Suggestion on Constructors

from GalCiv2 Forums
I'd like to offer up the observation that it seems very wasteful to have constructors be destroyed when upgrading a starbase. I mean, in addition to the constructor module, they are also a hull and have engines (at a bare minimum). These are very expensive to create, particularly the fast ones (13pc is my quickest one used in a large universe).

To give you an idea, it takes about 16-20 constructors to completely outfit (up to starbase Mark IV) a military starbase. I personally love to whip one of these out in a cluster right before attacking, but the cost is so huge.

It would really be nice if I could just come back to a planet for a retrofit and just add another constructor and not have to build from scratch each time.
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Reply #1 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Agreed. Let's have them lose their constructor module and have to go to a planet for another one, not lose the ship entirely. A military base can have as many as 61 modules, once you've researched all the weapons/starbase techs.
Reply #2 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Sounds like mm hades. Hard enough to keep up with all the ships now in a large game - I'd hate to have to try to remember which ones were headed back, needed refit, etc.

I have no problem with the way things are now.

But if a suggestion is called for, perhaps...

... you could have constructor 'supply routes' as an option. Very similair to trade routes - except that instead of a freighter, you'd dedicate a constructor to it. Setting up the supply route to the starbase would consume a ship much like it does a freighter. Btu instead of generating revenue, you would be asked how much you want to spend each turn towards upgrades. The more you spend, the faster upgrades appear. One route per planet/starbase - but planets could set up routes to multiple bases, and bases could accept routes from multiple planets. This way you would not have to worry about building constructors for each and every upgrade, you would set aside a certain percentage of the planets military budget for supply; 100% would not allow it to build any other ships and would give you the equivalent of a constructor every X weeks as it is now; smaller percentages would allow the building of ships; at 0% supply fleet units would be built at accelerated rates.

This is just a rough suggestion - more in the lines of throwing out an idea for discussion for future games; I would not expect to see it in GC2, nor do I think it is really needed.
Star Control: Origins
Reply #3 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
The reason they are destroyed when you use them *is* because they are expensive. Or rather, they want you to have to bare the cost of using them, and so force you to decide how many to make, where to use them etc.

It is part of the design to be that way.