Please help a newb learn how to upgrade ships when new techs are uncovered

I'm baffled how to upgrade ships PLease help! I've tried a few methods but either it's creating a totally different ship or it turns into another ship. How do I simply update a new engine or add better weapons? I don't see how to make this work.

Thanks!!!
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Reply #1 Top
Hello - I'm having this same problem. If I get a new engine and want to upgrade an existing design, when I go to the Shipbuilder screen and click upgrade - I get only the hull. I have to place every other component back on the ship... including the new tech. This can't be how it was designed?

EDIT: I found it. In the options screen you have to UNCHECK the option to remove the components when you upgrade...

NOTE to DEVS: this seems a little backward to me from all other 4X space games I've played over the years...
Reply #2 Top
FYI, you can't simply refit a ship in a one-off basis as you can with some other games. You need to create a new design, or modify an exisitng one. You can then upgrade a ship into any other existing design that is the same hull size, for a fee based on the components being changed, etc.

"Remove components on upgrade" is simply a convenience option, since you'll normally be replacing most of a ships components at the same time when updating older ships (as only changing it a bit is not cost-effective, most people will avoid doing it that way).