Skunkwork

Snowflake · June 4, 2003, 13:40

I have never seen skunkwork in the list of available facilities even after I've done the research. I have done quite a few games and I have actually researched every research in every game but still no skunkworks. What did I do wrong?

Maniac · June 4, 2003, 13:44

The only reason I can come up with is that you are playing with the Spartans, who are not able to build skunkworks, as they don't have extra costs for building prototypes.

Snowflake · June 4, 2003, 13:49

But I was playing Gaians.

Jamski · June 4, 2003, 14:08

Or playing on Citizen level = no prototypes

-Jam

Snowflake · June 4, 2003, 14:11

I'm on the third level now, specialist or talent or something like that. But I probably forgot to check after not finding it for a long time. I'll go check again.

Flubber · June 4, 2003, 14:35

IT DOES exist if your game is working properly but I find that building it in one or two bases is enough.

Method · June 4, 2003, 15:22

i know for sure that it doesn't appear on the lower levels because you get prototypes for free, like jam says

BustaMike · June 4, 2003, 18:23

Doesn't really matter. There's really no reason to ever build a skunkworks, especially since crawlers can be used to complete prototypes and prototypes get a free morale upgrade.

Ogie Oglethorpe · June 4, 2003, 22:31

Unless of course your going to do a massive PB build at all your bases using crawler cash ins at all the bases as prototypes. Then it makes sense to have the skunkworks at your HQ as that base will build at 1/2 the mins, and then all the subsequent bases will have their min requirement halved thus allowing the dreaded instant fleet of PB's.

Mongoose · June 4, 2003, 23:51

2/3 of the minerals. Prototype penalty is 50%

Jamski · June 5, 2003, 07:00

OK, now some clever git explain what "Skunkworks" are. Where did they find this word?

-Jam

Maniac · June 5, 2003, 07:41

I read in the newspaper some years ago the name of a research/construction/prototype department of one of the major airplane construction companies: Boei(i?)ng/Airbus/McDonnell-Douglas Skunkworks.

Petek · June 5, 2003, 07:57

Quote:

Originally posted by Jamski
OK, now some clever git explain what "Skunkworks" are. Where did they find this word?

-Jam

According to the tenth edition of the Merriam Webster's Collegiate dictionary, the term derives from "Skonk Works", an illicit distillery in the comic strip Li'l Abner by Al Capp. The definition is "a usu. small and often isolated department or facility (as for engineering or research development) that functions with minimal supervision within a company or corporation."

Flare · June 5, 2003, 08:30

You have to have the required tech before you can use skunkworks & be on the third level or above. Sometimes useful, sometimes not.

Snowflake · June 5, 2003, 10:13

Quote:

Originally posted by BustaMike
Doesn't really matter. There's really no reason to ever build a skunkworks, especially since crawlers can be used to complete prototypes

But skunkwork will enable you to use less crawlers, yes?

Quote:

and prototypes get a free morale upgrade.

Does skunkwork eliminate prototype cost or prototype all together (with the free morale upgrade)?

Snowflake · June 5, 2003, 10:14

Quote:

Originally posted by Ogie Oglethorpe
Unless of course your going to do a massive PB build at all your bases using crawler cash ins at all the bases as prototypes. Then it makes sense to have the skunkworks at your HQ as that base will build at 1/2 the mins, and then all the subsequent bases will have their min requirement halved thus allowing the dreaded instant fleet of PB's.

Explain this to me again, please?

Flare · June 5, 2003, 10:50

You still get the morale increase of beeing a prototype & YES you can use crawlers. Just the protoype *COST* is eliminated. And that applies to rushbuilding a protype at a base with the Skunkworks.

Flare · June 5, 2003, 10:51

Build PBers EVERYWHERE. Then get them almost built, but complete the prototype at a base. the cost for all the others goes down to normal cost plus you have used crawlers to help build a very expensive unit.

Snowflake · June 5, 2003, 12:14

That does make some sense to me. Thanks! However, I'm still puzzled why somebody would need that many PBs unless you are planning to eliminate the entire mankind in one turn?

Flare · June 5, 2003, 12:57

~shrugs~ Some people on this forumn are psycopathic homicidal maniacs! ~GRINS~ "University wins by Planet Buster conquest!"

It also works with anything else that you want to prototype, like the twenty or thirty 20-8-3 drop nervergas hovertanks you want to build to wipe out Miriam.

Flare · June 5, 2003, 12:58

"Planet get revenge on University with hordes of Mindworms & rising sea levels."

Adalbertus · June 5, 2003, 14:15

I'm probably too unorganised to dedicate one specific base to prototype building. Skunkworks then is pretty useless for me.

Mongoose · June 5, 2003, 15:23

Skunkworks have the undocumented feature of allowing cost free changes between units, no matter how many minerals have been accumulated.

Ogie Oglethorpe · June 5, 2003, 22:06

Quote:

Originally posted by HongHu
That does make some sense to me. Thanks! However, I'm still puzzled why somebody would need that many PBs unless you are planning to eliminate the entire mankind in one turn?

Precisely!!!

Not so much in single play as you don't need to be so ruthless as the AI is a babe in the woods but MP quite a different story.

Sikander · June 6, 2003, 03:57

Quote:

Originally posted by Mongoose
Skunkworks have the undocumented feature of allowing cost free changes between units, no matter how many minerals have been accumulated.

Ah thanks. I learned something new today.

Btw, it's nice to see so many SMAC legends posting here from time to time. ZsoZso posted recently on another thread, Jam, Ogie and you have all posted today. Cool.

Snowflake · June 6, 2003, 10:23

Quote:

Originally posted by Mongoose
Skunkworks have the undocumented feature of allowing cost free changes between units, no matter how many minerals have been accumulated.

Now THAT may be something really useful, especially for my always hasty and thoughtless mind.

Snowflake · June 6, 2003, 10:27

Quote:

Originally posted by Sikander

Ah thanks. I learned something new today.

Btw, it's nice to see so many SMAC legends posting here from time to time. ZsoZso posted recently on another thread, Jam, Ogie and you have all posted today. Cool.

Jam? Our Jam? Our Jam is a legend?

I am one proud ~~mother~~ comrade. Not that I have thought off him otherwise.

Ancyrean · June 6, 2003, 14:13

Quote:

Originally posted by Mongoose
Skunkworks have the undocumented feature of allowing cost free changes between units, no matter how many minerals have been accumulated.

Thanks Mongoose, here's another thing I didn't know about...

I wonder how many other undocumented features there's in this game that I've spent these years in oblivion about.