Manufacturing level terminal

[Tridus]

One of the potion terminals lowers the robot manufacturing level by 1. I don't really like that, because I have no particular understanding of what 1 less manufacturing level actually does. I know that it ties into making more bots, but it goes up by many times more than 1 a day, so it just feels like nothing.

What if instead it let you damage a bot design, lowering it's level by 1 (as if you were in a factory mission)? Probably raise the hacking point cost appropriately because it's a more powerful feature.

[x4000]

Whew, that would be insanely OP.  I think it's either the current way or the manufacturing terminals get removed.  The manufacturing level controls how many bots get added each day, so reducing the level means that slightly fewer bots get added to that final army every day.  Fairly straightforward, although the game probably could stand to make that more clear.

[Tridus]

Yeah I know what it does. But what I don't know is what one point of it does. How many bots is that? Is it worth using that terminal vs using the hacking points to get loot from locked doors?

Exactly what I'm getting for that one point reduction is opaque.

[windgen]

Maybe somewhere in the UI should show how many manufacturing points the AI currently has?  And list the manufacturing point cost of bot types in the tooltips on the map screen, where it shows the AI forces for the final battle?

[Tridus]

Maybe a tooltip on manufacturing level on the map that gives more info would help. Right now what 1 manufacturing level means is kind if a mystery.

[Winge]

Maybe somewhere in the UI should show how many manufacturing points the AI currently has?  And list the manufacturing point cost of bot types in the tooltips on the map screen, where it shows the AI forces for the final battle?

It's on the bottom of the screen in Map view.  I don't think it's visible during missions, although it could possibly be added to the message:  something like "You have reduced manufacturing level by 1 (172 total)!"

And ninja'd before I even post.   I do like Tridus's suggestion about adding a tooltip to M. Level.

[Gemzo]

I think they should be removed from most levels (maybe just make them rarer), but perhaps add a mission type you can specifically undertake to reduce the manufacturing level. It would be very helpful to tackle such a mission early on, yet nearly pointless as you near the end of the game.

[x4000]

Thanks!

* The manufacturing terminals have been removed from the game, and instead the normal potion-style hackable terminals seed in their place.  This was just too confusing and low-value of a mechanic.