Police Unit

[Snowflake]

Ok since police units can have the same anti-drones effect of rec commons plus they can defend the base too, supposely you don't need to build rec commons if you've got the police units right? Now my questions is that do people simply build them after they have the tech or they normally upgrade the scout? Somehow when I tried to upgrade, the cost is higher then build a new one. Is that true or did I do something wrong?

[Adalbertus]

HongHu,
It depends heavily on your faction of choice. If there is no police in your SE choices, build RecCommons. I rarely build them, because I try to get as many early SP's as possible, and among them, HGP and VW rank very high (after WP). And usually I try to have many specialists when the base is size 5+. Except playing Yang, I usually completely neglect police also. With Yang, I try to get as much as possible, and a +3 police rating (Ascetic Virtues) so that I can appease 12 drones with 3 police units.

[Maniac]

Even at +3 Police, you can only appease 9 drones with 3 police units.

[Adalbertus]

I didn't test it, so it's maybe my fault. Documentations says that +3 Police and Nonlethal Methods both double the police effect. I wouldn't be too surprised that this is wrong and they just add 1. I suppose you checked for those strange double-drone effects.

[Gufnork]

They both double base police rating. So the bonuses are added, not multiplied. 9 drones isn't bad though.

[johndmuller]

HongHu, basic Infantry Police 1-1-1 *1 cost 1 row, or 10 mins (plus or minus depending on Industry status) same as a minimal scout unit, and it also costs the minimum, 10 to upgrade a scout to a cop. I call mine "Neighborhood Cops", BTW, (and they are the Best D@mned Cops on planet). If you are getting different costs, perhaps you are using a higher reactor or adding other bells or whistles (they already come with a basic whistle anyway ).

I use cops a lot, particularly with Yang, but also with other factions, unless I've gotten committed to FM, in which case I don't bother, but since they cost the same as a scout, once you get the tech, why not, if you are going to build a scout anyway. You may still want to use a Rec Comm, but generally a Holo (which would cost 3ec/turn - the same cost as those 3 cops mentioned earlier) is unnecessary.

Cops are good to build in newly captured bases as they can usually be rushed right away at a reasonable enough cost, considering that you may be able liberate 2 drones right then.

Minimal Clean Cops cost 2 rows (or 20 mins + or -) to build or exactly 20 to upgrade to from a scout and are usually worth the extra over the dirty ones, unless you have a really high support level, although they are noticably more expensive to rush in a newly captured base.

[HeymlicH]

I usually combine the police units with trance. So, even if the defense value is 1, they can help in defense against mindworms. I don't upgrade scouts since I want my police units to have a higher morale.

[Hydro]

Gaians can make excellent use of the cop scouts since they can't use FM. Since it is 'free' ability for a 1-1-1p, then it is a decision to go for trance, morale upgrade (also free), or police. Even with armor this can be 'free' with a new build, or a minimal cost upgrade. I use this a lot during a mid game pop boom before all anti-drone infrastructure is in place. An extra 1-1-1p that gets me one more tile worked is a bargain even if it does cost a minreral to support. Old 1-1-1 can be upgraded during a pop boom, too for minimal cost.

Hydro

[Jamski]

God, I'd be absolutely stuffed without those 1-1-1(police) units. Can't live without them.

-Jam

[Snowflake]

See being the Hive the cost of building a police unit is 7 if you have the right SE, but it costs you 10 to upgrade. I almost want to say that it is worth it just to disband your scout and build a new police unit. But that will be a waste of time though when your base could be building something else.

Having to upgrade one by one is so tedious if you don't have enough money to upgrade them all in the workshop.

[Lazerus]

Well then just upgrade them at large rioting bases, if your Yang then all the regular scouts will be able to handle size 1/2 bases.

[Alinestra Covelia]

That assumes that 10 ec and 7 minerals are worth the same thing.

I've never tried to logically tie in minerals to energy credits as a value relationship.

[Maniac]

I use as a rule of thumb that one mineral equals two energy, since a large part of my accumulated energy goes towards hurrying facilities.

[Main_Brain]

Brood Pits! Brood Pits! ;=)

[Commander Jace]

yeah Ablbertadus is right it depends on how your faction plays no rec commons make police

rec commons less police