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Author Topic:   Terrain Improvement Analysis Chart

bchampion posted 03-23-99 12:35 PM ET
Hey ho.
I'm looking to build a master "Terrain Improvement Analysis Chart", say in Excel, that would rank the output of various improvement configurations by terrain type and tech level.
Sure, everyone knows what to do with rainy squares, and arid squares are a no brainer, but what to do with a moist square? For example, is it better to mine a moist rocky square or to level it and build a forest? There is obviously no "right" answer -- for example, if you would make different choices based on what was a priority for your base: food, energy, etc.
In addition, the tech level you have may make available certain improvements like Tree Farms and Hybrid Forests, and then those forests on arid squares start rivaling the output of your rainy squares and you start thinking, "hmm, maybe I should just go with forest EVERYWHERE..."
Anyhow, some sort of master improvement chart is what I'm going to do. To this end, I need to confirm my understanding of the effects of all factors on terrain output. I'll write down what I have, and please fill me in on anything I'm missing:
Arid: 0 nutrients
Moist: 1 nutrients
Rainy: 2 nutrients
Flat: 0 minerals
Rolling: 1 minerals
Rocky: 2 minerals, 0 nutrients
Farm: +1 nut
Soil Enricher: +2 nut (I forget the prereq tech)
Mine: +1 min, -1 food (never lowers food production to less than 1)
Solar: 1 energy, +1 energy for every 1000 meters
River: +1 energy
Forest: 1 nut, 2 min
Road: +1 energy in forest?
Tree farm: +1 nut in forest? (Prereq?)
Hybrid forest: +1 nut in forest? (Prereq?)
Monoliths: 2 nut, 2 min, 2 energy?
Xenofungus: 0 nut, 0 min, 0 energy?
(I'll have to have another look at what techs improve fungus performance)
Water:
Kelp farm: +2 nut?
Mining platform: +1 min; +2 min when you have (Advanced Ecological Engineering?)
I'm sure I'm missing stuff. Anyhow, add to this thread and I'll compile a chart. When it's done, I'll put it up on the Web somewhere.
- Bud
Plato90s posted 03-23-99 01:36 PM ET
With all the fungus techs, you can get +2 nutrient, +3 mineral, and +3 energy.
Kelp Farm in ocean shelf is 3 nutrient, unless you have mining platform, which reduces it to 2.
Tidal Harness generates 3 energy.
All specials add +2 to that speciality. [+2 nutrient or mineral or energy]
Yecal Naes posted 03-23-99 02:35 PM ET
Forests are 1 nutrient, 2 minerals, 1 energy.
Tree farm is +1 nutrient.
Hybrid Forest is additional +1 nutrient, and +1 energy.
The 2 make Forests a whopping 3/2/2...or an even whoppinger 3/2/3 with free market ::broad grin::
Of course, if you don't mind rampant ecodamage, you can go for boreholes, condensers, and mirrors. Much fun.
Roads: +1 minerals to rocky squares that have mines. Otherwise, no effect (aside from movement)
And last time I checked, mines had no effect on food production. Except that the best mines are in rocky squares...and you don't get any food from those.
However, Boreholes DO keep you from making any food there. Ergo, don't put boreholes on rainy sqares
Well, that's all I'll say for now...except that ALL of the information you want is on pages 152-155 of the manual.
PS: If you can't tell...I'm a terraforming nut.
Plato90s posted 03-23-99 03:02 PM ET
Actually, mines do affect food production.
If you put a farm on a rolling & rainy square, you get 3 food and 1 mineral.
If you add a mine, you get 2 food and 2 mineral.
If you add a solar array, you get 3 food, 1 mineral, and 1 energy.
The same effect is observed on kelp farm squares. Conclusion - don't mine rolling rainy squares. Adding energy producing facilities do not impact nutrients but mining does.
Boreholes are also a good way to use rocky terrain, since you don't have to terraform before putting in the borehole. I hate having to level the terrain before putting in a forest or a farm.
Also, after getting super formers, you should tap aquifers wherever possible. Rivers are a cheap way to add energy to your base production. If you can find a big hill, don't drill to aquifer at the peak, but rather all around it. That way you can get multiple rivers flowing downhill to a sea square.
VulturesRow posted 03-23-99 03:11 PM ET
From the manual:

Mines do cause -1 to nutrient production.

"Roads provide +1 minerals in rocky squares with a mine (total bonus from road and mine: +3). roads do not provide a bonus to mines in rolling terrain.
bchampion posted 03-23-99 05:32 PM ET
True, all this is covered in the manual, but not all in one spot, and not in a very unified -- or sometimes even clear -- manner.
I keep seeing all this talk about what units and improvements to build, but I seldom see a numerical analysis of the possible development options for a given terrain square -- which is, IMHO, a far more important consideration. I've seen people playing late in the game with farmed/mined/roaed rolling moist squares -- when a forest would have far better output! Many people seem to concentrate more on unit design than maximizing their resource production.
What I'm looking to compile is a guide to what you should be doing with each type of land square at various stages of the game. It would list each of the possibilities for each square type based on the techs that you have. I'm just trying to confirm my understanding of the factors, specifically the prereq techs.
Also, is it my imagination or does adding a road to a forest square increase energy production by one?
- Bud
JaimeWolf posted 03-23-99 06:53 PM ET
The road adding one to energy? That's your imagination unfortunately. It used to in Civ and has rendered roads fairly useless in SMAC that it doesn't.
James
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Author	Topic: Terrain Improvement Analysis Chart
bchampion	posted 03-23-99 12:35 PM ET Hey ho. I'm looking to build a master "Terrain Improvement Analysis Chart", say in Excel, that would rank the output of various improvement configurations by terrain type and tech level. Sure, everyone knows what to do with rainy squares, and arid squares are a no brainer, but what to do with a moist square? For example, is it better to mine a moist rocky square or to level it and build a forest? There is obviously no "right" answer -- for example, if you would make different choices based on what was a priority for your base: food, energy, etc. In addition, the tech level you have may make available certain improvements like Tree Farms and Hybrid Forests, and then those forests on arid squares start rivaling the output of your rainy squares and you start thinking, "hmm, maybe I should just go with forest EVERYWHERE..." Anyhow, some sort of master improvement chart is what I'm going to do. To this end, I need to confirm my understanding of the effects of all factors on terrain output. I'll write down what I have, and please fill me in on anything I'm missing: Arid: 0 nutrients Moist: 1 nutrients Rainy: 2 nutrients Flat: 0 minerals Rolling: 1 minerals Rocky: 2 minerals, 0 nutrients Farm: +1 nut Soil Enricher: +2 nut (I forget the prereq tech) Mine: +1 min, -1 food (never lowers food production to less than 1) Solar: 1 energy, +1 energy for every 1000 meters River: +1 energy Forest: 1 nut, 2 min Road: +1 energy in forest? Tree farm: +1 nut in forest? (Prereq?) Hybrid forest: +1 nut in forest? (Prereq?) Monoliths: 2 nut, 2 min, 2 energy? Xenofungus: 0 nut, 0 min, 0 energy? (I'll have to have another look at what techs improve fungus performance) Water: Kelp farm: +2 nut? Mining platform: +1 min; +2 min when you have (Advanced Ecological Engineering?) I'm sure I'm missing stuff. Anyhow, add to this thread and I'll compile a chart. When it's done, I'll put it up on the Web somewhere. - Bud
Plato90s	posted 03-23-99 01:36 PM ET With all the fungus techs, you can get +2 nutrient, +3 mineral, and +3 energy. Kelp Farm in ocean shelf is 3 nutrient, unless you have mining platform, which reduces it to 2. Tidal Harness generates 3 energy. All specials add +2 to that speciality. [+2 nutrient or mineral or energy]
Yecal Naes	posted 03-23-99 02:35 PM ET Forests are 1 nutrient, 2 minerals, 1 energy. Tree farm is +1 nutrient. Hybrid Forest is additional +1 nutrient, and +1 energy. The 2 make Forests a whopping 3/2/2...or an even whoppinger 3/2/3 with free market ::broad grin:: Of course, if you don't mind rampant ecodamage, you can go for boreholes, condensers, and mirrors. Much fun. Roads: +1 minerals to rocky squares that have mines. Otherwise, no effect (aside from movement) And last time I checked, mines had no effect on food production. Except that the best mines are in rocky squares...and you don't get any food from those. However, Boreholes DO keep you from making any food there. Ergo, don't put boreholes on rainy sqares Well, that's all I'll say for now...except that ALL of the information you want is on pages 152-155 of the manual. PS: If you can't tell...I'm a terraforming nut.
Plato90s	posted 03-23-99 03:02 PM ET Actually, mines do affect food production. If you put a farm on a rolling & rainy square, you get 3 food and 1 mineral. If you add a mine, you get 2 food and 2 mineral. If you add a solar array, you get 3 food, 1 mineral, and 1 energy. The same effect is observed on kelp farm squares. Conclusion - don't mine rolling rainy squares. Adding energy producing facilities do not impact nutrients but mining does. Boreholes are also a good way to use rocky terrain, since you don't have to terraform before putting in the borehole. I hate having to level the terrain before putting in a forest or a farm. Also, after getting super formers, you should tap aquifers wherever possible. Rivers are a cheap way to add energy to your base production. If you can find a big hill, don't drill to aquifer at the peak, but rather all around it. That way you can get multiple rivers flowing downhill to a sea square.
VulturesRow	posted 03-23-99 03:11 PM ET From the manual: Mines do cause -1 to nutrient production. "Roads provide +1 minerals in rocky squares with a mine (total bonus from road and mine: +3). roads do not provide a bonus to mines in rolling terrain.
bchampion	posted 03-23-99 05:32 PM ET True, all this is covered in the manual, but not all in one spot, and not in a very unified -- or sometimes even clear -- manner. I keep seeing all this talk about what units and improvements to build, but I seldom see a numerical analysis of the possible development options for a given terrain square -- which is, IMHO, a far more important consideration. I've seen people playing late in the game with farmed/mined/roaed rolling moist squares -- when a forest would have far better output! Many people seem to concentrate more on unit design than maximizing their resource production. What I'm looking to compile is a guide to what you should be doing with each type of land square at various stages of the game. It would list each of the possibilities for each square type based on the techs that you have. I'm just trying to confirm my understanding of the factors, specifically the prereq techs. Also, is it my imagination or does adding a road to a forest square increase energy production by one? - Bud
JaimeWolf	posted 03-23-99 06:53 PM ET The road adding one to energy? That's your imagination unfortunately. It used to in Civ and has rendered roads fairly useless in SMAC that it doesn't. James