Tips and Advice needed Part2

[TheSAguy]

Having a blast playing the game. The saving and loading is taking forever on large games! Hope the optimize that in future patches.

I have some game concepts that I’d like to understand better.

Bases:
What’s the point of research bases, since I just add labs to my initial space port?
I see that you might put a research base around at a research bonus location, but I read somewhere that only the highest bonus counts, so after you build some of the research wonders, your home base would be better. Also, you’d have your scientist at the location with the most labs, especially if he has more than one specialization and that would probably be your main base also.

What am I missing here?

I use defense bases on planets that don’t have a stat base, but at locations with start bases, even defense bases are obsolete.


Docking Bays:
Some of the default ship designs don’t have docking bays. I put at least one on every design I make.
Are there any designs that don’t need docking bays?
What designs should have multiple docking bays and what is the optimal quantity?


Docking – Planet vs. Star Base:
Once you have a star base at a planet, is the planet and start base basically the same in terms of civilian ships docking there? I think a planet has a certain amount of inbuilt docking bays. Let’s stay
10. So if I build a star base with 10 docking bays, does it mean the location has like 20 total, since it’s considered the same point?



Star Bases in general:
Why would you build a star base at a non-colony location? Is it just the size advantage?
When do you build star bases? I normally build a small star base around independent colonies I’ve conquered, but only a defense base at newly settled colonies. I read somewhere that too many star bases is bad for the AI management. Any advice here?

Thanks.

[Efaferal]

Bases and Research:

You are correct. The best way to build up research potential seems to be to design your home system starbase to have all the labs you need and stack everyone there. You don't get the research location bonuses but your home system never loses its base...

I design a research base with minimum labs to be built on the best bonus location of its type. Then move that appropriate scientists to this base in order to maximize the bonus. Last I checked the research bonus applies to the empire wide research so no need to over build these bases. If you have a decent scientist researching I would suggest a defensive fleet. This is a lot of investment for even a 20% bonus, but may be imnportant to a weak researching race.

Starbases in general:
- Don't build extra starbases. The AI appears to distribute your resources equally then demand the back in order to build stuff. Only add bases to increase build capacity or to build ships closer to the action. For refueling gas mines.

[Retreat1970]

I usually have 1 mega spaceport at home. That's it. I will put DB's with commerce centers around colonies. Just how I do it. I do not like multiple spaceports at all. Construction and storage gets all spread out. It can be a big hassle for me sometimes. By the time you may need another spaceport because your empire is quite large, the warp speeds make up for the distance required to travel. As I said, just my playstyle.

[Tcby]

The science wonders are the same as racial science bonuses, or the ultra genius trait : they give you a bonus on top of what you are already getting, separate to the location bonuses. So if you want to maximise your bonuses you should have labs at the best locations as well. As mentioned above, locational bonuses are applied empire wide, so your research station design is better served with a single lab of each type, plenty of defenses, and the rest of your labs at your home base.

[johanwanderer]

Bases:
What’s the point of research bases, since I just add labs to my initial space port?
I see that you might put a research base around at a research bonus location, but I read somewhere that only the highest bonus counts, so after you build some of the research wonders, your home base would be better. Also, you’d have your scientist at the location with the most labs, especially if he has more than one specialization and that would probably be your main base also.

What am I missing here?

I use defense bases on planets that don’t have a stat base, but at locations with start bases, even defense bases are obsolete.

Research difficulty scales with game difficulty, so the more difficult the game settings, the more you may find yourself behind in techs. In that case, having a far-flung station that adds 50% to your research could make a difference. Like Tcby said, make those stations less research-y and more defensive. That may buy you enough time to get a fleet there to defend it.

Personally, I don't think defense bases will ever be obsolete. They excel in providing shields and firepowers to whatever they happen to defend. Any single base is no match for a good fleet, and when that fleet with 20K firepower bears down on you, you would like to have multiple defense bases around your vital structure.

Docking Bays:
Some of the default ship designs don’t have docking bays. I put at least one on every design I make.
Are there any designs that don’t need docking bays?
What designs should have multiple docking bays and what is the optimal quantity?

How many ships would you like to dock with said object concurrently? If it were a ship (all but resupply), it doesn't need a docking bay. The more bays a station has, the faster it can transfer cargo and refuel ships. Anytime you go to your home system and there are 200 ships trying to refuel, you could probably use a few more docking bays The current templates has 36 bays for a large spaceport. I think that's a nice number. I go with multiple-of-5 myself, but that's just because I'm lazy.

Docking – Planet vs. Star Base:
Once you have a star base at a planet, is the planet and start base basically the same in terms of civilian ships docking there? I think a planet has a certain amount of inbuilt docking bays. Let’s stay
10. So if I build a star base with 10 docking bays, does it mean the location has like 20 total, since it’s considered the same point?

The planet has 1 docking bay. I have had planets that have 500+ ships (mostly freighters) waiting to dock. It's quite a sight to see. So, a little spaceport with just a few docking bays would tremendously speed up docking there. I generally like to have a spaceport on each planet, even though lots of people here would disagree with that approach.

Star Bases in general:
Why would you build a star base at a non-colony location? Is it just the size advantage?
When do you build star bases? I normally build a small star base around independent colonies I’ve conquered, but only a defense base at newly settled colonies. I read somewhere that too many star bases is bad for the AI management. Any advice here?

We are talking about two kind of stations here, starbase and spaceport. You can only build spaceport at your colonies, and you can build starbases anywhere. At a colony, there is no limit to the station's size, so you can have as big a structure as you like. When not at a colony, a station can only be up to the size that your construction technology allows. The "starbase" station role doesn't have any specific requirements, thus allowing you to design them to do whatever you need them to. All other station roles (sans defense) have their specific requirements.

As far as number of spaceports go, I like to have them at every colony. Others like to have just one per system. I recommend you build them where you think you need (or like) them. By the time you have enough colonies to worry about resource distribution logistics, I think it becomes less of an issue anyway. Then again, I have not won any Extreme / Chaotic / Crazy Pirates setting games yet, so take that with a grain (or bucket) of salt. It is conceivable that having just the right distribution of spaceports may win or lose games.

[feelotraveller]

ORIGINAL: TheSAguy

Docking – Planet vs. Star Base:
Once you have a star base at a planet, is the planet and start base basically the same in terms of civilian ships docking there? I think a planet has a certain amount of inbuilt docking bays. Let’s stay
10. So if I build a star base with 10 docking bays, does it mean the location has like 20 total, since it’s considered the same point?

Planets [edit: when inhabited...] come, currently, with 20 docks (but only one construction yard...). A base built at that planet will add additional docks which can access the same storage space.

But they are not quite the same point. For example, passenger ships will only collect passengers from the planet docks and not the base docks, or again, construction ships will only load resources for building bases from spaceport docks and not the planet docks.

But freighters can use either to collect or deliver resources. They prefer to use the base docks when they can - I've heard it claimed that it takes longer to get 'down' to the planet than to the base, and this seems to equate with my seat of the pants experience, but I have never 'timed' it - but will overflow to the planet docks if the base is too busy. I thinks some of the oddness you see is that the freighters decide which set of docks they are going to dock at some time before they get there, like (maybe?) at the beginning of their journey.

In terms of gameplay I try to make sure that any ship that wants to can dock at my base. If there is a backlog I (usually) just quickly add a few more docks. It is quite possible that others do this differently.

[TheSAguy]

Thanks for the Feedback!

[Airpower]

I use star bases in three roles. There are others, but these are mine:

1) As a resource mining base: Put resource collectors, a docking bay, a commerce center, and cargo storage on a star base. You will be able to build an unlimited number of them on planets/gas clouds. Then build one ACTUAL mining or gas mining base on that same planet or cloud. As soon as it starts building, freighters will start harvesting resources from every base on that planet/cloud. This is a bit of an exploit that will let you multi-mine planets and such.

2) As a refueling depot: I find a hydrogen gas cloud near enemy territory and build 5-10 super cheap gas mining star bases with no weapons 10-20 docking bays and 8000 cargo. Then surround the cluster of bases with 3-4 defensive bases for protection. You can use this fortified location to refuel large numbers of fleets in a short period of time without over-taxing the stations. Make sure not to include a commerce center, so freighters don't come and steal your gas.

3) As a defensive base: You can treat a star base exactly like a defensive base and load it with weapons and shields. There's no bonus to using them this way... it's just possible.

[Retreat1970]

3) As a defensive base: You can treat a star base exactly like a defensive base and load it with weapons and shields. There's no bonus to using them this way... it's just possible.

I do this. I make size 100 or 110 Satellites (100 has 2 shield, 2 miss, 2maxo)(110 has 1 shield 1 fighterbay). Maint is cheap and they build quick. Anyone else do this?

[Keston]

I am tinkering with Monitors - the space equivalent of floating batteries and in game terms basically a defensive base-type ship with a hyperdrive and minimal engines that free room for firepower and defense, particularly long-range capabilities.It is meant to "anchor" at particular locations to defend them or to interdict an enemy-held location.

There are a number of questions on what modules might be useful/useless and energy budget and settings.

[johanwanderer]

ORIGINAL: Keston

I am tinkering with Monitors - the space equivalent of floating batteries and in game terms basically a defensive base-type ship with a hyperdrive and minimal engines that free room for firepower and defense, particularly long-range capabilities.It is meant to "anchor" at particular locations to defend them or to interdict an enemy-held location.

There are a number of questions on what modules might be useful/useless and energy budget and settings.

Wouldn't a resupply ship fill this role better? They're bigger than other ships, and only require some 30% of space to be used for resupply, leaving them twice as much room for weaponry as a capital ship.

As for useful modules, I vote for Gravity Well Generator and Reapir Bots (plural).

[Keston]

ORIGINAL: johanwanderer

Wouldn't a resupply ship fill this role better? They're bigger than other ships, and only require some 30% of space to be used for resupply, leaving them twice as much room for weaponry as a capital ship.

As for useful modules, I vote for Gravity Well Generator and Reapir Bots (plural).

Good point for the period when they hold a size advantage.

I've heavily augmented them only for front-line fleet collier duty.

On the modules, I don't recall whether shipboard commerce, medical and recreation are said to benefit a colony they orbit or not - if so, it would be a particularly handy bonus with a newly-held colony needing defense and without even a starter port. .

[scratchshc]

Medical and recreation do, I don't know about commerce. But yeah, I use a lightweight defense base design, including med and rec, for all new colonies.

[Keston]

ORIGINAL: scratchshc

Medical and recreation do, I don't know about commerce. But yeah, I use a lightweight defense base design, including med and rec, for all new colonies.

Has that been tested with a ship rather than a base? Which would allow more time for base building or substitute for a while in hazardous regions.

[scratchshc]

Apologies, I thought the post meant base, so no, I at least haven't tested it on a ship.

[DeadlyShoe]

AFAIK, only bases orbiting a colony will benefit a colony.

Note: Vessels carrying troops do benefit from medbays, as they heal any troops onboard.

[Keston]

Thanks, that is very useful info. So Monitors or Resupply Ships are the best I can do for a temp defensive base replacement.

There is so much knowledge on this game, but a lot out of date, and topics scroll down the pages rather than having their best parts preserved. Is there any active Universe wiki-type of site where these Universe details and advice are or could be stored?

[Keston]

If no Commerce means no merchants come by, do stockpiles simply accumulate on a planet without a base, or a base without Commerce?