Modular ships - show of hands

[kasnavada]

The thing you can't do with side-buildings like that is a forced choice.  If I can just build extra buildings, I'll probably build all of everything in a lot of places.  But a command station with only, say, three slots, makes me choose between the various starbase capabilities:  Storage, Production, Speed Adjustment, Combat, etc., and that's an interesting choice.

3 ways to solve this:
Energy limitation to planets.
Planet caps.
Ressource caps (metal spots).

It's the same as having the possibility to mod building to have a "point" limitation system by planet, whatever the point is.

[Toranth]

But there is something modular I've wanted for a long time...  To say the dirty words:  Modular Command Stations!

Against it, because apart from the "coolness factor", everything that you could wish from that idea can be done via regular buildings. Want defenses ? Build them. Turrets are there for that. Want more money & less defense ? Destroy the turrets. Anything that would require customization of abilities on home stations can be done with buildings next to them. And, even more so in AI war 2, because the building will be modded in.

The thing you can't do with side-buildings like that is a forced choice.  If I can just build extra buildings, I'll probably build all of everything in a lot of places.  But a command station with only, say, three slots, makes me choose between the various starbase capabilities:  Storage, Production, Speed Adjustment, Combat, etc., and that's an interesting choice.

That's what I was aiming for:  Limited slots, but flexibility in choice.  You can have anything you want!  In batches of 1, 2, or 3 modules at a time.
Remember, by the way, that right now, you can still swap between Command Station types quickly and easily by using the CMD menu.  I do this frequently as upgraded stations get unlocked, or the front line moves.  Especially in Fallen Spire games, where there's a lot more territory involved.

[Elestan]

Remember, by the way, that right now, you can still swap between Command Station types quickly and easily by using the CMD menu.

Yes, although it's mildly annoying that it won't let you rebuild at the current location.  Reconfiguring the modules wouldn't have that problem.  :-)  Although that would have to be expensive, or at least time-consuming, to keep the module choice meaningful.

[Tridus]

Nebula issues are a separate thing from modules themselves, really.

Champions are the strongest case for modules, because they use so many of them, but champions themselves aren't of a ton of interest to me because I don't think having this single, very oddly behaving ship fits the overall theme of AI War that well. Personally, I'd cut it entirely for AIW2, and at that point the module discussion is limited to the other ships that can probably be handled more easily.

[Draco18s]

Remember, by the way, that right now, you can still swap between Command Station types quickly and easily by using the CMD menu.

Yes, although it's mildly annoying that it won't let you rebuild at the current location.

Click the command station.  Locate the CMD tab.  Click new choice.
It swaps to the new specialization without rebuilding (well, I think it goes to 0 hp and gets built, but the structure itself doesn't move).

You're using a colony ship to place a new one.

[Timerlane]

Click the command station.  Locate the CMD tab.  Click new choice.
It swaps to the new specialization without rebuilding (well, I think it goes to 0 hp and gets built, but the structure itself doesn't move).

You're using a colony ship to place a new one.

It gives you the new station build, just as if it were a Colony Ship.

I just build a random Mark I Command station next to it, then move it back. Only about 20 extra seconds if you have a pair of Mark II Engineers at the planet.

[Draco18s]

Forgive me, its been a while. I was pretty sure that the tab method didn't make you place it again.

[Toranth]

Forgive me, its been a while. I was pretty sure that the tab method didn't make you place it again.

It bypasses the "Command Station destroyed" building delay, and bypasses an Shark plot event that otherwise fire.  It is also limited in how far from the original Command Station you can put the replacement.

But personally, avoiding the delay and the Shark penalties is more than worth it.

[Orelius]

I don't really like the idea of modular ships.  It's extremely time consuming in my opinion to create ships suited towards certain situations, and in cases where there is a good 'generalist' ship, it becomes too much of a hassle to deal with.  It's part of the reason I never really liked star ruler or endless legend - having to equip your troops is a huge pain in the ass.  I really prefer to just create some troops and know exactly what they do.

[wwwhhattt]

I don't really like the idea of modular ships.  It's extremely time consuming in my opinion to create ships suited towards certain situations, and in cases where there is a good 'generalist' ship, it becomes too much of a hassle to deal with.  It's part of the reason I never really liked star ruler or endless legend - having to equip your troops is a huge pain in the ass.  I really prefer to just create some troops and know exactly what they do.

Agreed here. At the very least have pre-designed ships that you can win the game with on normal difficulty - otherwise you're adding an extra layer of complexity to put off new players. As a basic mechanic it only really works well in games like Gratuitous Space Battles, where it's half of the game.