Colonize

[Wardad]

Time is one of the most important resources of the game.
I always consider build time and travel time when choosing from my colony designs. I also consider my shipyards build time to be valuable.
I end up building very simple colony ships until later in the game when I might build a few specialty ones that are faster, longer ranged, or stealth.
In the early game I want to crank out colcony ships fast. Typically I can build a colony ship with 4 engines in 2 shipyard turns.
I will even build them without engines if it saves shipyard time. BUT... beware, an engine retrofit does not add fuel. A supply storage retrofit does have fuel. So do this at or near a planet with a resupply base.

[Elowan]

Originally posted by Wardad:
In the early game I want to crank out colcony ships fast. Typically I can build a colony ship with 4 engines in 2 shipyard turns.

I must be doing something wrong. I can turn out a colony ship with 5 engines and a cargo pod in 2 turns.

[Tezzezar]

Excellent point about different designs based on the stage of the game.

If you start with multiple homeworlds and have racial bonuses to consruction try setting one of the worlds to emergency build. It can often shave off a build turn. One of my favorite racial designs can build one colony ship a turn early game! I find that the sooner I get other planets producing the greater accumlation of resources.

Make sure to build some shipyards on those newly colonized planets. Never neglect defense when expanding.

T-

[Gryphin]

Especially not a dumb question if I read this right:
Instead of using the Cargo Transfer button
All I have to do is hit the Colonize button and even if I don’t specified a planet to colonize it will still give the, "Load Population" order.
Hence, the only reason to use the Cargo Transfer button is if I want to control the amount of population or if I want to load units.
Figure out something every day. (somebody remind me how long I’ve been reading this forum)
Thanks guys and thanks for the question, you have just saved me at least 3 mouse clicks per colonizer.

[Greybeard]

No Gryphin, you must designate a planet after the "colonize" command for the population to be loaded. However, a trick I sometimes use is to "colonize" a planet that already has a colony. This will load population and move the colony ship to the designated planet. When it arrives, I get an "unable to colonize" message and know that I can give the ship new orders.

You can also change the orders of the ship while it's moving, but in turns after loading, and give it a new destination if you wish.

Greybeard

[Wardad]

Sometimes I do use emergency build to crank out a complete colony ship every turn. I have also built colony hulls and ship yard stations in one turn.

Just what I do depends on the race setup and it's construction bonuses. There can be some real balance issues for construction, maintenance, resource, combat and ecetera. The home planet type and universe type is also considered.

I generally do not include a cargo pod. Draining the homeworld population can reduce your population build bonus. DOH!!!, been there, done that. What a way to ruin a plan.

[capnq]

Population will also automatically be loaded if you use the "Send Colony Ship" button on the (F4) Planets screen.

[Gryphin]

Greybeard, capnq
Thanks, you just saved me from disaster.
Hm, Like the others said, it ain't a dumb quesiton.
BTW: I do appriciate folks not pointing out how long I've been reading this board.
Wonder if I will ever loose my newbie edge.
Edit:
WarDad,
I have to dissagree with ommiting the Cargo hold. I tend to have my home worlds hover around 1/2 max while I build up my Breath Type Huge worlds. I take the long vew when comes to that.

[ September 13, 2002, 02:34: Message edited by: Gryphin ]

[Elowan]

Originally posted by Gryphin:
I have to dissagree with ommiting the Cargo hold. I tend to have my home worlds hover around 1/2 max while I build up my Breath Type Huge worlds. I take the long vew when comes to that.

I concur. It is foolhardy (in my view) to send out a CS to a breathable without including a cargo pod for extra pop for that needed production/pop burst.

If I get what you're saying - you've been able to reduce your HW pop from - say 4800 to 2400 - without a loss of productivity and or research?

[capnq]

It seems to me that trying to keep your homeworld maxed out is less productive than filling colonies.

If your homeworld can hold 4800M, it will still have the same +40% production bonus down to 4000M. The "extra" 800M could be getting a +5% bonus at each of eight other colonies.

Even if you're not playing a race with Advanced Storage Techniques, your choices are one homeworld with 4000M at +40%, versus one homeworld with 3000M at +30% and ten colonies at 100M and +5%.