yep, the bomber, exploration ship, fighter, passenger ship and small freighter,

<t> has you do say which version of the game you play, i will presume lasted one (Shadows whit lasted patch), at 1.9.0.6 they add a new options in Engagement Stance settings for manual command, i set them to engage near target, then set fleet to partol the starbase a build on the planet, more that ...

<t> it be a while that bug is in the game, and still not be fix, race not using they tech bc auto-design use lasted tech. <br/>
<br/>
some idea for fix it:<br/>
<br/>
1) block path in the same branch so only the race tech can be gain like dmg control, ikkuro can only research they line.<br ...

atfer more play it more crazy that it should [X(] i gainning weapon tech far highter that everyone in the galaxie....

<t> i know there was a older post about that, but cant find it. so the bug is im a empire and desgin all my ship to capture so i may gain some tech they have in the design when i retire them, but strangely i got other tech that is not fit in the ship, they got target tracking that i dont have yet ...

they look greats, thx for them. But some ship (in the parasites serie) dont have engine line, so flying contruction ship flying around whit no thrust look. (i have to add them myself)

for all games i play at empire prewarp,for the AI auto-design you need second size build research complete, or AI cant build they default design because like Eric say, they are too big for your max size.

whit my old computer i was use 10gig of page file, try to leave game to main menu and load every 2 hour

do you have lastest version of the game?, at 1.9.0.6 it fix that bug

use of heavy shielding may help too has they cant board if shield is more that 20 left (or 100 at last tech)

for me they work only when they are not busy moving people to other colony and i have only 1 resort base at all time. so having new colony make passenger ship prioritize migration , has Osito say, the resort income only stick on empire income for 1 month for what i see.

yeah whit the risk of kill your private side has i say, no more freighter/passenger/mining ship build until they are back on track

<t> only way for take control of a planet by playing pirate, is whit the criminal network who cost 200k after you build the 2 other pirates base. It is a wonder so you can only build it one time amd take 2x build time that a forteress. after you that, you take control of that colony like a standard ...

me i play whit design template of the race, so AI retrofit and keep design i make, just fun when i meet same race has me, it give me some good fight.

at 32 bit you should play at max medium size (700 star), try raise windows page file it will help.

me i do some test and AI design default change my blaster to phaser, whit no trouble. Do you change default empire policy Research focus? if you change phasers to beam or add beam, auto-design will use beam not phaser.

it is the private side of your empire who paid whit the money they have, if they go in red (and they will if you dont stop the smugling mission)they stop building civilian ship until they back on the rail, so keep a eye on it. I learn it hard way.

maybe because of your video card driver, it is kinda fresh new

for me they become blurry because the game take time to load texture, for fix temporary is move the camera or wait a bit if dont work save, quit game then reload.

oki after more playing, it is not a bug. but playing a higher difficulty should lower amount of cred gain by resources sell form the player on smuggling mission or it is too easy.