Starbases need to be patched

There's a nice balance when one has to choose between building combat ships or building constructors. I like that they take a little time to rebuild, that the destruction of starbases means something... well, I like that they take game turns, but the management could be less time-consuming and repetitive. When a constructor is built, if I know where I'm sending it then everything works superbly--two right clicks and I'm on to the next ship. But calling up information ("Does this starbase have all the modules I want yet?", etc) to know where to send constructors gets old.

So I guess I'd vote for a UI but not a game mechanic change for this one.

Absolutely not. If I could use one constructor to build a fully functional starbase, I could turn the difficulty up to suicidal and, for once, get away without being beaten to a pulp. I like the system as is, although I agree the UI could be tweaked a bit.

Yes UI change to make it easier to pinpoint where you need to send your constructors would be more useful than going through all of your starbases to see if there are any empty module spaces to be upgraded...

An interesting alternative idea that I've heard mentioned occasionally would be to allow you to add more than one construction module to a ship, allowing you to build several modules at once, without loosing the basic gist of the game system.

Although I have yet to figure out rally points at ALL.... I'm pretty sure theres a way to have a shipyard set a waypoint for a specific starbase, then let it do its thing! periodically, the constructor would arrive on its own and ask if youd like to upgrade. When you see the base is as kitted out as you want or full, set the shipyard rally point to a new base.

While its not perfect, it would eliminate a lot of the micromanagement.

I agree with Marcathonas on this one. Don't need to be patched.

Perhaps add a command to Constructors...go to closest Starbase that has available modules. Then allow you to designate modules as undesired for building for both specific starbases and globally. Of course this designation would not be permenant. And specific always over rules global. I imagine under the civ manager a page for managing ships, and part of that page would be for Starbases and constructors...
On that page, would have a tab were it would list all possible (based on technologies) modules, each would have a check box next to it...if the check box is unchecked then the module is considered undesired and not considered for construction when auto sending a constructor.
Also on that page, on another tab would be a list of all the starbases and a list of all the constructors...the constructors would have their destiation (waypoint, resource, starbase, or empty space)...from there if you click on a starbase: A number appears next to each constructor, which is the distance between the constructor and the starbase. Second data on the starbase is shown, so you know which modules are built, where the starbase is, what modules are available to be built, and bonuses the starbase grants...
From the starbase information you can get a list to specify for that specific starbase which modules are undesirable for that specific starbase.
Interesting part comes when you get new modules and want to change the global settings (do they change the old starbases that previously couldn't build...)?

The starbase/constructor mechanics need looking at. One of the great things about GC 2 is the game zips along, in a couple of hours u can play 50+ turns, great for a great strategy game.

I would suggest building 1 constructor to build the starbase initially. Then have it act like a planet with tiles, but modules instead. U could have a new tab next to colonies labeled starbases. See at a glance your starbases. New modules would take money and time to build. This would keep game balance.

One further effect of this would be to speed the the computer thinking time up when u press turn end. The computer would not after move your constructors on automove (i have had a 20+ easy on the go). Also the AI races have loads moving about too, so that time is saved. Which means a little bit more time the AI can think about its strategy, thus improving the challenge of the game.

I think the easiest solution would be to allow for multiple contrcution modules on a ship. The build time would be greater, like building a fleet of construction ships. They can be intercepted, like a fleet of cobstruction ships. They would be expensive, like a fleet of construction ships. The only real difference is that instead of building a constructor every turn for 10 turns and sending the stack out to build something useful, you build an expensive multi-constructor every 5 turns and send the two of them out to do the same thing. It's just less hassle.

-Neb

NO, Sending constructors to the starbases is a good game balance, so that you have to choose, build a constructor, or build a fighter. Useing rally points for constructors makes it much easier to manage their movements.

I think it would be nice if I were able to pull up a screen that would list all of my starbases, what modules are installed and from that screen I could order constructors to go to my various starbases and build whatever modules I specifiy. I like the current system of one ship one module but having to handle manyyyyy constructors and mannnyyy starbases right now is time consuming and boring.

a starbase screen where i can tell idle constructors to build module X on starbase Y would be really great

Actually i now dis agree with my original post i think starbases should have a module that takes about five constructors to build. This module would then allow starbases to upgrade after numerous turns/weeks, just like building any other improvement. UNDERSTAND?

Out of all of that I would love to see an UI element that tells me how many modules available/installed (much like what you see when you double click) or at least an UI element that shows how many open slots on the starbase.

Also it would be nice to know how many constructors are en route to the starbase (mostly for realy big maps).

Lastly multiple constructors/colony modules/troop transport modules actualy having an effect would be nice but this is just a simple would be nice as apposed to I realy realy want.

The first 2 would be NICE the last one would just be neat...

They need to revise the waypoints system. They should have a tree of different choices. Ie one branch for all your planets, one branch for all eco starbases, another for mining starbases etc. Further there should be some info there in telling you how many of each module type can be added. (i personally don't bother adding military defenses)

Just telling open modules is silly. If you are installing all the defensive modules I think you're a fool. Any decent fleet will wipe out your starbase anyway, your money is better spent on mobile fleets that can protect your starbases.

thank god someone thinks that its stupid to have to build hundreds of construckors just to have a fully functional star base someone plz make a mod for this. i would i just suck at modding

Nope starbases are fine. If you don't like sending them manually then set up rally points. It's nothing to set a starbase up and then set a rally point for it. Have all planets building constructors you want to upgrade that starbase with use that rally point. And voila! all automated. When done move the rally point to another starbase or just delete it. I'm not sure what the upper limit is on rally points but I usually have a dozen or so.

a very simple addiditon would be to giv SBs floating icons, like planets. One icon would signify unbuilt modules (related to Battle) and a different Icon for Utility Modules.

Using rally points right now is very tedious and slow on larger maps. Sending all your constructors to one starbase is very in-efficient and slow. Granted it simplifies things, but if you want it done right, you still need to micro-manage each constructor, check each starbaase (is this one done), etc.

Further the current gov system won't let you say "all starports building constructors, send them here". You have to manually pick them out one by one and say goto constructors. Once you've done this, granted it sort of works. However it's a real pain once war starts, and now you want to build fighters and not send them off.

The problem with building modules locally instead of with constructors is that it would then take a lot of turns to get a fully equipped starbase. Currently you can set 7 planets to churn out constructors and send them to the same base, and build it quickly. Or, you can build a lot of constructors, then send them all at once to build a fully armed military base right in the middle of enemy territory. Can't do that when building on the starbase itself.

In addition, if you have a base in some remote place, and you have to send constructors through enemy territory to upgrade it, and your constructors are slow, it makes it more challenging to upgrade that base, as your constructors will get attacked.

On a side note, bases are in the middle of nowhere, out in space, so there are no raw materials at the base which you could use to construct the modules, you have to ship them in. Hence the constructors. Makes perfect sense.

How about when you look at your starbase and find it needing more constructors, have a button labelled 'Call X available closest constructors' where X is the number you can increase? Sure, you still need to go to each of your starbase, but you don't need to find constructors, send them, and keep tracks of how many you have sent.

The rally point is ok if you divide works between planets yourself. Meaning that you designate a group of planets to send constructors to one rally point, another group to another point. Then move rally points around. It's better than sending all constructors to one point, but still not as efficient as micromanaging though. And there's a potential that you can mistakenly send your warships away too when you switch from building constructors to building warships.

A screen to manage starbases would be nice, similar to colonies screens in F6.