Official: New Bases

[Method]

that and they're WAY too far away. i mean really, why do we have to have all 20 tiles with no overlap?

[Drogue]

Why not? I still think it is better not to overlap, especially on good squares.

Maniac: It will miss out on the monolith, but that monloith will also be being used by AP soon, and there might be another one in that pod, or beyond it. As for the river, if you want that, we could have a look at the one a square southeast of the puke colour. However we'd need to know what's there. How about I look at the save, when it's our go, and wait an hour or two, to see what people think of the new square. Maybe it would be a better place?

[Maniac]

Maniac: It will miss out on the monolith, but that monloith will also be being used by AP soon

How do you define soon? The second monolith would only be used once we are at size 3 (if we first would use the nutrient bonus). That would be not using that monolith for 25 years or so, even presuming we don't build a CP in Poly Prime which would even further delay us growing to size 3. Since 25 mins and 25 energy (if not more) means a world of difference so early in the game, I think it's worth building a base one tile closer than normal for once.

Edit:

Why not? I still think it is better not to overlap, especially on good squares.

Could you please explain that? In my opinion good squares are exactly the ones most worth overlapping, especially if there are no less than three in one base radius!!

[Drogue]

In the later game that overlap becomes a handicap. Also, I think there may well be a monolith or other resources over the horizon. We do not know what is there, but all the area leading up to it is lush and rolling, which would be nice.

If we overlap on good squares, we are having a square both bases want. If we overlap on abad square, it is just liek not overlapping, as it will never be used.

Also, overlapping means we get far fewer boreholes per base. A max of 3 with TKGs ideas, or 4 as they stand. It is possible to get 5 and 6 (IIRC) with them spaced apart. These are the only ones we really want to be working, since we can crawl nuts with condenser/farms. That means we want as many boreholes per base. I think we will be giving up a lot later for a few mins and energy now, if that, depending on what is in the undiscovered area.

[Maniac]

Well I used to think that way too, like you do. But Vel's Guide really thought me the importance of "comparative turn advantage". Those "few mins and energy now" truly have an exponential effect on our development, which really is more important than some small handicaps later. Unfortunately I can't proof it to you as I did in the nutrient<->monolith game, as to compare benefits now<->handicaps later one would have to compare games decades in the future.

By the way:

If we overlap on abad square, it is just liek not overlapping, as it will never be used.

Aha! You admit your "far apart" base placement tactic leaves squares unused, making the tactic less efficient! IMO a bad square doesn't exist in SMAC, as you can always mine it or build a forest on it.