allow conVersion of derilect ships to bases, through some sort of special hull ability or component.