Poll: Per-Planet Energy Reactor Efficiency, Yea or Nay?

[darke]

Also it appears that the Tech I and Tech II generators are counted seperately so one of each doesn't give a pentalty, but two of a Tech II does. (At work during lunch, so I can't check ). If this is the case then it gives a reason to actually use Tech I's, since I don't recall actually using them.

Yep, they are indeed counted separately.  And the tech 1s only have a 20% penalty.  So if you are really cramped for space on a few planets, building a few of these might be able to let you eke out a little bit more energy from that one planet without going majorly into crystal debt.

Cool, I expected that since I didn't notice any particular drop, but I couldn't recall if it was said so at any point.

In the case of this game, by the time I had 10 planets, I had about 250% of my needed energy just by dropping a single on of each on my owned planets. I'm tempted to suggest actually halving the cost of the generators, and also halving their output that way it would force a bit more of a decision to either "waste" some, or run around with a smaller force then possible.

Granted I was scorched earthing to test AIs at the time, so my permiter defense of turrets was only needed at only about 3 or 4 wormholes so I had considerably less "permanant" energy usage from this perspective, but I was only about a third of the way through a "normal" game for me (I normally take about 25 to 30 planets for an 80 planet galaxy), and I was pretty close to having enough already for the entire rest of the game from the look of it.

The only situation I can think of where this might impact negatively is when you start with a homeworld surrounded by worlds with forcefields, where actually getting off the first world is a bit more of a problem. (I'm inclined to suggest that perhaps the Teleport Turtle and/or the Special Forces AI could also cause this same problem, along with the various High-tech starting AIs).

[Revenantus]

The only situation I can think of where this might impact negatively is when you start with a homeworld surrounded by worlds with forcefields, where actually getting off the first world is a bit more of a problem. (I'm inclined to suggest that perhaps the Teleport Turtle and/or the Special Forces AI could also cause this same problem, along with the various High-tech starting AIs).

The player starts with 8.8k energy. With maximum efficiency energy production this can be increased to 53.8k by building a Tech I and Tech II Reactor. Despite the fact that the player will require (by my rudimentary, but still slightly generous, estimation) approximately 10k energy worth of auxiliary structures/ships, this leaves enough surplus energy to deploy every available Tech I Fighter, Bomber and Cruiser (This requires 42.5k energy).

So, even at maximum efficiency the entire quota of basic ships can be deployed. By taking the hit and constructing further generators at a lower efficiency, further ships still can be deployed - from this I'm not hugely concerned about players remaining trapped in their home system due to energy problems.

As you are, I am concerned that the player has access to simply too much energy for it to be limiting in any way. Anyone else have any thoughts on this? Specifically, has the available amount of energy ever been a limiting factor with regards to your unit deployment?

[PhilRoi]

The only situation I can think of where this might impact negatively is when you start with a homeworld surrounded by worlds with forcefields, where actually getting off the first world is a bit more of a problem. (I'm inclined to suggest that perhaps the Teleport Turtle and/or the Special Forces AI could also cause this same problem, along with the various High-tech starting AIs).

The player starts with 8.8k energy. With maximum efficiency energy production this can be increased to 53.8k by building a Tech I and Tech II Reactor. Despite the fact that the player will require (by my rudimentary, but still slightly generous, estimation) approximately 10k energy worth of auxiliary structures/ships, this leaves enough surplus energy to deploy every available Tech I Fighter, Bomber and Cruiser (This requires 42.5k energy).

So, even at maximum efficiency the entire quota of basic ships can be deployed. By taking the hit and constructing further generators at a lower efficiency, further ships still can be deployed - from this I'm not hugely concerned about players remaining trapped in their home system due to energy problems.

As you are, I am concerned that the player has access to simply too much energy for it to be limiting in any way. Anyone else have any thoughts on this? Specifically, has the available amount of energy ever been a limiting factor with regards to your unit deployment?

never for more then a few minutes.   whenever i've bumped the limit it hasn't taken me long to fix it.

[x4000]

The main thing is, I want this to still be functional for players that are starting on a map where they need to stay on just their base planet for a while.  Depending on the chosen bonus ship type, some of them cost a lot more energy than others (such as parasites).  I've been erring a bit on the side of not restricting it too much, while still hopefully making it more interesting in longer games than it was before.  In my current solo game, loading that up required me to have Mark II reactors on 5 out of my 16 planets (and that was with 8 on my home planet, many suddenly quite low on efficiency).  So I don't think it will be a case where every planet needs a reactor, at this stage.

Also bear in mind that orbital command stations each require a large chunk of energy 3k for the basic one, much more for the higher-level ones, as do certain techs like force fields, etc.  So if a player is specializing in those defensive or economic technologies, then their energy producers become a lot more interesting to try to defend, too.  If you play just vanilla offensive ships (which I mostly am in my solo game), then it's less of an issue.

[darke]

The main thing is, I want this to still be functional for players that are starting on a map where they need to stay on just their base planet for a while.  Depending on the chosen bonus ship type, some of them cost a lot more energy than others (such as parasites).  I've been erring a bit on the side of not restricting it too much, while still hopefully making it more interesting in longer games than it was before.  In my current solo game, loading that up required me to have Mark II reactors on 5 out of my 16 planets (and that was with 8 on my home planet, many suddenly quite low on efficiency).  So I don't think it will be a case where every planet needs a reactor, at this stage.

Also bear in mind that orbital command stations each require a large chunk of energy 3k for the basic one, much more for the higher-level ones, as do certain techs like force fields, etc.  So if a player is specializing in those defensive or economic technologies, then their energy producers become a lot more interesting to try to defend, too.  If you play just vanilla offensive ships (which I mostly am in my solo game), then it's less of an issue.

Given that my preferred game play is parasites and defensive, I probably should try to get another start with the special forces AI going and seeing how that works with the new setup.

[x4000]

Given that my preferred game play is parasites and defensive, I probably should try to get another start with the special forces AI going and seeing how that works with the new setup.

Ooh, good point.  That will be interesting to see.

[darke]

Given that my preferred game play is parasites and defensive, I probably should try to get another start with the special forces AI going and seeing how that works with the new setup.

Ooh, good point.  That will be interesting to see.

So far it's been Teleport Battle Stations Of Doom. Currently fiddling with starting options to see if I can kick the map into giving the AI something else

[darke]

Random thought: Allow engineers to boost the energy generators by X%, like they boost the speed of the space docks. 3 max, making each bump up a energy reactor II by 10000 energy production means you'll overcome the 40% efficiency decrease, or just as an alternative to building a second of the reactors until after you've conquered your first planet.

Or if you're one of the masochists that insist upon fighting until the bitter end, it will help you prop up your last-planet defense to delay your complete and utter annihilation from the face of the galaxy for a few more minutes.

[PhilRoi]

lol,  put the reactor on overload but have an engineer repair the damage and keep it from blowing itself up.

hehehe

[darke]

lol,  put the reactor on overload but have an engineer repair the damage and keep it from blowing itself up.

hehehe

Bingo! <scotty>"She can't take anymore captain!"</scotty>

[x4000]

Random thought: Allow engineers to boost the energy generators by X%, like they boost the speed of the space docks. 3 max, making each bump up a energy reactor II by 10000 energy production means you'll overcome the 40% efficiency decrease, or just as an alternative to building a second of the reactors until after you've conquered your first planet.

Or if you're one of the masochists that insist upon fighting until the bitter end, it will help you prop up your last-planet defense to delay your complete and utter annihilation from the face of the galaxy for a few more minutes.

I like it!  Adding that to the future DLC list.

lol,  put the reactor on overload but have an engineer repair the damage and keep it from blowing itself up.

hehehe