Small Transports vs. Colony Ships

[Ed Kolis]

Say, is there actually any point to using Colony Ships? Small Transports are completely identical, except they require 50% cargo space instead of 50% colony modules, but since colony modules hold cargo anyway, it doesn't matter - you could use Small Transports in place of Colony Ships to confuse your enemy or yourself - just like using Light Cruisers as armed colony ships and Small Transports as minelayer/scouts...

[Cyrien]

There is no difference in standard SE4. Often Mods make some difference.

[Fyron]

Well... there could be, if you mod transports or colony ships to have another ability or something. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif But in the normal game, there is no actual difference. I think I'll have to start using Small Transports instead of Colony Ships. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

[geoschmo]

...and another of my favorite tricks goes from the "known by just a select few" to the "known by the general public" file. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

[Suicide Junkie]

P&N gives big maintenance reduction bonuses to colony ships since they are "One-way-trip vehicles"

[Preacherman]

oh come on geo, that one is pretty well known, you just need to watch georgig in his games, dozens or hundreds of transports go around. if you overdo it (like he) it looses the strategical value and even then it does not matter most of the time.

[Gryphin]

Kewlll,
I never thought of that. Does the AI fall for it?

[geoschmo]

Originally posted by Preacherman:
oh come on geo, that one is pretty well known, you just need to watch georgig in his games, dozens or hundreds of transports go around. if you overdo it (like he) it looses the strategical value and even then it does not matter most of the time.<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Yes, Georgig loves this one. But I disagree overdoing it is any sort of problem. You can never know at any point if the ship is a colony ship, mine layer, carrier, or some kind of armed transport. Makes pouncing on single ships quite a nail biter. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

The only real problem to it is the limit on engines. But if you have the propulsion bonuis it can offset that of course.

Geoschmo

[ April 24, 2003, 01:37: Message edited by: geoschmo ]

[Xiodos]

The AI doesnt fall for it, it'll attack anything you own if you're at war with it.

And its the maintence cost thats the difference in unmodded SEIV, as Suicide pointed out.

In unmodded games however, it is useful to use a big transport to colonize with, since you can jam more pop in them and also a couple of WPs.

[Fyron]

And its the maintence cost thats the difference in unmodded SEIV, as Suicide pointed out.<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">No, there is no maintenance bonus or penalty for either ship in unmodded se4. SJ was saying how he changed them in P&N mod to have a difference.

[narf poit chez BOOM]

there was one stars! story about a guy who named all his ships things like --.-__-.- so no-one but him would be able to tell them apart. as the game story goes, the other players wiped him out.

[Xiodos]

Originally posted by Imperator Fyron:
No, there is no maintenance bonus or penalty for either ship in unmodded se4. SJ was saying how he changed them in P&N mod to have a difference.<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Stop proving me wrong.

[LGM]

Originally posted by dogscoff:
</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">
If there is cargo (ie weapon plat's) and the ship is set to colonize is the cargo automatically dropped? I assume so, just curious though.
<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Yes it is..</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">20 KT Colony module is enough for 1 Mil pop and 1 small mine.

[LGM]

I think that Colony hulls exist for the newbies. They might not realize that Transports would work. Otherwise, they might give up learning the game because they would wait until they researched destroyers before they could build any colonizers!

[dominictus]

Not a bad idea...

If there is cargo (ie weapon plat's) and the ship is set to colonize is the cargo automatically dropped? I assume so, just curious though.

Dominictus

[dogscoff]

If there is cargo (ie weapon plat's) and the ship is set to colonize is the cargo automatically dropped? I assume so, just curious though.
<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Yes it is..