Do you put bases or starports on all your colonies?

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Do you put bases or starports on all your colonies?

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All Forums >> [New Releases from Matrix Games] >> Distant Worlds 1 Series >> Do you put bases or starports on all your colonies?

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Do you put bases or starports on all your colonies? - 4/30/2010 9:37:38 PM

HsojVvad

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Well I have been putting in starports on all my colonies. I haven't put any defensive bases like the AI bugs me to do. I feel my starports are good enough to defend with. Should I be putting defensive bases as well? So far I see no need to.

After reading the galactopediea again, I get the feeling it wants you only to put in one starport per system. Well if I have 5 colonized planets in a system, I then have 5 starports. Again they are more for defensive bases and ship production capabilites.

I am wundering if I should only have one per system or not. What do you guys think? What do you guys do?

Post #: 1

RE: Do you put bases or starports on all your colonies? - 4/30/2010 10:19:07 PM

Bloodly

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Starports may grant happiness to your colonies via Medical facilities and Recreation. It would be problematic to maintain a ship on permanent station providing the same facilities, though it is technically possible. Planets move, ships don't stay with the planet, and a ship must be fully stopped to provide benefits from such to a planet.

Besides, starports provide docking bays for ships coming in for whatever purpose. Given there can be much traffic in and out, especially if a planet has valuable goods, it can be important to have them. Then of course there's the defence benefit.

On the whole, it's more useful than not.

(in reply to HsojVvad)

Post #: 2

RE: Do you put bases or starports on all your colonies? - 4/30/2010 10:24:10 PM

Interesting

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Yes. I put one starport per colony.

But not all starports are the same and not all are built at the same situation.

I will explain. There are some starports I make only after the colonies reach a certain ammount of population and I make them with less components, with the primary objective of getting the relation bonuses from medical centers and entertainment centers, while others I make with the objective of serving as big economic centers.

These bigger starports are made with the goal of building lots of stuff fast and having lots of space, serving as military assembly points as well... But not one at each system, more like one at each sector.

For long range scanners, use small ships and set a perimeter of them.

(in reply to HsojVvad)

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RE: Do you put bases or starports on all your colonies? - 4/30/2010 10:31:02 PM

HsojVvad

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@Interesting, when do you make your star ports? When it happiness gets low? How do you know when to build a star port for the med and rec facilities to make them more happy?

That is why I make them, to get the happiness bonus and defence. But why would the the galactopedia suuges to only have one though?

(in reply to Interesting)

Post #: 4

RE: Do you put bases or starports on all your colonies? - 5/1/2010 12:06:48 AM

jscott991

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I find that one starport per colony is an excellent way to go bankrupt in the later portions of the game.

Perhaps b4 has fixed that, but my experience so far suggests otherwise.

(in reply to HsojVvad)

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RE: Do you put bases or starports on all your colonies? - 5/1/2010 12:51:34 AM

lostsm

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Bloodly

Starports may grant happiness to your colonies via Medical facilities and Recreation. It would be problematic to maintain a ship on permanent station providing the same facilities, though it is technically possible. Planets move, ships don't stay with the planet, and a ship must be fully stopped to provide benefits from such to a planet.

Besides, starports provide docking bays for ships coming in for whatever purpose. Given there can be much traffic in and out, especially if a planet has valuable goods, it can be important to have them. Then of course there's the defence benefit.

On the whole, it's more useful than not.

are you saying that a ship with med/rec can extend the happy bonuses to a colony if it's stationary at a colony? because that would be much cheaper than a SSP

i think I've had ships stay at a planet by using the move to->planet command

edit: nevermind that, the ship stays in orbit but med/recreation doesn't extend to the colony

< Message edited by lostsm -- 5/1/2010 1:08:19 AM >

(in reply to Bloodly)

Post #: 6

RE: Do you put bases or starports on all your colonies? - 5/1/2010 1:49:50 AM

Fishman

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I have more gradations of starport than Small/Medium/Large. I have the "Tiny" starport, a variant of the Small starport that is basically a stripped down starport intended to provide only basic starport services at extremely low cost, and Huge starports, which are embiggened versions of Large starports.

(in reply to lostsm)

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RE: Do you put bases or starports on all your colonies? - 5/1/2010 3:46:31 AM

Jaimoe_MatrixForum

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I put one star port per star system. How many habitable planets are in the system determines how big I make the port. If there is one habitable planet I build a small, two I build a medium, more than two, a large. I also put a large port at star systems that serve as intersections. The rest of the planets get a "population support" base that is a stripped down small port with no plants, labs or shipyards. I got this idea from the last thread I read on this topic a couple/three weeks ago where this idea was mentioned(I'd give credit if I could remember who gave me the idea). You get no research or ship building capabilities, but you keep your population happy with a minimal maintenance expense.

And now that you can upgrade your star ports, I can build a small port in a system initially, and upgrade it to medium or large later on, if I become able to colonize other types of planets in the system.

< Message edited by Jaimoe -- 5/1/2010 4:28:59 PM >

(in reply to HsojVvad)

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RE: Do you put bases or starports on all your colonies? - 5/1/2010 4:32:51 AM

Astorax

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I put a redesigned SSP on every colony. Frontline planets might get a med/large as will superluxury planets.

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RE: Do you put bases or starports on all your colonies? - 5/1/2010 5:23:32 AM

Tyranicus

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I put starports on the largest planet in the systems. Planets that are 15k to 24.9k get small space ports. 25k to 29.9k get medium starports and 30k+ get large space ports

(in reply to Astorax)

Post #: 10

RE: Do you put bases or starports on all your colonies? - 5/1/2010 6:04:32 AM

lostsm

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extra tiny space ports with medical and recreation seems to be the trick. i thought in 1.04 anybase would work (i still play 103).. so it seems we still have to design SSP but at a bare minimum (manufact+shipyard)

(in reply to Tyranicus)

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RE: Do you put bases or starports on all your colonies? - 5/1/2010 6:51:08 AM

taltamir

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for some reason the AI would build 1, 2, 3 defensive bases and not a single small starport... I just completely eliminated the defensive base design... you start with a small starport, if need be go up to medium or large... a large starport can pack plenty of firepower and is sitting on top of the colony, no need for defensive bases... and I get the +20% happiness (which allows higher taxes) from the medical and recreation facilities.

_____________________________

I do not have a superman complex; for I am God, not Superman.

(in reply to lostsm)

Post #: 12

RE: Do you put bases or starports on all your colonies? - 5/1/2010 7:02:13 AM

Fishman

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Until the late game in which you come under heavy attack repeatedly at certain key worlds, building Defensive bases is absolutely and totally a waste of money. The AI's target selection AI has this habit of getting into a rut: I've noticed certain worlds, despite being massively defended, will be subjected to assault OVER AND OVER, while other worlds are completely and utterly ignored. I've seen the AI show up with what had to be hundreds of ships to assault a Gargantuan Space Port: A 5000-size spaceport with over 80K shields and 30K firepower. They got their asses handed to them in seconds, in part because two of the attacking forces were also hostile to each other and began exchanging gunfire with not only the space port, but each other. The spaceport failed to sustain any damage at all. This did not stop them from trying it again.

(in reply to taltamir)

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RE: Do you put bases or starports on all your colonies? - 5/1/2010 7:04:40 AM

taltamir

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Fishman

Until the late game in which you come under heavy attack repeatedly at certain key worlds, building Defensive bases is absolutely and totally a waste of money. The AI's target selection AI has this habit of getting into a rut: I've noticed certain worlds, despite being massively defended, will be subjected to assault OVER AND OVER, while other worlds are completely and utterly ignored. I've seen the AI show up with what had to be hundreds of ships to assault a Gargantuan Space Port: A 5000-size spaceport with over 80K shields and 30K firepower. They got their asses handed to them in seconds, in part because two of the attacking forces were also hostile to each other and began exchanging gunfire with not only the space port, but each other. The spaceport failed to sustain any damage at all. This did not stop them from trying it again.

There is still absolutely no reason to design a defensive base at this point... make a "mega port" with ridiculous amount of weapons and shields and armor etc on that planet... Ports have the advantage of sitting ON the planet while defensive basis are off to the side and often can't even reach the action.

Plus, you can use things like the devastator pulse on such a port... but frankly, those suck ass. I prefer more torpedoes to devastator pulse.

_____________________________

I do not have a superman complex; for I am God, not Superman.

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Post #: 14

RE: Do you put bases or starports on all your colonies? - 5/1/2010 7:10:41 AM

lostsm

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well torps are obviously OP, especially so on starbases. i can't say how many posts i've read in the past day on how torpedoes is the way to go to win against the AI

but missiles asides, it's gona be very hard for any AI to take out your custom built LSP. since there's no limit to their size you know

(in reply to taltamir)

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RE: Do you put bases or starports on all your colonies? - 5/1/2010 7:16:28 AM

Rustyallan

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Not building any defensive bases works fine...until the AI sends a fleet that distracts your ships and starport long enough to land troops. Watching that happen is how I learned you don't need to take out the port to take over the planet. And hey, it's a free port too!
That said, I still don't build the defense bases unless I see a real need. I'd prefer to have a more mobile ship or three.

I'm still adjusting my play, but have been building a small spaceport at every planet until I couldn't afford to anymore. I've been trying to steer clear of manually designing ships and bases, but that's a bust until we get more control over the design templates. I just went and created my first PS (Planetary Services) station. at 1/3 the cost of an AI-designed Spaceport. Of course tissue-paper and space-tape for a hull does help cut costs quite a bit. And it can be used in an emergency spitball ammo when attacked too!

(in reply to taltamir)

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RE: Do you put bases or starports on all your colonies? - 5/1/2010 7:46:12 AM

taltamir

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Rustyallan

Not building any defensive bases works fine...until the AI sends a fleet that distracts your ships and starport long enough to land troops. Watching that happen is how I learned you don't need to take out the port to take over the planet. And hey, it's a free port too!
That said, I still don't build the defense bases unless I see a real need. I'd prefer to have a more mobile ship or three.

I'm still adjusting my play, but have been building a small spaceport at every planet until I couldn't afford to anymore. I've been trying to steer clear of manually designing ships and bases, but that's a bust until we get more control over the design templates. I just went and created my first PS (Planetary Services) station. at 1/3 the cost of an AI-designed Spaceport. Of course tissue-paper and space-tape for a hull does help cut costs quite a bit. And it can be used in an emergency spitball ammo when attacked too!

The oppsite is true, your defensive bases are away from the planet, the starport on it and actually protects against such an invation. There is no maximum size for a starport.
Rather then having a star port with 20 torpedoes and 4 defensive bases with 20 torpedoes each, just put all 100 torpedoes on the starport.

_____________________________

I do not have a superman complex; for I am God, not Superman.

(in reply to Rustyallan)

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RE: Do you put bases or starports on all your colonies? - 5/1/2010 7:50:14 AM

HsojVvad

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Alot of you guys have a great ideas. I think I will try them. It even gave me an idea too. So instead of making starports with research bases and ship building capabilites, I think I will make a stripped down version my self. If I want some defence, I will just make a very small one and have a few lasers on them. This way I can call it my missle defence base or laser batteries. Never thought of it before.

Maybe I will have one base just for happines, and one for medical only as well. At least this way it will give me a feel that I am adding things to the colony instead of one super base with everything in it. I guess I will pay through the nose maintenance fees, but hey, got to try it at least once and see.

Again, thanks guys, great ideas.

(in reply to Rustyallan)

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RE: Do you put bases or starports on all your colonies? - 5/1/2010 12:44:28 PM

Rustyallan

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quote:

The oppsite is true, your defensive bases are away from the planet, the starport on it and actually protects against such an invation. There is no maximum size for a starport.
Rather then having a star port with 20 torpedoes and 4 defensive bases with 20 torpedoes each, just put all 100 torpedoes on the starport.

At the time I posted that, I was using auto-design only, which is easily bypassed. I watched it happen and then did so to the AI several times. I've changed a bit since reading this thread and plan to tweak my ports if I ever go to war.

(in reply to HsojVvad)

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RE: Do you put bases or starports on all your colonies? - 5/1/2010 1:04:11 PM

taltamir

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ah yes... certainly with auto design...

Davor, yes you can do quite a lot, and experiment... just remember that multiple bases will have you paying twice for things such as reactors. If you are willing to have a dozen different designs for starports, you could make several alternate designs with indicative names and upgrade planets to whatever design you think that planet specifically needs...

I am not willing to go through that much micro management though :), so I just accept inefficiency and over design them. planets most get a small space port with a best array of defenses and services... if they need more defenses OR more services or whatever else specifically... upgrade one size bigger.

_____________________________

I do not have a superman complex; for I am God, not Superman.

(in reply to Rustyallan)

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