Starsector 0.97a is out! (02/02/24); New blog post: Save/Load UI, Autosave, Intel Map Markers, and More (04/10/24)
Having dedicated haulers and dedicated combat ships is better on both accounts, I think most of the hybrid ships are a trap.
- Early to mid game you take the best you can get even if it's sub optimal. Early to mid game I use tons of (P) Mules for reasons I outlined, hauling/fighting not great at anything but solid. General function is needed as you lack both fighting and support. Mostly because Dedicated ships are not available/reasonable for cash reasons. In some cases mod BP are required for them to be useful/viable enough to shoulder the upkeep.
I do individual trips that include surveys of 30+ planets; having surveying equipment on multiple cruisers easily saves me multiple thousands of supplies. I guess your trips are just one system at a time rather than clearing out multiple constellations?
Generally I just survey planets with ruins or planets I think might be worth settling. I guess if I wanted to go all completionist I'd require one. I can see which planets have ruins so why am I scanning some pointless Barren or w/e world?
That sounds like unproductive busy work.
Check the sell price for surveying data. The only one not really worth the time and effort are class 1 worlds. If you have a fully decked out surveying fleet, where even gas giants only take 5 supply, you can make a LOT of money surveying. Plenty of class 4 gas giants, volcanic worlds, toxic worlds, barren worlds even. Ultrarich veins can happen anywhere.
My exploration fleet tends to be an Apogee if I can find one, four Ventures, assorted support ships like a few Drams and cargo haulers, all with Surveying equipment if I can find it. Given how bountiful some systems can be, with derelict ships and probes, and other such things, it's quite easy to hurl myself off into the far corners of space and only be limited by how much stuff I can carry, not the size of my fuel tank. Give them all militarized subsystems, have the +1 burn skill, and suddenly you can outrun anything you don't want to fight, and chase down anything you do want to fight.
The Venture will never be a dedicated combat craft, and that's alright. It was not designed as one. It's a civilian exploration craft, and should be used as such. Militarized subsystems allow it to explore better, not fight better. Less sensor profile, more burn means I can hope planets faster, and cram more crew into less ships when I want to finally settle somewhere.
Whoa, the voting is split dead-even.
Seems to me the best thing is to have it be toggle-able, if possible.
That or randomly periodically to check up on hows things.
It certainly is harder but ill succeed with trial and error
