Results from SE's switches; when?

[Net Warrior]

I've noticed that you can plant a base and get 10 free mineral because you're not running Demo but later that same turn you can switch to Demo and still keep the 10 free minerals. It seems the support penalty doesn't take place till the following turn.

However, the efficiency and growth benefits show up immediately. So, for example, you get immediate bdrone relief and other efficiency benefits, and an immediate reduction in the nutrient requirement for base growth. I guess it can be argued that all of these changes really take place during the next turn since that's when the effects are "felt"

Does anyone have any thought on this subject?

IE, if you change to Fundi to placate Miriam will she notice it this turn or next?

[smacksim]

You're right on all counts. The changes appear during your turn, but of course that has no effect until the beginning of your next turn. The only exceptions I know are with any communication with other factions and cashing in units with industry switches. They will 'see' your current SE choices immediately, which is why this is such a useful cheat. With industry, you can gain rows more cheaply by switching to high industry production, cashing in units, then switch back and keep the gains.

I don't know about enemy probe actions after your turn, whether, for instance, the # of drones you had or will have is counted by the inbound probe, etc.. I think the changes do count before your turn in that case.

[Whoha]

planet rating doesn't change until the turn after.

[Chaos Theory]

Originally posted by smacksim
You're right on all counts. The changes appear during your turn, but of course that has no effect until the beginning of your next turn. The only exceptions I know are [...]
With industry, you can gain rows more cheaply by switching to high industry production, cashing in units, then switch back and keep the gains.

Actually, this works the other way around. The cheat is to switch to a low-industry SE, cash units (their mineral value is based on rows, and so is higher with a low industry rating), and switch back to a higher-industry SE to keep the gains.

Example:
Current SE is Planned/Wealth for +2 industry
You start the CBA (30 rows, 240 minerals)
You switch to Simple/Power for -2 industry (CBA now costs 360)
You cash 6 ordinary crawlers for 3 rows apiece, or a total of 216 minerals.
You switch back to Planned/Wealth, recouping the upheaval cost. The CBA is back to 240 mins, but has 216 mins accumulated towards it. You can wrap it up with misc sources such as the current turn's production.

If you had simply cashed the crawlers, they would have yielded only 144 minerals.

[Net Warrior]

Ok, thanks guys. I guess this is especially important to keep in mind when going to war. If you switch to a high morale setting you have to do it the turn before you plan to attack or defend. I've run afoul of that one in the past for sure.

Now I "get" why switching to Fundi to chat with Miriam or switching to simple/powder to get a SP are not allowed in PBEM's.

This game ought to come with a set of instructions .