[Suicide Junkie]

Are you sure your designs weren't just obsolete and invisible?

Ship designs are not worth saving IMO, since the tech will be different between when you saved and when you load your empire.
You get stuck with a load of end-game designs you won't be able to build for 40 years.

The SE3 design-saving method was infinitely better.

As is, ship designing is quick and easy in SE4.
Triple click down the left side for B/LS/CQ.
Add 6 engines. Clickety-Click
Add CS/ECM if available. Click-Click
Select biggest mount. Click-click
Add roughly half guns and half shields/armor by space till ship is full. Click-click-Clicky

The hardest part is coming up with an appropriately apt or devious name for the design.

As you go and develop new tech, tweak the designs with the upgrade button.
When you meet an unexpected enemy, spend 5 minutes to redesign the ship from scratch with attention to detail.

[ November 08, 2002, 04:06: Message edited by: Suicide Junkie ]