Forum:Where do I choose what kind of spaceship module?

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Freeciv 2.4.2 SDL client on Mac OS X 10.9.4 (Mavericks) via MacPorts package freeciv @2.4.2_0+universal

I've built several spaceship modules, but my spaceship has no energy, and the help says modules are one of habitat, life support, or solar panels, but I don't see anywhere to pick which one.  F12 (actually any of Fn+ctrl+F12, Fn+alt+F12, or Fn+cmd+F12) brings up a spaceship status with no pictures or module counts, just population (10k), aupport (100%), energy (0%), mass (5kton), travel time (250yr), success (0%), and arrival (-).  The mass went up when I built some structurals, but has not gone up with building modules.

Polyergic (talk) 21:48, July 12, 2014 (UTC)

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There are only three building blocks for a spaceship: modules, components, and structurals. If you build three (expensive) modules, you'll get a habitat, a solar panel, and life support for a minimal spaceship. You can build more, six or nine modules also work. The (cheap) structurals are the small pieces between solar panels and other modules, and between the components. The components come in pairs, you need 8, 12, or 16 depending on the total weight. You can build more components for a faster spaceship, but each pair of components needs additional structurals. Dunnoob (talk) 04:42, September 14, 2014 (UTC)

It sounds like the answer to "Where do I choose what kind of spaceship module?" is "You don't".

Ok, so it chooses automatically, but how do I tell how many modules I've already built?

Here's the screenshot just before starting on the first module:

2.4.2 SDL client: about to build spaceship

And here's a screenshot after building just one module:

2.4.2 SDL client: just built one module

—Preceding unsigned comment added by Polyergic (talk • contribs)

If you have built just one module and nothing else, it won't be linked with a structural element and therefore won't contribute energy. Finish your first three modules and several components and 8 or more structurals and the picture should become clearer. ---- Robin Patterson (Talk) 10:07, March 25, 2015 (UTC)

I can't see that I've built a module.  If I'm building a minimal spaceship and only building three modules, I can probably keep track of that, but the game doesn't tell me I need to do that.  If a minimal spaceship needs 8 components I could easily lose track and build 7, or 9, and no have any idea why my spaceship is doomed.  I suspect that's what happened before my first report.

What client are you using that draws a picture of the spaceship?  Why doesn't my client have that feature?  Is there a page that lists the viable combinations of module, component, and structural element counts?

Polyergic (talk) 03:32, March 24, 2015 (UTC)

I tried building 3 modules and 8 components, then started building structurals with the idea that when I got to the right number of structurals the Success prob. would be high.  This is what I see after building the first structural:

2.4.2 SDL client: built 3 modules, 8 components, and 1 structural

Support and Energy are still zero, despite having what should be a full set of modules and components.  Are they not counted because there aren't enough structurals yet?  Did they effectively not get built because I did it in the wrong order?  How am I supposed to know what to build to be able to launch?

Polyergic (talk) 13:48, March 25, 2015 (UTC)