Frequently Asked Questions for Newbies

[DirectorTsaarx]

Originally posted by Stone Mill:
Thanks guys,

I guess I still need to do some testing/tinkering. I'm looking for definitive guidance on retrofitting over space yards. Indeed, as the good Director stated, (Simultaneous games), If multiple ships can be retrofit, is the limitation that they must be of the same class, and must they retrofit to the same type?
In the past, I used to get a prohibitive message when I tried multiple retrofits, so I gave up on it.

I don't generally play simultaneous, so I can't answer this question definitively; one of the PBW veterans could probably give a detailed answer.

Originally posted by Stone Mill:
As far as refitting, what I was trying to state is that if you capture/insurrect or are gifted a ship with special tech, (let's say the talisman), you can't refit the ship with new components, or you will lose the special tech. You will have to create a new design to retrofit the ship to-
and because you don't own the talisman, you can't create a design with it.
Therefore, if you try to retrofit a ship with special tech you don't own, you will not be able to select the special components when creating the new design, so you will lose them.
True, you can do what you want with the ship, but if you decide to refit it, you will not be able to keep the special tech components.
Am I incorrect?

That's exactly right; your original post didn't convey that to me, but maybe I just read it wrong.

[capnq]

I've been wondering whether it would be worthwhile to compile a FAQ about the things that are different in simultaneous games.

[Quikngruvn]

Originally posted by Stone Mill:
...I'm looking for definitive guidance on retrofitting over space yards. Indeed, as the good Director stated, (Simultaneous games), If multiple ships can be retrofit, is the limitation that they must be of the same class, and must they retrofit to the same type?

The only limitation I've seen with retrofitting in simultaneous is that you have enough resources to cover the retrofit. Number of space yards doesn't seem to matter. Example: in one PBW game, a couple of turns ago, I retrofit a dozen ships over a planet with just a spaceyard facility and a base space yard. Several different types at once as well. But, I had to select each different class of ship to retrofit separately. I've also heard anecdotes of players retrofitting their entire fleet at once (sometimes at a very inopportune time!). Also...

1.4.9 Ships can't be retrofit while in a fleet (it caused problems in 1.49, and is not even possible in Gold).

More while I'm thinking about it (all are new unless otherwise noted)....

1.1.4.0 Research Stellar Manipulation to level 5 for Ringworlds (level 8 for Sphereworlds) and Base Construction to level 3.

1.3.6 [change] Umm... I believe a ship will resupply fully no matter how long it stays over a resupply depot, even for touch-and-go. The ship only looks 'nearly-resupplied' since it spent supplies between the depot and its Last position.

For example, consider a speed 7 ship with six engines is five sectors away from a resupply depot. If the ship is ordered to move straight for the depot and then move as far as it can beyond that, at the end of the month, it will have full supplies minus the supplies it spent to go the two sectors beyond the depot. In this case, it would be (2 sectors x 6 engines x 10 supply per engine per sector) = 120 supply points below full when it stops moving.

1.4.2.1 The game chooses a ship in a sector to repair based on which ship has the highest-priority component broken, and then this ship will be repaired as much as it can. Example: say your repair priority list starts Vehicle Control (top priority), Engines, and Weapons. Say you also have two ships damaged in one sector. The first ship has only its bridge, a shield, and a piece of armor broken. The second ship has everything damaged EXCEPT its bridge, crew quarters, and life support (and does not have an Aux Con). Since the first ship has the a top priority Vehicle Control component damaged (the bridge), while the second ship has no Vehicle Control components damages, the first ship will be repaired as much as possible. Each turn the game re-determines which ship will be repaired (so that a ship that is repaired one turn may not be repaired the next turn).

1.4.2.2 If a ship is fully repaired, any excess repair ability in a sector will be carried over to other damaged ships in the sector. In this case, the game will pick the next-highest priority ship as above, then repair it as much as it can. This process repeats till either all ships are repaired or the repair facilities/components have repaired as much as they can in a turn.

1.4.2.3 Multiple repair bays will work on a single ship or base. Three repair bays fit perfectly on a Space Station. If they are Repair Bays 3, that's 24 components repaired per turn right there (with very low maintenance), which can make for speedy retrofits. Multiple repair bays on dedicated repair ships can greatly increase the lifespan of fleets at the front lines.

1.4.6 [change] Engines that are retrofit to a different engine type lose all supplies, unless they also have Supply Storage components. Ensure you retrofit engines over a resupply depot.

2.4.2 [change] In the post-1.67 patch, Ionic Dispersers, which destroy engines, will not skip shields.

That's as much as I can concentrate on now. Take it or leave it....

[edit] The grammar police strike again.... [/edit]
[2d edit] And English is my first language.... [/2d edit]

Quikngruvn

[ August 02, 2002, 05:26: Message edited by: Quikngruvn ]

[DirectorTsaarx]

First, Quikngruvn, good work on most of your inputs. I only disagree on one point:

Originally posted by Quikngruvn:
1.3.6 [change] Umm... I believe a ship will resupply fully no matter how long it stays over a resupply depot, even for touch-and-go. The ship only looks 'nearly-resupplied' since it spent supplies between the depot and its Last position.

For example, consider a speed 7 ship with six engines is five sectors away from a resupply depot. If the ship is ordered to move straight for the depot and then move as far as it can beyond that, at the end of the month, it will have full supplies minus the supplies it spent to go the two sectors beyond the depot. In this case, it would be (2 sectors x 6 engines x 10 supply per engine per sector) = 120 supply points below full when it stops moving.

If your ship ends its movement over a planet with a resupply depot, the display will show you have full supplies MINUS one sector's worth of movement. I haven't tried moving one sector beyond the resupply depot, so I don't know if "touch and go" provides a workaround...

[Ruatha]

Does this mean any change to 1.3.6?

[Stone Mill]

CONSTRUCTION

1.2.7 Happiness effects construction rates; the happier, the better rate:
Mood Riot Modifier := 0
Mood Angry Modifier := 80
Mood Unhappy Modifier := 90
Mood Indifferent Modifier := 100
Mood Happy Modifier := 110
Mood Jubilant Modifier := 120

1.2.7.1 Rioting Planets do not construct anything, as the construction queue will display "Never." To resolve Rioting:
a. Station a fleet in that system. Better yet, park it over a specific planet that you want to improve.
b. Build troops in the system. Building troops on a planet also increases happiness for that particular planet. Tip: Amount of troops count, not quality, so you can design cheap troops with minimal components.
c. System happiness facilities, such as the Urban Pacification Center (I, II, II) or special tech facilities/shrines increase hapiness. The effects of these facilities seem to be very gradual, requiring several turns.
d. Winning battles improves population confidence and improves happinness, especially in the system in which the battle occurs.

1.2.8 Population effects construction rates; the higher population, the better bonus to production.

1.2.9 Space Yards improve production. You are allowed only one space yard per planet. Invest research in better Space Yard Technology (I,II,III) to increase construction rate. Note: (Special Tech) Temporal Space Yards have better rates. Unfortunately, you must first scrap your standard Space Yard in order to build them.

[Suicide Junkie]

TIPS
****
SETTING UP A GAME
==================
4.1.2.
Choosing an uncommon atmosphere type such as Methane or Carbon Dioxide is a good idea, since you will face less competition for breathable planets.

4.2.7.
Friget should be spelled Frigate.

[ August 06, 2002, 18:33: Message edited by: Suicide Junkie ]