Request for additional shipmodels to choose from (and some starting tips)

- put life support on your ships to increase range
- use cargo hull for constructor/frieghter/troop transport

You need to research hulls and larger scale construction techs to build larger and larger ships

Early in the game there aren't many civs with weapons tech, and the small/tiny hulls are good for +1 weapon defenders.

Use the cargo hull for ANY non-combat unit (or a super high weapon loadout late in the game for fire and forget type attacks)

For Constructors, Cargo Hull, 1 of your best life support modules, and as many of your best engines as possible

For Colony Chips same thing, if on a giant or huge map, add more life support if needed, generally I don't need more then one, as I colonize outward constantly extending my range with the new planets, but if planets are rare, you may need more range.

You basically need three things on a cargo hull, engines, life-support and a module to give the ship a capability like troop transport, construction or colonisation. You only need one trade or construction module, but I believe the transport modules (colony and troop), because of the way they work, the more you have the better you've got things initially because of a larger personell base.

For other ships you need engines, weapons, life support and defences. Best bet with these is to try modernising the ship as you go up the trees because even without the newer weapons, you've got miniaturization going on through the tree, making the deflector and laser you put on your Starfury smaller so you can fit more extras on making it faster or more powerful for its size.

Thanks for the tips. Gonna try them now.

Campaigner I may have read your post wrong but it looks like you got Range and Speed mixed up. Range is how far from your existing planets / starbases you can travel (the 0.2 and 0.9 you mention), Speed is how many moves you go per turn and will be 2 on the defaults.

You dont need any new techs to get a faster Colony ship. A Cargo Hull will fit 1 Colony Module, 2 Hyperdrives and 2 Basic Support modules right from the start. It will only have 3 moves but 3 moves is more than 2!

I find the Constructor needs the Hyperdrive Plus to be able to get 2 drives onto it and even then it is just the Contruct Module and 2 drives on a Cargo hull.

When you get the fancy techs for drives and miniaturisation then upgrade as you go.

When you get the fancy techs for drives and miniaturisation then upgrade as you go.

Exactly. I'll use the core constructor for very close needs and a 3 speed version for early game distance needs. While both have their uses throughout the game, by mid-game I have a 7 speed version and gearing up for some serious conquest I have a 17 speed version along with a 25 speed troop transport and 12 speed fighters.

I send the fighters in to clear things out....or send the constructors in to set up a military starbase and fully mod it just as my fighters get there. The transports stay farther out, but once the planet is clear of ships, they zoom in from nowhere and conquer the planet.

most of these problems you ran into and the tips that you are looking for... are kinda intuative. Just look at the core designs and go off of that.

" I think it takes way to much time and effort to create a goodlooking ship so I wonder if there are gonna be some goodlooking shipmodels to choose from so I can just add the weapons, defenses and engines that I want to equip my ships with."

I believe if you click on the "Library" button on the left of the screen and sort it by "Ships" you will find some good ones, but I haven't downloaded any yet.