Pod Launch

To first step involved in launching a pod is loading it with cargo. You can select any of the 8 different types of pods available each type of pod is designed to carry very select types of cargo. The currently selected life pod is able to carry troops, colonists, crew, and high guard rangers. The right list is the amount that is currently are at the base. The left list shows what is in the pod. The upper right corner has a mass display. The maximum launch mass of a pod is 1000 kt. If you have more than 1000 kt of cargo to move you can always launch a second pod. You can launch an unlimited number of pods as long as you have the megacredits to do so. Each pod costs 25 megacredits to build and launch. Pods have a limited power supply that varies from pod type to pod type. When a pod runs out of power it disappears.

The flight plan allows you to launch the pod at a target planet, base, or other object. The green box in the bottom center shows the current anvil object. The small left pointing arrows allow you to set the anvil object to be the dock target, drop target, or boost target. The small right pointing arrow will make the current target object the anvil object.

The set button will bring up a list of possible targets to choose from. The objects will be sorted by order of closest to the most distant. The clear button will clear the target. The square graphic buttons just right of the set buttons switches the mouse cursor into targeting mode. When you are in targeting mode all you have to do to set the target object is click on it on the main star map.

The pod will travel to the target at a speed of at least 20 ly a turn. Some races have pods with a higher travel speed.

The drop target is where the pod wants to be dropped off at. If the pod is docked in the cargo bay of a ship it will automatically undock from the ship as the ship passes the drop target. If the target object is a base or planet the pod will either join the base or stay in orbit around the planet depending on if the pod`s orbital thrusters are on or not.

The dock target is the object wishes to dock to. The target must be a ship with an empty pod bay room to hold it or another object that allows objects to dock with it. If the pod is ordered to dock with a base it will unload all of its contents to the base.

You can have 3 different objects selected as the drop, dock, and boost target. You could have the pod dock with a ship, boost to a planet and drop at a base. The pod would fly to the boost target, dock with the dock target ship as it passes by and then drop off at a different planet as the ship flies by it.

Once the Launch Pod button has been pushed you can cancel the launch order from the pending orders window.