Constructor repair damaged ships

[balto]

Good point.

[Bingeling]

If you have a constructor task that is stuck, it may be an idea to intervene on the constructor. Tell it to "stop", and then give the repair order. It should realize it needs to pick up materials before proceeding. This also works when constructing a station. Repairing will create the missing components.

[Deomrve]

ORIGINAL: Bingeling

If you have a constructor task that is stuck, it may be an idea to intervene on the constructor. Tell it to "stop", and then give the repair order. It should realize it needs to pick up materials before proceeding. This also works when constructing a station. Repairing will create the missing components.

I don't want to come off as being rude [;)], but I already know that work around. I'm trying to suggest solutions as opposed to a work around. My suggestions fix this work around and I believe enhances the resource supply and demand system in place. I'm pretty sure that there are enough players that wouldn't mind telling the our little private sector dude's, hey I need you to bring supplies to planet Farkle and here's a little extra cash for doing so. [:D]

[Bingeling]

And I love the fact that the civilians get confused and bring no goods. Now, if I only better understood how to make them do what you want. Some kind of feedback on the transport network would be nice. The civilian travel lines are a big help in seeing what is happening, but not quite enough when it comes to understanding why no transport happens.

[Deomrve]

I don't mind them getting confused either, I would just like a simple way of unconfusing when the need arises.

[feelotraveller]

I would like a way of unblocking. I find it ridiculous at times. My favourite example comes from a ROTS game where after over 30 years my earliest settled colonies, within a sector of my homeworld, still had not finished minimal size 172 spaceports (I've since abandoned such small ports but it just adds to the ridiculousness here). What was lacking was that ultra-rare resource (not) silicon. I had two sources of silicon within a sector when I started construction... but my colonies never got any delivered in 30 years? Come on, there is amusing confusion but this is frustration pure and simple.

I'm for some version of the military freighter. But minimal cargo like 50 tons or something so that it is not open to abuse. In my suggested version this would be a freighter pilot character. But that's just window dressing.

[the1sean]

ORIGINAL: Deomrve

ORIGINAL: the1sean

The civilian freighters are usually pretty efficient, they just might not have any place to acquire the needed supplies from. I suggest making sure that you have trade treaties to provide flow of resources from outside your empire boundaries. Also, ensure you have plenty of mining operations running within your own borders to keep supplies flowing...

I don't need to send or entice the civies to supply my projects within my borders. I need some way to get them to supply my projects that are out in the boonies. I don't know how many times I had a space port or construction ship just sit there doing nothing while waiting for supplies that never arrive and I've read about this phenomenon quite a bit on these forums. All I'm asking for is a way to get supplies to these projects, which by the way are almost always on the frontier and beyond. I've already given 2 suggestions and here is a third: each project has a priority, low, normal and high. The default is normal. You would use high for those very important projects and lets the civies know to supply that project first. Normal works as it does now and low is for projects that you would like to build but aren't very important. Low works like normal except when there is a high priority project. 50% of all supplies that would normally go to the low priority would then be diverted to the high priority project. 25% of the normal would be diverted if the supplies from the low priority projects weren't enough. [:)]

My point is that trade agreements with races out in the boonies will help because trade ships from those races will be supplying your outposts directly. I think it is an extremely valid point and should not be overlooked.

In addition, trade agreements with empires on your fringe/outpost areas create a supply and demand relationship that can be extremely beneficial in your situation. Suddenly your once remote outpost is now smack dab in the middle of a lucrative trade route. It changes the trade paradigm.

Another issue that might be plaguing you is the range of your freighter fleet. Designing new freighters with plenty of range and good hyper speeds is important. Since the private sector will use the oldest rust bucket as long as possible this means that long before you overextend your outposts you should be getting longer range freighters into circulation.

Establishing plenty of fueling depots along the way really helps too, as does hunting down pirates and space monsters.

None of these suggestions is a silver bullet, but they will all help get the commodities where they need to go. Trust me, I've played the game a few times.