derelict ship - mixed feeling (2024)

Very early in game I have found some derelict cruiser inside gas giant. I have though: oh, Great!

Free ship and so big one was great, since my tech allowed me to build corvettes only (spaceport level1).

First warning light: it was filled with my crappy tech. I am not sure how am I to understand it, some primitive aliens left it there? Or maybe I got it refurbished with my own tech free of cost.

But then I discovered better reactor, better lasers and better computers and shields are coming soon, however
I still do not have tech for even destroyers so there is no way I can build my own cruisers.

Even before upgrades I started to feel cheated: my corvettes have 1/4 hull and 1/3 of firepower of cruiser - before upgrade, but with cost about 0.4 (IIRC), while for cruiser I pay 3 energy and 3 minerals of maintenance.
I wish I could scrape it and retro-engineer some tech, because very soon I will own very expensive museum ship.

My question - is there any way to upgrade my cruiser? What can I do with it?

Until you develop the cruiser tech (or destroyer tech, if you discover the 'frigate' derelict), I don't believe you can refit those ships at all. Even if the cruiser you find isn't the best ship around, it's still a pretty sturdy combatant in the early game, so it's not entirely worthless to keep around.

If you ever find the three corvette derelicts, be careful with upgrading - those advanced ships will 'upgrade' to your much worse designs.

CocoCincinnati said:

I've gotten that before, also got the alien frigates and raiders as well. The cruiser is good for hull points early game if nothing else so can still be a formidable part of your early fleet. Later on you can upgrade it to your chosen design. The frigates and raiders can never be upgraded from what I can tell. They do start with good weapons (or have in my games) but unfortunately they have early FTL tech so by mid game they will hinder any fleet they are part of more than help it. They become a permanent defense force at that point. Still love these events though, they can give you a huge military boost in early game, especially if you get a couple of them.

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Yeah, that gas giant cruiser and 11 of my corvettes even invaded an Advanced Start fanatic purifier once. Only the cruiser survived, but therefore I got a planet ^^

208 said:

The cruiser can be upgraded, though I'm not sure under what circ*mstances.

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You need to learn the appropriate tech. If the ship you got is a cruiser, then you need to learn cruisers and create a design. Then you can upgrade the derilict one to your latest design and it becomes one of your regular ships.

Mokael said:

You need to learn the appropriate tech.

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At least in 1.00 or 1.01 the autodesigner seems to have made hidden designs for cruisers even when you didn't have the tech for them. I had it on from time to time so it would upgrade my transports and I managed to upgrade the cruiser when I got it.

Perhaps they took it out when they added transports to designer, but worth a try.

Antediluvian Monster said:

At least in 1.00 or 1.01 the autodesigner seems to have made hidden designs for cruisers even when you didn't have the tech for them. I had it on from time to time so it would upgrade my transports and I managed to upgrade the cruiser when I got it.

Perhaps they took it out when they added transports to designer, but worth a try.

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Are you sure it was a Cruiser? There are multiple types of derelict ships: Frigates, Raiders, Dreadnaughts, Sciense ships. etc. Some are Corvette level.

Mokael said:

Are you sure it was a Cruiser? There are multiple types of derelict ships: Frigates, Raiders, Dreadnaughts, Sciense ships. etc. Some are Corvette level.

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Yes cruiser. Never actually seen anything except cruiser and the raiders and frigates. I don't think the latter two even upgrade since they are unique hulltypes.

Antediluvian Monster said:

Yes cruiser. Never actually seen anything except cruiser and the raiders and frigates. I don't think the latter two even upgrade since they are unique hulltypes.

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Additionally to what you said, I also found a science ship once, although I had the possibility (and used it ^^) to use the engine tech to give me an empire modifier, making my ships much faster.

Antediluvian Monster said:

At least in 1.00 or 1.01 the autodesigner seems to have made hidden designs for cruisers even when you didn't have the tech for them. I had it on from time to time so it would upgrade my transports and I managed to upgrade the cruiser when I got it.

Perhaps they took it out when they added transports to designer, but worth a try.

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Thanks, I will try

CocoCincinnati said:

I've gotten that before, also got the alien frigates and raiders as well. The cruiser is good for hull points early game if nothing else so can still be a formidable part of your early fleet. Later on you can upgrade it to your chosen design. The frigates and raiders can never be upgraded from what I can tell. They do start with good weapons (or have in my games) but unfortunately they have early FTL tech so by mid game they will hinder any fleet they are part of more than help it. They become a permanent defense force at that point. Still love these events though, they can give you a huge military boost in early game, especially if you get a couple of them.

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Thanks, yes it is free military boost early on, but I am sure it is not cost effective to keep it until I develop appropriate tech. I just checked, for corvette my upkeep is 0.37, 4 corvettes have similar hull strength and firepower as a cruiser and would cost 1.48. Cruiser cost me almost 3 , which means I am paying extra 1.5 per month = 18 per year. In 10 -15 years cost of upkeep in minerals will exceed cost of building 4 corvettes (and there is also energy cost). And in 10-15 years I will probably have destroyer's tech.

So the best solution might be, as somebody already suggested to use it and probably use it up in one or two fast wars, driving it ahead of my corvettes to soak damage first.

Antediluvian Monster said:

At least in 1.00 or 1.01 the autodesigner seems to have made hidden designs for cruisers even when you didn't have the tech for them. I had it on from time to time so it would upgrade my transports and I managed to upgrade the cruiser when I got it.

Perhaps they took it out when they added transports to designer, but worth a try.

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Sadly it no longer works