Designable Utility Ships

Achievement Compatible Background Why can’t I choose to have faster exploration vessels with little defence? Why do my colony ships need shields and armour while inside my own territory? How did this ship manage to install a jump drive way out in deep space? My goal with this mod is to add a bit more realism and customization to the game. So... this mod allows that, at least a little. Description This mod allows you to design your Science, Construction, and Colony ships directly in the Ship Designer. It also supports Exploration Vessels from the Eager Explorers origin. You still cannot add a Hyperdrive to those ships. The following changes have been made to Construction/Engineering ships, Science ships, and Colony ships: is_designable = no changed to yes components_add_to_cost = no changed to yes (BioGenesis changes how much ships cost; I may try adjust this) auto_upgrade = yes changed to no These changes allow you to design these ships, but they also make them more expensive and can slow down exploration, especially for the AI. This is because upgrades now require a shipyard. This is not fully balanced. Unlike the player, who can choose when to upgrade, the AI will often upgrade immediately, even if far from a shipyard. If I keep auto-upgrade off, the AI gains an advantage since their ships won’t need to return to upgrade. However, player-designed ships would still require upgrades at a shipyard. It is still not possible to retrofit a utility ship. If a design is deleted, existing ships will upgrade to the next available design with the highest defence (I think).