where are my ships?

[Euphorion]

Hiyas.

I hope this question wasn't asked (many) times before...but search didnt get any results.

So here my problem.
I'm still trying to get the game down (2nd day ...) but I have 1 big problem so far.
When I build a System Colony Ship or a Colony Ship in 50% of the cases everything goes alright, but in the other 50% I get a message that it was finished but then...then ship isn't anywhere.

It's not on the way to somewhere (I know it can automatically start moving to an assigned planet), I have automatic colonisation turned off.
Usually when I didnt give orders to the colony ship I can see it in the system screen under "forces". But sometimes it's just not there and nowhere else either.

So what's the problem? Anyone has an idea?
Pretty annoying early on if you want to colonize some nice planet but the colony ship you waited for just goes poooooof!

[Doomed_UK]

Are you building a system colony ship or a 'full' colony ship.
The former is only visable in the forces screen of the system you deployed it.
The latter is visable after you have deployed it using the create task force order - create a colony task force.
I have to assume that you have not found a bug as I have not seen this reported before, so you have built them, but you just can't find them (yet).
Yes, we know that the UI isn't the best in the world, but persevere as it is a good game.

[Beamup]

Originally posted by Euphorion
It's not on the way to somewhere (I know it can automatically start moving to an assigned planet), I have automatic colonisation turned off.

Even if AI colonization is off, colony TFs will automatically be formed if you flag any planets for colonization. Just so you know.

[RobNelson]

I know it can be frustrated when you're just learning, so I made the How-to guide. The link is in my sig. Hope you enjoy the game. :D

[Euphorion]

Problem is that the game is VERY confusing when starting it....and because it is "a bit" confusing there are probably 2 bazillion threads about it here with more or less useful tips, tricks, guides...

people who started when it came out could acquire knowledge piece by piece over time...somebody like me has to find the few information he needs at a time ;-)

Don't know anymore how many guides I read ;-)
Guess I will start an easy game so I can screw up without loosing ;-)

And now I try to figure out wether I should use one of the custom mods or not, and if I should which one(s) ;-)

[RobNelson]

I recomend playing it "straight up", at least for a month or two (really). Sometimes, the things you didn't like become good things once you realize what is actually going on. My point is that all that info in the link in my sig should have been in the manual, as that would at least help out with how to do the basics.

Anyways, if you get the time, maybe glance through the topics, you may not need it now, but it may be one of those things that later you say, "Oh, yeah, I saw where to go to do that." I hope it helps. Also, stick with the game, once you stop fighting your viceroys it gets much more fun.

[triller]

Originally posted by Doomed_UK
Are you building a system colony ship or a 'full' colony ship.
The former is only visable in the forces screen of the system you deployed it.
The latter is visable after you have deployed it using the create task force order - create a colony task force.


Note that you can also view system ships in the Shipyards/Fleets tab by clicking on the system name in the TF list.

[Ron_Lugge]

Triller - you sent me a PM, but forgot to enable PMs / E-mails.