Alpha Centauri 2

Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri & Alien Crossfire => The Theory of Everything => Topic started by: benschwab on July 27, 2015, 06:13:37 PM

Title: Yet more questions, this time on bases.
Post by: benschwab on July 27, 2015, 06:13:37 PM

I appreciate your patience and, surprise, I have more questions based on what section of the wiki I'm currently working on.

1:  Am I correct that Transcendi replace both Empaths and Thinkers?

2:  Do I have the correct order for psych effects: Base, Pysch spending (including specialists), base facilities, police, secret projects, pacifism?

3:  Does population growth happen during a drone riot?  Am I correct in that the base does not produce energy for economy or labs?  Do you still pay maintenance for base facilities if there is a riot?  Does the difference between the number of drones and talents impact the chances of destroyed facilities or defection?

4:  Is there a method by which the computer chooses which unit to disband if a base cannot support all of its units?

5:  How is the distance measured between a base and faction headquarters?

6:  What happens if a faction does not have enough energy to power all of its facilities?  (Side Question: Are there any mods that add private energy lenders?)

7:  How are the number of rows in the nutrient tanks calculated?  Is it always 1+base pop? (does a 1 population base have 2 rows?  I can't remember of the top of my head).

8:  Am I correct in my understanding that a base cannot change its population quicker than 1 per turn only through growth mechanics?

Title: Re: Yet more questions, this time on bases.
Post by: Buster's Uncle on July 27, 2015, 06:19:31 PM

There IS a way to grow faster than 1/turn, but it's sort've an exploit - build and send colony pods at other bases, send them to the base you wish to hurry-grow, and hit "b".

Title: Re: Yet more questions, this time on bases.
Post by: benschwab on July 27, 2015, 06:27:22 PM

Quote from: BUncle on July 27, 2015, 06:19:31 PM

There IS a way to grow faster than 1/turn, but it's sort've an exploit - build and send colony pods at other bases, send them to the base you wish to hurry-grow, and hit "b".

I consider this a method as "not through growth mechanics."  Maybe I should be explicit and say growth mechanics as through the nutrition tanks and population boom (through growth social effect or cloning vats).

Also, I think that method of moving population around was intended by Fraxis.  I don't know if I should consider it an exploit though I've never used it.

Title: Re: Yet more questions, this time on bases.
Post by: benschwab on July 28, 2015, 05:40:37 PM

Some more questions:

9:  What happens with the minerals left over from production when the next thing produced is stockpile energy?

10:  Am I correct that no minerals are lost from switching production from a secret project to a base facility or unit?

11:  When changing production in a base, does the number of turns left given incorporate the minerals lost by switching production?

12:  Do native lifeforms get the morale bonus that the Children's Creche provides?

13:  If a base loses a faction ability facility (eg. Network Node for the University), does it pay maintenance if it rebuilds the facility at the base?

Title: Re: Yet more questions, this time on bases.
Post by: Yitzi on July 30, 2015, 03:59:35 PM

Quote from: benschwab on July 27, 2015, 06:13:37 PM

I appreciate your patience and, surprise, I have more questions based on what section of the wiki I'm currently working on.

1:  Am I correct that Transcendi replace both Empaths and Thinkers?

That is correct; they do not, however, replace engineers.

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2:  Do I have the correct order for psych effects: Base, Pysch spending (including specialists), base facilities, police, secret projects, pacifism?

No.  Pacifism goes with police before secret projects (although some modding can change things somewhat).  I think the effects of punishment spheres are also included under secret projects, though I may have fixed that.

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3:  Does population growth happen during a drone riot?  Am I correct in that the base does not produce energy for economy or labs?  Do you still pay maintenance for base facilities if there is a riot?

Population growth, energy production, and maintenance all happen (unlike civil disorder in most civ games).  Only production is stopped...and of course if they continue you can get bigger problems.

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Does the difference between the number of drones and talents impact the chances of destroyed facilities or defection?

No, but IIRC your POLICE rating does (in fact, at -2 or higher POLICE there can't be defection), and it never happens on the first turn of drone riots.  Having more facilities also increases the chances of one being destroyed, but decreases the chances of defection.

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4:  Is there a method by which the computer chooses which unit to disband if a base cannot support all of its units?

I think it's the first one built, but I'm not sure.

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5:  How is the distance measured between a base and faction headquarters?

I think all distances are measured by considering the two perpendicular edge-to-edge (so diagonal along the map) lines that together make of the distance (so between 1,1 and 20,40, consider from 1,1 to 30,30 and then from that to 20,40), and then take the longer plus half the shorter, rounded down.

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6:  What happens if a faction does not have enough energy to power all of its facilities?

Some get scrapped.

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(Side Question: Are there any mods that add private energy lenders?)

I do not think so.  If you have details for how they should work, they could probably be added.

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7:  How are the number of rows in the nutrient tanks calculated?  Is it always 1+base pop? (does a 1 population base have 2 rows?  I can't remember of the top of my head).

Yes, 1+base pop.

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8:  Am I correct in my understanding that a base cannot change its population quicker than 1 per turn only through growth mechanics?

This is correct.

Quote from: benschwab on July 28, 2015, 05:40:37 PM

Some more questions:

9:  What happens with the minerals left over from production when the next thing produced is stockpile energy?

Depends on the patch.  Unpatched, it's saved for the next non-stockpile thing produced, and also all of the minerals (including what was used for production) get stockpiled.  (This is the infamous stockpile energy bug.)  Kyrub's patch dealt with it, but I don't remember how, and under my patch it depends: If the reason the next thing produced is stockpile energy is that you finished a facility or project with nothing in the queue, it's saved up until the next turn and spent then (on stockpile energy if you're still doing that.)  If it's because stockpile energy was in the queue, they get turned into energy (but what you spent on production doesn't).  Any minerals that won't increase energy gained will always (even if you're running stockpile energy the whole time) be saved for next turn under my patch.

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10:  Am I correct that no minerals are lost from switching production from a secret project to a base facility or unit?

No, you are not.  Switching from a project to a facility or unit works just the same as the other way around (by default, a 50% penalty on everything but the first 10 minerals).  However, if you are switching from a project to a facility or unit, there's a fairly good chance that you've got enough to complete production anyway.

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11:  When changing production in a base, does the number of turns left given incorporate the minerals lost by switching production?

Yes.

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12:  Do native lifeforms get the morale bonus that the Children's Creche provides?

No, since they don't have morale.  (They do not get a lifecycle bonus instead either.)

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13:  If a base loses a faction ability facility (eg. Network Node for the University), does it pay maintenance if it rebuilds the facility at the base?

No.

Title: Re: Yet more questions, this time on bases.
Post by: vonbach on July 31, 2015, 01:13:26 AM

Hmm stupid question. Pressure domes have a built in recycling tanks as I recall if you already have recycling tanks
built do the benefits stack?

Title: Re: Yet more questions, this time on bases.
Post by: Buster's Uncle on July 31, 2015, 01:18:31 AM

I believe they do not.

Title: Re: Yet more questions, this time on bases.
Post by: vonbach on July 31, 2015, 01:20:12 AM

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I believe they do not.

Thought so thanks.

Title: Re: Yet more questions, this time on bases.
Post by: Yitzi on July 31, 2015, 03:25:57 AM

Quote from: BUncle on July 31, 2015, 01:18:31 AM

I believe they do not.

This is correct.

Title: Re: Yet more questions, this time on bases.
Post by: Eadee on July 31, 2015, 02:07:01 PM

Do you get a discount on pressure domes if recycling tanks do already exist?.

I think a water-base can't loose its pressure-dome facility (through mind worms, drone riots, probe teams or other things) is this correct?*
*If yes: Does a land-base have the same protection of the pressure-dome?
*if no: does a water-base get destroyed if you damage its pressure-dome?

Title: Re: Yet more questions, this time on bases.
Post by: Yitzi on July 31, 2015, 02:17:38 PM

Quote from: Eadee on July 31, 2015, 02:07:01 PM

Do you get a discount on pressure domes if recycling tanks do already exist?.

No.

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I think a water-base can't loose its pressure-dome facility (through mind worms, drone riots, probe teams or other things) is this correct?*
*If yes: Does a land-base have the same protection of the pressure-dome?
*if no: does a water-base get destroyed if you damage its pressure-dome?

It is correct, and I don't think it applies to land bases.

Title: Re: Yet more questions, this time on bases.
Post by: benschwab on July 31, 2015, 03:22:39 PM

Thank you, Yitzi.  You're knowledge and patience is appreciated as always.

Edit:  I do have a question however.  Since the punishment sphere is supposed to change all talents and drones into workers (preventing both drone riots and golden ages) shouldn't it go last?