Suggestion: Laying up/mothballing fleets

from GalCiv3 Forums

Would it possible to add a feature to lay up some of your ships if you currently don't need them to save on expenses?

Say I've just finished a large scale war where I built a lot of war ships but I'm now entering a period of, hopefully, prolonged peace. I could then lay up some of my ships to simulate them being partially or fully decomissioned. Instead of outright destroying them, they would just become inoperable and cheaper to maintain, cutting down on my expenses while keeping a strategic reserve. During this mothballing they would not be able to move or fight but would cost less maintenance. Should I decide to activate them again they would need some time before coming online but I think this could be simulated like the old upgrade feature where, IIRC, the ship would be idle for several turns until ready.

It would help you manage your economy and bring another strategic consideration into the game, i.e. is the threat big enough to warrant activating the reserve fleet, have they become obsolete etc.

If this has been asked before, I apologise. I did a search and didn't find anything but

22,644 views 7 replies
Reply #1 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Isn't there a tech that described old ships being used for research?

I don't see why we can't blow up some stuff and test our designs out side of a real war. I mean, why build a ship not knowing how it will fair in a real battle?

 

DARCA ;)

Reply #2 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

That would be pretty cool too.

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Reply #3 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

I like this idea. Another similar option might be to reduce upkeep for ships stationed at planets, shipyards, or starbases.

Reply #4 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

That could work even though it could lead to some gamey tactics, i.e. keeping your fleets at strategic point but fully operational. I think it needs to be coupled with a delay timer of some sort to so that you have a drawback to the reduced maintenance.

Reply #5 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Quoting Tue, reply 4

That could work even though it could lead to some gamey tactics, i.e. keeping your fleets at strategic point but fully operational. I think it needs to be coupled with a delay timer of some sort to so that you have a drawback to the reduced maintenance.

I have to agree with Tue.

If it was just a mothball, save 90% maintenance, then turn it on for free, it would lead to a lot of gaminess. I could put all my ships in mothball and after 10 or so turns the money I saved would let me upgrade them at no real cost to me.

Talking a ship out of mothball is expensive IRL. Most have to be upgraded after a few years. Plus there is the expense of putting it into mothball and storing it. What do you do with those crews? Then when you commission it again, you have to hire/train a new crew. 

I think the idea is interesting, but may add a layer to the game that really isn't needed. If it were to be included, I would want to see something like this.

1) Mothball a ship requires 3x the maintenance cost to put it in mothball.

2) It can only be mothballed at a planet, starport, or starbase.

3) To reinstate the ship, you need to pay a fee for three turns to represent getting it out of mothball and crewing it again. If you want to upgrade the ship to a later design, that is another turn perhaps and certainly an extra cost. 

This would make the mothballing less likely to be gamed. However, I wonder if this all is a solution looking for a problem in the game?

 

Reply #6 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Quoting Blaze, reply 5

Quoting Tue,
reply 4

That could work even though it could lead to some gamey tactics, i.e. keeping your fleets at strategic point but fully operational. I think it needs to be coupled with a delay timer of some sort to so that you have a drawback to the reduced maintenance.



I have to agree with Tue.

If it was just a mothball, save 90% maintenance, then turn it on for free, it would lead to a lot of gaminess. I could put all my ships in mothball and after 10 or so turns the money I saved would let me upgrade them at no real cost to me.

Talking a ship out of mothball is expensive IRL. Most have to be upgraded after a few years. Plus there is the expense of putting it into mothball and storing it. What do you do with those crews? Then when you commission it again, you have to hire/train a new crew. 

I think the idea is interesting, but may add a layer to the game that really isn't needed. If it were to be included, I would want to see something like this.

1) Mothball a ship requires 3x the maintenance cost to put it in mothball.

2) It can only be mothballed at a planet, starport, or starbase.

3) To reinstate the ship, you need to pay a fee for three turns to represent getting it out of mothball and crewing it again. If you want to upgrade the ship to a later design, that is another turn perhaps and certainly an extra cost. 

This would make the mothballing less likely to be gamed. However, I wonder if this all is a solution looking for a problem in the game?

 

That is a terrible idea.

Reply #7 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Quoting Blaze, reply 5


I think the idea is interesting, but may add a layer to the game that really isn't needed. If it were to be included, I would want to see something like this.


1) Mothball a ship requires 3x the maintenance cost to put it in mothball.

2) It can only be mothballed at a planet, starport, or starbase.

3) To reinstate the ship, you need to pay a fee for three turns to represent getting it out of mothball and crewing it again. If you want to upgrade the ship to a later design, that is another turn perhaps and certainly an extra cost. 

This would make the mothballing less likely to be gamed. However, I wonder if this all is a solution looking for a problem in the game?

 

 

I'm not sure about the actual number but I like the general idea of this, though as you say, maybe there's no need for it. I haven't played GC2 for ages and I am not playing the GC3 beta - apart from fiddling with the ship designer - so I really can't remember if maintenance costs are a problem for a very large fleet.