Advantages of resort bases over modules in space port?

[Nikratio]

If I already have a spaceport at a location where I want to build a resort base, does it make any practical difference if I create a separate resort base or add the same number of passenger, recreation and docking modules to the existing spaceport?

[boolybooly]

I just tried this using Extended AI 1.05 and found that a starport received no visitors on its own for a year or two but a small resort built at the same planet did receive visitors almost immediately so I concluded that the starport is not recognised as a resort destination, OK its an industrial location like a maritime harbour but why wouldn't it have a hotel one wonders?

I think this is an example of one of the limitations of the DW1 engine and design. Probably too late for DW2 but worth thinking about.

Its would be nice if we could add components to constructs and have them behave appropriately wrt AI. As it is in DW1 they take their properties from the design drop down list designation for the design. It would be better imho if a class was added to the properties of the object depending on components added so the AI could then recognise it and design conditions relating to the new class could still be invoked.

Another example today was trying to rescue a damaged explorer with a constructor ship which had a docking port and fuel but could not transfer fuel. That was a very enjoyable dramatic episode, luring the Ardulis with the crippled explorer to an escort (extremely hard extreme research prewarp game, so a long bubble warp interlude and weak early military). The constructor could repair components after the Ardulis was dispatched to get the explorer moving faster but could not replace the fuel lost due to tank destruction which would have been the icing on the cake. Docking worked but refuel from fuel store would not and no way to ask the constructor to pick up caslon.

I was hoping that any ship with docking bay could transfer fuel to any other ship. I enjoy emergent type gameplay, like Stars! from way back and Space Empires.

e.g. instead dividng bases/ships and imposing conditionality, why not say if it has engines let it move? Then let constraints of fuel and power limit the design performance. So an oversize ship will move very slowly and becomes a mobile base, but higher maintenance cost than static base without engines of the same capability. Just have hyperdrive power requirements scale with ship size and you have balance. Just thinking out loud.

[Aeson]

ORIGINAL: boolybooly

I was hoping that any ship with docking bay could transfer fuel to any other ship. I enjoy emergent type gameplay, like Stars! from way back and Space Empires.

They can, but the fuel has to be stored in a cargo bay; ships cannot be refueled from the fuel tanks of another ship or space station.

[zgrssd]

I just tried this using Extended AI 1.05 and found that a starport received no visitors on its own for a year or two but a small resort built at the same planet did receive visitors almost immediately so I concluded that the starport is not recognised as a resort destination, OK its an industrial location like a maritime harbour but why wouldn't it have a hotel one wonders?

There is a difference between having a Hotel and being a Tourist destination. Otherwise Japanese Capsule Hotels would be a tourtist destination of incredible attraction.

While tourism makes (more) hotels prosper, having a hotel does not mean tourism.
You can find several hotels at every airport and larger rail stations. In the old Railroad Tycoon, a Hotel was a possible upgrade for the Rail Stations.

[boolybooly]

ORIGINAL: Aeson
They can, but the fuel has to be stored in a cargo bay; ships cannot be refueled from the fuel tanks of another ship or space station.

Yes, thanks, I did work that out eventually but I still feel it is a reasonable thing to hope for. In Stars! and SE series and even Aurora 4X you can order ships to pick up what you want, which would be very useful for constructors as you could take along a large load of commodities and build several bases in one visit to a far flung system as well as, of course, using them for fuel and repair services. But playing extreme is a different experience to normal. It is barely viable and small inefficiencies become more of a concern especially in the bubble drive era.

Still if I want a game to play a certain way I guess I will have to make one myself.

EDIT, I see from the manual there is a small team working on this - so one has to be realistic about expectations and I hope they get plenty of help and do not burn out like Aaron at Malfador who pretty much dropped SEV like a hot brick and ran away as fast as possible at the first opportunity! Understandable after 5 versions but I think the key is sustainability.

Will be interested to see how DW2 turns out, I expect time has lent the designer some perspective.

[boolybooly]

ORIGINAL: zgrssd

There is a difference between having a Hotel and being a Tourist destination. Otherwise Japanese Capsule Hotels would be a tourtist destination of incredible attraction.

While tourism makes (more) hotels prosper, having a hotel does not mean tourism.
You can find several hotels at every airport and larger rail stations. In the old Railroad Tycoon, a Hotel was a possible upgrade for the Rail Stations.

It would still be nice if a hotel made a bit of money though wouldn't it? Tourists do pay to use capsule hotels and they can be part of the experience of visiting Japan.

That would require the AI to recognise and use it though which was my larger point. In this case the starport was over a planet which happened to have a 31% scenery rating but the AI still ignored it.

[boolybooly]

ORIGINAL: Aeson

ORIGINAL: boolybooly

I was hoping that any ship with docking bay could transfer fuel to any other ship. I enjoy emergent type gameplay, like Stars! from way back and Space Empires.

They can, but the fuel has to be stored in a cargo bay; ships cannot be refueled from the fuel tanks of another ship or space station.

I have since discovered you can get caslon into a constructor's cargo by including a gas miner component and then finding a caslon only gas giant and ordering the constructor to mine it. You can then order other ships to refuel from the constructor docking port, which is a nice opportunity for emergent gameplay.

If you get a damaged ship stuck without warp far away from repair and refuel facilities this means you can use a constructor as a repair and small scale resupply ship, which is the kind of event I enjoy.