Starbases Suffering Random Damage?

from Stardock Forums
Saw this one in my last game. Can't figure it out. I had built two starbases and was shuttling constructors to them, when all of a sudden I notice they both have the "flashing" electrical sparcs indicative of damage. I check the hit points of both and sure enough they are both at about 70%. I'm not at war with anybody, so they weren't attacked (and if I was the screen would have scrolled to show me the attack). Is this a known penalty for not having researched a particular tech? Did I sleep through a meteor shower news message? Bug? Or, perhaps the game is chea... ;)
377 views 12 replies
Reply #1 from Stardock Forums Top
None of the above, Arthur. :)

U just got a HP boosting tech/tradegood which raised the max HP but not the current. Check out your ships, they should be sizzling as well.

This also happens when you lose the Senate as War Party.
[Message Edited]
Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top
Thanks (again!) Ray. I didn't ask the question - but have seen this happening and never worked out what it was.
Siege of Centauri
Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top
No problems, Jeff. Glad to be of service.

One edit, I meant to say that this happens if you lose the Senate but regain it thus regaining the +50% HP party bonus.
Reply #5 from Stardock Forums Top
Could it also be happening because Bsic Repair has not been researched?
Reply #6 from Stardock Forums Top
I think it also happens if you don't pay the ship maintenance fees.
End of quote


Maintenance fees are mandatory, and cannot be skimmped on under any circumstance. Otherwise, your fleet could disappear overnight just because you had a bad economy.

Could it also be happening because Bsic Repair has not been researched?
End of quote


Basic repair just affects how quickly your ships/bases return to full health. There are ways to get the repair ability through anomalies without even researching that tech.

Reply #7 from Stardock Forums Top
I consider this to be a bug.

When you get a tech that increases your ship max HPs (or tri-strontium steel), your ships' current hitpoints are not changed. Your ships are displayed as damaged until they heal to their new max HPs. That's why your ships start "sparking" all of a sudden - you got a tech that increased your max HPs, and your ships haven't healed to their new limit yet.

Really what should happen is that your ships should retain their % damage when you get a max HP increase. So if a ship was at full health, after an increase, it is still at full health. Similarly, if a ship was at 50%, after the increase, it should still be at 50%.
Reply #8 from Stardock Forums Top
So when you research a tech that increases hitpoints,
the new technology is just magically applied to all
your ships instantly?

Or rather, slowly over time that technology is applied
bit by bit over the hull of your ship, gradually
increasing the strength of the armor.

I mean really, of course its just a rationalization,
but if your going to call something a bug, at least
have a rationalization that makes more sense then
the current situtation.

Reply #9 from Stardock Forums Top
When you get a tech that increases your ship max HPs (or tri-strontium steel), your ships' current hitpoints are not changed.
End of quote


Which only makes sense: Unless the ships are in drydock, the process of upgrading the hull is basically the same as that of repairing damage to it. Fleet repairs/upgrades typically don't go too quickly, or are done haphazardly, simply because an active fleet doesn't have time for the normal refitting/retrofitting process.

~SDC~
Reply #10 from Stardock Forums Top
But the user should not be given the illusion that his ships are damaged while they heal to their new max HP.
Reply #11 from Stardock Forums Top
This also happens when you lose the Senate as War Party.
End of quote


Off the topic here (just for a second):
Losing and election is hard if you keep a great approval rating ... right?

Reply #12 from Stardock Forums Top
Another point: weapons and defense upgrades are immediately given to each ship in your fleet, when you get a +attack or +defense tech. Why shouldn't that also happen for max HPs.

The bottom line: The "my ships suddenly started sparking" topic comes up often, and it confuses new players. It took me several games and reading the forums before I realized what was happening.