Colonize

[Atrocities]

Later on when you can afford it, make ships with all three colony components. This will save you a lot of time, as you can send this ship to colonize any world.

[Elowan]

Originally posted by Atrocities:
Later on when you can afford it, make ships with all three colony components. This will save you a lot of time, as you can send this ship to colonize any world.

Hmmm. This may not be a bad idea since - I believe - each colony component has space to store population - you get 2 extra pop regardless of planet type. That's assuming that you're using the Colonize button which loads population automagically. In which case it should fill each colony module.

The only downside is that extra population 'storage' is a helluva lot more expensive than one storage crate.

This is almost as good as the Universal Colony Module (component) I devised to colonize 'any'.

[ September 12, 2002, 07:40: Message edited by: Elowan ]

[Wardad]

Time is one of the most important resources of the game.
I always consider build time and travel time when choosing from my colony designs. I also consider my shipyards build time to be valuable.
I end up building very simple colony ships until later in the game when I might build a few specialty ones that are faster, longer ranged, or stealth.
In the early game I want to crank out colcony ships fast. Typically I can build a colony ship with 4 engines in 2 shipyard turns.
I will even build them without engines if it saves shipyard time. BUT... beware, an engine retrofit does not add fuel. A supply storage retrofit does have fuel. So do this at or near a planet with a resupply base.

[Elowan]

Originally posted by Wardad:
In the early game I want to crank out colcony ships fast. Typically I can build a colony ship with 4 engines in 2 shipyard turns.

I must be doing something wrong. I can turn out a colony ship with 5 engines and a cargo pod in 2 turns.

[Tezzezar]

Excellent point about different designs based on the stage of the game.

If you start with multiple homeworlds and have racial bonuses to consruction try setting one of the worlds to emergency build. It can often shave off a build turn. One of my favorite racial designs can build one colony ship a turn early game! I find that the sooner I get other planets producing the greater accumlation of resources.

Make sure to build some shipyards on those newly colonized planets. Never neglect defense when expanding.

T-

[Gryphin]

Especially not a dumb question if I read this right:
Instead of using the Cargo Transfer button
All I have to do is hit the Colonize button and even if I don’t specified a planet to colonize it will still give the, "Load Population" order.
Hence, the only reason to use the Cargo Transfer button is if I want to control the amount of population or if I want to load units.
Figure out something every day. (somebody remind me how long I’ve been reading this forum)
Thanks guys and thanks for the question, you have just saved me at least 3 mouse clicks per colonizer.

[Greybeard]

No Gryphin, you must designate a planet after the "colonize" command for the population to be loaded. However, a trick I sometimes use is to "colonize" a planet that already has a colony. This will load population and move the colony ship to the designated planet. When it arrives, I get an "unable to colonize" message and know that I can give the ship new orders.

You can also change the orders of the ship while it's moving, but in turns after loading, and give it a new destination if you wish.

Greybeard