Automatically rebuild destroyed ships

[Arizal]

This could be a toggle in an hypothetic future macro-builder.

Do you, as me, like to have multiple models for your ships? I usually have something like 2 corvettes, 2 destroyer and a big number of battleship models. This can be a nightmare to rebuild all those ships after a big battle.

So I would like that if my fleets could auto-complete themselves by starting constructions in nearby systems. Those new ships could then automatically join the fleet or, if it is far away, assemble themselves in a new fleet while waiting to be picked up by the biggest fleet.

This woud eliminate much unneeded micromanagement and let us focus on how to use the fleet instead of on if it has the exact composition we wanted it to have. In fact, it would maybe resemble the division manager of HoI4 (although I don't have that game, I can only guess).

 

[PirateJack]

I think it would be a better idea to have fleet blueprints that you can set up to build across X number of planets. If you have a fleet already selected it'll only build those ships that are missing when cross-checked with the blueprint.

 

[Arizal]

I think it would be a better idea to have fleet blueprints that you can set up to build across X number of planets. If you have a fleet already selected it'll only build those ships that are missing when cross-checked with the blueprint.

Yes, this could very well work, as long as you don't have to check each time how many corvettes of each type you lost this time.

 

[PirateJack]

Yes, this could very well work, as long as you don't have to check each time how many corvettes of each type you lost this time.

The way I envision it, you'd select the fleet and then press a button that opens up a Fleet Blueprints window. In it you'd get a diagram (because they're better looking than just plain lists) displaying the ships in your fleet. On one side of the window you'd have a list of blueprints that you've pre-made. Click on one of the blueprints and it overlays the diagram with the ships that are missing as well as the total minerals, energy, time and naval capacity that would be used in building them. Hovering over each blueprint ship would give you the details of it beyond the name, picture and building location.

If you don't have the minerals for the whole blueprint you could click a little button on each ship that would get rid of it from this temporary blueprint (don't click on another or you'll lose your draft fleet!) until you have the amount you need/can afford.

 

[Arizal]

The way I envision it, you'd select the fleet and then press a button that opens up a Fleet Blueprints window. In it you'd get a diagram (because they're better looking than just plain lists) displaying the ships in your fleet. On one side of the window you'd have a list of blueprints that you've pre-made. Click on one of the blueprints and it overlays the diagram with the ships that are missing as well as the total minerals, energy, time and naval capacity that would be used in building them. Hovering over each blueprint ship would give you the details of it beyond the name, picture and building location.

If you don't have the minerals for the whole blueprint you could click a little button on each ship that would get rid of it from this temporary blueprint (don't click on another or you'll lose your draft fleet!) until you have the amount you need/can afford.

If you could just, in your example, perma-link a blueprint to a fleet, so that it would automatically rebuild ships (as like when you are upgrading they take ressources automatically), I would be entirely satisfied. You should of course have the option to change that blueprint at will, as you can change your ship designs.

 

[PirateJack]

If you could just, in your example, perma-link a blueprint to a fleet, so that it would automatically rebuild ships (as like when you are upgrading they take ressources automatically), I would be entirely satisfied. You should of course have the option to change that blueprint at will, as you can change your ship designs.

I wouldn't suggest an automatic rebuild option, because that would be a pretty huge drain on your resources and would be a nightmare for the AI to prioritise (oh, you mean you wanted the battleships to be built first? TOO BAD! Enjoy your Corvettes!). I would give the option to permalink to a blueprint, and then have a button on the fleet details area that starts the build queue.

 

[Arizal]

I wouldn't suggest an automatic rebuild option, because that would be a pretty huge drain on your resources and would be a nightmare for the AI to prioritise (oh, you mean you wanted the battleships to be built first? TOO BAD! Enjoy your Corvettes!). I would give the option to permalink to a blueprint, and then have a button on the fleet details area that starts the build queue.

I understand your concern, however isn't the same problem occuring in your model? Whether you are clicking a button for the blueprint to be completed (to build new ships to replace those sunk) or this is done automatically, there should probably be a "prioritize" option, which allows you to select which ships should be built in priority. If you want to expand that further, you could select which ship must be build in priority in each planets, so that your corvettes are built where you have the corvette spaceport upgrade whereas your cruisers are built where you have the cruser upgrade.

 

[PirateJack]

True. I suppose the order you select them in for the blueprint would dictate the priority building. The game already has the ability to store orders until you have that right amount of minerals, in flat upgrades, so they could just borrow the code for that and tweak it.