Early game base placement

Snowflake · June 26, 2003, 12:57

I understand that special squares and base squares are the only spots where Factors of Production limits are removed pre technology. Now is it a good idea to put the base on the special square? Or is it better to leave it as a working square? I would say the later is better since you would then be able to build a farm or a mine on the resource square and get the +3 and above resources. But I've seen people suggesting building base on the special squares. Is there any reason that this may be an optimal strategy?

Flubber · June 26, 2003, 13:56

Some debate on this-- I usually leave them to be terraformed and crawled but it can depend on the surrounding terrain and if I see myself having to " not work" tiles ( FM and getting B drones).

If I have another special in the area I could sometimes build on one and work the other. Or if its a nut special and there is a monolith nearby, I may build on the special so I can work the monolith--

All of these are early game considerations . . . Once crawlers are available I am more likely to crawl the specials but early, there is something to be said for scooping maximum benefit -- a special on an arid flat square might be a good example of this . . .

Flubber · June 26, 2003, 15:33

I will say that nut specials are the ones I am probably MOST likely to found a base on . I find that later in the game, tree farms and condesors mean I have more nutrients than I need in most bases anyway so I think that the early population kickstart is a great benefit and giving up a few nutrients a turn later is not really much of a loss

BustaMike · June 26, 2003, 15:56

I would say that it is almost always better to leave the square open for terraforming. The special on an arid flat square like Flubber said is the only case I think of that I would found the base on it.

Ogie Oglethorpe · June 26, 2003, 16:56

Depends what SE choice your going to be running. If your an avid free marketeer and are going to ICS. Then very soon you may be up against b-drone issues. Doctoring citizens may negate the ability to get access to the special.

OTOH being a free marketeer you should be able to get to IA rather quickly and crawler the special resource square.

As always it depends.

Curiosity · June 27, 2003, 02:40

The advantage of building the base on resource square would be that it is still worked if the base is size 1, and requires a doctor. This may be a factor if you're running FM or Dem early in the game.

OTOH, if you get the WP early on then, it's a big advantage to build your bases off of resource tiles.

Other than that, I don't believe it makes much difference.

Adalbertus · June 27, 2003, 14:46

With my strict 2-in-diagonal base spacing a special only influences my decision when I build a base in the said area, not where I put it.

Lazerus · June 27, 2003, 17:10

mineral bonus on a flat square or energy bonus below 1000m are the 2 occasions i'd consider starting a base as that worked tile isn't going to be generating that much more.

CEO Aaron · June 30, 2003, 22:24

I advise placing your base directly on the special in the early game, that way you're sure to always be utilizing it's benefits. This is doubly true when you're a free-marketeer, since you're fairly likely to have some point at which you'll be unable to work _any_ squares besides the base square thanks to b-drones and no police.

The Vagabond · June 30, 2003, 22:48

I play on random maps. In this case, the specials are located in a pattern. If I see two specials, I can guess where other specials are possibly located, and I usually place the base accordingly, in the hope to get four specials in its radius. Here I am talking about the first two bases, which should be founded asap, when there is no time to investigate the terrain.

Placing a base on the special has the drawback that it will surely remain the only special for that base (on random maps).

Chaos Theory · June 30, 2003, 22:56

I use the following rules:
Never put a base on a nutrient special. Condensor-farming it is too appealing

Rarely put a base on a rolling mineral bonus: mining it is too appealing, especially before restrictions are lifted.

Try to put a base on a flat mineral bonus, because the +2 mins are nice for a fresh base, and I couldn't get more than 4 minerals out of the tile anyway, besides placing a borehole there

Ignore energy specials, since I can't multiply the +2 with anything, and lifting energy restrictions for a single tile is rarely very important. The +2 energy also means very little to a new base.

Alinestra Covelia · July 1, 2003, 02:45

I never put a base on a special. I always build near it so I can put a forest down on it (unless it's a rocky min, in which case it will be mined and crawlered when possible).

Hydro · July 1, 2003, 08:38

I put bases on specials whenever I can in the early game. Yes they are more productive in mid and late game (when properly terraformed), but by then I’ve got tons (relatively) of resources and a little extra nutrients/minerals/energy does not make that much difference. This is especially true before restrictions are lifted and when you are playing with random research (like I do), which means there is no guarantee of getting those critical techs (Ind Auto, Gene Splicing, Eco Eng, etc). +2 min/energy/food is huge in the early game. This changes with my second and third wave of expansion, though. Then I can afford to be more fussy, and I have more time and resources to properly utilize and develop specials.

Hydro

Curiosity · July 2, 2003, 08:43

Hydro,

I'm surprised; with blind research I'd be *very* keen to get the WP and begin developing the specials squares early with boreholes and condensors, since it's the only way to get the restrictions lifted fast.

I guess you're not a big fan of the WP?

Gufnork · July 3, 2003, 02:43

I personally get the restriction lifting techs while expanding, so I wouldn't have time to use formers to optimize squares. And if you don't need the restriction lifting ability on a square it's best placement is on the base since you'll always be able to use it. No matter where it is it gives you +2, with the exception for minerals on mines with road.

edit: My mistake, condensers work on %age basis as well. I really should do better research.

Hydro · July 3, 2003, 08:28

Curiosity - The first SPs (for me) come on line between MY 2140 and MY2150. I consider that late early game since I (hopefully) will have long since completed my first and most significant wave of expansion. Until that point my formers (1 or so per base) are very busy with roads, forests, farms, sensors, and a few high-altitude solar collectors. Boreholes, condensers, and the like take a long while even with WP; others are more profitable. My early bases sometimes go begging for developed tiles, so if I have to chose between a forest or farm that takes 3-4 turns or a borehole that takes 12-16 turns the choice is obvious.

After all my bases have developed tiles and a few for growth and my next wave of base sites are done (with roads, sensors, and a few tiles to use off the bat) then I look at internal re-terraforming.

There are exceptions, as there always are. I will remove fungus from a key nutrient special, particularly before nutrient restrictions are lifted, or make an energy or mineral special more useful to a key base.

By mid game I have formers to spare, and they infest my territory by early late game. Then I pepper my territory with boreholes and mag tubes, sensors, and anything else that increases productivity or defenses.

Lastly, in MP one does not always get WP; it is very sought after. Planning an entire strategy around WP does not seem to be a good idea. If you get it, great. But, have a Plan B...

Adalbertus · July 3, 2003, 16:50

Hydro, what map are you playing on? I usually play on huge maps, and so I first try to build nine bases (2 colony pods from the first 3 bases, one from the fourth). Then I rarely get the first SP before 2150. I try to get military unit, former, and Rec Tanks at each base first, perhaps this is a bit too far stretched if I want to get many SPs. Lastly, when I was trying Morgan, it turned out to be better for the SPs to reduce the number of formers I build - mainly because they need minerals.