Energy at 0

[Fleshbits]

It's not like shields are recharging. Why is this happening to all my ships?
It happened to a destroyer too whom has ~150 max energy from weapons and ~284 energy from reactors...
They have gas. What's the dealio?

[Unforeseen]

I've had this issue with fighter bays on non carrier ships resulting in them having zero energy and turning into ghost ships. Not really sure what caused it so will be paying attention to this thread.

[Nanaki]

Unfortunately, the design screen does a poor job of telling you that static energy usage does NOT include shields and engines.

[pycco]

is the ships in combat? do you have more than one reactor type?

[tjhkkr]

I believe it is because these ships are at warp speed. When the ship drops out of warp, you should see the power go up, especially if you have some power panels on your ship.

[Fleshbits]

They got that way in combat and I took them back home and let them sit for 30 minutes. They would not recover even sitting idle. Something is very amiss.

I can understand shields taking some energy to recharge, but like I said, the shields were full. Unless it constantly uses energy, not just when filling? Same goes for engines, is it constant?

[pycco]

ORIGINAL: Fleshbits

They got that way in combat and I took them back home and let them sit for 30 minutes. They would not recover even sitting idle. Something is very amiss.

I can understand shields taking some energy to recharge, but like I said, the shields were full. Unless it constantly uses energy, not just when filling? Same goes for engines, is it constant?

ya i agree i would post in tech support along with the save that includes this.

[Unforeseen]

In a way it does make sense HOW your ship got to zero in the first place since your static energy[including engine at sprint]usage is equal to your total output. Firing weapons will certainly make it alot quicker. As to why it stayed at zero...the world may never know. As a general rule when i build my ships i ensure that my output is higher than my total static[including engines at sprint] before i add weapons, then add reactors as needed to cover for my weapons maximum energy usage.

[Aeson]

Not directly related, but I would strongly advise you to add more reactors to that design. It is currently unable to both cruise at full speed and fire all its weapons (total energy required for that is 171 + 108 = 279, so you probably ought to have at least one more reactor), which means that you're not taking full advantage of its design speed and firepower. It has just enough power production to let it fight properly while standing still, but that's not really a normal combat situation.

Same goes for engines, is it constant?

My understanding is that engines are supposed to draw their listed power requirements only while the engines are in use - your design at cruising speed will be drawing 108 energy beyond the static requirements for the engines, at sprint will draw 173 energy beyond static requirements for the engines (which, given that this is the same as your excess output, suggests that your sprint speed may be limited by reactor output rather than engine thrust), at warp will draw 113 energy beyond static needs for the hyperdrive (but none for the sublight engines, I believe), at impulse will draw 27 energy beyond static needs for the engines, and won't require any energy for the engines while idling. Never really checked to see if engines draw power even when sitting still, though a quick glance at an idling ship just spawned in with the editor at 0 stored energy and a full tank of fuel made it look like all spare reactor output went to storage (I wasn't paying close attention, mind you, so it's possible that I overlooked the discrepency between reactor output and engine requirements).

I believe it is because these ships are at warp speed. When the ship drops out of warp, you should see the power go up, especially if you have some power panels on your ship.

He has 173 surplus reactor output, which is more than enough to cover the 113 power required for his hyperdrive, and he's only looking at 12 shield recharge rate. That plus his static energy requirements only totals 152, which means he should be seeing 21 energy per second being stored unless engaging the hyperdrive prevents all energy storage, which would seem odd to me. Unless you can point out something to eat up that extra 21 energy per second his reactors should be producing beyond the needs of the hyperdrive, shields, and static requirements that ought to draw power while the hyperdrive is engaged, I see no reason why his ship wouldn't have energy going into the storage cells while in hyperspace.

[tjhkkr]

ORIGINAL: pycco

ORIGINAL: Fleshbits
They got that way in combat and I took them back home and let them sit for 30 minutes. They would not recover even sitting idle. Something is very amiss.
I can understand shields taking some energy to recharge, but like I said, the shields were full. Unless it constantly uses energy, not just when filling? Same goes for engines, is it constant?

ya i agree i would post in tech support along with the save that includes this.

Thank you for clarifying. Yes, please put it in the errors...

[Darkspire]

A few folks may disagree with the following as this has issue has often been discussed.

As someone else has pointed out it may be that your ship is in warp or it may be that the reactor output is insufficient for the design.

Weapons = 171
Max energy needed for sprint = 173

Total needed energy = 344
Your total reactor output = 200

Deficit of 144

Match the reactor output to the total energy needed in those two areas.

Engines fitted to the class is, IMO, overkill. Max engines on any of my designs are 20 on Constructors and Colony Ships, all other designs have 10 engines and 5 thrusters, by increasing the tech level the speed increase in engines is sufficient with 10 fitted and does not need to have so many reactors thus cutting down overall resource usage as well.

Darkspire

[pycco]

ORIGINAL: Darkspire

A few folks may disagree with the following as this has issue has often been discussed.

As someone else has pointed out it may be that your ship is in warp or it may be that the reactor output is insufficient for the design.

Weapons = 171
Max energy needed for sprint = 173

Total needed energy = 344
Your total reactor output = 200

Deficit of 144

Match the reactor output to the total energy needed in those two areas.

Engines fitted to the class is, IMO, overkill. Max engines on any of my designs are 20 on Constructors and Colony Ships, all other designs have 10 engines and 5 thrusters, by increasing the tech level the speed increase in engines is sufficient with 10 fitted and does not need to have so many reactors thus cutting down overall resource usage as well.

Darkspire

interesting so its not a bug but a flawed ship design wonder why i have never ran in to this then, good to know.

he said the ships are not recharging even when idle though is the only thing any thoughts?

[Bingeling]

The ship design is flawed, but that does not explain why energy is not rising when in hyperspace like in the image. It has enough energy for hyperspace, and it does travel at full speed. Even if shields are recharging it has energy to spare.

Once it hits the ground and gets a sniff of combat, it is in trouble, though.

[ehsumrell1]

In addition to what Darkspire stated in post#11 above, also add the Shield Recharge Rate to
the formula as well.
So that:
Maximum Weapons Energy (171) + Engines Sprint Energy (173) + Shield Recharge Rate Amount (12) = 356

With enough Fusion Reactors on that design equaling or exceeding that amount (356) then all ship
energy requirements will be met. Ship can fire weapons, recharge shields and maneuver at sprint
speed without loss of power. Hope this helps!
[:)]

[ehsumrell1]

Additionally, Sylian provided a comprehensive post about energy here:
http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=2970969

In particular check out section 5 of his post, "Energy Balance in Combat"
VERY INFORMATIVE! [:)]

[pycco]

ORIGINAL: Fleshbits

They got that way in combat and I took them back home and let them sit for 30 minutes. They would not recover even sitting idle. Something is very amiss.

every one is over looking this if the ship is idle the ship should recharge in a few seconds.

[Darkspire]

ORIGINAL: ehsumrell1

In addition to what Darkspire stated in post#11 above, also add the Shield Recharge Rate to
the formula as well.
So that:
Maximum Weapons Energy (171) + Engines Sprint Energy (173) + Shield Recharge Rate Amount (12) = 356

With enough Fusion Reactors on that design equaling or exceeding that amount (356) then all ship
energy requirements will be met. Ship can fire weapons, recharge shields and maneuver at sprint
speed without loss of power. Hope this helps!
[:)]

I never realized that was part of the equation as well, I never thought of including that, even after all the moons I have been playing you can still learn new things [:)]

Darkspire

[Darkspire]

ORIGINAL: pycco
every one is over looking this if the ship is idle the ship should recharge in a few seconds.

Not really, as I do not have the problem I was just putting forward how I design for energy usage, the Energy Collection exceeds the Static Energy Usage so that should recharge the shields.

If I do not have the problem and the OP does then there may be a problem, meaning that unless you correctly design for energy then the energy collection doesn't kick in properly?

The OP needs to upload a save and description / link to this thread and make a post in the Tech Support section if this is found to be the case.

Darkspire

[Spacecadet]

Yeah, even Cruise Energy usage at 108 + 171 (= 279) exceeds the Reactor capacity.

[tjhkkr]

ORIGINAL: tjhkkr

ORIGINAL: pycco

ORIGINAL: Fleshbits
They got that way in combat and I took them back home and let them sit for 30 minutes. They would not recover even sitting idle. Something is very amiss.
I can understand shields taking some energy to recharge, but like I said, the shields were full. Unless it constantly uses energy, not just when filling? Same goes for engines, is it constant?

ya i agree i would post in tech support along with the save that includes this.

Thank you for clarifying. Yes, please put it in the errors...

But look what he says: He says the ships do not recover even sitting idle for 30 minutes...
I cannot help think that regardless of design issues, there is still a problem.

Several of my designs do exactly what he says, but they never ever bottom out at zero even immobile...