Matrix Games Forums

I have been meaning to start designing my ships myself, because I can see some way of making them better, but I have a problem. How do they upgrade?

I just want to make X design, and have the upgrader simply improve each tech as I go, because the idea of re-designing them every time I unlock a new weapon is rather... stressful.

I ask mostly because the only time I tried to modify an existing design, the small spaceport to remove its labs to cheapen them, the updater re-added them in the next version. Is there a way for it to see what it has and simply improve that, rather than add new stuff like the labs?

When looking at the list of ship designs, you'll see two columns labelled "Upgrade" and "Retrofit"... Just click in the column to toggle between "Automatic" or "Manual"

If "Upgrade" on a design is set to automatic, this means the AI will auto-DESIGN your next ship design for you (overwriting any changes you made). By setting this to manual, the AI will not redesign that particular ship design which will leave your custom changes untouched. You will have to manually enhance the design as new tech comes available, however.

Play with the "Auto Upgrade Selected Designs" button when it comes time to upgrade that manual design. It will ONLY upgrade existing components (will not remove or add new ones) but will save you time when upgrading Maxos to Shatterforce beams, for example. After that just hit Edit and make any further adjustments.

And as far as I know, an Automatic "Retrofit" will only happen to ships which are automated. Manually controlled ships will have to be manually told to retrofit. (Not sure if that's part of what you're asking, but there it is! lol)

I just found it was easier for me to just start manually designing everything. [:)]

Hope this helps!

That auto upgrade seems to be what I wanted yes, having it just change each component for the next tier. I simply then balance power/crew if it got too much/too few.
thank you!

Does the AI use the designs though? I recall reading how someone made his freighters have faster engines/shields. and the AI just ignored that one and used the default design. (Which you cant even delete if it is used by even one guy... Wish you could delete it so no more ships of the class can be made, then just let the existing ones either retrofit eventually or be destroyed)

Click on the design that you want to upgrade in the design screen. Click on "manually upgrade design".

Or click on "auto upgrade selected designs", for your example.

Everytime I upgrade my in the design menue as manual selected designs by my own the ai stopps upgrading all the other designs which I left automatic? I also noticed that as soon as I upgraded a ship by my own the option in the empre setting screen and overall option menue switches back to manually or deselects "ship design automatically"? I dont know what I am doing wrong? In the empire setting screen I have also unchecked the designs I want to manually upgrade.