you should check if your OS is running on US english language settings.....I remember to had a problem with ships too by running my OS on german.....switching to US english solved it

i'm in a similar position. have downloaded the galcivpedia (excellent piece of work) and ensured i have the corrct tech researched, but no additional core ships become available. i'm wondering if it's a problem overall with my copy, as i cannot get any updates downloaded as both this site and the stardock interface both refuse to recognise my original serial# and the new UK Collectors edition serial issued by this site. spoiling what is otherwise a superb game.

Check whether your ships are available in the .xml files, if they're not it shouldn't be a problem to post the core designs up for you to put into the xml folder. If they are there, and you definately have all the tech's, then post your specs, to see if the Dev's think it's machine related, because I don't have it. And 8 hp/12hp fighters on a planet on tough are normal. I've hardly ever seen a fregate defending a planet, they're too valuable to waste sitting there when they could be attacking. I for one never defend my planets with anything larger than one or two cruisers and some fighters

Please give a more detailed path to this xml folder. Where should it be? Maybe I dont have one in the first place.. There isnt a specific folder CALLED xml anywhere below the program directory. Maybe that is the problem .
If it is, begs the question, why don't I have that dir after 2 downloads and a reinstallation.

As far as those fighters are concerned, we dont need to go that far into details, the thing is AI doesnt build any other ships than these small ships and I doubt it is normal I run over their planets on tough level on my 3rd (failed) game when they are even more advanced than I am and thus theoretically capable of building better ships SOMEWHERE

Doesen't the AI create it's own ships just like us? Why should it care about core ships then? Core ships are just for newbs who want to start playing the game without using the designer.

The ship-data is in \Data\English\GC2Ships.xml The ships configs are in \Data\ShipCfg\ The missileboat is S0_SolarFox.shipcfg But I doubt that that is where the problem lies. Have you tried deleting the \Document and Settings\username\My Documents\My Games\GalCiv2 folder before reinstalling? You may also want to check the debug.err file for errors that might be related to your problem. I've also had cases where at the beginning I could simply walk all over the AI, but it quickly adapted and started researching and building bigger and badder ships.

Ship data file is just fine. Unless there should exist a FOLDER called xml, then everything seems to be in order. as far as these files are concerned.

Well, no I have not deleted any folders in 'My documents' folder. To be honest, I feel doing it, uninstalling the game, and REDOWNLOADING for the third time, and reinstalling, seems rather extreme considering I'm supposed to be the customer here.. I think the DEVS should take it from here unless someone comes up with quite a definitive solution

It seems to me that Missile Boats and Snipers are not available because you have not enough miniaturization. I tried to custom build those designs and wasn't able to fit the components they use in their hulls. And no, they aren't available for me either. I did get Cruisers once I researched Stinger IV, however.

STARDOCK! Why are you not responding in this thread, even with a small reply that you are looking into it???
Several people seem to have related problems describred in this thread, and I see you respond to all kind of minor annoyance reports!!!

What do you want them to respond to? From what I can figure you have two problems: 1 Some core designs do not show up 2 AI uses small ships 1 Designing your own is better 2 Yes it does.

LOL.. First, Only the intial core ships and star fury come up. That is totally different than saying SOME core ships don\t come up.
Second, even if it was better to design your own ships, are you seriously claiming that I am REQUIRED to do my own designs!!
Third, as I said in the first post, I can start posting screenshots and other BS if the developers dont beleive my word. So why not at least require me to do that if they dont take my word.
Fourth, they can keep on responding to tiny issues for all I care, but when someone says his game is unplayable , Ignoring that is plain bad business..

Second, even if it was better to design your own ships, are you seriously claiming that I am REQUIRED to do my own designs!!

If you want to effectively win at harder difficulties, ya.

I can't get the game to let me build ships I have the tech for, but the other civs build them and thus cream me. Thus I have a similar problem.

M

Second, even if it was better to design your own ships, are you seriously claiming that I am REQUIRED to do my own designs!!

Yes you are, there is no possible way to do it otherwise. There are very few core ships in this game. Just look at the tech tree, there are thousands of different paths you can take, and for almost every single advancement you could redesign a ship. The result is that there can be thousand different design possibilitys based on what path you take in the tech tree. You could possibly play the game for hours and hours and never unlock the correct combination to unlock a specific ship. I am really only recently beginning to realize the true scope of this, as on one game I built all custom ships and now playing the same race again I am not unlocking ships like I thought I would, all becuase I did something different.

I have to ask though, how long do you play before deciding there are no core ships? I have played this game got the defender within 30min, I have also played this game and not seen a defender after hours of playing. When I play I usually get the defender and star fury within a couple hours, then I will not see another ship for a very long time. When you cheat to get all tech and the core ships show up that tells me nothing is wrong and you are just not researching the correct tech. Keep in mind that the information you have telling you what tech you need to get certian ships may be incorrect. (I do not think minturization shows up as a requirement when it is)

As for the complaint about other civs only using lame ships. Yes I experienced this also (they always only had early lame ships) I played a few games on easier difficulty to get a feel for it. The AI never had a chance, I totally owned them from ships to tech to culture. Always ended up with culture/diplomatic victorys, heck even the Drengin were always kissing my A. Started a game on hard, I just fended off an assualt of over twelve fleets from drengin, these fleets had fighters\frigates\destroyers with different combos of shields and weapons. The only reason I survived was a couple of lucky rangers. When I last played the Yor had just declared on me and are on my door with fighters\frigate\destroyers and battleships, I cant build battleships yet! So crank up the difficulty and come back and tell me how weak they are.

You have to build your own ships, period. Not only that but if you play a second game with your pre-built ships you will still have to build more ships, unless of course you research the tech exactly the same way every time AND build the wonders and special buildings on your planets in exactly the same way.

The AI designs ships. It doesn't use the pre-made ships.

I see Cari spotted this but I'm not quite sure what is preventing you from designing your own ships. You don't see components?