Science Ministry's Observations, Recommendations, and Poll.

[Ben Kenobi]

IIRC we're going to need Robotics eventually, in order to get Superconductor.

STYOM- Superconductor requires Plastics and the Laser.

Plastics requires Refining and Space Flight, while the Laser requires Nuclear Fission and Nuclear Power.

Robotics is off the path for the spaceship.

[SCG]

Originally posted by obiwan18


STYOM- Superconductor requires Plastics and the Laser.

Plastics requires Refining and Space Flight, while the Laser requires Nuclear Fission and Nuclear Power.

Robotics is off the path for the spaceship.

I think what STYOM is trying to do is work within the tendancies of the current players. Since pres doesn't seem too inclined to incremental rush buy and our City planner is already trying to accomodate that by finding ways to increase production, STYOM is pointing towards a tech (Robotics) that will greatly speed production of large items such as space ship parts

[Six Thousand Year Old Man]

Originally posted by obiwan18


STYOM- Superconductor requires Plastics and the Laser.

Good catch, that's what I get for writing polls at work

Nonetheless, if we're going to build anything but a minimal spacecraft, we're going to need a lot of Freight for rushbuying (and cash) - or Manufacturing Plants.

Perhaps I was thinking 320 shields requires Robotics (to build in less than 6 turns)

[cavebear]

I depend on the Minister of Science to show us clearly the straightest path to a good SS, while also advising us of some side techs that could be essential to our survival.

Put another way, as City-Planner, I work with what we have and what we want next from existing techs. I don't much worry about what we will have in the future. But the Minister of Science *is* concerned about our future abilities. I will use every tool we have, and the Science Minister will provide new ones as he is able.

Works for me!

[-Jrabbit]

Not a big SETI fan -- you're practically ready to build the SS by the time you get it, and those camels work just as well toward building SS parts.

Stay with Freights for extra beakers.

[cavebear]

Um, we *have* SETI. We are discussing Cure for Cancer.

[Six Thousand Year Old Man]

[takes off Science Minister hat] This is probably obvious to some of us, but it might help explain my thinking re: Robotics. If we have a lot of food caravans, we can set production in a city that produces 30+ shields to a wonder (often, Manhattan, since it hopefully won't be built in this game), and then add food caravan to put production at 50 shields. Then production is changed to a structural (no loss of shields, as SS parts count as wonders). The next turn, the city adds its 30+ shields and a structural is built.

Same deal for components/modules - except for components, you use 2 freights if the city produces 60 shields, instead of 3 freights. For modules, you use 6 freights, or 5 if the city produces 70+ shields.

This technique gets used a lot in OCC games where the ideal is a city with exactly 80 shield production (no need for freight to build structurals).

If we want a minimal spaceship built fastest, I think we need 16-2-3, or at least 35 food Freights. If we don't have 35 Freights, then we need to either have a lot of high production cities (meaning, we need manufacturing plants), or we need lots of cash for rushbuying.[/puts on Science Minister hat]

The Science Ministry does not endorse Robotics... it is off the true path. However, some of the citizenry think it might help.

[-Jrabbit]

CfC?

It's generally smart to leave a few WOWs unpurchased. Nothing worse than building 35 food caravans for SS construction, then learning that there are NO WOWs available to assign them to, sicking you with 50% resale value for your investment.

Yes, it's happened to me.