Fuel Economy Questions and Troubles

Sunless Sea
1

As many of you I’m sure have experienced, the trade off of buying a better engine for your boat is fuel efficiency. I bought the 2000 echo engine (+15 veils and +2000 engine power) and it is a gas guzzlers at full power (2). When I do my standard route to Mt.Palmerson, I used to be able to do it with 10 fuel, but now it takes me 13-14 (a 30-40% increase in fuel costs?). Ouch.

Is it possible that I’m doing this wrong? LOL! Level 1 speed of the new engine SEEMS very close (a bit slower?) to the old level 2 engine speed. I’ve experimented with traveling safe waters at level 1, and use the level 2 just for the dark stretches that are there. It seems like it eases the fuel waste but I haven’t done extensive testing.

Has anyone looked into this?

2

I can’t say I’ve owned the higher engines. The only way I can see of it balancing out is if you end up spending less on terror reductions due to the quicker speed.

Does it also multiply the amount of fuel the light uses? If so perhaps aiming for routes which allow it to be off more might work.

3

I have not done any testing on it, but I have owned the 2000 echo engine and it is quite a waste imo. I would downgrade to the serpentine - almost as fast and way more efficient.

4

I have tested it and seems that setting the speed to 1 does not save fuel and actually reduces your range. So I would suggest only slow down when turning.

If your goal is making echoes I would suggest either keeping the starter engine or only purchasing the 500 echo model. I have mixed feelings about the serpentine engine if your focus is making echoes.

I did not find any significant savings with fuel or supply consumption and terror reduction that offsets the extra fuel cost. With the more powerful engines you will be struggling to make echoes and even losing money depending on the model.

5

I recomend only upgrading to the Serpentine personally. With it’s 10% fuel efficiency and my navigators own 10% efficiency it makes a nice trip. It can haul my merchant ship for a good loop on about 15 fuel.

6

So would you recommend choosing engineers who offer fuel efficiency over extra engine power?

I haven’t come across anyone with a 10% bonus (only 5%) but it does sound attractive, spending 20% less fuel.

I’d like to see some more fuel efficient ships as well. (not that I have enough echos to even consider changing the one I started with).

7

It sadly isn’t worth it, even with that 10% fuel efficiency. The tireless mechanic didn’t help alleviate the fuel cost much and I didn’t see a very substantial increase in speed anyway. The only possible benefit to using better engines that makes sense is that they are supposed to speed your ship enough to counteract terror damage, yet the fastest engine guzzles fuel at an insane pace for about a 21% increase in speed.

Yeah, engines are pretty broken so far.

8

I don’t know, I haven’t had any trouble with fuel consumption at all. Nor have I noticed an increase. Honestly I’m still packing the same fuel I used for the starter engine with the Serpentine.

9

Did the serpentine help you avoid terror damage? If not, then it isn’t worth using. As far as I can tell its the best upgraded engine(other than the starting one) in the game but the speed you get from it is still negligible at best.
edited by oisean11 on 7/19/2014

10

Mmm, yeah. It helped that able to avoid bats and it helps to go faster when crossing the North. It’s also made it more profitable for me since I can now visit more ports without Terror getting out of hand.