A question about solar panels

[Taera]

which i guess is simply a balance plugin to balance the powerful sails.

[Slick]

I have always thought that Solar Sails should add movement without using supplies. It just doesn't make sense. I suppose it is easy enough to mod them some supply generation and I know that some mods do this. But a stock Solar Sail sure doesn't act like you might expect if you are comparing it to a sail on a real sailboat i.e "free" movement using energy from wind (or in space, solar wind).

Slick.

[oleg]

Originally posted by Slick:
I have always thought that Solar Sails should add movement without using supplies. It just doesn't make sense. I suppose it is easy enough to mod them some supply generation and I know that some mods do this. But a stock Solar Sail sure doesn't act like you might expect if you are comparing it to a sail on a real sailboat i.e "free" movement using energy from wind (or in space, solar wind).

Slick.

You still need some energy (from the crew at least) to rig sails and hove the ship

[Slick]

Originally posted by oleg:

quote:

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Originally posted by Slick:
I have always thought that Solar Sails should add movement without using supplies. It just doesn't make sense. I suppose it is easy enough to mod them some supply generation and I know that some mods do this. But a stock Solar Sail sure doesn't act like you might expect if you are comparing it to a sail on a real sailboat i.e "free" movement using energy from wind (or in space, solar wind).

Slick.

You still need some energy (from the crew at least) to rig sails and hove the ship

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That's negligible compared with the energy required to move the ship and should not be considered when using supplies. A stationary ship uses no supplies, but the crew is still working during that time.

Slick.

[Gryphin]

Slick,
I agree if you envison them like sails on sailboats. Since this is science fiction I can envision a contraption where
The sails collect < insert cool moom beams or something > and then combine this with the supplys to produce an afterburner effect.

Mostly it is for play ballence.
I was surpised when my speed 12 BC fleet failed to show up and a planet got glassed. I still recall the comunications:

Red Star to Falcon Fleet - Where the *ell are you!
Falcon Fleet to Red Star - We are out of supply
Red Star to Flacon Fleet - Please repeat, it sounded like you said you were out of supply.
Falcon Fleet to Red Star - That is affirmative. Could you send a supply tender. We are currently in an obscuring storm System XWXW Sector 8,4
Red Star (over his shoulder) - Ensign where is the nearest supply ship to Falcon Fleet?
Ensign - System ABAB enrought to Sparrow Hawk Fleet
Red Star - Isnt that another speed 12 fleet?
Ensign - yes Sir. they are dead in space in....
Red Star (mutters) this is going to be a long day

[ April 21, 2003, 12:50: Message edited by: Gryphin ]

[oleg]

Originally posted by Slick:

quote:

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Originally posted by oleg:

quote:

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Originally posted by Slick:
I have always thought that Solar Sails should add movement without using supplies. It just doesn't make sense. I suppose it is easy enough to mod them some supply generation and I know that some mods do this. But a stock Solar Sail sure doesn't act like you might expect if you are comparing it to a sail on a real sailboat i.e "free" movement using energy from wind (or in space, solar wind).

Slick.

You still need some energy (from the crew at least) to rig sails and hove the ship

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That's negligible compared with the energy required to move the ship and should not be considered when using supplies. A stationary ship uses no supplies, but the crew is still working during that time.

Slick.

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No, they all cryogenically asleep and consume no food or oxygen That's what supplies are, right ? The stuff that makes people live and work. Like, I have a loot of supplies in my refrigerator right now

[Loser]

I do not believe so. Much like the 1,000,000 person modular arcologies, the Crew Quarters and Life Support system create a fully self-sustaining environment for the crew, one where they can continue to live despite loss of all supplies, seven systems away from the rim, unrecoverable, but still consuming maintenance resources.

That's what I'm wondering. Why the blank can't I get intel reports from my omnipresent, invisible, vacuous fleet of resource freighters? Or at least tell them that a certain ship is 'cut off'. I know why: because that's not the way the game works. I'd hardly want time or Aarontime spent of changing that, but I'd like to hear a good excuse.

And another thing: ship takes damage (damn non-fatal mine fields), looses Bridge, Crew Quarters, Life Support. The ship still operates, sort of. Is this one guy left awake, like 2001, where everyone else sleeps? Are the sleep beds built into the chassis? Shouldn't there be a way to kill the crew themselves and eliminate their 'experience' level?

[Slick]

Oleg, I would have to disagree. The components that use supplies are ship's systems and I think they represent basically a composite of fuel & ammo. Engines and weapons use supplies and a few other non-life supporting components like Stellar Manipulation components. Supplies can be viewed as energy required to operate the ship's large systems. Life support uses no supplies, nor does a stationary ship. A ship can be on station guarding a sector for the entire game without running out of supplies. If it doesn't move, the only way it can run out of supplies is if it fires its weapons enough times. If the intent was that supplies should also represent crew support, some component like Life Support would use supplies each turn even if the ships don't move.

Slick.

[rdouglass]

Originally posted by Slick:
....If the intent was that supplies should also represent crew support, some component like Life Support would use supplies each turn even if the ships don't move.

Slick.

That's the way SEIII worked IIRC. In some ways that was better - in other ways the current system is better. I think it would be nice to have both; not from the MicroManage perspective but from the 'reality' perspective. For instance, any ship with crew quarters will use some supplies each turn reguardless of ship movement / combat (don't fighters do that now?) Ships with just MC's should not use 'em unless move or fire....

I know this has been discussed many times - just my $.02 ...

[Slick]

Originally posted by rdouglass:
(don't fighters do that now?)

Yes, and it can be turned off in settings.txt.

Slick.