How do you build a space/repair yard ship?

[Echo Mirage]

I have the medium transport chassis available but it seems when I choose the "Space Yard ship" vechicle type it demands I use 50% of my tonnage in cargo holds.

This leaves no component slots or available tonnage for a repair bay or a space yard component.

What am I missing?

[Sinapus]

Originally posted by Echo Mirage:
I have the medium transport chassis available but it seems when I choose the "Space Yard ship" vechicle type it demands I use 50% of my tonnage in cargo holds.

This leaves no component slots or available tonnage for a repair bay or a space yard component.

What am I missing?

In the default rules, space yard and repair bay components don't have the "Cargo Storage" ability. To fit them onto a transport hull like that you'll have to go into the components.txt and add the "Cargo Storage" ability (recommend using 0 for the amount) to each space yard and repair bay component. Otherwise, you'll have to use a standard hull big enough to hold them.

[Desdinova]

you would need to use a cruiser or larger hull size. the combat vehicles do not require the cargo minimum that transport ships have.

you cannot use the transport ships for anything but hauling cargo or colonization. i would use the transport to make a multi habitat type colony ship instead.

[rdouglass]

...keyword in hull type being 'transport'. In the stock hull type, anything with 'transport' (small, med, large) has the 50% cargo requirement. The easy way 'round it is what Sinapus recommends: add the cargo ability to the component.

The stock game wants you to use 'em as transports and not support vessels 'cause of the tonnage available at the lower tech levels (vs. standard hulls).

[mottlee]

Originally posted by desdinova:

i would use the transport to make a multi habitat type colony ship instead.

Hmmm....I never thought of doing this (scraches head) oh the possabilitys!

[mlmbd]

mottlee,

Hmmm....I never thought of doing this (scraches head) oh the possabilitys!

It works great. Transport population, troops, SAT's and weapons platforms. All on one ship!

mlmbd

[Gryphin]

Load all that on,
Send it to the front lines
Us it for suckers bait.
Your human oponent will think it is a new undefended colony. (maybe)

[Echo Mirage]

Got it. Thanks!

[Sinapus]

Originally posted by rdouglass:
The stock game wants you to use 'em as transports and not support vessels 'cause of the tonnage available at the lower tech levels (vs. standard hulls).

I threw in some penalties for those hulls. Mainly combat defense/offense penalties. I see the transport hulls as "civilian" hulls, mainly. I modified the supply storage components with 0 cargo space as well to build tankers. (Which tend to die rather quickly if they start too close to enemy ships in tactical.)

[rdouglass]

Yeah, that's a popular technique for using the transports as support ships and does work quite well. However, I don't use transports as support ships, only transports. If I design a support ship, they're standard hulls. It seems like a little exploit to me (to use the transports that way) - hey, the AI don't use 'em, so why should I (at least in solo games).

Just IMO...