Noob question

[Cvan]

Can ships actually be captured? I saw one of my ships in the hands of enemy. Maybe my eyes decieve me! If not then how its possible to capture ship?!

[Data]

It's not possible...yet. It's something that I've put on the wishlist.
Your former ship may have switched sides after a split of your empire....or was captained by Garrak

[Wreck]

Ships cannot be captured.

The AI can use your designs, though.

[J HG T]

As others said, no capturing ships currently. Possible feature in future expansion for sure though.

Pirates can use your designs (mainly escorts and frigates, but I've seen some copied destroyers and cruisers also) so don't be surprised to see pirate factions using them. Other AI empires only use your designs if they are splinter faction from your own empire.

[Wreck]

Other AI empires might get pirates to join them, though, and so might get your design.

[J HG T]

Completely forgot that. Thanks Wreck!

[WoodMan]

By default several races use the same ship sets, so they have the same graphics as you.  In ROTS expansion you can get one unique shipset each by downloading my mod Diverse Worlds (plug plug pluggedy plug) [:D]

[Cvan]

Thanks for the reply. I am aware of pirates using all sorts of designs, but I'm here talking about AI empire. I guess J HG T's and Wreck's explanation will do it. I have much to learn about this game. Pretty complex. Finally some developers willing to sacrifice fancy graphics (in my case I'm more satisfied with 2D graphics due to easy modding and in general I'm more fond of simpler graphics for such game type) for more deeper and better gameplay. Reminds me of good ol' days when I used to play space empires III and IV.

Your former ship may have switched sides after a split of your empire....or was captained by Garrak

But he's just an "ordinary tailor"!

[Cvan]

ORIGINAL: WoodMan

By default several races use the same ship sets, so they have the same graphics as you.  In ROTS expansion you can get one unique shipset each by downloading my mod Diverse Worlds (plug plug pluggedy plug) [:D]

I already downloaded your mod. Must say you really did great job. Those shipsets looks so wonderful I didn't even think about the fact they might be created by combining parts of original ship images. Tried to do something by myself. I'm not bad at image editing, (not an expert aswell) but it didn't work out quite well. Takes master inspiration and imagination to create that many shipsets. I was struggling with one ship for half of hour. Once again, great job!

[Data]

Ya, we all rely on WoodMan's insomnia to get them [:D]

[Bingeling]

I can end up with the ships of the AI, but I am not sure the AI tactics allow them to do the same.

If you capture a colony with an existing space port building ships, the ships will become your when completed. The ships will of course be by the design of the empire you lost them from. If there is a huge build queue, maybe lots of ships could "shift sides" this way?

Do the AI snipe colonies from under space ports? They seem fond of blowing them up.

[Cvan]

ORIGINAL: Bingeling

I can end up with the ships of the AI, but I am not sure the AI tactics allow them to do the same.

If you capture a colony with an existing space port building ships, the ships will become your when completed. The ships will of course be by the design of the empire you lost them from. If there is a huge build queue, maybe lots of ships could "shift sides" this way?

Do the AI snipe colonies from under space ports? They seem fond of blowing them up.

I'm now definetly sure that was the case. I had colony next to enemy and decided to build lots of military ships. I guess I was supposed to organise better defense.

[Data]

a good ofense is sometimes the best defense....actually always for cardasians [:)]

[MaxyGamer]

I must be dreaming... [:)] Data and Garrak - two of my most favorite ST characters in one post. Capturing enemy ships would be a neat feature to have though. Very useful. You spend your resources on building a king-sizer only to witness it destroying your ships and colony few minutes later. Nice.

How about a powerful ship AI mulfuncioning (rare random event of a sort) causing it to go rouge and fry something. I love this game (<--french accent).

[Data]

Being a mooniac I also badly want to capture ships, tractor beam, transporters etc etc. I won't start ranting about this...again [:)]

[Cvan]

Capturing enemy ship sounds fun, but then getting new techs will be maybe too easy since you will be able to retire one of the captured ships and get technology it has.

[Data]

Actually, DW is much more advanced at this. Retiring advanced ships does give you a bonus in one research area but not that big and it never gives you techs entirely.
Better at this than MOO2 for example....there you captured a few antarans and bam, instant mega tech available early.

[Cvan]

Oh I see... Well then it would work out pretty well. I'd like capturing to be implemented one day!

[Igard]

Hi, Cvan. Nice to meet another Trek fan on the forums. With all us Trekkies playing, surely we'll see such things as phaser beam array weapons, transporters, tractor beams eventually implemented. [8D]

Ship capture has been a wish since the very early days of Distant Worlds (almost a year old now!).

I wonder if there's something planned for it's 1st anniversary...... ?

EDIT: A cloaking device would be nice too.....

[Data]

Don't cloak your words like this, you nearly broke my glasses [:)]
I mean gold eyes, obviously...