Different designs

[Draakon]

Hey all. Very new to the game and I have a pit of a pickle here at the moment. I want to have 2 (or more) types of designs for my ships (and bases). For example, I have 2 designs for Cruisers. One for offense and part of my manually controlled main fleet and the other for defense for fleets that are automated and defending my empire. However, the problem is that whenever I upgrade one of the designs, the other cruisers of different design retrofit to that design as well. What am I doing wrong? My current theory is that whenever the popup for retrofitting everything after I have gotten a new component is at fault here.

[StarLab]

ORIGINAL: Draakon

Hey all. Very new to the game and I have a pit of a pickle here at the moment. I want to have 2 (or more) types of designs for my ships (and bases). For example, I have 2 designs for Cruisers. One for offense and part of my manually controlled main fleet and the other for defense for fleets that are automated and defending my empire. However, the problem is that whenever I upgrade one of the designs, the other cruisers of different design retrofit to that design as well. What am I doing wrong? My current theory is that whenever the popup for retrofitting everything after I have gotten a new component is at fault here.

It can be tricky to manage more than one design of a ship class. When looking at the designs screen (see below), you can specify whether a design is manually retrofitted or automatic (just click in that column to change). Set any designs you don't want auto-retrofitted to manual. Depending on your level of automation, you may have to set the upgrade column to manual as well to get the design to stick.

HTH

[Draakon]

:/ Guess I have to micro a bit more then. Hopefully, either Universe or DW2 will add more fleet/ship management options, like Stardrive has.

[StarLab]

ORIGINAL: Draakon

:/ Guess I have to micro a bit more then. Hopefully, either Universe or DW2 will add more fleet/ship management options, like Stardrive has.

I micromanage everything in this game. It was just a natural progression over 6 months of playing (I'm a control freak! lol).

[ASHBERY76]

ORIGINAL: Draakon

:/ Guess I have to micro a bit more then. Hopefully, either Universe or DW2 will add more fleet/ship management options, like Stardrive has.

The fleet requisition system that game used would save me about a great deal of time if it was in DW.The amount of time wasted with organising fleets in DW a pain.

[FarAway Sooner]

ORIGINAL: StarLab

ORIGINAL: Draakon

Hey all. Very new to the game and I have a pit of a pickle here at the moment. I want to have 2 (or more) types of designs for my ships (and bases). For example, I have 2 designs for Cruisers. One for offense and part of my manually controlled main fleet and the other for defense for fleets that are automated and defending my empire. However, the problem is that whenever I upgrade one of the designs, the other cruisers of different design retrofit to that design as well. What am I doing wrong? My current theory is that whenever the popup for retrofitting everything after I have gotten a new component is at fault here.

It can be tricky to manage more than one design of a ship class. When looking at the designs screen (see below), you can specify whether a design is manually retrofitted or automatic (just click in that column to change). Set any designs you don't want auto-retrofitted to manual. Depending on your level of automation, you may have to set the upgrade column to manual as well to get the design to stick.

HTH

If I'm not mistaken, if you have your automation options set to "Suggest Retrofits" and you click "Yes", the game will often (always?) upgrade both types even when one is set to "Manual" for both "Upgrade" and "Retrofit".

I run into this problem with a Small Starbase, because the home world Starbase I use is very heavily customized. I also run into this problem whenever I'm creating Research Labs that aren't mono-tech (e.g., I want 3 Weapons Labs and 3 Hi-Tech Labs on the same Research Station, to take advantage of a particular scientist's skill in both fields).

I'm hoping that there's a menu setting I'm missing somewhere, as I like dabbling in Ship Design but I'm finding that manually designing all my ships is getting a bit tiresome every time I get a cool new tech.

[Keston]

USE "OBSOLETE" TO KEEP CONTROL: The simplest way is to create specialist designs and immediately obsolete them in the right design form column after ordering the number you want and before unpausing. AI won't use obsolete designs. No retrofit will occur except when you go and unobsolete them and either order builds and individual retrofits or let the AI pick them as purchase options or for refit.

The way I use this, Explorer spy (scanner) ships, pinning (hyperdeny/tractor) destroyers, fast command cruisers, monitors, special super-fortified mining stations or bases, missile boats, assault (dual role) transports, etc. all may spend time in "obsolete" status while the standard fighting ships are left non-obsolete for periodic builds, unless they are lagging behind enough to discontinue orders but design/build of better versions is premature (e.g., waiting for an important upgrade).

RETROFIT STRATEGY AND DESIGN CYCLES: Some people say YES to all retrofit suggestions or auto-retrofit, but it costs time and money and doesn't feel right to me to appropriate the funds and stand down warships unless the improvements are worth the time, money and resources at that time. Some ships don't need upgrades to continue to serve their purpose effectively.

Often it seems reasonable to wait for peace or a new component before rolling out a new design. For an empire well under way a wave of fresh designs might roll out every 2 to 4 years after a research or military stimulus, with a lot of following rolling retrofits - unless at peace. when it is safe to send whole fleets to the space docks.

Incremental redesign for new purchases of a ship type can be more often as a new "mark". I use design year or function codes in ship names for easy recognition and since there is no "notes" field for designs to explain their purpose.

It might be interesting to open a "ship function" topic just to discuss different concepts that people use.

[Efaferal]

I stop using the auto retrofit after about 10 game years because it will totally knee cap your military when a significant upgrade is available causing a whole class of star ship to head home and jump in the ship yard conga line. ( I stopped because I once reached a point where I had 126 ships at the home star base 'waiting' to retrofit when the bugs decided to start raiding my frontier planets. ) In short if you have differing special role ships of the same class then turn off the auto retrofit for that class.

Elliot has been making constant improvements for some time, hopefully he will add consideration for multiple builds of each class when the AI upgrades.
-E

[FarAway Sooner]

Thanks, Keston, the "Obsolete" functionality isn't something I've played with yet!