Definition request...

[IceCube]

Popboom.

I hear it used a lot but don't know exactly what it means.

My assumption is that its about increasing your growth rating to a very high level???

So I guess what I really want to know is: what does it do and how do you do it?

Thanks

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

IceCube,

Are you familiar with CIV2? If so, a Popboom is a game ploy similar to CIV2's "We Love the President's Day". During these times the faction/civ will grow by one population point per turn at bases that meet the conditions as long as there are 2 excess Nutrients/Food.

The mechanisms in order to achieve these affects are different. For example in CIV2, over half the population of the town/city must be happy and there can be no unhappies.

In SMAC its simpler it requires the base to achieve a +6 growth ratings. This is easily achievable for most factions by:

Running SE choices of

Demo
Planned

and building base facility Children's Creches.

Sometimes refered to as Demo/planned/creches.

Some factions b/c of SE limitations or - growth rating are difficult to popboom (may have to wait till advent of Eudamonia).

Regardless of growth rating/faction etc, the Cloning Vats special project puts all bases into a perpetual pop boom (and hence is considered one if not the most powerful of all SP's)

Og

[Mongoose]

Popboom is achieved when you get GROWTH >= +6 or by building the Cloning Vats SP.

Effect: Population increases by one every turn, as long as conditions are met.

Conditions: 1) Current pop is less than current pop limit.
2) Base produces or acquires at least 2 nutrients in excess of current requirements.


The most common way to achieve the required +6 GROWTH is by being Democratic (+2) and Planned (+2) and building a Childrens' Creche in the base (+2). Eudaimonic future society also provides a +2 GROWTH. Generally, though, popbooming is a strategy applicable to the late early game or early middle game, long before Eudaimonic society is available.

There is also a +2 GROWTH effect from being in a Golden Age (GA). Sadly, this effect is not counted in SMAC when triggering a popboom. It was fixed in Alien Crossfire (SMAX). So, when playing SMAX, you can trigger a boom by having any three of the five + factors for GROWTH, as long as your faction doesn't have an inherent - factor for GROWTH (Pirates, Cyborgs) in which case you'll need four.

The GA bug has the effect of precluding Hive (can't be Dem) and Morgan (can't be Planned) from booming in SMAC until after the transition to Eudaimonic society or the construction of the Cloning Vats. Those two factions can boom in SMAX, albeit with some difficulty, especially for the Hive on account of its inherent ECONOMY penalty.

[Mongoose]

lol cross posted with Ogie. I type too slowly.

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

LOL @ Mongoose.

Naaah I just don't takle the time to spl chjeck.