Reply #1 Top
there is an option like constructstarbase, there is constructships, but didnt succeed in that yet, maybe the developers have an answer
Reply #2 Top
Almost certainly not. If it isn't already in the game, it probably can't be modded in.
Reply #3 Top
It wouldn't be very good anyway. In order to prevent abuse, it would have to produce less military production than a planet, which would be pointlessly slow.
Reply #4 Top
Wouldnt make much sense either. Where is the starbase getting the resources from?
Reply #5 Top
I think it's a great idea! you can add modules that will be cost like more factories on a planet! and that's how it's military production will grow!
Reply #6 Top
Hmmm, it's apparently hard enough to get the AI to use starbases as they should be. This would be a big human player advantage.

For instance I thought of a military base module: shipyard, which would be required for upgrading ships (it bothers me that my ships can upgrade in a couple of turns deep into enemy territory at no more cost on inconvenience than if they were right by my homeworld), but the AI is already bad enough at upgrading (and building decent starbases), so this just ends up being a reasonable restriction that hampers the AI far more han the human player.
Reply #7 Top
it is a good idea and it is realistic you wouldnt construct a massive battleship on a planet because the chances of it taking of if it doesnt have decnet engines are very slim so you would construct it in space.
Reply #8 Top
it is a good idea and it is realistic you wouldnt construct a massive battleship on a planet because the chances of it taking of if it doesnt have decnet engines are very slim so you would construct it in space.



What's to say that the current starport construction facilities aren't already in orbit? Finished ships end up there. The ground tile is just the "earthbound" facilities and the shuttleport.

There is already a repair module you can add to a starbase - as far as building ships from scratch, I would think the lack of resource availability would preclude doing this in anything like a reasonable amount of time.

Of course, in DA asteroid fields are being introduced, so maybe there is hope for non-planet connected construction facilities.....


it bothers me that my ships can upgrade in a couple of turns deep into enemy territory at no more cost on inconvenience than if they were right by my homeworld),


Only if being totally vunerable during the entire upgrade period "deep in enemy territory" doesn't count as an inconvienience.   
Reply #9 Top
not unless your playing on top difficulty on lower ones the enemy doesnt attack much.
Reply #10 Top
Only if being totally vunerable during the entire upgrade period "deep in enemy territory" doesn't count as an inconvienience


Well OK, fair comment, but you know what I mean. You know this is an easy "cheese" - to build cheap ships then upgrade them "on site" far quicker than you could build them from scratch. Why does it take 1-2 weeks to upgrade from a 6Beam/3Shield old Laser-Destroyer to a 64-Beam/30-shield PsyFrigate that is hundreds of light-years in enemy territory, when that same ship would take 10 or 15 turns to produce in a shipyard on my homeworld? At the very least there should be a significant time penalty for upgrading away from starbases or planets with shipyards - a time-factor of 2-5 seems reasonable, depending on distance. I feel like the logistics ability should play as a factor as well somehow - in fact that would make a lot of sense: in any one turn, the player can work on upgrades of as many logistics points of ships as his logistics ability. Ships in orbit around a planet with a shipyard or parked on a military starbase take 1 turn in the queue; parked on economic or influence starbases take 2 turns; in space in a sector with a player starbase or planet, 3 turns; in space in a sector with no player starbase or planet, 3 turns and +25% upgrade cost; in space with an enemy starbase or planet, 4 turns and +50% upgrade cost. The queue would be processed in order of ascending upgrade time and then and ascending cost. The upgrade cost for a ship to be levied when a ship begins the upgrade process, rather than a huge wodge up front.

I reckon this would be a lot more realistic and would prevent the "instant fleet" cheese (which I am as guilty of as anyone). Since the AI is much less aggressive about upgrading, this shouldn't affect play-balance too much, and make the strategy more realistic.
Reply #11 Top
PS: Also, running out of cash would interrupt the upgrade process. Being able to go hundreds of thousands of BC into debt in order to "buy" an instant fleet by upgrading is borderline cheating IMO, and disruptive of play-balance and gameplay. But at the moment it's very hard to avoid if there are a large number of ships you want to upgrade.