Echelon Mirror Placement?

[Ijuin]

I am trying to create a base that has the maximum energy production within its normal collection radius. My question is: What pattern of Echelon Mirrors/Solar Collectors within the base radius will maximize energy production?

[Chaos Theory]

Echelon mirrors have been analyzed in great detail on these forums. Search the archives.

[Flubber]

Originally posted by Chaos Theory
Echelon mirrors have been analyzed in great detail on these forums. Search the archives.

IN fairness, chaos , I think they have ben anayzed in great detail in the context iof an energy park where people crawl energy.

While most of the logic will hold from those threads, this poster is looking to maximize energy from the bases radius. It seems obvious that a line of mirrors outside the radius would be optimum and then the question would be whether it is beneficial to place any mirrors actually inside the bases radius

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

A suggestion, prebuild an echelon where you intend to build the base. The echelon mirror will provide +1 energy to surrounding solars.

[xalien]

You can build them anywhere where you plan to have forests. Eventually the forest will grow underneath the mirror and receive a +1 energy bonus.

[Mr. Harley]

Play with the worksheet I just posted. You can play with terrain height and the various improvements to see exactly how they interact. Ogie is right - except that if you are in a high conflict PBEM, a sensor on the base square (it cannot be destroyed) may be a better choice.

[Straybow]

You have to build the city on top of the mirror?

[CEO Aaron]

Am I the only one who thinks that solars are a waste of terraformer time outside of an energy park? I mean, sure, as an intellectual exercise, sure, but for actual gameplay, stick with forests, boreholes and condensor farms.

[vyeh]

It depends on the game situation.

If

(1) energy and mineral restrictions still apply
(2) there have been no pollution control technologies researched
(3) all non-rocky squares have been forested or farmed
(4) the base is already crawling or working its clean mineral limit

then

it might make sense to build a solar panel on a rocky square to crawl the energy.

Forests are nice, but they can't be built on rocky squares.
Boreholes are nice, but they take a lot of time to build, create ecodamage and don't yield their full potential until the mineral and energy restrictions are lifted.
Condensor farms create a lot of nutrients, but only contribute to energy creation by freeing up specialists or workers for energy producting squares (like forests). Specialists can only produce economy or research if the base is size 5 or more or technology is advanced enough.

[Lazerus]

Then push out your formers and get more forests for new bases whilst you wait for the techs to make boreholing feasible.
An energy capped solar is of little use 0/1/2 at best ?and iirc they take longer to make then a forest which running FM gives 1/2/2. Plus you'll probably end up bulldozing it 10 turns later to make a mine when you're nearing eco engineering.
What's your fear of pollution for ?

[Kirov]

Originally posted by CEO Aaron
Am I the only one who thinks that solars are a waste of terraformer time outside of an energy park? I mean, sure, as an intellectual exercise, sure, but for actual gameplay, stick with forests, boreholes and condensor farms.

Am I the only one who thinks that energy park are a waste of terraformer time? I can hardly imagine a PBEM so relaxed that you have time to build it and benefit from it, while in SPs, sure it can be fun, but then again, in SPs you can write your name with magtubes throughout the whole map and keep conquering AIs in the meantime.

[Lazerus]

in SPs you can write your name with magtubes throughout the whole map and keep conquering AIs in the meantime

i've never tried that, sounds like fun and will be a good screenshot

[Senethro]

Originally posted by Kirov


Am I the only one who thinks that energy park are a waste of terraformer time? I can hardly imagine a PBEM so relaxed that you have time to build it and benefit from it, while in SPs, sure it can be fun, but then again, in SPs you can write your name with magtubes throughout the whole map and keep conquering AIs in the meantime.

It is much more useful if you own The Supercollider, The Theory of Everything and maybe the Longevity Vaccine in the same base. Because these projects multiply the effects of multiplicative facilities they make that terraforming time much more useful. Even a small energy park gathering 100 energy worth can give 750 labs when you have the right set up.

[vyeh]

Originally posted by Lazerus
What's your fear of pollution for ?

It is not nice to imply I have a fear of pollution.

It takes former time to remove the fungus and reforest or refarm.

If tile that got popped happened to be a condensor farm, then the base goes hungry.

[Sikander]

Rubber Biscuit.