Category:Pods

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Contents 1 Overview 2 Cargo Load 2.1 Load or Unload Existing Pod 3 Flight Plan 3.1 Dock Target 3.2 Drop Target 3.3 Boost Target 3.4 Pod Flight Plan Orders 3.4.1 Orders when launching Pods 3.4.2 Orders for Pods already launched 3.4.3 Pod docked on a ship dock to another ship 4 Detection 5 Landing Pods / Recovering Pod Launch Costs 6 Self Destruct 6.1 Post-Movement 6.2 Notes 7 Limitations 7.1 Ship to Pod 8 Pods launch failures - solution 9 Related Pages 10 Research

[edit] Overview

Pods are space objects that are launched from a Pod Launch Pad. There are various types of pods: Assault Pod, Construction Pod, Gold Pod, Life Pod, Native Pod, Ore Pod, Outfit Pod, and Resupply Pod. Each can carry their own resources and have different properties. The default cost of launching a pod is 25 mc (it can be changed via HConfig). The speed of all pods of any type are determine by the base speed of the race of the player modified by the Exotic Techs that have been purchased.

There is a special type of pod, called Wreckage that contains some of the contents of the ship that was destroyed in that area of space.

[edit] Cargo Load

The following table shows a summary of the possible cargo that can be placed on the various pod types.

Type		Cargo
Assault		Troops, HG, Crew, Fighters, Assault Craft
Construction		Metals (not ore), Megacredits, 1 Hull Plan
Gold		Contraband, Megacredits, 1 Hull Plan
Life		Troops, HG, Crew and Colonists OR Prisoners
Native		Natives
Ore		Ore (not metals)
Outfit		Ship Parts (only one type of Engine, HyperDrive, Shield and Super Weapon per pod)
Resupply		Fuel, Ordnance, Supplies, Repair Units, Med Units, Food, Megacredits
Wreckage		Salvagable parts from a destroyed ship

[edit] Load or Unload Existing Pod

Using the Ship Command - Trans screen, you can transfer cargo between a Pod and Ship. Only material and personnel that the ship could normally carry can be transferred in this manner (i.e. no fighters, assault craft, contraband, prisoners, natives, ore, OR parts).

During the movement phase transfers between ships and pods only happen the first 5 and last 5 movement pulses of a turn.

[edit] Flight Plan

You have 3 options on the flight plan screen for controlling the pod's behavior: dock target, drop target, and boost target.

[edit] Dock Target

When a dock target is set, it will exhibit the following behavior during its flight:

• A pod docks before movement.
• If the target is a ship, it will attempt to dock with the ship.
  • If the target ship has an empty pod bay, it will dock; otherwise it will continue to its boost target.
  • You cannot dock a pod to an enemy ship. You will get the log message "Unable to dock with ship (Their race is at war with us)".
• If the target is a base, it will merge its cargo with the base. This can happen even when the orbital thrusters of the pod are turned on.
  • You can dock a pod to an enemy or ally base; just use the enemy base as dock target of the pod.
• If the target is a planet and the planet has a base of yours on it, the pod will be dropped in the base. If there is no base of yours, the pod will end up on the surface and:
  • A Life Pod or Assault Pod will form a new Base on the planet.
  • Other types of pods will add their cargo to the planet's surface items. Cargo that cannot exist as surface item, will be destroyed (for example Ship Parts or Hull Plans).
• If the target is any other object then no special action will be taken.
• The distance a pod will be able to 'jump' to dock to a ship is 0-3.9 ly (my test showed docking at 3.6 ly but not at 4)

This setting can be changed during the flight of the pod.

[edit] Drop Target

When a drop target is set, the pod will turn off its dock target if the dock target is a ship. The orbital thrusters setting will not be changed. This setting can be changed during the flight of the pod.

• A pod drops before movement.
• A pod will drop to it's target over a distance of <3 ly (0-2.99).

[edit] Boost Target

The boost target will determine the x y coordinates that the pod should move to. This cannot be changed while the pod is in flight. It will not intercept the target. In addition, it will exibit the following behavior during its flight:

• If the boost target is a planet or base, the orbital thrusters of the pod will be set to off upon launch.
• If the boost target is any other object then the orbital thrusters will be set to on.

If a pod is above a planet with bases on the planet and the thrusters are turned OFF then the pod will land at the owner's base. If the owner has no base then the pod will fall onto the planets surface. If you want to dock a pod to an alien base then orbital thrusters have to be on and a dock target to the alien base has to be set. If you want your pod to fall into your bases for sure set dock order for them and turn off the thrusters.

[edit] Pod Flight Plan Orders

[edit] Orders when launching Pods

The following table shows the possible base-base and base-planet pod orders:

Origin	Action Desired	Required Flight Plan			Notes
		Dock Target	Drop Target	Boost Target
Base	Launch to same base orbit	-	-	-	This is useful for prisoners exceeding your number of Labor Camps Do Camps kill prisoners in excess of what fits in the Camps? Yes
Base	Launch to distant planet	-	-	Target Planet
Base	Launch to distant own base	-	-	Target Base
Base	Launch to distant alien base	Target Base	Target Base	Target Base
Base	Launch to alien base on same planet	Target Base	-	-
Base	Launch to distant own base, Travel docked on own ship	Target Ship	Target Base	Target Base	The ship has to be at same point as the pod launcher.

So a transport of docked pods to an alien base via ships take at least two turns as a dock order to the alien base is needed. (GT)

• **Note** - An undocked pod with it's orbital thrusters off will land on any planet within 3 ly it comes in contact with.
  • Construction, Gold, and Wreckage pods must have a dock target of a planet if you want to land the pod on a planet. (Host 213j)

[edit] Orders for Pods already launched

Origin	Action Desired	Required Flight Plan			Notes
		Dock Target	Drop Target	Orbital Thrusters
Orbit	Move pod to own base, Travel docked on own ship	Target Ship	Target Base	OFF	The ship has to be at same point as the pod in orbit.

[edit] Pod docked on a ship dock to another ship

If you want to have a pod that is currently docked to a ship to dock to another ship as they pass each other in space then set the dock target to the new ship and do _not_ set the drop target. If you set a drop target then the pod will undock from the target ship, thus nullifying the dock setting. - Magik

• **Note** - An undocked pod with it's orbital thrusters off will land on any planet within 3 ly it comes in contact with.

[edit] Detection

Enemy pods cannot be detected the turn that they are launched. This allows enemy pods to get 2 turns away before you can destroy them.

You cannot detect the speed that a pod is traveling at. You will have to guess by using the base pod speed of the race and assume that certain Exotic Techs to increase speed are active.

[edit] Landing Pods / Recovering Pod Launch Costs

When a pod lands, you get back a portion of the cost of the pod launch. The cost recovery is based on the energy level of the pod when it lands.

• The amount of money that you gain back is based on the pod launch cost (HConfig parameter, default 25mc) multiplied by the ratio of current energy level to max energy level for that pod type.
• Each pod type has a different life span, so some pods are better at preserving the cost (such as Con Pods with 40 life)

[edit] Self Destruct

A Pod can be ordered to self destruct.

• The self destruct is after the Movement Phases.

[edit] Post-Movement

3.15 Pods/Buoys

• 3.15 Pod power reserve decremented and pod destroyed if power exhausted. Pod self-destruct processed. Chupanoids spread out to nearby planets if their native pod is destroyed. Wreckage has a 50% chance of not self-destructing.
• The self destruct is after pods land.
• The self destruct is before the ship devices function.

see Host Order for more details.

[edit] Notes

• A pod that starts the turn with the ship can transfer its cargo to the ship prior to self destruct.
• An outfit pod that starts the turn with the ship can upgrade a ship prior to self destruct.
• It can be used to release chupanoids to an enemy area.
• Ships of other players can capture pods before they self destruct. This will turn the self destruct off.
• Wreckages only have a 50% chance per turn to self destruct when programmed to do so.

[edit] Limitations

• If the base with the Pod Launch Pad has 3 or more enemy ships over it and no friendly ships then it is under a Blockade and cannot launch pods.
• A pod docked to a ship cannot undock and re-dock to another ship in the same turn. It will only undock from the current ship. It is recommended to tow the pod during this transition.

[edit] Ship to Pod

Pods will only transfer resources at the start and end of the turn (specifically movement pulses 0 to 4 and 196 to 201). I say 0 and 201 since there is a transfer process before and after movement. Similarly you can only use a ship to transfer to/from a pod at during these phases. -Magik

[edit] Pods launch failures - solution

Many players reporting that from time to time a pod launch failed to work (no pod is launched). Most of this failure is because that there are simply no resources available to launch the pod. Here are some tips how to prevent such mistakes:
My advice is to launch pods before changing your turn with ship transfers. You can do contraband sales, which take effect before pod launches. Also Outfit Pod launches are done before any other type of pod launch. When looking at money for launches, you can only take into account money that you get from taxes (not cities, farms, etc), contraband sales, and what you have in the base when you freshly unpacked your RST. Following these guidelines will ensure that your pod launches go as planned and avoid the non-bug (in my little world). (quote from Magik)

[edit] Related Pages

• Pod Command
• Ship Transfer
• Base Command - Pod Pad

[edit] Research

What ally sharing data setting show your pods?
A table with the sensor image of all type of pods would be marvelous.
When does the pod self desturct ?