Where to best build shipyards and wharfs?

[Takiro]

In my previous save game I just barely managed to repel the invading xenon forces and many races and factions lost their shipyards and wharfs. I just build my where theirs were before without putting much thought into it and it worked.

I'm now in a fresh galaxy and this time want to start early with building to be better prepared for the xenon invasion. I wonder where to best place them. Is it better to place them near or in resource rich sectors, to keep distances short or near sectors with constant battle and demand or does it not matter at all as long as your resource supply is steady and plenty? I'm currently in one of the split game starts, didn't play since v2.5 and I'm just exploring all the new sectors. Doesn't look like Split have easy access to the super highway.

[Wraith]

Nepolious fortune is consider the best neutral territory.

It has alot of essential resources and is pretty central in the map allowing you quick access to pretty much almost every part of the map.

[Asmosis]

I have a grand plan in my head to build two shipyards in a zone that's constantly at war between HOP and the other paranid faction. The sector is constantly flip flopping between the two (let me grab 20x20x20 plots for free while neutral).

I'm going to build one ship yard to the north that only HOP can trade with, and one to the south that only Godrealm can trade with and see if they battle it out. I might instead just set both factories to the opposite faction of the sector owner to keep the war balanced.

[eMYNOCK]

The best Sector(s) to build your own Shipyards is usually a bit away from any active Front.

You don't want a Shipyard in Flashpoint for example... but any other 2nd Contact Sector is good to host one.

In combination with Trade Rules you can even avoid that multiple warring Factions buy at the same Facility and destroy each other upon undocking.

pretty usefull if you want to increase the military strenght of certain factions but don't want them to fight in an Area were both are not needed.

Originally posted by Asmosis:

I have a grand plan in my head to build two shipyards in a zone that's constantly at war between HOP and the other paranid faction. The sector is constantly flip flopping between the two (let me grab 20x20x20 plots for free while neutral).

I'm going to build one ship yard to the north that only HOP can trade with, and one to the south that only Godrealm can trade with and see if they battle it out. I might instead just set both factories to the opposite faction of the sector owner to keep the war balanced.

i would avoid that scenario...

one reason is that Shipyards are capable to claim a System what would result in a stagnate Front and you with a System that i would not consider Save.

instead i would build one Shipyard in the adjecant HOP and one in the adjecant PAR system.

[Belteguesian]

Originally posted by Asmosis:

I have a grand plan in my head to build two shipyards in a zone that's constantly at war between HOP and the other paranid faction. The sector is constantly flip flopping between the two (let me grab 20x20x20 plots for free while neutral).

BAD NEWS BULLETIN:

You may not pay when you originally built it, but once one faction gets ownership they'll ask for their fee. This means that you'll have to pay once to HOP and once to PAR. Happened to me with a 4x4x4 plot I was building for PAR in Pius Mists II paid par at the start then HOP took over and I had to pay them again!!!

[HoloByteus]

Close to resources, safe from Xenon's & within 5 gates of intended customers shipyards so my traders could reach it. I drank the coolaid and became a HOP cultist since I like their ships best at the time and built my tech supply station in Holy Vision to help the Paranids out. Later after I acquired Matrix 451/9 I cloned my tech supply station in Holy Vision and added Fabs to make my first shipyard in Matrix 451 in about 32 hours, ZYA made me rich. I then clone it again in Silent Witness to see if proximity would encourage Argon's to build more Capitals since I felt sorry for the lame $*$*#@$.... nope that didn't help... years of being my slaves and boarding crew martyrs have just demoralized them apparently.

[Asmosis]

Originally posted by Belteguesian:

Originally posted by Asmosis:

I have a grand plan in my head to build two shipyards in a zone that's constantly at war between HOP and the other paranid faction. The sector is constantly flip flopping between the two (let me grab 20x20x20 plots for free while neutral).

BAD NEWS BULLETIN:

You may not pay when you originally built it, but once one faction gets ownership they'll ask for their fee. This means that you'll have to pay once to HOP and once to PAR. Happened to me with a 4x4x4 plot I was building for PAR in Pius Mists II paid par at the start then HOP took over and I had to pay them again!!!

Can confirm this never happened, as nobody owned the sector when i build there.

I didn't build the shipyards yet but both HOP and Godrealm have been happily buying from my two claytronics factories that i setup at each jumpgate entrance.

I should clarify a little. by flip flop i mean it goes HOP -> contested -> neutral (i.e. everything destroyed) -> godrealm -> contested etc.

What your suggesting is that if ownership ever changes in a sector you have factories, you would immediately (or soon) get a bill from the new occupier, i can confirm that doesnt happen as I've had the stations there for a good 20 hours now.

[Ruges]

Originally posted by eMYNOCK:

In combination with Trade Rules you can even avoid that multiple warring Factions buy at the same Facility and destroy each other upon undocking.

I do not provide warranty or insurance on any ships you buy from me. If you undock it and get it blown up thats on you. However if you do loose your ship I will gladly sell you a new one for Profffffitttssss.

edit. but I should say, Nepolious fortune VI is a good choice. as long as your not going to war with HOP or PAR. (atleast not early on.). Its claimable so no license. its right next to your PHQ, so you can ship in what ever you started producing there. its safe from the Xenon. All gates are close limiting travel time.

Second Contact Flashpoint is a good location. Its closer to the belt then Nepolious. All the resources you need are there or nearby. Depending on the RNG, it can be safe from Xenon. but I have also seens Xenon roll in from the void when ANT got there butts kicked. Nice thing about here is, before you get your own shipyard, you can use this location to supply several faction shipyards/wharfs/docks for profits.

Trinity Santum III can be a good location too if your looking to be at war with HOP/ANT/ARG.

while places like SIlent witness XI can be a good choice. by doing so you need to secure heratics end from the Xenon so your trade stays good. And that pretty much sums up every other location on the map. You need to secure xenon routes before they become viable trade locations.

Beyond that. Best build locations depend on how your playing the game. IE what faction do you want to support? What faction do want to cripple? You going to ignore all trade with others and only trade with yourself?

[hurepoix]

I would advice you dont try at start a 20 x 20 x 20 station. Looking for neutral territory to not pay the stations area is, imo, not a good idea either.

Best locations are imo ; second contact flashpoint, or Grand exchange IV. On both, you have all you need in the sector or in an adjacent one. You are also well located to deal and make money with everybody (except may be splits).

[Pecheurman]

hatikvah III, got all the ressources needed for an shipyard, and in great quantities.
the only thing is hatikvah I have a direct connect to a xenon sector and get attacked frequently.

with faction enhancer on(the mod), don't even think about putting it there, if its vanilla game. you can put it there, they probably won't capture it fast enough.
(till you can put a defense station...) but I would suggest to first put a defense station then the shipyard.

[Wenzilber]

For a self-sufficient wharf / shipyard / equipment dock?

In Argon space:

Black Hole Sun IV (The Young Gun starting sector)
It has all resources in one asteroid belt area but all in very small quantities (especially methane). I personally like putting stations that produce all the ship components in that sector but you can put a ship dock there if you want.

In Paranid space:

Trinity Sanctum VII (where the Alliance's Wharf is) has all resources that can support a self-sufficient ship dock.

In Teladi Space:

Hewai (??? don't remember the spelling) - the one that branches off from Trinity Sanctum III's east gate

One of its mini sectors (near a Xenon space) have all the resources as well (it's sometimes, neutral. often times, a Teladi sector)


MAJOR CON for all sectors above:

The resources needed to build a self-sufficient wharf or shipyard are quite far from the superhighway so mobilizing your fleets after building them can be a hassle


Anywhere else, I reckon that the best spot to plot a Shipyard, Wharf, or Equipment Dock is right beside the main superhighway for the ease of mobilizing your fleets. I think that's more important than having raw resources nearby since you can have M freighters (so they can use the superhighway) just mule the materials over to the dock anyway.

[Min]

what about PHQ thats where I always have my self sufficient one everything

[Asmosis]

It's a few jumps from the highway would be the biggest downside. I've no idea how far out (if at all) of their territory other races will purchase ships.