Retrofitting of Starbases

[RonLugge]

How do I retrofit starbases? I just got a new type of lab, and I want to retrofit my black-hole orbiting research base with it, but I appear to have to build a brand new base instead!

Edit: Also, while there is no retrofit option for the above scenario, trying to retrofit my small spaceport to a large one doesn't appear to work either -- it takes the command, but doesn't do anything. Any ideas?

[zenryl]

Just click on it and select retrofit option in the contextual menu. I did it yesterday. I don't have the game right now but if you can't find it I will take some screens when I go back home.

[Gertjan]

By the way, does the AI automatically retrofit starbases?

[Joram]

No, i reported this as well.  There seems to be either a bug or some constraint that is preventing starbases from being upgraded sometimes.

[Gertjan]

A priority I would say for the next patch?

[RonLugge]

ORIGINAL: zenryl

Just click on it and select retrofit option in the contextual menu. I did it yesterday. I don't have the game right now but if you can't find it I will take some screens when I go back home.

Doesn't work on deep-space starbases. Only over-planet ones.

[playedabit]

I also found that on-planet spaceports have the retrofit option while off-planet bases (mines in particular) don't. While I understand that without a construction facility a base shouldn't be able to reconstruct itself, it should be possible when a constructor ship is present. One way to do this would be to put a 'retrofit base' option on the constructor, or have the base upgrade itself and remove/destroy those components that were upgraded (keep the rest untouched) so that a constructor ship can come and repair the station.

[Okim]

I wonder if a constructor has any right-click menu while pointing on a off-world station. I assume that this should be the proper way to refit such bases.

Have to try it myself today.

[Volcano]

I would tell also that it seems there is a bug with retrofitting starbases, spaceports, to be precise. I have already successfully retrofitted a spaceport to a more recent version, but it seems impossible with the spaceport orbiting the homeworld. Despite giving the order of retrofitting several times, the large spaceport on my homeworld is still the first model (LSP-1) but it can build large ships though it doesn't have appropriate construction yards.

[playedabit]

I also had this problem a couple of times, sometimes this or that spaceport would just not upgrade. Trying to retrofit later worked, however. Except in one case where I had to scrap the port and build another in its place.

As to the reasons, I have no idea, I checked that I had enough money, ships being under construction at the facility didn't seem to be a problem for other ports, and other ports were willing to upgrade at the same time so resource stocks might not have been the issue either.

Is it possible that local resource stores didn't have enough materials for the upgrade? Can't think of anything else.

[playedabit]

ORIGINAL: Okim

I wonder if a constructor has any right-click menu while pointing on a off-world station. I assume that this should be the proper way to refit such bases.

Have to try it myself today.

No it doesn't have. As with all other ships pointing at a given station only allows you to perform the default task which is to patrol it. Except if the station needs repairs, then it to repair the station. You can open the right-click menu by right clicking somewhere else (such as a neutral planet), but then you don't target that base you wanted to upgrade. Also there doesn't seem to be any option to upgrade something other than itself.

[impact]

Erik just explained in another threat that retrofitting deep-space bases currently is not possible, but will probably be changed in the future. That being said: retrofitting orbital bases happens just like construction would - from the planet's surface. If you try to retrofit a lot of ships at the same time, you will notice that some ships seem to ignore the command. The reason for this apparently is that you need free build slots on your space port to do this. If there are no space ports with free build slots left in your empire, the ships will ignore the command. So if your orbital base ignores a retrofit-command, check the planet it is orbitting. The construction yard is probably just busy and it should work, once the construction yard is free again.

[playedabit]

ORIGINAL: impact

Erik just explained in another threat that retrofitting deep-space bases currently is not possible, but will probably be changed in the future. That being said: retrofitting orbital bases happens just like construction would - from the planet's surface. If you try to retrofit a lot of ships at the same time, you will notice that some ships seem to ignore the command. The reason for this apparently is that you need free build slots on your space port to do this. If there are no space ports with free build slots left in your empire, the ships will ignore the command. So if your orbital base ignores a retrofit-command, check the planet it is orbitting. The construction yard is probably just busy and it should work, once the construction yard is free again.

Thanks for your remark, I'll check out that other thread.

On another note, why the need for empty slots? Shipyards have queues, don't they? Why can't the ship just add itself to the queue at one of the yards? Or the base to the planet yard queue.

[namad]

i can give the order to retrofit my starting starbase over my home planet...

yet it will never ever ever ever retrofit! ... i think this is because this unit is the only unit in the entire game i cannot turn off of automatic mode?

i want to turn automatic mode off but i can't... why not? what am i doing wrong?

[Wicky]

ORIGINAL: RonLugge

Edit: Also, while there is no retrofit option for the above scenario, trying to retrofit my small spaceport to a large one doesn't appear to work either -- it takes the command, but doesn't do anything. Any ideas?

There is a little bug with retrofitting, it won't accept the command if the planet/base in charge of retrofitting has all it's construction slots occupied.

You can always retrofit your small spaceport to a large one, just make sure the planet isn't building anything at the moment (colony constructor ships etc) then you give the command. Same goes for retrofitting ships, make sure the nearest shipyard has at least 1 slot free.

[sbach2o]

ORIGINAL: namad

i can give the order to retrofit my starting starbase over my home planet...

yet it will never ever ever ever retrofit! ... i think this is because this unit is the only unit in the entire game i cannot turn off of automatic mode?

i want to turn automatic mode off but i can't... why not? what am i doing wrong?

I have retrofitted my starting starbase in more than one game just fine. I had one occurence where I think I had given the order to retrofit and after a while saw the old design still in place without work being done on a retrofit in the planet's construction yard. Yet, I am not sure that I am imagining this.

Questions:

(1) Have you the 1.0.2 patch installed? In the release version the starting colony would typically be cut off from the supply of resources needed for building of stuff after a while.

(2) Have you checked the space yard of the planet underneath the starbase? The retrofit job for the starbase will appear there, if it has been accepted. If it appears there, can any progress be noted over time?

(3) Have you made sure, all components on the design you want to retrofit to can be built resp. have been researched by your empire? It is currently *probably* possible to get such components into your designs via the blueprints of spaceports that came into your empire by buying other empires' colonies, taking over bases through exploration, or even conquest. A different question may be whether you then can actually retrofit to such a design or not.

(4) The selection pane for a starbase (like any other spaceship's or bases') will show the name and the name of base and design separately. The name of the installation should stay over the retrofit, and in some cases it incorporates the name of the design, IIRC. I do not remember how it is handled with your starting bases' name, however. Are you sure that your upgrade isn't finished already and you just didn't notice because of a confusion over the name?

(5) Finally, have you automated ship design on or off? I've only ever played with it off, so in the other case there may be more potential issued I am not aware off. Maybe your retrofit succeeded and is finished but there's already a newer design in place?

Edit: After checking again, I can confirm your problem from one of my games. Not even the order to retrofit is accepted. Why have I been of the opinion that I could retrofit the starport on my capital without problems?