Just how important is manually designing your ships?

[[[Number1RatedSalesman1997]]]

Is it not worth my time to design them, or do customized fleets have enough benefit to spend my time on them?

[Mr.I]

It's very important. So, how do I put it... Well, I gave this game a negative review because it just won't allow me to completely disable auto-designing and auto-upgrading.

[AzTech_Strategy]

There's always a large benefit to doing your own designs that only gets bigger the longer the game goes. That said, unless you put the game on a higher difficulty, or if you're new learning the game - its not something you absolutely have to do.

[Sgt. Sarge]

If you are unable to spare five minutes designing a ship then understandable.
But designing your ships is very important as the others have said, auto-generated ones are bad

[Blaze Shadowflame]

Originally posted by Mr.I:

It's very important. So, how do I put it... Well, I gave this game a negative review because it just won't allow me to completely disable auto-designing and auto-upgrading.

There are checkboxes for both on the ship builder menu.

[[[Number1RatedSalesman1997]]]

Originally posted by Blaze Shadowflame:

Originally posted by Mr.I:

It's very important. So, how do I put it... Well, I gave this game a negative review because it just won't allow me to completely disable auto-designing and auto-upgrading.

There are checkboxes for both on the ship builder menu.

i think he means having them disabled by default

[Mr.I]

Originally posted by Blaze Shadowflame:

Originally posted by Mr.I:

It's very important. So, how do I put it... Well, I gave this game a negative review because it just won't allow me to completely disable auto-designing and auto-upgrading.

There are checkboxes for both on the ship builder menu.

Why would I say this if it actually works?

First, the game always auto-upgrades the reactor (power plant) whenever you acquire a higher level one (ignores the unchecked "Auto-upgrade" checkbox). I have to manually downgrade all my ship designs each time I research a new reactor. If you insist that the "Auto upgrade" checkbox works, then I'd like to suggest you to have a look on your ship designs right after you've researched a new reactor. (if you don't use auto-design)

Second, the Juggernaut design spam (ignores the unchecked "Auto-generate designs" checkbox). If you research Juggernaut too early, then whenever a new ship component is researched, you will get a new auto-generated Juggernaut design if you don't currently have an auto-generated one. And your Juggernaut upgrade will prioritize this auto-generated design unless you've deleted it.

Third, the game always auto-generates new ship designs when a new ship class is researched (ignores the unchecked "Auto-generate designs" checkbox).

No matter how tolerable these issues are, I just want the checkboxes to function properly. I want them to do what they literally said: TO NEVER TOUCH MY SHIP DESIGNS WHEN THEY ARE UNCHECKED.

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To properly express how much I despise those unwanted auto-designing and auto-upgrading, I must say this line to Paradox again:

Before you touch my ship designs - no, go F yourself.

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If you have more to say about these issues, please open a new thread and I will reply in the new thread within 24 hours.

[[[Number1RatedSalesman1997]]]

Originally posted by Mr.I:

Originally posted by Blaze Shadowflame:

There are checkboxes for both on the ship builder menu.

Why would I say this if it actually works?

First, the game always auto-upgrades the reactor (power plant) whenever you acquire a higher level one (ignores the unchecked "Auto-upgrade" checkbox). I have to manually downgrade all my ship designs each time I research a new reactor. If you insist that the "Auto upgrade" checkbox works, then I'd like to suggest you to have a look on your ship designs right after you've researched a new reactor. (if you don't use auto-design)

Second, the Juggernaut design spam (ignores the unchecked "Auto-generate designs" checkbox). If you research Juggernaut too early, then whenever a new ship component is researched, you will get a new auto-generated Juggernaut design if you don't currently have an auto-generated one. And your Juggernaut upgrade will prioritize this auto-generated design unless you've deleted it.

Third, the game always auto-generates new ship designs when a new ship class is researched (ignores the unchecked "Auto-generate designs" checkbox).

No matter how tolerable these issues are, I just want the checkboxes to function properly. I want them to do what they literally said: TO NEVER TOUCH MY SHIP DESIGNS WHEN THEY ARE UNCHECKED.

---------------------------------

To properly express how much I despise those unwanted auto-designing and auto-upgrading, I must say this line to Paradox again:

Before you touch my ship designs - no, go F yourself.

---------------------------------

If you have more to say about these issues, please open a new thread and I will reply in the new thread within 24 hours.

...
wow.
just.. wow.
i don't mean to be rude but.. wow.

[Geoff]

Originally posted by Number1RatedSalesman1997:

Is it not worth my time to design them, or do customized fleets have enough benefit to spend my time on them?

I have two ways of looking at it. If you use the auto-design or don't have the DLC that lets you design ships, then the main thing is that you will have fleets that are as dumb as the ones the AI uses.

So from perspective one, it's critical if you want to gain the benefits of being the human player. You can easily design ships and fleets that will outperform the AI.

On the other hand, if you want to handicap yourself, then forcing yourself to play with standard issue craft is a good way to do that. You'll have to spend a lot more building ships because they won't do well in battle and battles will be a straight up numbers game - mash more firepower at the AI than it has.

As for the ranting about the ship designer, it's not unfounded. It leaves a number of things to be desired. But it's good enough to get the job done if your expectations are low enough. On fleet construction, my standards tend towards the low end of the scale. It's a little fun designing the vessels, but not especially so and it can be a lot of micro-work for a pretty low level of payoff if you're not a very aggressive player.

[Bermag]

Auto-design is pretty useless IMO and the first thing I do when researching a new hull is to delete the auto-generated and create my own. It would be nice not having to do it, however not a big deal it is only 7. When it comes to auto-upgrade components I usually want that but gamne should respect your settings (not a big deal for me either but it might be for other).

But I would also want an autoupgrade for Federation/Galactic community/Imperial fleet design. And it would be nice to have a way to restore your own designs (and delete others) for federation fleet if another empire become leader and then you later become federation leader again.

[Rage000]

ships are not auto updated unless you have left the check box - checked to auto update.
Otherwise they DO NOT auto update your ships

[Babbles]

Originally posted by Mr.I:

Originally posted by Blaze Shadowflame:

[/spoiler]

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If you have more to say about these issues, please open a new thread and I will reply in the new thread within 24 hours.

I have deleted 38 Cruiser designs in one game, despite both auto option being unchecked, I literally got a piece of A4 and counted every time I had to delete one ... I JUST DON'T WANT COIL GUNS YOU SILLY GAME!

[Finwe Uwetil]

Originally posted by Rage000:

ships are not auto updated unless you have left the check box - checked to auto update.
Otherwise they DO NOT auto update your ships

Yes.

Also, there will be one design generated when you research a new hull type, and there is no way to delete all designs of given hull. Auto-generate ship designs off there will be this one design made, which you can replace with your own and delete. Nobody is forcing you to use anything premade though. Ship designer works, just use the tick boxes and it's fine.

[Rage000]

yeah , ignore or delete the initial default design. I make my own designs, and delete the ship design the game adds when you get a new ship size. Its really not a big deal - delete is easy. Ship designs do not auto update unless you leave that box checked.

[Geoff]

Originally posted by Rage000:

yeah , ignore or delete the initial default design. I make my own designs, and delete the ship design the game adds when you get a new ship size. Its really not a big deal - delete is easy. Ship designs do not auto update unless you leave that box checked.

When you select a new ship hull, it does autopopulate the basic components, which can be really annoying if you're trying not to use late-stage components that eat up strategic resources or if you're trying to avoid using the jump drive or sapient combat AI.

Though, you can change the name of an existing ship but nothing else, then hit save and it basically does clone whatever you're using as your base template.

[Imperium]

Originally posted by Number1RatedSalesman1997:

Is it not worth my time to design them, or do customized fleets have enough benefit to spend my time on them?

You can win game on highest difficulty on ironman without ever touching it if you know the game well, I have done it many times. However if you did edit the ships you would be far more optimal, as you unlock end game components that need a ton of hard to produce materials would stop you from making good ships, its kind of annoying but again can be managed fairly well without editing the ships, I only started doing it after installing mods since modded tech wont be properly assigned by the auto editor.