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Help with deep space bases needed - 2/11/2011 5:08:18 PM

feygan

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Ok so I have a game with clusters setup, since the trip between currently exhausts most ships fuel tanks I wanted to build a refuelling stop. There are no gas clouds nearby so i'm left with only deep space.

I built a starbase (wouldn't let me choose starport as there was no planet) which has lots of docking bays, fuel tanks,cargo bays. The constructor builds it fine and it gets fuel from the transports so its up and running fine. However no ships ever dock at the thing, instead bypassing it and running out of fuel each trip.

Do these bases get ignored or something? And is there any real way to setup such a refuel base in deep space?

Post #: 1

RE: Help with deep space bases needed - 2/11/2011 6:18:36 PM

Data

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Try with a spaceport instead. I'm not sure about this but I think the games has an affinity mechanism with the military sticking to the star bases and the civ ships with the spaceports.

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Post #: 2

RE: Help with deep space bases needed - 2/11/2011 7:03:25 PM

feygan

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Data

Try with a spaceport instead. I'm not sure about this but I think the games has an affinity mechanism with the military sticking to the star bases and the civ ships with the spaceports.

When you right click to build with a contructor it doesn't allow spaceports, the only time it shows them is at a colony planet.

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Post #: 3

RE: Help with deep space bases needed - 2/11/2011 7:40:36 PM

Data

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I think you should play with the editor and place a spaceport through it, at least we should have confirmation that the civ ships use it if available. I did read the initial post more carefully now and see you could not build it, forgot they could not be built anywhere else.

This is indeed a problem, can you also try with a monitroing station or resort base? The design will be almost the same but at least the role of the base will be different (a civ role as opposed to the military one of the starbase), maybe we get something this way.

< Message edited by Data -- 2/11/2011 7:45:39 PM >

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Post #: 4

RE: Help with deep space bases needed - 2/11/2011 7:49:42 PM

feygan

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Might have to try with a monitoring station or such. The editor also doesn't allow you to place spaceports in open space, so you have to first spawn a star, then a planet, after that it lets you put a spaceport on the planet with or without colony. Sadly all of that though defeats the object of the refuel port idea.

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RE: Help with deep space bases needed - 2/11/2011 8:16:20 PM

Data

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yes, some improvments needed in this area
if in the end the editor is the only help left it would be best to just place a gas cloud and build a mining station there. But until that poin my money is on the monitoring station as well; it would be even stranger to put a resort in the middle of nowhere just to have a gas pump.

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RE: Help with deep space bases needed - 2/12/2011 3:36:59 AM

Kianykin

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I've found the only use i have for deep space starbase with construction yards is for repair since they never seem to get supplied with material to build ships

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Post #: 7

RE: Help with deep space bases needed - 2/12/2011 8:01:56 AM

Data

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Hi there Kianykin, welcome to the community. Indeed, this is a point in debate; I also observed this, that's why I tend not to use them.
But I think there are some of us who found a way to make it work....not sure if placing orders for ships will improve the freighters delivering goods to the station.
In the end, I guess it all depends on how far "deep space" is for each of our respective games.

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RE: Help with deep space bases needed - 2/14/2011 12:42:20 AM

ehsumrell1

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Just a curious question, does your deep 'starbase' design contain
a 'commerce' component? I've built deep spacebases not on gas clouds
that get supplied by both my private sector and independent freighters.

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RE: Help with deep space bases needed - 2/14/2011 1:11:08 AM

feygan

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quote:

ORIGINAL: ehsumrell1

Just a curious question, does your deep 'starbase' design contain
a 'commerce' component? I've built deep spacebases not on gas clouds
that get supplied by both my private sector and independent freighters.

That could well be the case, I never put those components on them as they weren't to be used on colony planets.

(in reply to ehsumrell1)

Post #: 10

RE: Help with deep space bases needed - 2/14/2011 2:03:45 AM

ehsumrell1

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It's my belief that a station/base needs that component to 'notify' the
private sector of its needs, whether at a colony, planet, gas cloud or
otherwise. Try it out and see if you start getting supplied.

Also, just FYI, remember that the station/base must also be within the
fuel range of the private sector freighters from their supplying spaceports.

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Post #: 11

RE: Help with deep space bases needed - 2/14/2011 2:50:29 AM

Kianykin

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Tried the commerce component on a deep starbase and it is getting supplied when I order it to build ships. Still can't use the base to refuel, because fuel still isn't getting stocked. Private sector only supplies starports with fuel

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Post #: 12

RE: Help with deep space bases needed - 2/14/2011 6:55:50 AM

Data

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two comments here

1) really like to commend ehsumrell1; indeed, the commerce component is more important in a broader sense
than we might think

2) it would be good if a ressuply ship could supply the fuel to this station. Atm it is only a passive ressuplier not an active one. Just as a test, if you build a ressuply ship and fill it's cargo holds and then order it to dock will it dump it's fuel into the stations cargo bays? Even so not really sure how can it be transfered to the fuel pods but we'll be one step closer.

We could simulate this behavior by using the editor but this would be tedious and not actual gameplay.

< Message edited by Data -- 2/14/2011 7:00:11 AM >

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Post #: 13

RE: Help with deep space bases needed - 2/14/2011 8:51:27 AM

Bingeling

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I have seen ships dock at defensive bases to fill up. Is this merely "the space port is empty, the gas mine is empty, lets steal what is left on the defensive base", or are the defensive bases actually supplied with fuel?

Could you use one as a refueling stop?

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Post #: 14

RE: Help with deep space bases needed - 2/14/2011 9:01:01 AM

Bingeling

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And could you put a commerce center on a resupply ship and have the private sector start to use it? But if you have a fuel source you can just build a gas mine, the privates will refuel at that one.

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RE: Help with deep space bases needed - 2/14/2011 9:27:46 AM

Data

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correct and also good questions, especially the one about commerce center on a resupply ship...don't know, we should test it and find out

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Post #: 16

RE: Help with deep space bases needed - 2/14/2011 9:39:51 AM

Bingeling

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I could have fun with the editor I guess. No opponents, no pirates, no distractions, nothing auto building, lots of possible colonies, limited range...

What is the desired scenario?

I guess:

2 colonies out of civilian fuel range of each other. What can you build in the middle to make traffic flow. Correct? Of course, resources only on one side.

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Post #: 17

RE: Help with deep space bases needed - 2/14/2011 10:38:07 AM

Data

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yap, sounds sound enough

< Message edited by Data -- 2/14/2011 11:54:54 AM >

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RE: Help with deep space bases needed - 2/14/2011 11:52:04 AM

Bingeling

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As far as I can see... As long as there is material on a space port, ships will pick them up and move to demand. But noone will deliver material at a space port. A planet far away receives caslon from freighters, and refuels them as far as it can.

Freighters do deliver out of their fuel reach.

I doubt there is a way to move fuel to a location without making that location a colony. And a planet far away is not very well stocked with fuel, especially if transports get out of fuel by transporting fuel there...

Star bases look utterly useless, and I don't even bother to try defensive bases. So basically. Build refuel ships, move them around, possibly fill them before going to have something in store, and use the military forces it supplies to catch colonies where you build space ports. In the early game hope for a source with only caslon, where you fill up your resupply ship...

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RE: Help with deep space bases needed - 2/14/2011 11:57:57 AM

Data

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there was something in the latest patches changelogs that should have addressed this, ie the fact that a ressuply ship should collect only fuel and not other gases

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Post #: 20

RE: Help with deep space bases needed - 2/14/2011 1:21:57 PM

Bingeling

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They grab hydrogen, even if you only have caslon ships :)

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RE: Help with deep space bases needed - 2/14/2011 1:22:50 PM

Data

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that sounds about right lol

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

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Post #: 22

RE: Help with deep space bases needed - 2/14/2011 1:57:54 PM

Bingeling

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I think armed mining bases are cheesy, and they are maintained by the civilians. Keeping a base far away from everything safe from pirates is hard, unless you put a permanent military presence there.

Making an armed star base that mines is an option that is more fair, it is maintained by the government, and not cheesy. Think of it as a proper mining outpost that knows it is located in the wild frontiers. A proper community.

A starting Quameno destroyer has 4 shields and 4 maxos blasters (and an energy collector, wise guys), giving it 20 firepower and 400 shields. It also has engines. Price is 2347 and maintenance is 873.

Their gas mining stations has 4 docking bays and 1 gas and 1 luxury resource extractors. 20 cargo and some supporting stuff including commerce center. Maintenance is 1004.

A star base with gas mining role has 5 shields and 6 maxos blasters, and thus outguns a destroyer. 20 cargo, 4 docking bays 2 gas extractors. No extra stuff like construction related equipment. Maintenance is 1163. Each cargo bay costs 22 to maintain, and you can save quite a bit by dropping this number.

It seems that no matter the amount of construction equipment on board, you can't retrofit your star base.

To me it seems like a good idea to make a special constructor for personal use. More fuel tanks, and maybe more shields and some guns to make it handle itself. Send it on long trips around the world to build gas mining star bases that your ships can use as refueling stops. For small fleets on long trips to bust pirates or whatever, nothing to supply that giant battle fleet on a nasty mission that runs anything dry, so no 10 docking bays.

I have finally verified that freighters will go on refuel trips to such a base if no alternatives are present. I would like to thank my giant fleet of cruisers of the "fuel hog" class, who did not at all mind being scrapped after having their 1100 size fuel tanks filled... Building a large space port at the second colony also helped, that is, building multiples after scrapping them when half built. I would give special thanks to the Kiadian people that did not sack my incompetent ass during this experiment.

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Post #: 23

RE: Help with deep space bases needed - 2/14/2011 2:19:42 PM

Data

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yet