Higher levels for resource extraction

[geoschmo]

I have always thought it would make more sense and be more consistant if the resource specific facilities would just do a better job than the multi resource robotoid facilities did. For example, instead of both facilities giving you 10/20/30%, have the minearal scanner give you that in minerals, and the robotoid give you 5/10/15 of all three. Then you would have the same kind of trade offs that you have between single use resource production facilities and the monoliths. But as they are now, with getting the same amounts and taking up three times the room, they really do make no sense.

Geoschmo

[Taera]

Yes Geo thats an option too, still it wouldnt make them more useful. The way i suggest you would get them earlier and use them more.

[Baron Munchausen]

Yes, levels 3-6 of the resource extraction techs are a waste in the default game. I've changed my game by removing the "Value Improvement Plant' from Planet utilization and made three seperate enhancement facilities for each of the resource types. Now it's worthwhile to research to level 6 in all three resources because that's the only way to get the planet value enhancing techs. And you can't improve all three resources at once with a single facility. You have to build one facility for each resource. It's illogical for one facility to be able to improve all three resources anyway. The tech required would be very different for each.

[ October 15, 2002, 00:23: Message edited by: Baron Munchausen ]

[Mylon]

Do mineral scanners stack with robotoid facilities? I thought they did, in which case they would be worthwhile.

Changing robotoid facilities to 5/10/15 isn't recommended, because then they wouldn't be very useful unless you had 10 resource producing facilities on one planet. At 20%, it's not profitable to build one until there are 6 already operating facilties (at 5 facilities, that 20% only gives you the benefit of one more facility at a much greater cost). The value improvement option does seem useful, though. Personally, I usually don't bother researching them beyond level 1 because I find more use with monolith facilities. Sure, they're expensive, but I can build mineral miner facilities I for quick minerals and upgrade them to monolith facilities later and save myself the 325000 research points for other uses.

[Skulky]

yes, but monolith 3's take forever while a cash strapped yet research rich empire can easily increase its production by 10% + with a minimal investment in points (100k at first IIRC).

Also, not that to construct originally the scanner type facilites are much cheaper.