Auto-Design (Some update, some don't)

from GalCiv2 Forums

So... in preparation for the next game, I pulled GalCiv2 back out of retirement.  Still a great game. :)  However, as I recall, this auto-design feature was never very good. 

I managed to create a custom ship style, set up new starting ships, and all that.  I understand that the auto-designer doesn't seem to improve engines or add support range (hopefully it can do that in the next game).  But what I can't figure out is why some ship templates that I designed become available as soon as the techs are researched and subsequently update when techs update... while other templates don't update.  

For example:

1) I made a tiny ship called "Sprite."  As soon as I have the first beam weapon, the ship becomes available - twice.  One is named Sprite M1 or something like that.  The other is just Sprite.  The former, of course, is the auto-design version and the other is the ship I made.

2) I made a medium hull ship call "Defense Pod."  If I research up to medium hull, but not the other involved techs, then as it should, the template for the ship appears in the template section, but no ship.  Now, when I finally research it all, the ship appears as buildable.  But this is not labeled "M1" and is not auto-designed.

Anyone know what makes some ships auto-design and others not?  What conditions must be met to make a ship auto-design?

 

 

8,512 views 3 replies
Reply #1 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

Sad that no one knows :(... or anyone who does know doesn't visit anymore.

Reply #2 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

I understand that the auto-designer doesn't seem to improve engines or add support range (hopefully it can do that in the next game).

It's been a while since I've used it, but I seem to recall it adding engines and Life Support modules to the ship design.

As for the actual question, I'm not sure what the problem is. Both your examples are fine. The only weird things is, that in the second example apparently no medium hull-based auto-design was created.

The auto-designer uses a ship template, based on the weapon it is focusing on, and continuously upgrades it with better weapons, defenses, etc., once they become available, until you change the focus. It doesn't upgrade designs you've created.

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Reply #3 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

Right.  What is confusing to me is that the templates do exist and they are set properly, and assigned in the ship style.  But alas...