Started up the latest build and wanted to check out some of the new changes. I see the 60 production points from a large asteroid mine, so far so good. Then I researched Freighter ports which indicate a 50% increase... but there was no change. Did this get missed during the changes or am I not looking at things correctly? More to come later...
You mean, you had an active large asteroid production exploitation going to a colony with an orbital station, then you researched Freighter Port and you still see 60 production from asteroid exploitations in the colony? Could you please send me the save so I can check it? \Edit: I made a test, and if you have a star base with the freighter port tech it does increase the production from asteroid exploitations.
Yes it looks that way, when I check the production breakdown it reads sixty from mines even after the freighter port. Here is a save a few turns later with both the mine and port active... FYI, I did research the ports prior to the mine.
An orbital station is needed for the Freighter Port to provide the bonus to the asteroid exploitations. I see you have none in Terra II. PS: I see you went with Rich homeworld and +1 prod per pop for your custom race. Should be a good test to see if the AI can keep up. However, if you want to give the AIs a chance at this stage, and for a more challenging session, you could opt to not go with the production bonuses. Just an observation. In any case, I see you're coming in last at turn 120 and you're not the most productive, yet. Should be an interesting session.
Crap! I forgot to build my starbase... lol, ok. This is just a test run, Adam, I took perks that I thought might be unbalanced to see if I was correct. Funny enough, it looked that way early on, now the advantage doesn't seem as overwhelming. This session is more for research purposes, and the first one I've played on steam (more research). Note that not only did I take a production bonus but I also chose a rich HW. I want to see if the combo is overbearing or if the AI can keep up. Now when I'm ready to go for fun... Dictatorship and no other picks at all... I think that will be a fair glimpse of what to expect with an AI at 100%
I have played 125 turns or so and my freighter port bonus is being applied. It did require a star base. All the bonuses seem to be applying correctly. I will post my thoughts tonight. Playing hardcore, large galaxy, 5 races. Completely passive Utopia race focused on forming friendships.
Our race truly has pity for you. If only your ape minds could comprehend the futility of warfare and learn to share the galaxy's bounty.
Got any bananas to spare oh enlightened one? We'll make sure to proudly feature your superior race in our academic halls... as soon as we find a skilled taxidermist
Interesting...I have just been declared war on, this is a first... OK, here's what I saw with this so far. Growth is curtailed, even with the perks I chose I am nowhere near to the growth I had in the past, granted it's just a single session so far, and a goof-off at that, but I see that even though I managed to get myself in first place in most categories, my lead wasn't overwhelming. I think it's time to take this out for a couple of real sessions then, and focus on the balance more than anything else, I'm very curious indeed...
Some other thoughts here. I started a game and took some strange picks... and I noticed a few things that just feel a bit off. A rich homeworld will cost four picks, giving a bonus to a single planet +1 production gives a bonus to all planets and costs 3 picks. Now you could say that a rich homeworld gives an early boost and is worth it as it affects the players starting colony, but the +1 production pick does the same and confers bonuses on later colonies as well. Perhaps the costs here should be reversed? Warlord costs 5 picks... yet the benefits are... not all that great. But rather than talk about it let me post my Session soon, it's a large galaxy 5 races, hardcore. My race picks are +1 science, +.5 money and warlord... We're bums compared to how I usually progress.
I'd say rich homeworld is more important then +1 everywhere.. since it is my experience that a few planets will be your focal point for example for shipyards... Since buildings like the academy and space elevator will be build there too... +1 everywhere feels more like a gamble where one hopes to find a better planet then their starting one and make that the focal point... ANd besides, the bonus from Engineering makes for a good production on all planets which just have to build a few buildings and a starbase....
Did you mean it was the first time the AI DoW on you, before you attacked them? I ask, because that also occurred to me the other day in 1A. It's what I get for trying a run as a peacenik. Still looking for my bananas.
It seems that way on the surface, but the actual benefit is identical most of the time. In other words, with +1 as your pick, your homeworld benefits on turn 1 and throughout the game, but so does every other colony you establish. With the rich pick, this holds true only for your HW. Mind you, it's a minor point but I have used both in the past and it seems off to me. Exactly! Most of the time the AI will avoid me like the plague, it is better off when it starts the war as waiting for me to get comfortable and deployed correctly is not something it can handle yet.
Some additional thoughts on fast missiles. After at least a dozen battles... I find the +4 speed bonus of fast missiles as a good balance. It gives an advantage , but only a moderate one, the player can forego it and still have effective missiles. In other words it hits the right spot, an optional upgrade that isn't a "must have"
Perhaps Rich homeworld is fine and is the +prod per pop bonus that is too low. So, perhaps Industry bonuses should require more picks?
Ah, the old "more than one way to skin a cat" (why would anyone want to do that?) but yes, that is another way of looking at it.
To play devil's advocate (I know, why would anyone want to advocate for the devil?): +Prod per POP points are easier to come by as the game progresses and thus proportionally the racial trait loses value as you develop other means to generate Prod bonuses. It is not uncommon to have 20+ Prod per POP with various bonuses. The racial trait bonus, especially of +1 prod per pop, is a small drop in the bucket at that stage of the game. The initial jump start of a rich homeworld (+2 prod per pop on your homeworld and +5 production from the robotic factory) could be just as powerful to give you a leg up in the early game. Your initial colony will have multiple POPs and infrastructure which amplifies this bonus. Earlier military access, faster building construction, faster outpost building, etc. are all valuable during the land grab portion of the game and could help you snowball. Anyway, I'm not opposed to changes, I just wanted to provide a counter argument for comparison.
And a good argument it was, I like to think that I'm not too inflexible and when a good argument is made... I can be swayed This and this make too much sense and are hard to argue against. I believe you are correct, if one sits back and looks at things from a long term perspective, the value versus cost does make sense. (Tips hat)
Playing too much lately so I guess this is a good thing. In a recent session I once again discovered Adamantium Armor in the first Ruins I searched, this was around turn 50 Three things happened My new ships were vastly more resilient than anything my opponents could produce... this was bad IMO I could now skip every armor tech in the research tree, I didn't need t research a single one. This allowed my to accelerate my research and outclass my opponents even further...this too was bad. My ships were taking longer to produce early on... this was the only counterweight to the advantages I gained. This was too early for such a tech, way too early, especially when playing hardcore.
