10/10 Scorched earth/ Scorched Earth - impossible to beat?

[Draco18s]

Well, first we have to ask, how much is 1 metal, anyways?

It's the amount of metal that a single dwarf can carry in his bare hands while walking over an infinite number of other prone dwaves.

[keith.lamothe]

Well, first we have to ask, how much is 1 metal, anyways?

It's the amount of metal that a single dwarf can carry in his bare hands while walking over an infinite number of other prone dwaves.

*checks normal fleet ship prices

We are going to need more dwarves.

[Arc-3N-4B]

Let's see. If memory serves, that's one item, so that puts 1 unit of metal at, according to that page, 600cm^3. Let's assume a material with similar density to iron, which has a density of 7.874g/cm^3. So, that's approx. 4.7244kg.

Now, judging by the dyson sphere in the game, it appears to be relatively small compared to more traditional ones - a diameter no doubt smaller than Mercury's orbit, and it isn't a solid shell - it's several rings. Let's go with half of Mercury's orbit for the "average" distance, and there appear to be a great number of rings - let's go with 25, and assume they are all the same size. Let's go with a size of, oh, approx. twice that of Earth's diameter for the width of these rings, and a thousand kilometers thick.

Mercury Orbit: 57,909,050km, or 57,909,050,000m
Thickness: 1,000km, or 1,000,000m

Inner edge: 28,954,525,000m
Outer Edge: 28,955,525,000m

Earth's Diameter: 12,742km, or 12,742,000m
Width/"Height": 25,484km, or 25,484,000m

Volume of a cylinder: V=pi(r^2)h

(V(outer)-V(inner))=V(ring)

V(outer)=pi(28,955,525,000m^2)25,484,000m
V(outer)=67,124,390,674,652,783,675,534,678,928.824m^3
V(inner)=pi(28,954,525,000m^2)25,484,000m
V(inner)=67,119,754,375,944,336,110,865,183,436.524m^3
V(ring)=4,636,298,708,447,564,669,495,492.3m^3

Density of iron=7,874kg/m^3

Mass of each ring=36,506,216,030,316,124,207,607,506,370.2kg

25 rings of mass=912,655,400,757,903,105,190,187,659,255kg

1 unit of metal = 4.7244kg

25 rings of mass/1unit = 193,179,112,851,981,861,228,978,845,833.33

Rounded down, 193,179,112,851,981,861,228,978,845,833 metal.

We're going to need more mines, let alone dwarves.

That said, this should totally be in the trader list anyways. Without a price reduction.

Incidentally, could someone give me an estimate as to what the hell you would have to kill to get enough scrap income to build that? It would cost 6,125,669,484,144,528,831,462 metal per second to finish that in one year.

EDIT: I knew I missed something. Added units.

[RockyBst]

Make it a plot, along the lines of the Advanced Hybrids.

Iff both the Zenith Miners and Dyson Sphere are enabled, every time a miner destroys a planet there's a 1/50 chance that it has accumulated enough scrap to create a new Dyson sphere. A 20 minute countdown begins, with the AI sending waves to take out the ongoing construction every five minutes or so. Of course this is counterbalanced by player allied Zenith ships spawning from the partially completed Dyson sphere. Successfully beat off the AI assault, you get a permanently player allied Zenith sphere and maybe a bunch of Zenith ships (equivalent to a Mk. 3 or something node) for your troubles. Albeit on a planet that doesn't have supply.

It would be nice to have a few more of these lower-likelihood mini-scenarios in-game, along with maybe a journal entry or two to fill out the backstory, although I imagine it isn't really worth the dev time. Still, a man can dream.

On that note, when was the last time someone actually saw a Zenith ship node? I've just realised, I haven't seen one in my game for ages. Were they taken out?
 

[Arc-3N-4B]

Zenith Reserves? No, they're still in. There's a few around in my game.

[Aklyon]

They certainly seem rarer than Distribution Nodes, but Z-Reserves have shown up occasionally for me.

[Draco18s]

I've got a Z-Reserve Mk4 in my active game

[Ucchedavada]

In my current game (in which only the Zenith Remnant expansion is enabled) I have encountered 3 Z-Reserves (2xI, 1xII) and 2 Distribution Nodes after exploring about 1/5-1/4 of the map.

[Cyborg]

EDIT: disabling Core Shield Generators might be cheese too.

Actually, Core Shield Generators are a defect that is now a feature. 

[Kahuna]

EDIT: disabling Core Shield Generators might be cheese too.

Actually, Core Shield Generators are a defect that is now a feature. 

Oh ok. Well then I can feel good about myself. Will enable it if I want "extra !fun!".

[Cyborg]

EDIT: disabling Core Shield Generators might be cheese too.

Actually, Core Shield Generators are a defect that is now a feature. 

Oh ok. Well then I can feel good about myself. Will enable it if I want "extra !fun!".

You are a good player. This defect, however, divided the player base in half and basically puts the game on rails. My gamer anxiety kicks in whenever a game tries to force me into playing a certain way.