Any point in more than 1 cargo slot for spaceports over planet?

[Mozzy]

In DW:U, planets + spaceports shared inventory. You could have gigantic planet stockpile, and would show 100% available for spaceport with just 1 cargo slot.

In DW2, have confirmed this seems the same - selecting any size spaceport with just 1 cargo slot, but placed over a planet with population = whatever the planet has in stock, no matter the size.

However, I've only played so far with auto stockpile settings. Not sure if there is an easily to reach cap if adjusting manual stockpile settings much higher. So for anyone that truly knows (no guesses, assumptions, or should-be please): ???

Q: Does DW2 have exact same spaceport = unlimited stockpile --> as long as placed over your own populated planet? e.g. no reason to ever waste space/tonnage on more than 1 cargo slot?

*caveat- yes, am aware might be strategic reason(s) to have SP design with more cargo capacity when not over planets (like say early game if converting Ghost or other discovered spaceports that are not over a planet you own. The question is simply for SP over planets.

[Nightskies]

I expect you've already tried to figure it out- I'd suggest turning a blind eye to this.

Cargo capacity on stations does... something... with resource capacity of a colony. Testing that is a weird thing to unpack- manually controlling the resources does unexpected things.

From testing, I even started to wonder if capacity was unlimited. Then it clearly wasn't, but... well, the details aren't worth going into.

One thing worth noting about it though, a destroyed station (at least the spaceport) takes away a lot of resources from a colony. I only suspect the amount is equal to the capacity of the station- I didn't confirm the specific amount.

Regardless, its fine leaving it at 1 Basic Cargo Bay.

[Mozzy]

So far really haven't played DW2 games long enough past end of early game, or barely start mid game as I restart and try all the races. At moment, using 1 cargo for even med spaceports seems fine, and at max of auto stock settings, I've got my theoretical ~20k max capacity starport showing 100k+ casalon available.

Won't know till I try, so will report back later once I get deep enough into game with enough mining/fuel network to try bumping up the stock levels manually to some crazy high level and see if my 1-cargo starports can access all of it.

[HugsAndSnuggles]

Sure: you'll want to upgrade non-planet spaceports, eventually (if only to make them somewhat resistant to occasional raider)... and spaceports are really bad at following retrofit rules, so it's best to avoid having multiple designs.

[Rager_Beater]

Originally posted by Nightskies:

I expect you've already tried to figure it out- I'd suggest turning a blind eye to this.

Cargo capacity on stations does... something... with resource capacity of a colony. Testing that is a weird thing to unpack- manually controlling the resources does unexpected things.

From testing, I even started to wonder if capacity was unlimited. Then it clearly wasn't, but... well, the details aren't worth going into.

One thing worth noting about it though, a destroyed station (at least the spaceport) takes away a lot of resources from a colony. I only suspect the amount is equal to the capacity of the station- I didn't confirm the specific amount.

Regardless, its fine leaving it at 1 Basic Cargo Bay.

They should put in the ability to transform planets into planet classes kinda like stellaris, like a fortress world, agri world, shipyard world, manufactury world, foundry world, ect lol

There should be a planet class called a fuel world, where it can store safely millions of caslon, and in case of invasion, you should be able to blow it up as a scorched earth strategy lmao (or incinerate the atmosphere, transforming the world closer to a volcanic or sulfurous world) lmao

Not comparing stellaris to this game btw, Stellaris has alot of potential but is ruined by the engine or the pop mechanics, unable to be smooth late game, unlike this game. sure the graphics arent as good in this, but the depth and AI and engine is ALOT smoother making for a better experience and immersion.

[Nightskies]

Originally posted by HugsAndSnuggles:

Sure: you'll want to upgrade non-planet spaceports, eventually (if only to make them somewhat resistant to occasional raider)... and spaceports are really bad at following retrofit rules, so it's best to avoid having multiple designs.

Eh?

I *always* run two small spaceport designs in every game: a minimal colony-boosting one with one construction bay, and another with some defense and two construction bays.

Never had any problems getting the ones I want, where I want. All about that Retrofit Path being properly set.

[Rager_Beater]

Originally posted by Nightskies:

Originally posted by HugsAndSnuggles:

Sure: you'll want to upgrade non-planet spaceports, eventually (if only to make them somewhat resistant to occasional raider)... and spaceports are really bad at following retrofit rules, so it's best to avoid having multiple designs.

Eh?

I *always* run two small spaceport designs in every game: a minimal colony-boosting one with one construction bay, and another with some defense and two construction bays.

Never had any problems getting the ones I want, where I want. All about that Retrofit Path being properly set.

Theres also a setting somewhere that the AI will autobuild small, medium or large spaceports depending on how big a population is of a colony.

[stax]

Originally posted by Nightskies:

Originally posted by HugsAndSnuggles:

Sure: you'll want to upgrade non-planet spaceports, eventually (if only to make them somewhat resistant to occasional raider)... and spaceports are really bad at following retrofit rules, so it's best to avoid having multiple designs.

Eh?

I *always* run two small spaceport designs in every game: a minimal colony-boosting one with one construction bay, and another with some defense and two construction bays.

Never had any problems getting the ones I want, where I want. All about that Retrofit Path being properly set.

Experience from my latest game:

I had a small spaceport v3 design over my colonies. Designed a medium spaceport i intended to use over my homeworld. Not wanting all the small spaceports to upgrade, i checked the small design and made sure it did not have the medium spaceport it it's "upgrades to:" field. (strangely, it had *itself* in that field).

Unpaused the game, first thing i know all the spaceports upgraded to the medium version :P

So next i edited the small design and set it to "upgrades to: nothing". That seems to have helped, the next small spaceport i built did not auto-upgrade to the medium one anymore.

[HugsAndSnuggles]

Originally posted by Nightskies:

Originally posted by HugsAndSnuggles:

Sure: you'll want to upgrade non-planet spaceports, eventually (if only to make them somewhat resistant to occasional raider)... and spaceports are really bad at following retrofit rules, so it's best to avoid having multiple designs.

Eh?

I *always* run two small spaceport designs in every game: a minimal colony-boosting one with one construction bay, and another with some defense and two construction bays.

Never had any problems getting the ones I want, where I want. All about that Retrofit Path being properly set.

Good for you. In my games spaceport always ignored retrofit paths, usually retrofitting to the latest design anyway (but not always the latest). Only thing that helps is forbidding them from autoupgrading and doing so manually. Never had i his problem with anything else.

Making them upgrade to correct version of a bigger spaceport is a quest of its own.

[Nightskies]

To upgrade to specific spaceport design of another role (or just to switch the design), bring up the order menu on the spaceport itself with it selected. You should be able to pick any active design to retrofit the station into.

I expect that the automation will override your choice if the empire policies has station construction set to automatic, regardless of the retrofit path.

[HugsAndSnuggles]

Originally posted by Nightskies:

To upgrade to specific spaceport design of another role (or just to switch the design), bring up the order menu on the spaceport itself with it selected. You should be able to pick any active design to retrofit the station into.

I always let automation take care of upgrades: there's no harm in it, except for spaceports. In case of spaceports, I found no way around manual tweaking of design permissions.

Originally posted by Nightskies:

I expect that the automation will override your choice if the empire policies has station construction set to automatic, regardless of the retrofit path.

Construction is on manual.

[Mozzy]

Originally posted by Nightskies:

To upgrade to specific spaceport design of another role (or just to switch the design), bring up the order menu on the spaceport itself with it selected. You should be able to pick any active design to retrofit the station into.

I expect that the automation will override your choice if the empire policies has station construction set to automatic, regardless of the retrofit path.

Have never had the AI mess with my designs if I properly lock it down.

e.g. set empire to AI automation, it takes care of all designs and upgrades. For space stations (and some others I like to manually control), I set that design to Hull = manual, Retrofit = manual, and Active (not obsolete).

^^ with these settings, the AI never touches my personally designed space space stations and defensive bases. I have to select each on and then upgrade to whatever next design I've made.

[SgtScum]

Originally posted by Nightskies:

I expect you've already tried to figure it out- I'd suggest turning a blind eye to this.

Cargo capacity on stations does... something... with resource capacity of a colony. Testing that is a weird thing to unpack- manually controlling the resources does unexpected things.

From testing, I even started to wonder if capacity was unlimited. Then it clearly wasn't, but... well, the details aren't worth going into.

One thing worth noting about it though, a destroyed station (at least the spaceport) takes away a lot of resources from a colony. I only suspect the amount is equal to the capacity of the station- I didn't confirm the specific amount.

Regardless, its fine leaving it at 1 Basic Cargo Bay.

Pretty sure they put limits on capacity because in dwu the ai would try to infinitely store everything at every planet with a spaceport often leading to transportation issues as most of your freighters were doing stocking runs between planets mooching from one to give to another. Limiting your empire to a handful of large stations helped with this. Now you can and are supposed to drop at least a minimal small port on every colony.

[Nightskies]

I couldn't reproduce stations not following the retrofit path outside of what stax said... but surely this is a result of some setting or option.

"Now you can and are supposed to drop at least a minimal small port on every colony."
I agree.
Building a spaceport increases the resource targets of a colony by roughly 50% and Caslon by 400-800% (depending on fleets' home bases), and that could be a problem with a bunch of colonies with spaceports, but I expect this isn't an issue for anyone anymore given changes to passive energy consumption and the decreased number of colonies in general.

[Yodarkore]

Back on topic, we all agree that only 1 fuel storage and 1 cargo storage is enough on any planetary starport?

Btw 1 fuel storage is enough for every station

[Mozzy]

Ok so I tested this the easiest way knew how - made myself a giant fleet that requires ~80k casalon to refuel.

My SSP has one cargo module for ~20k storage (this is the buffed value for being over a planet). But sits over a planet with over 100k casalon in stock.

Was able to refuel just fine, the SSP obviously accessed the shared inventory with the magic 1-cargo teleport bag of holding trick. I saw my planet stock go down to the expected value of ~20k casalon left after my giant gas stop.

For fuel cell, planet stations obviously only require 1 b/c even if the cells drained, they'd be restocked with the effectively infinite planet supply (unless some reason your planet stock is literally less than whatever casalon it takes to recharge 1 fuel cell.

For deep space stations, I see mining or research stations losing fuel bar as they fight pirates. But haven't found one where it ran out, to see if it would keep firing. Forgot if in DW:U it was normal or bugged to keep firing, but as I recall - in DW:U, stations would keep firing even with zero fuel showing.

Not sure about DW2 since every scenario where I see my stations fighting, it's either they win handily before fuel cell goes down much, or the pirates nuke the station really quick, board and leave. So not sure how to test that, as stations seem to either win/lose quick either way.