General Comments

[olivertheorem]

Dang it. Didn't have that on my hulls cheat sheet and must have missed it when you first commented on it. I'll have to go and rethink that design a bit, as I don't think a spare engine makes sense on a ship that small. Might stick (MNE) or a couple H on it. With 2 H, the EXs could explore without CFN maintenance for a very, very long time. Or maybe Ya....

Also thanks to Cenalt for pointing out the same thing (plus strategic movement problems) in the turn 1 thread.

[SCC]

Dang it. Didn't have that on my hulls cheat sheet and must have missed it when you first commented on it. I'll have to go and rethink that design a bit, as I don't think a spare engine makes sense on a ship that small. Might stick (MNE) or a couple H on it. With 2 H, the EXs could explore without CFN maintenance for a very, very long time. Or maybe Ya....

Also thanks to Cenalt for pointing out the same thing (plus strategic movement problems) in the turn 1 thread.

Until you run into something hostile the explorers don't need to carry supplies, no matter how far they are from your empire unless there's something hostile between them and the empire the CFN delivers maintenance free of charge

[olivertheorem]

Don't remember where I saw it, but I thought the CFN had a max range of 2 systems out from civilization unless there was a colony on the other end.

Edit: Maybe swap the second Ica for Ya (for sensor range when the courier/picket isn't around) and a (Bsa) plus shuttle for surveying?

[SCC]

L4.07.2 only mentions an opponent contesting something as the way to block delivery of maintenance

[Cralis]

Don't remember where I saw it, but I thought the CFN had a max range of 2 systems out from civilization unless there was a colony on the other end.

That was a proposed optional rule because there is no limit in the rules right now.

[Vandervecken]

Remember that an EX can be as small as 5 HS, so if all you want is 5 HS of stuff on your tiny explorer, GO FOR IT!.

[SCC]

Remember that an EX can be as small as 5 HS, so if all you want is 5 HS of stuff on your tiny explorer, GO FOR IT!.

I wonder why they have to be at least that small

That said while making them that small means you don't pay as much maintenance you won't be able to spend you're entire Survey fund either, which is a bit of a waste so putting your starting SRW isn't a bad idea as it allows them to pull double duty as light combatants and allows your Battle Fund to go further

[olivertheorem]

SRW is the force beam and I don't think it will fit. I'm thinking I'll end up going with a pair of Bsa's with shuttles, to speed surveys a little. In a pinch (and if they're not needed elsewhere for some reason), they could serve as close air support carriers for invasions (launch the shuttles to do bombing runs). Not ideal but if you've got 'em, might as well use 'em for something.

[SCC]

No, Force Beams wouldn't fit on a ES hull, but they would fit on a EX hull, the problem with the sort of design your heading towards is that you are limited to purchasing 60 X equipped ships and S Xa Qa Ica costs 65.5 MC, and 60 of them cost 3,930 when you have 5,000 MC to spend on Survey ships (Or at least Survey ships under DD size, DD size ones don't count against the 60 limit, I think) so it important to try and maximize what you do get

[Vandervecken]

You are limited to 60 EX thru DD + FT0 and FT1 using the Survey fund, Can build DD with X in the 'Other Fund' But can't build any X equipped ships using Military Fund. Some of my empires have 2 ship designs used in Survey Funds, and some have 5 or 6. Most get close or are at 60 ships from Survey fund, but 1 agressive empire only had 41, but ALL 41 are armed with something. That little survey fleet can hurt many starting NPCs (But definately not all !) and it has a few 'Military Buddies' that team up with it; Like I said, an aggressive empire.