Aurora is on version 2.5.0 C#, available at the Aurora Forums.
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C-Space Stations
Space Stations
Basics
Building
The rules on construction factories building spacecraft are changing in C# Aurora. Any class with a Structural Shell instead of armour is classed as a Space Station.
Space Stations can be built by construction factories at any population that includes a Spaceport. Note this means you no longer need an orbital habitat in order to use construction factories, which means you can create huge deep space logistical bases, terraforming stations or small observation platforms, or anything in between, using construction factories.
The downside to this flexibility is no armour, no engines and no military systems, so space stations will require protection from defensive bases (which can be maintained by the space station if it has sufficient maintenance facilities).
Structural Shells
A 'No Armour' check box has been added to the class window. Clicking this removes the normal armour from the class.
Designs with no armour instead have a new type of armour called 'structural shell'. This costs 1 per unit and has a strength of 20, essentially making it 5% of the cost of normal armour in terms of strength.
There are severe limitation on ships with no armour:
- 1) They cannot have engines
- 2) They cannot have military systems
- 3) The structural shell does not prevent damage. In effect, weapon fire passes straight through the 'armour'
This type of ship is ideally suited for orbital habitats or space stations of some type, such as fuel harvesting platforms, mining stations, etc., that require towing to move.
Station Modules
Orbital Habitats
The population capacity of orbital habitat modules has been increased from 50k to 200k.
In combination with the new 'No Armour' option this significantly reduces the cost of building orbital habitats. For example, the habitat shown here supports a population of one million for a cost of 1145 BP. To support one million colonists with infrastructure on a colony cost 2.0 world with acceptable gravity would cost 400 BP, so the colony cost would have to be approaching 6.0 before the Orbital Habitat became cheaper, although it is probably practical at lower colony costs because the ground-based infrastructure would require a larger proportion of population for environment. For low-gravity worlds it is comparable with the cost of low-gravity infrastructure and it is the only option for high gravity worlds or small bodies with low population capacities.
| Sidon class Orbital Habitat 1,252,970 tons 162 Crew 1144.7 BP TCS 25059 TH 0 EM 0
1 km/s No Armour Shields 0-0 HTK 132 Sensors 1/1/0/0 DCR 1 PPV 0 MSP 0 Max Repair 200 MSP Habitation Capacity 1,000,000 Lieutenant Commander Control Rating 1 BRG Intended Deployment Time: 3 months Commercial Active Sensor (1) GPS 1920 Range 27.3m km Resolution 120 This design is classed as a Commercial Vessel for maintenance purposes This design is classed as an Space Station for construction purposes |
Ordnance Transfer Hub
An Ordnance Transfer Hub can be mounted on a ship. It is a commercial system with a research cost of 10,000 RP, build cost of 2400 BP and a size of 100,000 tons. In practical terms, this is likely to form part of a large, deep-space station, due to the size and cost, rather than being deployed on ammunition colliers that will accompany fleets. Date 17.09.2017
A new 'Load from Ordnance Transfer Hub' order has been added. This order requires a second fleet containing at least one ordnance transfer hub as the destination. On arrival, any ships in the fleet with magazines will receive ordnance according to their class loadouts until all magazines are full, or the ordnance transfer hub runs out of ordnance. No ordnance will be removed by the hubs. All ships in the fleet will receive ordnance, including colliers. Once completed, the fleet will move on to its next order. If the fleet containing the ordnance transfer hub has any movement orders, the ordnance transfer will not take place and the ordnance transfer order will be marked as completed. Multiple hubs in the target fleet will not increase the rate of ordnance transfer but they can all contribute ordnance.
A new 'Replace at Ordnance Transfer Hub' order has been added. This order functions in a similar way to above except that any ordnance not in the class loadout will be removed by the hubs. The mechanics of this process are the same as the ordnance transfer within fleets above.
A new 'Unload to Ordnance Transfer Hub' order allows colliers to deliver ordnance to the hubs. Date 16.07.2018
For C# Aurora, box launchers can only be reloaded in a hangar, or at an Ordnance Transfer Point (a Spaceport, Ordnance Transfer Station or Ordnance Transfer Hub). Reloading at an Ordnance Transfer Point is 10x slower than in a hangar (similar to the penalty for maintenance facilities in VB6 Aurora).
Date 28.07.2018
Refuelling Hub
A Refuelling Hub can be mounted on a ship. It is a commercial system with a research cost of 10,000 RP, build cost of 2400 BP and a size of 100,000 tons. In practical terms, this is likely to form part of a large, deep-space station, due to the size and cost, rather than being deployed on tankers that will accompany fleets Date 20.07.2017
A new 'Refuel from Refuelling Hub' order has been added. This order requires a second fleet containing at least one refuelling hub as the destination. On arrival, the fleet will be refuelled until all its tanks are fuel, or the refuelling hub runs out of fuel. All ships in the fleet will be refuelled, including tankers. Once completed, the fleet will move on to its next order. If the fleet containing the refuelling hub has any movement orders, the refuelling will not take place and the refuelling order will be marked as completed. Multiple hubs in the target fleet will not increase the rate of refuelling (a ship can only refuel from one hub at once) but they can all contribute fuel.
A new 'Transfer Fuel to Refuelling Hub' order has been added. Any class designated as a tanker can transfer fuel to any ship with a Refuelling Hub. The transfer is done at the refuelling rate of the tanker. If multiple tankers are in the fleet, they can transfer fuel simultaneously. Date 01.07.2018
Fleet Training and Stations
While in training, a 'ship' is under the following restrictions:
- 3) The ship does not benefit from a Recreational Location
- 7) Fuel is used as if the ship was running its engine at 10% power for the period of training (this is on top of any fuel used in normal movement). The fuel is consumed during each movement phase. A 'ship' without engines does not require fuel for this purpose
However, only military ships can benefit from Fleet Training.
see here for further details
Examples
The downside to this flexibility is no armour, no engines and no military systems, so space stations will require protection from defensive bases (which can be maintained by the space station if it has sufficient maintenance facilities). As an example, if you were channelling Starship Troopers (movie, not book) you could build the following station and deploy in deep space, near the Arachnid Quarantine Zone:
| Ticonderoga class Fleet Base 823,223 tons 5,867 Crew 30,310.1 BP TCS 16,464 TH 0 EM 0
1 km/s No Armour Shields 0-0 HTK 708 Sensors 1/11/0/0 DCR 1 PPV 0 MSP 20,023 Max Repair 2400 MSP Hangar Deck Capacity 20,000 tons Magazine 10,000 Commander Control Rating 2 BRG AUX Intended Deployment Time: 3 months Flight Crew Berths 400 Recreational Facilities Maintenance Modules: 80 module(s) capable of supporting ships of 128,000 tons Refuelling Hub - Capable of refuelling multiple ships simultaneously Ordnance Transfer Hub - Capable of transferring ordnance to multiple ships simultaneously Fuel Capacity 20,000,000 Litres Range N/A CIWS-200 (12x6) Range 1000 km TS: 20,000 km/s ROF 5 Base 50% to hit Perseus Anti-ship Missile (1200) Speed: 32,000 km/s End: 65m Range: 125.3m km WH: 6 Size: 4 TH: 106/64/32 Huron Anti-missile Missile (5200) Speed: 31,700 km/s End: 1m Range: 3.5m km WH: 1 Size: 1 TH: 137/82/41 Commercial Active Sensor (1) GPS 2520 Range 42.3m km Resolution 120 Commercial EM Sensor (1) Sensitivity 11 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 26.2m km This design is classed as a Commercial Vessel for maintenance purposes This design is classed as a Space Station for construction purposes |