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Author Topic:   Drones

Smeagol posted 04-07-99 12:33 AM ET
Could someone please explain to me exactly how drones work in this game? I haven't played the game all that much but I've read the instuction book and a hintbook, so I know a bit. My understanding is this, for example:
The university, on librarian level, will receive a drone for each citizen over 3. In addition, being the university they will receive an additional drone for every 4 citizens. This gives them an extraordinary amount of drones, including 14 drones for 14 citizens! I understand I can use hologram theatres and recreation commons to reduce this by 4, but all other methods only increase the number of talents, with my understanding. Does having talents reduce the number of drones or only keep them from revolting? Otherwise punishment spheres begin to look inviting, even with the -50% research.
Am I just completely confused on this?
Masakari posted 04-07-99 01:23 AM ET
You got it right. Bases revolt when the number of drones exceed the number of talents and the University generates one drone for every four pop.
What you may not know is that your base's Psych rating also affects the number of drones. The higher your Psych, the less drones you're gonna have, although I'm not too sure what the exact formula is. You can adjust what percentage of the energy you generate goes to Psych in the Social Engineering screen.
Your Psych rating is further improved by building such structures as Research Hospital and Tree Farm. A few other structures do this, but I don't know them off the top of my head. Just right click on some of the buildings in your production screen to check the datalink entry.
Units stationed within a base act as police units. Every military unit you have, up to your Police rating, keeps one drone quiet (i.e. a worker). I think at +4 Police, police powers are doubled, so each police unit quiets 2 drones. The non-lethal methods unit special ability also doubles police powers.
Also, try playing the Peacekeepers. While they don't have the research bonus the University does, they generate one talent every four pop. This gives them an advantage early in games of upper difficulty since the other factions have to devote significantly more resources to holding down drone revolts.
Hope this helps.
Fiannaidh posted 04-07-99 09:09 AM ET
Hologram theatre, Recreation Commons, Paradise Garden, Telepathic Matrix, Police, research hospital, and several others will work to decrease your drone problems. Telepathic matrix makes it so no drones in any of your bases will ever riot. There is another (probably several more)secret projects that improve drone relations as well.
Smeagol posted 04-07-99 02:08 PM ET
Thanks for the replies.
What I am still confused about is what talents actually do-- I thought increasing the psych rating merely increased the number of talents, which in turn just quieted the drones, and did not in fact turn them into workers. Am I wrong?
Plato90s posted 04-07-99 03:20 PM ET
Drones can also work, but if you have more Drones than Talents, the city riots. So having more Talents increases the number of drones you can tolerate.
Smeagol posted 04-08-99 08:43 PM ET
I had made the poor assumption that drones do no work. Thanks.
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Author	Topic: Drones
Smeagol	posted 04-07-99 12:33 AM ET Could someone please explain to me exactly how drones work in this game? I haven't played the game all that much but I've read the instuction book and a hintbook, so I know a bit. My understanding is this, for example: The university, on librarian level, will receive a drone for each citizen over 3. In addition, being the university they will receive an additional drone for every 4 citizens. This gives them an extraordinary amount of drones, including 14 drones for 14 citizens! I understand I can use hologram theatres and recreation commons to reduce this by 4, but all other methods only increase the number of talents, with my understanding. Does having talents reduce the number of drones or only keep them from revolting? Otherwise punishment spheres begin to look inviting, even with the -50% research. Am I just completely confused on this?
Masakari	posted 04-07-99 01:23 AM ET You got it right. Bases revolt when the number of drones exceed the number of talents and the University generates one drone for every four pop. What you may not know is that your base's Psych rating also affects the number of drones. The higher your Psych, the less drones you're gonna have, although I'm not too sure what the exact formula is. You can adjust what percentage of the energy you generate goes to Psych in the Social Engineering screen. Your Psych rating is further improved by building such structures as Research Hospital and Tree Farm. A few other structures do this, but I don't know them off the top of my head. Just right click on some of the buildings in your production screen to check the datalink entry. Units stationed within a base act as police units. Every military unit you have, up to your Police rating, keeps one drone quiet (i.e. a worker). I think at +4 Police, police powers are doubled, so each police unit quiets 2 drones. The non-lethal methods unit special ability also doubles police powers. Also, try playing the Peacekeepers. While they don't have the research bonus the University does, they generate one talent every four pop. This gives them an advantage early in games of upper difficulty since the other factions have to devote significantly more resources to holding down drone revolts. Hope this helps.
Fiannaidh	posted 04-07-99 09:09 AM ET Hologram theatre, Recreation Commons, Paradise Garden, Telepathic Matrix, Police, research hospital, and several others will work to decrease your drone problems. Telepathic matrix makes it so no drones in any of your bases will ever riot. There is another (probably several more)secret projects that improve drone relations as well.
Smeagol	posted 04-07-99 02:08 PM ET Thanks for the replies. What I am still confused about is what talents actually do-- I thought increasing the psych rating merely increased the number of talents, which in turn just quieted the drones, and did not in fact turn them into workers. Am I wrong?
Plato90s	posted 04-07-99 03:20 PM ET Drones can also work, but if you have more Drones than Talents, the city riots. So having more Talents increases the number of drones you can tolerate.
Smeagol	posted 04-08-99 08:43 PM ET I had made the poor assumption that drones do no work. Thanks.