Best TERRAFORMING strategy...

[Commy]

I have done tests and set up models...I have even created combat situations, but know I have come to the final step--asking Apolyton...

First off, I don't ICS...I don't use crawlers, and I never will...why you ask? Because then I can kill the AI so bad the game isn't even fun...but that's just my opinion...

So, assuming that I am not ICSing, not using crawlers (and therefore no energy parks), I would like to know what terraforming, and in a way, base building strategies you all feel are the best...

So far I have narrowed it down into four categories...

The first is ICSing, which I am not considering, so don't mention it...

Second, is a fungus strategy...not including the Manifold Nexus, and assuming I do not have +2 economy...with all the technologies, I could get 2-3-3, or 3-3-3 with the Gaians, but these advantages come quite late in the game...

Third is the forest strategy...simply build forests, tree farms and hybrid forests, do free market, and have bases spread apart...3-2-3 with hybrid forest and free market, and pretty early effects...

Fourth is advanced terraforming...using condensors to make all squares rainy, then building solar collectors and echelon mirrors...

I will post my test results later, but I just would like to know your opinions...

[Flubber]

Forest

The main advantages of advanced terraforming is to maximize ONE type of production and then use a crawler so the worker can become a specialist or harvest something else

Oh and if you are considering everything, you can also think about drilling to aquifer at some inland high points and enjoy the river energy

[Chaos Theory]

I've tried fungus, but it's hard to survive long enough to make it productive, without some other terraforming scheme. Against the AI, it might be a nice challenge, but fungus is not very useful until Centauri Psi, when it starts making minerals.

Forests are nice, though I find that condensors/boreholes are more powerful. Aquifers are nice, but take too long to build given their benefits, if you have lots of boreholes. With a forest strategy, they're more useful.

[Maniac]

Forest, with as many boreholes as you reasonably can squeeze in. Before you get hybrid forests some farm-condenser on rolling tiles (so you get a mineral when working them) are useful as well.

[Flubber]

I find it difficult not to think of using crawlers since my normal terraforming is usually crawled condensor farms and crawled rockies with boreholes where they fit and forest elsewhere.

[Commy]

I am wondering though, are forests still worth it if you have tight base-spacing?

[Ka Plewy]

Originally posted by Commy
I am wondering though, are forests still worth it if you have tight base-spacing?

Define tight, given your ICS avoidance?

Even without an answer to your question I would say, yes, as it converts the majority of land tiles to more usable tiles with very little terraforming effort.

[joncnunn]

Ka Plewy: Definate of city spacing paterns:

X = Any of direction 1,3,7,9, but all Xs on that row in same direction

ICS / Borging : B - X - B
Tight city spacing: B - X - X - B
Loose city spacing: B - X - X - X - B
Optimum City spacing : B - X - X - X - X - B

[BlackCat]

Originally posted by joncnunn
Ka Plewy: Definate of city spacing paterns:

X = Any of direction 1,3,7,9, but all Xs on that row in same direction

ICS / Borging : B - X - B
Tight city spacing: B - X - X - B
Loose city spacing: B - X - X - X - B
Optimum City spacing : B - X - X - X - X - B

ICS is for accountants - too much admin (ouch - just insulted a lot of people, but I've tried it and it was not good for me - too lazy )

Tight gives the best for me without caring what they do (automate former).

When I started this program for the first time I also obeyed the rule about "Optimum city spacing", but the habitation dome comes too late to make that a reasonable choice. That is the same reason why "loose spacing" also is outruled.

[Flubber]

I must be a heretic as I have never suscribed to any set pattern. Mine would most closely look like your tight spacing but I vary the pattern for rocky tiles, fungus, rivers, to crate a coastal base, to avoid a coastal base or to land on a special. I don't think the world shatters if I do this.

I generally like bases within 3 tiles of each other so with roads a scout can rush from one to the other for emergency defense. I also will only rarely have more than 10 citizens working since I find that specialists work well and I generally don't want to turn on the psych fix. This means I don't mind closer spacing

I also build some bases knowing they won't grow past size 2 or so as their sole purpose is to be a military factory and crawlers can ensure they get the minerals they need. 2 boreholes and I condensor farm and a few mined rockies can pump out some nice high morale troops

[Chaos Theory]

Many of my bases are separated by knight's moves. I get a density of bases in between "Borg" and "Tight", but without a regular pattern. Landmarks (particularly the Borehole Cluster) and monoliths will also force defects into any local pattern I may have.

However, as the Hive, I feel obliged to place bases according to the "Borg" pattern, temporarily skipping unsuitable locations until my massive former army can fix them. Size 3 bases working 3 forests aren't special on their own, but are nice as part of a collective.

[BlackCat]

Fungicide spots I know how to deal with but rocky tiles ? Can they be turned into habitables ?

[Flubber]

Originally posted by BlackCat


Fungicide spots I know how to deal with but rocky tiles ? Can they be turned into habitables ?

I think so .. IIRC doesn't the "terraform level' do this ??

I'm asking as well since I am not sure. My habit is to skip rocky tiles and move my base a bit to one side or the other.

But I'll alter my "pattern" for sonething as trivial as being able to put it on the arid square and harvest immediately from the rainy rolling one

[Flubber]

Originally posted by BlackCat


Fungicide spots I know how to deal with but rocky tiles ? Can they be turned into habitables ?

I think so .. IIRC doesn't the "terraform level' do this ??

I'm asking as well since I am not sure. My habit is to skip rocky tiles and move my base a bit to one side or the other.

But I'll alter my "pattern" for sonething as trivial as being able to put it on the arid square and harvest immediately from the rainy rolling one

[#endgame]

Terraform level will go Rocky->Rolling(Can found a base there) or Rolling->Flat (though why you'd do THAT is beyond me -1 mineral for what, a faster building of roads?).