How do shields work?

[Brakiri]

Hi,

i'm having some problems getting the shield working.
I installed it, then pressed X but it just blinked at 10%. Then i pressed it some more.
I'm not realy sure how this works exactly. It says it needs pentaxid but it also uses a lot of energy.
Somehow i got it to 100% but it is either red or red and blinking and i have no idea what that means.
I got it to work once, but i'm not sure how.

Can please anyone explain to me how this works exactly?

Charging, recharging, activating etc.

It also seems shields do not work in space. Is that the case or just part of my handling problem?

Thanks!

[margalus]

You need plenty of refined Pentaxid in a Pentaxid tank for the shield and then generator power and fuel to power the shield. The shield will use the pentaxid to charge. When the shield is damaged it uses more pentaxid to charge it back up.

You cannot be taking damage or the shields won't charge, you have to be out of danger for a set amount of time.

Shields work fine in space, you just cannot warp with them active.

[Vig Dis]

I am new to shields but I just experimented a bit with my brand new one too see how it behaves. It takes a while for the shield to charge to 100%. Less than a minute but a fair bit of time; enough to make you wonder. It will flash at 10% for a while and then keep building up. Just leave it alone for a minute (I'm purely guessing that you may have initially turned it back off after it appeared to be stuck at 10% the first time.)

My SV shield has 4000 hit points and took 4 pentaxid out of the tank to power up. It appears that turning the ship power off does not affect the shield (once it is fully charged); ie it does not deplete the shield and then require more pentaxid to get running again upon next power up of the vessel. You can also turn off a fully powered shield and then back on again later without requiring more pentaxid. More pentaxid (after the initial charge) is apparently only required after sustaining damage.

Note: Keep in mind that you can't add or remove blocks to a structure while a shield is active. Even planting and or picking garden items may be a problem (not sure though). So remember to deactivate the shield before trying to change parts.

Hope that helps!

Everyone else, please correct me if I'm mistaken about the above. Thanks!

[ravien_ff]

There is a delay after activating the shield or after taking damage before the shield will start charging.

[Vig Dis]

Quick clarification to the above: when the main power of a vessel or base is off, the shield doesn't work, but having the power off doesn't deplete the shield of pentaxid.

[pwwatson1]

All of the above PLUS.....Short course in Shield 101. Shields use Power (A lot of it) and Pentaxid. Only 1 Pentaxid tank is permitted and this is shared with Warp drive on CV/SV vessels. Check the specs for whatever you are using the shield for, it will give the required power needed for charging/re-charging it and a maintenance amount. This will be Above whatever else is using power. It will use approx. 10% of this amount for maintaining the Shield when on.

Example HV/SV will need 2+ generators to charge a Shield with a CV needing a 1/3 of a T1 generator to charge a T1 version. CV and Base Shields have the option to upgrade in place to a T2 version.

NOTE: The Shield (When On) and the Pentaxid tank have a Radiation hazard, so be careful where you install them. You should protect the area around them with a row of blocks. Also the Pentaxid tank Contents adds to the weight of the Vessel. You should install it with that in mind for vessel balance.

Suggested usage is to Charge the Shield to 100% (This takes to the most Power and Time), then turn it off. You can then turn it back On when needed and this takes only 10-15 seconds. It will hold the Charged state even when you turn it off. When I build with a Shield installed, I create a Custom control and group for the shield and its own dedicated generator(s) in it so that these all power on at the same time. This will also save some fuel by controlling things this way.

[rozwell]

Just ran into this last night.

--> Make sure that your SV is not docked. <--

my SV was blinking 10% for a very long time... too long. So jumped into the cockpit and lifted off.... shields began to charge.

[GoodDeath]

Originally posted by pwwatson1:

I create a Custom control and group for the shield and its own dedicated generator(s) in it so that these all power on at the same time. This will also save some fuel by controlling things this way.

Could you elaborate on this please.

[pwwatson1]

Originally posted by GoodDeath:

Originally posted by pwwatson1:

I create a Custom control and group for the shield and its own dedicated generator(s) in it so that these all power on at the same time. This will also save some fuel by controlling things this way.

Could you elaborate on this please.

This works best on HV/SV, but can be done on CV/Base too, You have 2 ways to do this depending on what you are most comfortable with.

1) Go to Main "P" menu, Select a Custom button (Center column) and change the name to "ShieldMode" or what ever you want to call it. You just over type the existing name and press Enter. Next, go to the Device list and Press the + key to create a new group name. I call it the same name as the Custom name. Find the "Polarized Shield" (In Equipment most often) and move this to the new Group that you just created. You do this by clicking the device and selecting "Move to Group", followed by selecting the new group that you created. Do the same for the Generator(s) that you want assigned to this function. Click on the Group name and change the shortcut to the New Custom name that you defined already. This will tell everything in the group to follow the status of the Custom name. You activate/de-activate this by just changing it on the "P" menu by turning it on/off. Do NOT use the shield Button. It will turn when on you use the custom name.

PS. Do NOT autosort after you have created the new group, it WILL Disappear and you will have to do it all over again.

2) Go to Main "P" menu, Select a Signal button (Right column) and change the name to "ShieldMode" or what ever you want to call it. You just over type the existing name and press Enter. Next, go to the Signal Logic list and Find the "Polarized Shield" (In Equipment most often) and change the ON/OF signal name to the one that you just created + select "Follow". This will give you a pull down list of the available signals. Do the same for the Generator(s) that you want assigned to this function. This will tell everything that you changed to follow the status of the Signal name. You activate/de-activate this by just changing it on the "P" menu by turning it on/off. Do NOT use the shield Button. It will turn when on you use the signal name.

You can also add a LCD display saying "Shield ON" using either of the above 2 methods if you want to be a little fancy too.

You can control other devices in the same manner using either of the above methods.

It does take a little getting used to on much you can re-arrange and control things.

I hope this helps. :-)

[Bar0th]

Originally posted by GoodDeath:

Originally posted by pwwatson1:

I create a Custom control and group for the shield and its own dedicated generator(s) in it so that these all power on at the same time. This will also save some fuel by controlling things this way.

Could you elaborate on this please.

With his design, 1+ generators power everything but the shield, and then he has a separate generator + shield in a custom group, which he can toggle on/off together via the control panel.

The (Empyrion) reality is: it would use the same power without doing that (and just turning only the shield on/off). You can't wire generators to specific things (so all powered generators are powering everything), and generators are 100% efficient, so they consume no power themselves (If your design requires 1 generator, and you add 5 more of the same ones, it uses the same fuel - you just have extras should one be destroyed).

I've seen a few ships similar to that, which have "emergency power" generators on separate switches (sometimes actual switches - which do drain power), but it is not (currently) designed that way, so it's simpler just to leave them all on.

[Brakiri]

Hi all,

thank you for your comments.
I tried a few things after i posted the question and i realized that i was just to impatient.
Works fine now, i even installed a shield generator at the base, but it virtually removes any threat from the game. Neither the drones nor the troop transport and attacking Zirax are able to deplete the shield if you have at least 4 turrets online.

And it also works in space now :)

[GoodDeath]

Originally posted by pwwatson1:

Originally posted by GoodDeath:

Originally posted by Bar0th:

Originally posted by GoodDeath:

Thank You

Sometimes this game reminds me of this electrical project kit that I wanted as a child back in the early eighties. I can't remember the name I never got it dad said it was too nerdy haha.

[majortom360]

Originally posted by margalus:

You need plenty of refined Pentaxid in a Pentaxid tank for the shield and then generator power and fuel to power the shield. The shield will use the pentaxid to charge. When the shield is damaged it uses more pentaxid to charge it back up.

You cannot be taking damage or the shields won't charge, you have to be out of danger for a set amount of time.

Shields work fine in space, you just cannot warp with them active.

Hey there, I know this is 8 months ago so maybe it was true then but I have version 12.3 and and SV with a shield and I have no pentaxid. The shields are at 100%. You may have confused the shield with the warp drive which does need pentaxid. Shields will nee more generators, that's a fact but no pentaxid.

[ravien_ff]

Originally posted by majortom360:

Originally posted by margalus:

You need plenty of refined Pentaxid in a Pentaxid tank for the shield and then generator power and fuel to power the shield. The shield will use the pentaxid to charge. When the shield is damaged it uses more pentaxid to charge it back up.

You cannot be taking damage or the shields won't charge, you have to be out of danger for a set amount of time.

Shields work fine in space, you just cannot warp with them active.

Hey there, I know this is 8 months ago so maybe it was true then but I have version 12.3 and and SV with a shield and I have no pentaxid. The shields are at 100%. You may have confused the shield with the warp drive which does need pentaxid. Shields will nee more generators, that's a fact but no pentaxid.

Shields need pentaxid. if they charge without pentaxid then that is a bug that should be reported.

[majortom360]

I checked my vehicles and bases, they all run shields w/out pentaxid. Funny.

[Brakiri]

Ha...a useful bug for once ;)