Zero Ship Support, how to do?

[Saxon]

Howdy,

The idea of not having to pay upkeep for my ships is very attractive. The problem is that I can not figure out how to get the figure to zero.

I took the 25% maintenance bonus, then jacked up the maintenance trait up to 150%, but I still pay, at least a bit. Can someone fill me in on the little detail I am missing?

Thanks

[Lemmy]

don't you have to get te maintenance trait down to 25% ? http://www.shrapnelgames.com/ubb/images/icons/confused.gif



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Q: When he went, had you gone and had she, if she wanted to and were able, for the time being excluding all the restraints on her not to go, gone also, would he have brought you, meaning you and she, with him to the station?

A: Objection. That question should be taken out and shot.

[rdouglass]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Saxon:
Howdy,

The idea of not having to pay upkeep for my ships is very attractive. The problem is that I can not figure out how to get the figure to zero.

I took the 25% maintenance bonus, then jacked up the maintenance trait up to 150%, but I still pay, at least a bit. Can someone fill me in on the little detail I am missing?

Thanks<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I think you need the Engineers setting at game setup....

[Nitram Draw]

The most you can reduce your maintenance characteristic in an unmodded game is by 20%, down to 5% maintenance. The Last 5% must be done by choosing the Engineer culture, as pointed out.
You reduce maintenance by increasing your maintenance toward 120%. Weird huh go up to go down!

[Saxon]

So the term “zero maintenance” is a misleading one in the regular game? That is good to know, I was feeling pretty stupid, but I only missed the engineer part. I generally choose artisans, as you can then take 10 points off happiness and end up neutral. Everyone else seems to get fewer points, but I have to review that, as different attributes cost different amounts to raise.

Thanks for the quick answers!

[Taqwus]

And, if you're in a PBEM, be prepared for war as soon as the other players notice that you've created a monster. ;-) They probably don't want to face wave after wave of fleets... even low-tech tiny ships can be threats if there are hundreds of 'em.

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-- The thing that goes bump in the night

[PsychoTechFreak]

It's the merchants culture with 5%, engineers just have 2% *sigh* . I sometimes mod the cultures if I don't trade (e.g. with bloodthirsties)