The impact of base placement on terraforming (dead serious thread)

[Jamski]

Acorrding to my base site proposal, as seen in this thread, most new bases will be built on a 2-tile diagonal spacing. This gives 7 tiles to each base. I propose the following terraforming procedure, to maximise growth, production and income, in the small space available to each base. This illustration is the example from an ideal situation.



The two condensors MUST be crawlered to free up workers for better tasks than farming, to provide 4x2=8 nuts. The forests should be worked for 1-2-1 x 3 = 3-6-3 increasing to 6-6-6 with tree farms and 9-6-9 with hybrid forests. The boreholes should also be worked for 0-6-6 x 2 = 0-12-12. We assume that the base itself produces a minimum of 1-1-1 (which is pretty poor) for a grand total of :

1-1-1
8-0-0
3-6-3
0-12-12
----------
12-18-16
----------

With tree farms this rises to
----------
15-18-19
----------

With hybrid forests to :
-----------
18-18-22
-----------

Not to mention the effect of rec-tanks, which give a further 1-1-1 in the base square.

This would be enough food to support a base of size 9ish, which would be the maximum if we get the AV. Of those 9, only 5 need to be workers, and 4 must be specialists. Depending what kind of specialists we have available, we can dramatically increase the labs or econ of the base by up to +12, which is not affected by inefficiency. We also only have to keep 5 drones happy, which shouldn't be a problem, since we can use two 1-1-1(police) units per base to keep 4 happy, and the last one will be happy anyway in the first 9 bases, and the HGP will help in the next few (assuming we get it) and in the others, one of the specialists can be a doctor (or better when we get them). This has the important side effect, that untill we get Hydroponic sattellites, we don't need recreation commons or hologram theatres or hab complexes. Think of the time and minerals that will save. Each base will need to build two crawlers, two police units and at least 2 formers, but this is a small cost to pay.

The 7-tile units (actually 8 with the base square) fit together thusly :



As you can see, we may need to raise/lower land for the boreholes, and we may want to swop the forest and farm placements to make better use of bonus resources, but if anyone has a more efficient base area terraforming plan, let them speak it now, because if its better than this, then it must be bloody good.

One more picture, without the white lines. Wouldn't YOU want to live in this workers' paradise?



There were some more points I wanted to make, but I forget them now.

-Jam

[Jamski]

Having had some tea, and a glass of wine, my memory is suddenly much better. On with part two.

The ideal vs the actuall

Obviously we can't build exactly in this optimum way shown above. Sure, some bases can get this lay-out, but in other cases, the terrain, coastlines, bonus resources etc will force us to look for alternatives. The essential thing that we should try to preserve, no matter what we change to make the ideal fit to the actual, is that each base requires two tiles with farms and condensors, that are crawlered back to the base. If these squares are also the ones that have some of our many nutrient bonuses, well, all the better, but we still need two of them really. Each base also needs some all-rounder tiles, ie forests. These will not only provide the remainder of the food required, but also a decent supply of minerals and energy. Finally each base needs a couple of tiles that really contiribute to the Hive as a whole, with production and energy income. Best for these are our friends the boreholes. Since these are rather restricted in the places available for them, in some bases we must be content with mined mineral resources (with roads) or failing that, just more forests. In the long run, the newer bases in the south and west may turn out to be our most productive bases, as there are more possible borehole sites in these areas.

Coastal bases are another proposition. They don't all have the required 7 land tiles for the optimum terraforming. What they DO have, however, is the possibility to sea-form with a kelpfarm and a tidal harness to give 3-0-3 squares. What does that mean? These bases will have more food and energy than the inland bases, and a possible larger size. We may have to consider a differnent scheme for these bases, where the land tiles are mined and crawlered, whilst the sea squares are worked, to give the required mix of minerals, energy and food.

Thirdly, what about the bases we already have? These bases are largely built over the back of a 3,000m hill, so in the most cases boreholes are out of the question. Also, they have far from optimal spacing. This could have an advantage, in that these "Hive Sector" bases have more possibility for long term growth. These are the bases that will require a third farm/condensor/crawler combination, a rec commons and a hab complex, and may not have the possiblity to become such wonderful specialist-filled bases without serious consideration of each base on an individual basis. Because of the sub-optimal placement, more work will be required to get the same level of production per tile compared to the denser spacing planned for the new sites. Basically, we'll be "wasting tiles", considering that we could have got another 3-4 bases in this area. But we'll have to just grin, shrug, and make the best of it.

-Jam

[Jamski]

And on with part 3....

But how do we attain the socialist paradise?

"What do we build then in these new bases? How do we get them up to this wonderful standard that Jamski describes?" I hear you cry. We need to consider not just our goal, but how we are to attain it.

Firstly, each base will require a lot of terraforming, it will require that the people are kept happy and productive, and it will require that the base itsself is productive (ie, gives a good mineral output) How do we do this as quickly as possible?

To start with, safety first. Planet is a dangerous place, filled with mindworms and other hostile factions. Its best to prepare for the worst. For this reason the real work begins before the base is even built. Formers build a road to the base location, and plant a sensor under the future base. We can't be too careful, eh? Next the former should plant the first forest.

Now we are ready to build the base. The road get the pod into position at speed, saving 3+ turns at least. The first worker is set on the new forest tile (we need the minerals) and the base get building. What to build first?

Answer : Recycling tanks! Yes, not even a single millitary unit, but rec tanks should be rushed in every new base. Consider the maths. Each base starts with two rows filled, and so we only need to rush another two rows, at a cost of 40ec to get +1-1-1 on the base tile. If you consider that a mineral is worth at least 2ec, not to mention the extra food, then the tank pays for itself in only 13 turns. We'd be fools not to. Assuming as before that the base tile produces an average 1-1-1 to start with, then with the forest and the tanks, the base is already producing a total of 3-4-3 in its second turn, and often the base square production will be much better than a measly 1-1-1.

Anyway, this will get the base to grow, and enough minerals that it can actually build stuff, and its already contributing 3ec bach to the Hive as a whole. What next? Well, as the base will grow pretty soon to size 2, we'll need some crowd control in place. A scout patrol shal be built. This can be upgraded to a "Crimson Guard" 1-1-1(police) later as required, and when we have the tech.

Next comes a former, which should build a farm/condensor, ready for the next build of a crawler for that farm. This will get the growth up some more, so time for the second police unit. We repeat the farm and crawler process.

Now our base should have 2 police units, two crawlered farms and two formers so we can start planting forests and digging boreholes. We may start getting drone problems soon, with the masses of food our small base is getting, so we can either:

a) Upgrade the 1-1-1 to 1-1-1(police)
b) Build a network node (if we get the VW)
c) Set a worker to a specialist already (we'll have enough food that this isn't a problem)

Assuming that we've either not got the VW, or we have a coastal base, the next build really should be a defensive probe. After that a node is probably a good idea anyway, for the extra science.

Next step depends on our tech situation. If we can, we should get a tree farm up and running. The formers can get on with the boreholing and treeplanting. If we don't have the tech yet... well, we should decide what this base is for.... and that brings us to the fourth part.

-Jam

[Jamski]

I hope you're still following this closely, its about to get philosophical...

Why should we attain the socialist paradise?

What is the reason for all this base building and terraforming? Is there any need to get high mineral output? Will having lots of highly productive little wunder-bases be of any use to us? Isn't it better to get a few super-duper size 14 bases? Eh?

Quite simply, what is our purpose on Planet? We don't just want to survive do we? Or will we trancend to be like gods? Perhaps we should simply crush all the other factions under our standard issue Hive boots? Should we sit on our island, building our way to the stars, or go out there and make the other factions see stars? Decisions are often hard to make.

So, ladies and gentlemen, what do we do, once we have reached the socialist utopia that I am describing to you in this thread? Now, I'm not mean, and I'm not greedy. I propose that we share our vision with the world, forcefully if need be. All these bases with average mineral outputs of 20-25, and not a lot they need to build. We can even skip the hybrid forests. All these bases, that can make a six row millitary unit, like a missile infantry, or an impact rover in only 3 turns. All these smallish bases, that don't even need to build hab complexes, for the most part, how can they compete with the University or the CyCon in a race to trancend?

Time for some answers to all these questions. After our next phase of expansion we will have about 30 bases on our island. If we build these bases up quickly, and efficiently as outlined in Jamski's proposal for a socialist paradise we can be producing 10 good quality millitary units per turn in less than 30 turns time. We should perhaps try to steal the Command Nexus at some point, but soon we can construct a millitary jugganaut that will not be stopped. If possible we should attack a faction that we have not even contacted yet, and in such force that they are finished within a couple of years. Imagine what 20 foils, each carrying 2 impact rovers could do to the University, who with all probability only have one scout patrol per base. We must be ready to strike in the impact-gatling-missile phase of the game, where weapons are generally superior to the armour available, and where our attackers will not be slaughtered by needlejets or copters.

If we one day wish to see the University faculty menbers lying at our feet in defeat, we must prepare for victory now. First we should claim the secrets of the Human Genome Project, then the power of the Virtual World, simply to deny it to the University, then the great expansion of our people over the continent to bring about the socialist paradise leading finally to the day when we can show the world what it means to have planned ahead, and thought of the consequences.

Comrades, forwards in brotherhood, solidarity and strength as we begin in the construction of a new Earth for humantity, a new Heaven for our people and a new Hell for those that would stand in our way!

-Jam

[Jamski]

Finally, a vision of one of our new homes :



Like it?

-Jam

[Jamski]

Further Considerations

Yes, I thought I was finished too...

I completly forgot to mention childrens' creche, and the "big pop-boom" After the bases have the required treefarm and police, then each base should build a creche. Then we need to give ourselves a bit of extra psyche, and play a bit with the worker placings... POP BOOM! all the way to size 7 (9 when we get the AV) Becuase we can't run Demo, we'll need the GA to get the boom, and because of that we'll need the HGP. Also this will be very hard without the VW and nodes, to give +50% psych and the tree farms for +nuts and +50% psych too.

Just a further consideration.

Another thing to bear in mind is the PTS. If we can get this, thenit will speed things along, but we'll have to be careful about keeping people happy, ie. making the first build a police unit, and doing a bit more pre-terraforming, sonce ther'll be 3 times as many mouths to feed, that means building at least the farm first, if not also the condensor, depending on the moisture in the soil of that tile.

-Jam

[Voltaire]

Bravo! I must congratulate you on a job well done Comrade Jamski. These sort of policies will help facilitate the advancement of the Hive, and your policy has been official adopted as the Hive state policy for base placement.

It would be greatly appreciated by both myself and Comrade Kody if other members of the Hive could propose such policies of their own in policy threads like this. This will facilitate micromanagement on the part of Comrade Kody. Also, it is important that your voices be heard loud and clear.

-Chairman Voltaire

[Snowflake]

wow finally some really serious well thought off plans.

What I see clearly now is how the bases will be spread and productions carried out, and to raise a big military force in a short time. What I would also like to see is how the tech research is going to coordinate with this plan. If I think right, we still need mobility, flexibility, nonlinear mathematics for bringing the 40 impact rovers to the university's land. We would also need Gene splicing, Econ Engineering and Envir Econ for the boleholes and tree farms.

Also I'm of the opinion that we should finish the HGP and VW before we start this massive expansion and massive production.