Why make the shipyard a separate program? You could give the shipyard an 'archive' button which moves the ship file to a folder which doesn't get loaded by the game at least as easily as making a separate program just for the shipyard function. The only value in having the shipyard as a separate program is that launching the shipyard would load a smaller portion of the game files than launching the full game would.

Additionally, while I am rather doubtful that you intended it as such, the way you worded your idea suggests that there would not be an in-game shipyard, which would naturally be a significant nuisance.

I can't say I'm particularly opposed to this, except in the case that the shipyard is removed from the actual game, but I don't really support it, either.

I used to have this problem allot, but then i realized the simple solution.... all ships i design, get saved before adding any active components. Then each game i play, i will add components and use the ships according to whichever way technology/circumstances lead and then delete these ships as soon as they are all upgraded or otherwise no longer in play for whatever reason, but always i keep the 'template' ships.

Also saving all your ship designs without components means they will never 'hide' even though you have researched the hull size ('hide' - what happens when you have researched the hull size but any one of any active components are not yet researched, ((damn pain in the ass))

It is also handy to whack a Z in front of the names of all the template ships so they go to the bottom of the ship list and don't get in the way during play.

I refer to both, developed the idea in DL, and stayed with what i knew in DA. I did notice the 'save as template' option in DA but it was a bit unclear what exactly it was doing and i did not have the motivation to work it out. Besides, i liked having all my templates right there in my ship list for quick ship designs.

its when you download other ships that other people have created that fills your shipyard up and slows the loading of it.

What they could do then is still have the separate Shipyard program as well as the in game one so you only upload the ones you want to use for the game or redo, or even have the option in option menu to link your shipyard program to the main game, either way the shipyard needs to be worked out so that the loading doesn't take time if you have many ships that have been created but I still would like to see the option for uploading to the forums to share your designs with other memebrs