Ship size question/issue

from GalCiv2 Forums
Medium ships have 16 hp, large ships have 30hp. So it would be logical for the hull size of the large ships to be almost double, but it’s not. I’ve researched advanced miniaturization and the hull size of my medium ships is 57 and the hull size of my large ships is only 77. That’s only a 35% increase over the medium hull. Furthermore, weapons and defenses have a higher "space cost" for larger ships. For example, a laser IV has a space cost of 7 for a medium hull, but when I’m building a large hull, the laser IV has a space cost of 11. This makes no sense. A weapon should be the same size regardless of the ship hull size. (Or at least, the same relative size) The end result is that I can only fit a tiny bit more weapons and defenses on a large hull than a medium hull. Does this bug anyone else?
2,934 views 9 replies
Reply #1 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Different weapons techs scale differently. Missiles tend to start big and not increase in size, so large ships make better missile boats. I guess although is bothersome that one size class larger ships aren't a whole lot better than the smaller size class, it stops the situation where 1 tech advance makes a race suddenly way more powerful than another. Also armor hardly increases in size at all so its a lot easier to slip some on a large hull, further enhancing its survivability by making the 77hp go a lot farther.
Reply #2 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
the thing about sizes and weapons increases as time and difficulty level increases. When You opponents turn up with fleets including dreadnaughts with huge defences against you best weapon, like 200+, it is time to make peace QUICK and research another weapon tree as they will gradually kill off all your old ships.
If you are evil, it is pretty easy to upgrade all your old ships, if you are neutral it is easier to research that new tech, if you are good...like I am in my current game,,,,errr....errr.... just smoke a lot and hope then go and have another smoke to think a lot more
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Reply #3 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
It DOES bug me, for one. It has been mentioned many times that there are very few incentives to build large or huge hulls. It just doesn't pay off. *goes and mods the size modifier*
Reply #4 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I agree large is just not worth it although I do love to run 6 huge class in a fleet set them on auto attack and just watch the mayhem take place.
Reply #5 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Large is not worth it?? You kidding me?

In terms of hit point/cost, hull space/cost , Large punks medium.

Given a fixed logistic point ability, ditto hitpoint/logistic, hull space/ logistic.

Reply #6 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
If a large hull had twice the hitpoints of a medium hull, and held twice the weapons, it would be four times as strong as a medium hull. So I guess that's not what they wanted to do. It would be more than four times as strong if it survived battles where you would lose a medium hull, and it would be less than four times as strong if it died in one turn where medium hulls would die one each turn.
Reply #7 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Large is definately worthwhile. First of all the ships are sufficiently improved. Also the higher survivability that comes with more hitpoints helps a lot. If a race with large ships fights a race with medium ships having the same total attack/def/hitpoints as the large ships, the race with large ships can win relatively easily as their ships would be more likely to survive, and increase their hit points.

So yeah, having large ships helps a lot.

Although one should not "rush" to large hulls because it seems that weapons improvements are more valuable than hull size improvements in the begining of the game. So if you waste your time to get to large hulls early your enemeies may improve their weapons enough so that their medium hulled ships would destroy your large hulled ones.
Reply #8 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Chris_V nicked all the points I would have made, I agree with everything he said.

Large is better than medium but not twice as powerful. This is for game balance. Making large 2x medium would seriously over power the tech. Each increase in hull size is step up in power (20% - 40%) overall.
Reply #9 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
well, without taking balance into account
weapons increasing in size with ship size does not make much sense
BUT defences increasing in size with ship size does make sense !
after all there's more to protect ...