question: why would I ever run a salvage rig instead of a shepherd? I feel like the one that requires a shuttle and a tug should probably have SOME advantage over the shepherd.
Quick math:
2 Salvage Gantries give a 50% bonus for
14 6 supplies/month.
5 Shepherds give a 50% bonus for 15 supplies/month.
Aside from the
slight noticable supply/salvage bonus, there is one other advantage to Gantries: The 30 ship fleet limit. Dedicating 5 ships in your fleet to a 50% bonus is rougher than 2 salvage ships and 1 extra logistics ship.
The Shepherd has numerous other advantages. But most of them become less important in a sufficiently large fleet.
- The drones are useful in combat, but are not as great as dedicated carriers.
- The cargo and fuel space are eclipsed by larger, dedicated haulers and tankers.
- The crew deficit of a Salvage Gantry is less noticeable when you bring crew around for noncombat reasons.
- The worse burn speed of a Gantry doesn't matter if other ships are slower still.
Basically, if you hit
all most of these notes, Gantries might have a place in your fleet. But you'll
probably might just want Shepherds otherwise.
EDIT: Accurate numbers, and adjusted conclusions.