Starting designs

[ool]

Looking at the base and ship designs at the beginning of a new game I wonder at what is considered a valid design from a energy stand point.I see ships that have weaponry that requires energy output of 500 or 600 from the ships systems. yet the output in this "valid" design is 240. How can this be a valid design for a operational ship? Same story for starting base designs that start out woefully under powered. Am I missing something in my analysis or is this common regardless of race you choose?
They seem totally pointless designs. You can have all the weaponry in the world on a base or ship but if the energy output isn't there what is the point of all that weaponry?
Or as a newbie am I missing something in my interpretation of the design layout?

Example Haakonish Medium Star port

10 Graviton units use 40 energy each = 400
12 Epsilon torpedoes use 30 energy = 360
2 Tractor beams use 28 energy = 56
Total energy needed to run it all = 816

Base reactors produce 420. Obviously a major shot fall in energy requirement to actual available energy.

I picture during an attack a soldier standing holding a plug for his weapon asking, Where do I plug this in to get energy to work this sucker?"

So how can this be a valid/useful design to build?

[Bingeling]

I assume the energy use is per shot, as it does not add up to your numbers.

What is important to consider is the following from the classic start Haakonish medium spaceport:

Maximum weapon energy used per second: 195 (above the bottom table)
Shield recharge rate: 9,9

Required to operate all: 204.9

Compared to the green number, Excess Energy Output: 309.

It has over 100 energy to spare.

Pay attention to the energy collection at the top right, it is significant.

If we move to the starting haakonish Frigate "Kuantan" we need to consider movement as well.

Excess energy: 112

Max energy output: 18
Shield recharge: 12
Sprint: 45

75 needed, 112 provided, more than enough.

Additional early game consideration: Hyper speed 78 required for max speed, it has enough for that as well.

[ool]

Thanks. It clarifies things for me.

[jacozilla]

As my 2 cents i like to design for enough excess power to fire all weapons + sprint + shield regen + a whatever rounding i get by adding that last reactor which puts me at or above this number.

And yes. I realize in general ships dont sprint and fire weapons at same time, but i'm a fan of combat redudancy. i dont know how combat dmg to components are allocated - but on off chance that one or more of my reactors are hit before most my weapons are offline, i'd like to have excess power to keep firing all remaining weapons.

I dislike the thought that if my ship was exactly energy balanced with little net extra, the random first shot that does component dmg to a reactor first would have the bad luck of taking a good chunk of my unda,aged weapons effectively offline. Take your avg destroyer or light cruiser - you have maybe 3 hyperfusion reactors total for most weapon mixes put in. Without an extra reactor, the first dmg to knock out one reactor takes rougjly a third of your undamaged weapons offline.

I've no idea how to test that assumption, but on off chance component dmg is purely random roll for which component is hit, i prefer to design a little excess battle dmg redundancy for energy.

[ool]

You remind me of the Star Trek TV series where Star fleet ships have two back up systems for every primary system on the ship. Certainly what you said makes perfect sense to me. One reactor goes you are greatly reduced in your ability to fight your battle.

[Serenitis]

Most "stock" ship designs are underpowered and will need an extra generator adding to them.
Basic Gerax drive = 78 power usage for max speed.
Basic fisson gen = 60 power generated.

All the starting designs for frieghters, escorts, frigates and mining ships have a single generator so will have reduced speed unless you add more power yourself.
Even without considering weapons (which you should) all your starting designs should be updated with extra powerplants simply for the extra speed alone.

ORIGINAL: Bingeling
Pay attention to the energy collection at the top right, it is significant.

Not for ships it isn't.
Energy collection only works on stationary objects, and thus is irrelevant when determining the power loadout of ships which always move when in combat - except for deployed supply ships because they are special snowflakes.
(You will still want to have collectors on your ships though.)

Generally combat ships will want at least 2 reactors just to meet the power demand, one for the hyperdrive to ensure max speed, and two for the weapons and engines. A little redundancy doesn't hurt either.
Civilian ships will want the smallest number of reactors they can fit while still achieving max speed. Early game this will be 2.

[jacozilla]

ORIGINAL: Serenitis

Most "stock" ship designs are underpowered and will need an extra generator adding to them.
Basic Gerax drive = 78 power usage for max speed.
Basic fisson gen = 60 power generated.

All the starting designs for frieghters, escorts, frigates and mining ships have a single generator so will have reduced speed unless you add more power yourself.
Even without considering weapons (which you should) all your starting designs should be updated with extra powerplants simply for the extra speed alone.

ORIGINAL: Bingeling
Pay attention to the energy collection at the top right, it is significant.

Not for ships it isn't.
Energy collection only works on stationary objects, and thus is irrelevant when determining the power loadout of ships which always move when in combat - except for deployed supply ships because they are special snowflakes.
(You will still want to have collectors on your ships though.)

Generally combat ships will want at least 2 reactors just to meet the power demand, one for the hyperdrive to ensure max speed, and two for the weapons and engines. A little redundancy doesn't hurt either.
Civilian ships will want the smallest number of reactors they can fit while still achieving max speed. Early game this will be 2.

True, all ships move - to some extent - when in combat. Although at standoff mode many will move, stop, then shoot, but i agree i would design for nor count on the collector energy when in combat. Where this does help though is combat dmg. Even with reactor shot out (or offline till repair bot can repair), an extra collector can keep weapons or some of them firing while ship fires from standoff.

Out of combat howvever, only escort and frigates classes are always generally on the move - DD, CA and up often have 'wait at' or protect planet/station missions which keep them stationary for long periods.

You noted above ships should always have collectors so this isnt disagreement or anything - just further expansion that collectors are useful on all ships, but especially useful on DD class and higher due to the frequent immobile missions they do when automated.

[Serenitis]

^^

Always put collectors on your ships.
Never count collectors when figuring out your energy loading.