Sound idea only I would call them Orbital Platforms rather than ships. This would help to separate them from the ships which are mobile and help avoid confusion.



There might be too many and some might cause a large imbalance but the base idea is sound.



I would say limiting them to something else than the exploitations do, so no FIDS boosts will enable to expand strategies used.

The first implementation of resource generating (mining) ships was proposed here: /#/endless-space/forum/28-game-design/thread/11892-suggestion-mining-vessels-and-or-equipment

This thread was linked to the former and is moved to the archives.

gamingalife wrote:
Keeping the core of the idea , even with the FIDS improvements but make the fleets a neutral fraction the opposite to pirates.



Pirates are bad and make a faction that would give you benefits, maybe something like the Quarians from ME in nature, no home planet, a roaming fleet of ships or multiple fleets but they travel from system to system like the pirates do.

I'm not about having just one "civilian" faction... as it seems like each empire needs it's own subdivision of civilians rather than just one set.

If you just want another roaming non-empire like pirates then that seems like another idea entirely to mine.

Feel free to suggest it as separate by all means.

Mansen wrote:
Considering how colonizers and scouts are instagibbed by any old starter ship as it is I really don't see the point. Improvements have taken over the role entirely of civilian ships.

Well the point would include being given an incentive to protect them and not have them "instagibbed".

With a separation between military and civilian vessels it could be that you have to remove the military presence first before plundering the civilians.

Considering how colonizers and scouts are instagibbed by any old starter ship as it is I really don't see the point. Improvements have taken over the role entirely of civilian ships.

could be really great and i think this could also feet with my neutral colony idea

Keeping the core of the idea , even with the FIDS improvements but make the fleets a neutral fraction the opposite to pirates.



Pirates are bad and make a faction that would give you benefits, maybe something like the Quarians from ME in nature, no home planet, a roaming fleet of ships or multiple fleets but they travel from system to system like the pirates do.

this is really a good idea adds more of an resource gathering element to the game which it could really use

gamingalife wrote:
Sound idea only I would call them Orbital Platforms rather than ships. This would help to separate them from the ships which are mobile and help avoid confusion.



There might be too many and some might cause a large imbalance but the base idea is sound.



I would say limiting them to something else than the exploitations do, so no FIDS boosts will enable to expand strategies used.

I'm not sure about orbital platforms, perhaps just a separate, non-player controlled fleet that naturally grows and travels out from systems.

System happiness could determine the density of civilian fleets and they could just have small visual indicators as to what they're doing and what effect they're having.

So as to not overcomplicate things, but still have a civilian population.

ben_caleb wrote:
I can't say I want all those types of ships, but I agree that some sort of non-combatant/exploration specified ship designs should be unlockable too.

As I say, I'm not saying that all these ideas are worthwhile or implementable, they are just ideas to pick and choose from.

TheVulture98 wrote:
Good idea but two words: expansion pack.

Those two words were indeed included in the original post, yes. O_o

Dinadan wrote:
I really like the idea. Maybe there could also be a Sensor ship that counteracts the effects of the scrambler ships in uncolonized sectors.

Well there already is the sensor module for the scout ships, so that's kind of sorted already in a round about way.

They could detect scramblers in the same system as them specifically, but not within their view range.

Good idea but two words: expansion pack.

Idea:



There seems (as far as I can see) to be a lack of modules and ship design relating to support and non-combat space ships, it being all about the armour, weapons and dedicated single ship combat support. A bit more choice and variety would allow you to make a good tactical decision as to whether you should take all combat ships to maximise your damage output or take support ships to give pre, mid or post combat benefits instead.



Features:



How about ship designs relating to dedicated repair and supply ships for fleets, or civilian ships intended to remain in orbit and provide bonuses to that star system or provide other functions.

There could even be a separation introduced between military and civilian ships to allow your civilian fleets to enter allied or neutral territory without threat of offence to the other empire.

There could be options for capturing or ransoming of civilian fleets back to their originating empire.

The civilian fleets not not even be guided by yourself, merely invested in to and then they travel by their own accord earning you bonuses without needing to be directly controlled.



Stationing civilian refinery or mining ships in a sector that you have yet to colonise for instance to get additional dust.

Science ships in order to gain science bonuses, construction ships for production, etc, you get the idea.

There would need to be limits to the amount that you can field or have operating in a single system providing bonuses, perhaps have a dust based upkeep for the civilian ships.



Implementation:



It could be implemented in a variety of different ways and with minimal or a lot of effort, however much you wanted to dedicate to it.

It could even be a dedicated expansion pack further down the line to net a bit more currency, adding a lot more civilian features to the game.

It could all easily be achieved using the current ship designs however, just with some tweaking of the module system.

Add a new heading or a new section for "non-combat" modules for instance or have a few more set ships like the coloniser.



Feedback:



Any feedback on this idea would be greatly appreciated, I will add more to this as and when I think of more or if it gets a positive response. So do vote and comment if you like this idea.

I have plenty of further ideas and I will try and clean this post up as well to avoid being a block of text.

Also I shall list my ship ideas below.



I am not suggesting that all of this necessarily be implemented at the same time or that every single part of it needs to be implemented for the idea to work.

It could easily be split in to parts or have only the most suitable ship ideas implemented only.

I can't say I want all those types of ships, but I agree that some sort of non-combatant/exploration specified ship designs should be unlockable too.

I really like the idea. Maybe there could also be a Sensor ship that counteracts the effects of the scrambler ships in uncolonized sectors.

It would go well with my idea or others like it.



/#/endless-space/forum/29-archives/thread/13551-planetary-defence-systems-covert-ops

I'll give it deeper thought later and add comments, but just wanted to chime in, for now, that I love the idea of non-combat/support ships!

Nosferatiel wrote:
I like the idea in general, though I'd consider it an addon-thing, but for the mining-shiptype, since I'd definitely limit this basic mobile bonus multiplier-ships by dust-cost due to maintenance and mining ships would make this an infinite spiral only capped by time and industry, unless you'd only allow a certain number of mining ships per system/planets.

There would be a cap on the number you can have active at one time in a system, and you could have it so that the mining ship (for instance) has a dust-cost that is higher than it's initial mining capacity for the first few turns of mining but that it will build up over time to full capacity and make dust back. You'd then have incentive to protect it once it's up to full capacity as otherwise you would have to start over again.

I like the idea in general, though I'd consider it an addon-thing, but for the mining-shiptype, since I'd definitely limit this basic mobile bonus multiplier-ships by dust-cost due to maintenance and mining ships would make this an infinite spiral only capped by time and industry, unless you'd only allow a certain number of mining ships per system/planets.

So here is an addition of me.



Civilian/Empire Ships:



Terraformer - Used like colony ships. The terraformer has to take all the machinery and scientists to the worlds you want to terraform. Now you would be able to terraform uncolonized worlds.

Ship Type Implementation:



Here is a list of ship concepts, that could be created by use of either set hulls for ships like the coloniser or additional modules than can be combined on the standard hulls to create this type of ship and allow you to tweak it's design. The dedicated modules for the unique roles could be simply weighted heavily enough for you to be stopped from multi-roling a ship for more than one set function.







Civilian/Empire Ships:



Refinery Ship- Orbits colonized worlds and provides bonuses to production. Bonus could start low and scale up depending on the amount of turns it has been there before reaching a set limit of the bonus to simulate reaching full production and to make you want to defend them and mourn their loss.



Mining Ship - Orbits colonised or uncolonised worlds and provides bonus to dust production. Greater bonuses for uncolonised worlds to make you risk them for greater reward. Again scaling based on the amount of turns it has been in placed.



Trade Ship - Placed in neutral or allied empire space to provide bonuses to both yourself and the other empire in research and dust production. Priority target for pirates to strike and either plunder or sell back to you for a ransom.



Science Ship - Orbits colonised or uncolonised worlds and provides science bonuses based on number of worlds. Smaller bonuses for colonised worlds to encourage them to be sent out to actively "explore" along with fleets. Could also have increased sensor range.



Law Enforcement Ship - Orbits colonised worlds and provides small bonuses to happiness up to a certain number of policing ships. Could cause a temporary decrease in happiness if the policing ships are removed or destroyed.



Espionage Ship - Can be placed in another empire's space and provide science bonuses as well as attempt to steal technology at a set chance rate which destroys the ship is unsuccessful and consumes the ship if successful. Also has a good sensor range.







Non-Combat Fleet Support Ships:



Repair Ship - For turn based post-battle repairs, doesn't involve itself in the combat but is lost if the fleet is destroyed. Repairs a set amount of health per turn.



Signal Scrambler Ship - Allows a fleet of ships to avoid detection by other opposing fleets in uncolonised sectors or colonised sectors with no defence fleet. It could require a set amount of scrambler ships as per the size of the fleet they are hiding.



Comms Ship - Allows a fleet to move an additional small amount by better organising the fleet as it travels.



Salvage Ship - Just by being attached to a fleet it provides small rewards for ships destroyed and/or if ships are destroyed in a colonised system boosts productivity temporarily.



Drop Pod Carrier - Bonus to invasion speed, though anything along these lines could work, be it landing shuttle carrier, bombardment platform, etc.







Combat Fleet Support Ships:



Point Defence Coordinator Ship - Provides an anti-missile defence bonus for the whole fleet during battles rather than just for itself. Would require additional control points to operate in a fleet, forcing you to decide whether it is worth dropping a combat ship or two for.



Tracking Disrupter Ship - Provides bonus to kinetic defences for the whole fleet during battles. Would require additional control points to operate in a fleet, forcing you to decide whether it is worth dropping a combat ship or two for.



Amplified Energy Field Ship - Provides bonus to laser defence for the whole fleet during battles. Would require additional control points to operate in a fleet, forcing you to decide whether it is worth dropping a combat ship or two for.