Various people have proposed supply models before, and I was tempted to bump one or two of the threads, but it also felt like resurrecting the dead 
I would like to suggest the consideration of a fleet supply model somewhat similar to that used in Hearts of Iron.
Goals / Objectives:
- to penalise extreme concentrations of force
- to impose real limits on extended campaigns
- to simulate the requirement of supply lines in conventional military action
- to promote the use of mixed fleets and distributed force
RESULTS
STRATEGY OUTCOMES
I would like to suggest the consideration of a fleet supply model somewhat similar to that used in Hearts of Iron.
Goals / Objectives:
- to penalise extreme concentrations of force
- to impose real limits on extended campaigns
- to simulate the requirement of supply lines in conventional military action
- to promote the use of mixed fleets and distributed force
BASICS
- Supplies are generated from solar energy, planet economies, trade.
- Supply is stockpiled at outposts and starbases.
- Maximum storage capacity for supplies is determined by level of outposts, anchorages, supply depots, etc.
- Outposts that run out of supplies, may request supplies from (friendly) neighbouring star systems.
- Excess supplies are distributed along the hyperlane network until your max network storage capacity is reached.
- Rate of transfer of supplies between star systems is influenced by shipyards, anchorages, outpost level, etc.
- Ships use up supplies based on their activity levels, status, location.
- As supply is used up and drops below given thresholds (50, 25, 10, 5) larger penalties are imposed on movement speed, ship fire rate, damage dealt and damage taken.
- Fleets/Ships are instantly resupplied to max capacity of local starbase.
AN EXAMPLE FOR HOW THIS COULD BE DONE
- Each ship uses 1 supply per day per naval capacity. So a Cruiser will use 4 supply per day, and a battleship 8 supply per day.
- Each ship can 'store' 100 days of supplies, so a corvette's max capacity is 100, and a battleship has 800 supply.
- A fleet of 10 battleships therefore, will have a capacity of 8000 supplies, and consume 80 supplies per day in normal operations.
- A fleet of 20 corvettes will have a capacity of 2000 supplies (20*100), and will use 20 supplies per day while moving, but probably 10 per day while docked (50% consumption).
SUPPLY STORAGE LEVELS
- An outpost can generate 5 supplies per day (from solar energy conversion), and import or export 100 per day from each neighbouring star system, to a maximum storage capacity of 1000 supplies.
- A starbase might generate 10 per day, and can increase this rate by building solar energy modules. It can import /export 200 per day from neighbouring star sysrtems, to a maximum of 2000 local storage capacity. Rate of import and maximum storage can be increased with appropriate modules (shipyards, anchorages, supply depots).
- Additional supply would be generated by colonised planets (in proportion to their trade value?)
- A Citadel would therefore probably have a local storage capacity of 8000 supplies, unmodified, which could be rapidly replenished by a local planet with say 200 trade value. A system with multiple planets would top up a citadel in a matter of a couple of game weeks. (A fleet of 20 battleships would have a supply capacity of about 16000).
- Supplies are generated from solar energy, planet economies, trade.
- Supply is stockpiled at outposts and starbases.
- Maximum storage capacity for supplies is determined by level of outposts, anchorages, supply depots, etc.
- Outposts that run out of supplies, may request supplies from (friendly) neighbouring star systems.
- Excess supplies are distributed along the hyperlane network until your max network storage capacity is reached.
- Rate of transfer of supplies between star systems is influenced by shipyards, anchorages, outpost level, etc.
- Ships use up supplies based on their activity levels, status, location.
- As supply is used up and drops below given thresholds (50, 25, 10, 5) larger penalties are imposed on movement speed, ship fire rate, damage dealt and damage taken.
- Fleets/Ships are instantly resupplied to max capacity of local starbase.
AN EXAMPLE FOR HOW THIS COULD BE DONE
- Each ship uses 1 supply per day per naval capacity. So a Cruiser will use 4 supply per day, and a battleship 8 supply per day.
- Each ship can 'store' 100 days of supplies, so a corvette's max capacity is 100, and a battleship has 800 supply.
- A fleet of 10 battleships therefore, will have a capacity of 8000 supplies, and consume 80 supplies per day in normal operations.
- A fleet of 20 corvettes will have a capacity of 2000 supplies (20*100), and will use 20 supplies per day while moving, but probably 10 per day while docked (50% consumption).
SUPPLY STORAGE LEVELS
- An outpost can generate 5 supplies per day (from solar energy conversion), and import or export 100 per day from each neighbouring star system, to a maximum storage capacity of 1000 supplies.
- A starbase might generate 10 per day, and can increase this rate by building solar energy modules. It can import /export 200 per day from neighbouring star sysrtems, to a maximum of 2000 local storage capacity. Rate of import and maximum storage can be increased with appropriate modules (shipyards, anchorages, supply depots).
- Additional supply would be generated by colonised planets (in proportion to their trade value?)
- A Citadel would therefore probably have a local storage capacity of 8000 supplies, unmodified, which could be rapidly replenished by a local planet with say 200 trade value. A system with multiple planets would top up a citadel in a matter of a couple of game weeks. (A fleet of 20 battleships would have a supply capacity of about 16000).
FLEET SUPPLY
- Each ship in a fleet CONSUMES supply proportional to its size (naval capacity), plus a size penalty. So a corvette would consume 1 supply per day, a destroyer 2 (plus penalty), a cruiser 4 supply per day (plus penalty*2), and a battleship 8 supply per day, plus penalty * 3. If the penalty was 1 per level, a destroyer would consume 3 supply per day, a cruiser 6 supply per day, and a battleship 14 supply per day. (subject to balance). For much of the examples below we used a model approximating a supply usage of 1/3/7/15.
- Each ship in a fleet would STORE supplies for X days, where X varied per ship level. For analysis we used X=100 for corvettes, X=150 for destroyers, X=200 for cruisers, X=250 for battleships. By multiplying the hold capacity for each ship, we would get a "fleet supply limit" for the fleet.
- A fleet of 20 corvettes would have 100*1*20=2000 supply storage, and consume it at the rate of 20 per day.
- A single battleship would have 250*15=3750 supply when topped up, and consume it at the rate of 15 per day.
- A fleet of 20 battleships would have a total supply of 250*15*20= 75000, and consume it a rate of 300 per day.
- Fleets consumption would vary depending on if the fleet was docked, not docked, in combat. So a docked fleet would use 25% less supply, and if docked with a crew quarters 50% less supply, and if in combat then probably use 3x the normal rate of supply. Thus a fleet that was in combat for 30 days, would use 90 days worth of supply.
- Ships with low supply (under 20%) have their sublight speed penalised.
- Ships with critical supply (under 10%) have their fire rate reduced significantly.
- Ships with no supply (0%), have their fire rate reduced drastically, and cannot retreat.
OUTPOSTS AND SUPPLY STORAGE
- Calculation of supply storage and transfer rates is based on naval capacity, using the corvette as a unit of 1.
- We propose that an outpost (at game start) can fully resupply a single fleet of 20 corvettes, and then slowly recharge over time. Thus an outpost (with no upgrades) would have a max storage of 2000 supplies, and recharge at the rate of 20 supplies per day (100 days).
- A Citadel (level 5 outpost) would have a max storage capacity of 32,000, and recharge at the rate of 160 per day (equivalent to resupplying 160 corvettes).
- Adding Shipyard modules would boost the rate of supply generation (+10 supply per day each)
- Adding Anchorage modules would increase the storage capacity (by 4000 each).
- Thus a Citadel with 4 anchorages and 2 shipyards (for e.g.) would have a storage capacity of 48000 supply, and a generation capacity of 160+2*10=180 supply per day. This is more than enough to make a profit while supporting a fleet of 160 corvettes (160 NC) , but not quite enough to support 20 battleships (also 160 NC).
SUPPLIES FROM SOLDIER JOBS AND CIV JOBS
- if each soldier job contributed 1 supply, and each civilian job contributed 0.25 supply, a typical planet would generate about 25-35 supplies per day (added to the local outpost).
- Thus a single citadel, in a colonised system, probably with 1 or more habitats, would generate enough supply to fully support a 20 battleship fleet in normal operations, and make a profit while that fleet is docked.
- An empire, with 20 to 30 colonised planets, several habitats, a megastructure or two, and on the order of 15 to 20 upgraded starbases would be quite capable of fully supporting 3000 naval capacity worth of corvettes, or 2000 naval capacity of battleships.
TRANSFERRING SUPPLIES BETWEEN OUTPOSTS
- Each outpost can "export" 20 supply per day to a neighbour. An outpost with multiple neighbours can import from each of them.
- The transfer rate would scale with outpost level, by 20 supply per level, so a max level outpost (citadel) can export 100 supply per day.
- This can be further increased by building a naval logistics office, and the range of supply can be extended by 1 system with a hyperlane registrar.
- Thus an outpost that is short of supply, and has a hyperlane registrar, can "import" supplies from all systems within 2 jumps.
SUPPLY MOVEMENT ON THE NETWORK
- Each star system would be a node on the supply network.
- Supplies would follow the fleets.
- So wherever a fleet is docked, or is currently operational, would be the 'target' for all supply movement in the network, until the network is saturated.
TECHNOLOGIES
- Repeatable physics technology to increase storage capacity.
- Repeatable social technology to increase transfer rate between outposts.
- Repeatable social technology to increase the rate of supply generation.
- Non repeatable engineering technology (3 to 4 tiers) to improve the self-efficiency of larger ships (reduce inefficiency penalty).
OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
- Can have a diplomatic agreement to supply allied fleets (exchange supplies at border systems?)
- Ground combat units can also use supply (rate=1 supply per standard infantry unit)
- larger ships (Titan, Colossus) can either scale appropriately, or be equivalent to battleships.
FURTHER PROBABLE DEVELOPMENTS
- Ship modules to increase supply storage, reduce supply consumptions.
- Its might be necessary to implement supply convoys (transports capable of carrying 4k supplies each) if you need to resupply a fleet that is operating well away from your borders. Intercepting and destroying/capturing such fleets may be a thing.
- Calculating individual ship stats (supply storage, consumption etc. based on equipped modules), rather than a global figure linked to the hull type.
- Each ship in a fleet CONSUMES supply proportional to its size (naval capacity), plus a size penalty. So a corvette would consume 1 supply per day, a destroyer 2 (plus penalty), a cruiser 4 supply per day (plus penalty*2), and a battleship 8 supply per day, plus penalty * 3. If the penalty was 1 per level, a destroyer would consume 3 supply per day, a cruiser 6 supply per day, and a battleship 14 supply per day. (subject to balance). For much of the examples below we used a model approximating a supply usage of 1/3/7/15.
- Each ship in a fleet would STORE supplies for X days, where X varied per ship level. For analysis we used X=100 for corvettes, X=150 for destroyers, X=200 for cruisers, X=250 for battleships. By multiplying the hold capacity for each ship, we would get a "fleet supply limit" for the fleet.
- A fleet of 20 corvettes would have 100*1*20=2000 supply storage, and consume it at the rate of 20 per day.
- A single battleship would have 250*15=3750 supply when topped up, and consume it at the rate of 15 per day.
- A fleet of 20 battleships would have a total supply of 250*15*20= 75000, and consume it a rate of 300 per day.
- Fleets consumption would vary depending on if the fleet was docked, not docked, in combat. So a docked fleet would use 25% less supply, and if docked with a crew quarters 50% less supply, and if in combat then probably use 3x the normal rate of supply. Thus a fleet that was in combat for 30 days, would use 90 days worth of supply.
- Ships with low supply (under 20%) have their sublight speed penalised.
- Ships with critical supply (under 10%) have their fire rate reduced significantly.
- Ships with no supply (0%), have their fire rate reduced drastically, and cannot retreat.
OUTPOSTS AND SUPPLY STORAGE
- Calculation of supply storage and transfer rates is based on naval capacity, using the corvette as a unit of 1.
- We propose that an outpost (at game start) can fully resupply a single fleet of 20 corvettes, and then slowly recharge over time. Thus an outpost (with no upgrades) would have a max storage of 2000 supplies, and recharge at the rate of 20 supplies per day (100 days).
- A Citadel (level 5 outpost) would have a max storage capacity of 32,000, and recharge at the rate of 160 per day (equivalent to resupplying 160 corvettes).
- Adding Shipyard modules would boost the rate of supply generation (+10 supply per day each)
- Adding Anchorage modules would increase the storage capacity (by 4000 each).
- Thus a Citadel with 4 anchorages and 2 shipyards (for e.g.) would have a storage capacity of 48000 supply, and a generation capacity of 160+2*10=180 supply per day. This is more than enough to make a profit while supporting a fleet of 160 corvettes (160 NC) , but not quite enough to support 20 battleships (also 160 NC).
SUPPLIES FROM SOLDIER JOBS AND CIV JOBS
- if each soldier job contributed 1 supply, and each civilian job contributed 0.25 supply, a typical planet would generate about 25-35 supplies per day (added to the local outpost).
- Thus a single citadel, in a colonised system, probably with 1 or more habitats, would generate enough supply to fully support a 20 battleship fleet in normal operations, and make a profit while that fleet is docked.
- An empire, with 20 to 30 colonised planets, several habitats, a megastructure or two, and on the order of 15 to 20 upgraded starbases would be quite capable of fully supporting 3000 naval capacity worth of corvettes, or 2000 naval capacity of battleships.
TRANSFERRING SUPPLIES BETWEEN OUTPOSTS
- Each outpost can "export" 20 supply per day to a neighbour. An outpost with multiple neighbours can import from each of them.
- The transfer rate would scale with outpost level, by 20 supply per level, so a max level outpost (citadel) can export 100 supply per day.
- This can be further increased by building a naval logistics office, and the range of supply can be extended by 1 system with a hyperlane registrar.
- Thus an outpost that is short of supply, and has a hyperlane registrar, can "import" supplies from all systems within 2 jumps.
SUPPLY MOVEMENT ON THE NETWORK
- Each star system would be a node on the supply network.
- Supplies would follow the fleets.
- So wherever a fleet is docked, or is currently operational, would be the 'target' for all supply movement in the network, until the network is saturated.
TECHNOLOGIES
- Repeatable physics technology to increase storage capacity.
- Repeatable social technology to increase transfer rate between outposts.
- Repeatable social technology to increase the rate of supply generation.
- Non repeatable engineering technology (3 to 4 tiers) to improve the self-efficiency of larger ships (reduce inefficiency penalty).
OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
- Can have a diplomatic agreement to supply allied fleets (exchange supplies at border systems?)
- Ground combat units can also use supply (rate=1 supply per standard infantry unit)
- larger ships (Titan, Colossus) can either scale appropriately, or be equivalent to battleships.
FURTHER PROBABLE DEVELOPMENTS
- Ship modules to increase supply storage, reduce supply consumptions.
- Its might be necessary to implement supply convoys (transports capable of carrying 4k supplies each) if you need to resupply a fleet that is operating well away from your borders. Intercepting and destroying/capturing such fleets may be a thing.
- Calculating individual ship stats (supply storage, consumption etc. based on equipped modules), rather than a global figure linked to the hull type.
RESULTS
- Thus, at early game, a starbase and a couple of outposts can easily re-supply a couple of fleets of 20 corvettes (up to 50NC).
- By mid-game, you would need a couple of starbases or a starhold to adequately re-supply a fleet of 100-200 naval capacity.
- By end-game, you would need at least 1 citadel plus a colony or two per fleet of battleships (160NC) to keep them fully supplied.
- An empire of 20-30 developed worlds, plus habitats, 1 or 2 ecumenopolis, a megastructure and 15+ starbases, would be able to easily supply 2000NC+ worth of corvettes, or 1500NC+ of battleships.
- As long as you have a contiguous chain of outposts/starbases under your control, your fleets can be kept in reasonable supply.
- A Supply system like this can entirely replace naval capacity as a soft cap on fleet sizes.
STRATEGY OUTCOMES
- Concentrating too many ships in one region may drain that region of supplies.
- Multiple extended battles in the same region would drain that region of supplies.
- Fleets that have lots of heavy ships (battleships, cruisers) would consume supply a lot faster than fleets with smaller ships (corvettes, destroyers).
- Chokepoint systems will be more valuable, as capturing them can limit the flow of supplies through a large empire.
- The numbers above are balanced so that you can fight an intense war with all/most of your fleet in a small region of space (5-10 star systems) for at least 1 year, before draining the region of all supplies. The more spread out the conflict, the longer the supplies will last.
- The numbers are also balanced around 1NC=1Corvette, with heavier ships using up supply faster.
- Gateways would facilitate easier distribution of supply through your empire.
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