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Energy Collectors Question - 1/4/2011 7:52:57 PM   
gmot


Posts: 123
Joined: 11/22/2010
Status: offline 		Is there a need for more than 1 energy collector on a ship? If so, what's the rule of thumb?
Post #: 1
RE: Energy Collectors Question - 1/4/2011 8:03:08 PM   
J HG T


Posts: 1093
Joined: 5/14/2010
From: Kiadia Prime
Status: offline 		This was covered in some other thread. It's easy to check in the ship design screen. Just look at the top right corner of the design screen and there should be numbers for both static energy usage and production of that ship. After checking these numbers just add energy collectors if needed.

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(in reply to gmot)
Post #: 2
RE: Energy Collectors Question - 1/4/2011 10:16:45 PM   
Data


Posts: 3909
Joined: 1/3/2011
Status: offline 		Most of the time, untill late middle game, one collector is enough - even more so if you keep upgrading them to the latest version.
In the late game I've found that static energy tends to be greater than the collector's capability but even then I don't put more than one as the fuel consumption to cover the rest of the static energy requirement is low enough.....and I really want my designs to be as fast and agile as possible (no extra space used).

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Post #: 3
RE: Energy Collectors Question - 1/4/2011 11:30:52 PM   
gmot


Posts: 123
Joined: 11/22/2010
Status: offline 		Thanks for the answers - thought I'd seen this discussed recently but couldn't find the thread (not that I tried very hard...). I've been only using one collector up to now and it seems to be working out okay, but was wondering if I was missing something.

(in reply to Data)
Post #: 4
RE: Energy Collectors Question - 1/5/2011 10:05:52 AM   
sbach2o

 

Posts: 378
Joined: 3/26/2010
Status: offline 		My policies about energy collectors are as follows:

* I never have collectors on standard warships. In a fight they are dead weight and I try to keep my ships effective for combat. I'd rather fill my ships with weapons/propulsion/combat support than use a collector.
* Ship designs that typically spend much of their time put during work get enough collectors to (hopefully) cover their static energy use. These designs are constructors and mining ships.
* Freighters are supposed to be always moving around. In practice they do it most of the time at least. Putting collectors on these is a waste.
* All bases get lots of collectors. I shoot for an energy output that would nominally be enough to cover the energy drain in combat.
* I leave collectors on resupply bases, but I am not sure how sensible this is. Well, this is a theoretical deliberation. I've never made much use of resupply bases.

But how much collector output do I need? I have no idea. The official word about their effectiveness is too wishy washy to be much use. The consequence is that in addition to collectors I am using enough standard reactor power on every base to completely or at least almost completely cover the highest possible energy drain in combat. (How high can that drain become with shield rechargers? I haven't seen those yet in action.)

(in reply to gmot)
Post #: 5
RE: Energy Collectors Question - 1/5/2011 11:07:17 AM   
Data


Posts: 3909
Joined: 1/3/2011
Status: offline 		one thing to keep in mind about collectors on freighters or about components on private sector ships in general
they increse the cost of the ship, therefore providing you more credits at spaceports when they are ordered by the private sector -> good for you
they also increase the maintenance cost so it's another drain on the private sector but if you don'd go overboard with this you can still profit from it and keep a healthy private sector

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...Igniting stellar cores....Recharging reactors...Recalibrating hyperdrives....

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Post #: 6
RE: Energy Collectors Question - 1/5/2011 11:46:13 PM   
Shark7


Posts: 7937
Joined: 7/24/2007
From: The Big Nowhere
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: sbach2o

My policies about energy collectors are as follows:

* I never have collectors on standard warships. In a fight they are dead weight and I try to keep my ships effective for combat. I'd rather fill my ships with weapons/propulsion/combat support than use a collector.
* Ship designs that typically spend much of their time put during work get enough collectors to (hopefully) cover their static energy use. These designs are constructors and mining ships.
* Freighters are supposed to be always moving around. In practice they do it most of the time at least. Putting collectors on these is a waste.
* All bases get lots of collectors. I shoot for an energy output that would nominally be enough to cover the energy drain in combat.
* I leave collectors on resupply bases, but I am not sure how sensible this is. Well, this is a theoretical deliberation. I've never made much use of resupply bases.

But how much collector output do I need? I have no idea. The official word about their effectiveness is too wishy washy to be much use. The consequence is that in addition to collectors I am using enough standard reactor power on every base to completely or at least almost completely cover the highest possible energy drain in combat. (How high can that drain become with shield rechargers? I haven't seen those yet in action.)


Collectors may be dead weight in a fight, but during the build-up to the battle while you are assembling the fleet, they allow ships to sit idle without burning precious fuel while they wait on the others to form up. They have their uses for sure.

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Post #: 7
RE: Energy Collectors Question - 1/6/2011 9:46:22 AM   
sbach2o

 

Posts: 378
Joined: 3/26/2010
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Shark7

quote:

ORIGINAL: sbach2o

* I never have collectors on standard warships. In a fight they are dead weight and I try to keep my ships effective for combat. I'd rather fill my ships with


Collectors may be dead weight in a fight, but during the build-up to the battle while you are assembling the fleet, they allow ships to sit idle without burning precious fuel while they wait on the others to form up. They have their uses for sure.


It is certainly possible to be caught with your pants down when you have a collector-less fleet sitting somewhere idle for a long time. Kicking collectors out of warships consequently means that my fleets need more attention. Apart from that it takes a collector a pretty long time to save a single fuel tank's worth of fuel even on larger ships. I'd rather have the extra fuel tank than a collector.

It *is* a trade off better suited to micro managers, though.

(in reply to Shark7)
Post #: 8
RE: Energy Collectors Question - 1/6/2011 5:17:28 PM   
Shark7


Posts: 7937
Joined: 7/24/2007
From: The Big Nowhere
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: sbach2o


quote:

ORIGINAL: Shark7

quote:

ORIGINAL: sbach2o

* I never have collectors on standard warships. In a fight they are dead weight and I try to keep my ships effective for combat. I'd rather fill my ships with


Collectors may be dead weight in a fight, but during the build-up to the battle while you are assembling the fleet, they allow ships to sit idle without burning precious fuel while they wait on the others to form up. They have their uses for sure.


It is certainly possible to be caught with your pants down when you have a collector-less fleet sitting somewhere idle for a long time. Kicking collectors out of warships consequently means that my fleets need more attention. Apart from that it takes a collector a pretty long time to save a single fuel tank's worth of fuel even on larger ships. I'd rather have the extra fuel tank than a collector.

It *is* a trade off better suited to micro managers, though.


The other night when I formed up 7 fleets for a rush on an enemy home system, I was glad for the collectors. Took a while for them to all get there, I'd have been forced to refuel at least a couple of fleets prior to the attack, and I'm not sure I'd have ever gotten them coordinated. I'll trade the fuel tank for the ability to more easily coordinate.

Like you say, more suited to micro-managers, rather than macro-managers like myself.

_____________________________

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'When in doubt...attack!'

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Post #: 9
RE: Energy Collectors Question - 1/6/2011 5:25:01 PM   
gmot


Posts: 123
Joined: 11/22/2010
Status: offline 		Played a bit now using energy collectors and find it more enjoyable than without. I'm not really a micro-manager. Or to put it more accurately, I only like to micro-manage what I like to, not what I don't like to. If that makes any sense. One reason I like DW so much.

(in reply to Shark7)
Post #: 10
RE: Energy Collectors Question - 1/6/2011 5:43:21 PM   
Data


Posts: 3909
Joined: 1/3/2011
Status: offline 		it makes sense and with DW even more so, this is one of it's strongpoints

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...Igniting stellar cores....Recharging reactors...Recalibrating hyperdrives....

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Post #: 11
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