posted 06-17-99 04:09 PM ET        

Very early:
Best =Recycling tanks --gotta love 'em. Lal's ability to make them rightaway is a significant advantage (Dierdre takes the prize, though, for starting with tech for formers).
Worst =Rec Commons. Not that they're bad, it's just that they're limited --all they do is take away two drones. I'd rather wait and put in a Research Hospital and get +25% Psych and 50% research bonus, too.

Early:
Best=Research Hospital. As I said before, this is my favorite psych-enhancer. it's costly and has high maintenance (3 credits/year) but it's worth it I think.

So-so: Energy bank. This costs 1 credit maintenance and is expensive to build, so I'm selective where I place it. it's off the automatic build template.

Worst=Network node. I only build these for artifacts now or for really high-energy bases. Research Hospitals give you the exact same research bonus plus psych and one less drone.

Early-middle:
Best=Tree Forest/Hybrid Forest. This combo sets you back more than some Secret Projects, but they're worth it. An amazing variety of goodies --more nutrients (the only facilities that increase nutrients), more energy, economy bonus, psych bonus, ecology bonus. They key to everyone's superbase.

Worst=Bioenhancement Center. These become available just before you get the Cyborg Factory and have one in every base, so why bother?

Mid-Game:
Best: Fusion lab. This is a must-build if there is any kind of energy flowing at all in the base. It gives 50% boost to both economy and research, making it much better than the energy bank or network node.

Worst: Nanohospital. Outrageously priced, it merely duplicates the research hospital. I rarely build it, unless playing U of P without the Virtual World.

Late:
Best = Orbitals. These are great. Manna from heaven!

posted 06-17-99 04:26 PM ET            

Rec Commons and, uh... Paradise Garden, is it? I don't build unless I'm starting to have drone problems... I generally have Virtual World and would much rather build a dual-purpose Network Node than the Rec Commons. I used to routinely build them when I built Hab Complexes until I realized it was utterly unnecessarily. I may change my mind again as I progress up the difficulty levels, of course.

I also virtually never build Psi Gates. By the time I have them, I've also usually got Space Elevator.

On the other hand, Tree Farm/Hybrid Forest are absolutely essential, and Perimeter Defense since I almost never get the associated SP. I also consider Recycling Tanks essential.

I nearly never build the +mineral base facilities /except/ the Nessus mining. Or I'll only put them in a few cities. Onthe other hand, I crank out Nessus mining and the other orbital platforms as quickly as I can once it's an option. As a corrolary, this means a lot of my bases end up with Aerospace complexes. Related to that: I generally build Bioenhancement centers, though often in the later game ignore the other +morale items (sometimes getting them via an SP anyhow).

Research Hospitals are definitely useful, but they tend to be about midway down my list because of what else I'd rather have. And, again unlike a lot of people, I generally build Bio labs.

Obviously, in a perfect game I'd build pretty much everything. Even Psi Gates. By the end of a game, I generally start having city structure lists that are extremely crowded.

posted 06-17-99 04:40 PM ET         

Network Nodes are a bit overpriced, but the virtual world makes it worthwhile. With VW, your Network Node gives you +50% research, +50% psych, and -2 drones. Much better than Research Hospital.

While it's true that Cyborg factory does give you Bioenhancement centers, what if you don't get the Cyborg Factory? If this is the rationale we'll be using, then Command Center, Naval Center, Hologram Theatre, and Perimeter Defense all fall on that list.

posted 06-17-99 07:36 PM ET            

Recycling Tanks essential
Network Nodes almost essential

Mid
---
Tree/Hybrid Essential
Fusion Labs almost essential

Late Game
---------
Some orbitals (not too many Nessus Mining!)but nothing is really essential.

I have never ever ever built a PSI gate. By that point have Orbital Insertion and Magnetic Tubes!

Q: Are all of the facility bonus' cumulative?
I ought to know with all of the games I play but I'm sort of lazy and not really thought about it before!

posted 06-17-99 08:09 PM ET         

Energy banks don't pay for themselves until that base's energy reaches 4 (3 x 1.5 = 4.5, rounded down, so the maintenance cost of an energy bank for a 3 energy base uses up the improvement bonus)

posted 06-17-99 11:19 PM ET            

For my newer built cities that I haven't had a chance to built up, these are in my opinion the most essential (not counting things you can autobuld w/ SPs).
1)Recycling Tanks
2)Rec Commons (I play on Transcend)
3)Tree Farm/Hybrid Forest
4)Children's Creche (at least until Cloning vats)
5)Both of the Habs (duh)
6)All of the Labs (esp Fusion)
7)Tach Field (needed for added protection)
8)At least one 50% mineral enhancer (usually Robotic Plant)

posted 06-18-99 08:39 AM ET            

Children's Creche would be a close third, as they facilitate the rapid expansion strategy and pay for themselves many times over if build early.

Strategy can make a huge difference in the usefulness of a facility: if I'm going for green conquest, then I build lots of Bio Labs. Otherwise, not so many.

If Psi Gates came along sooner I might build more of those. I've thought about moving them earlier and monkeying around with their cost to make them worthwhile, but I wonder about whether the AI would pick up on it. Now that I think of it, they are so remiss about infrastructure development it would only benefit me. Never mind.

Good point about the Paradise Garden for golden ages. By that point of the game, I'm just trying to get to Transcendance without too much micromanagement. I'll have to give that one a try.

posted 06-18-99 08:49 AM ET         

1) Recycles tanks
2) Defensive Unit
3) Former
4) Childrens Cache
5) Energy Bank
6) Bio Lab
7) All other labs

Rec commons is built right before needed (when 1 drone shows up). I will add other units and colony pods as needed, but I usually build every facility in every base except for:

1) punishment sphere (I have build 1-2 on occasion)
2) Skunkworks

posted 06-18-99 11:09 AM ET            

I never get the Virtual World unless I play UofP. In that case, Nodes are not that great. Biology labs give you +20% research instead of +50 but are quicker to build.

I always get the cyborg factory. I am always ahead on tech by that level, even playing the Hive. Also, I have several bases building one SP so I can switch production and get the next SP shortly after it's researched.

Punishment spheres are thge first thing I build in a conquered city, unless there are already psych or lab facilities in it (usually there's nothing but drones and no facilities --that's why I hate being conquerer unless I play Hive with Police State). The next thing is the Genejack Factory, because it doesn't matter with the Sphere in place. Sure it reduces research, but not every base needs to contribute to research. Some bases, especially captured ones, should be mass producing units.

posted 06-18-99 11:45 AM ET         

I pretty much plan on taking out the most serious computer faction using my air units before he has air units. UOP makes this pretty easy.

posted 06-18-99 12:01 PM ET         

A pressure dome (free with a sea base) functions as recycling tanks as a bonus.

posted 06-18-99 11:22 PM ET         

There is one occasion in which I build Psi Gates - the Nuclear Winter scenario. This is when I'm bored with wading through the endless number of stupid little bases that the AI builds. A conquest victory takes forever, and all my PBs are being built in the home region. No problem. A few Psi Gates back home and Psi gates in the operational theatre means I nuke the entire planet in a single turn instead of waiting for the PBs to fly around.

posted 06-19-99 01:35 PM ET         

I am with Rackam on pressure domes. I regard them as essential even though I generally go easy on planet. (e.g. no boreholes) You never know when council will do something silly like raise sea levels. Once I have the tech, I will skip the recycling tanks and go directly to pressure domes if the city has decent production.

As well, I would echo Plato90s on Rec Commons. I can't get by without 'em at Transcend level. I wind up building lots of hologram theatres, too. I try to go with 0% psych as long as possible.

One facility that hasn't got a lot of press is the Aerospace Complex. Even without the air morale bonus they are handy if you like orbitals. I build them practically everywhere.

For those who don't build a lot of Network nodes, don't you run into trouble with network node events? Nodes are cheap to maintain anyway, so I build lots, if not playing UP. I believe there are two SPs that enhance the nodes' effect. Plus, you get the cool song with the first node.

In my very first game I used the auto guv. It built lots of wacky stuff and I haven't used it since. That was my one and only experience with the genejack factory which I don't use. I don't even think to build punishment spheres, but there must specialized situations when they are handy.

The psi gate comes too late to be much value. As do some of the later factories. Not much bang for your buck unless your city is really high production. I'd rather launch some Nessus mining stations and pray they don't get knocked out.

I seldom build the temple of planet or the tachyon field.

posted 08-09-99 01:51 PM ET            

Here's the situation: In a recent game, I am playing Gaians. The Believers declared Vendetta for no apparent reason, but they are a long way off, so I didn't mess with them. Later, I notice the Hive is crushing the Believers, and I'm thinking how nice of Yang to save me the hassle. Not long after, the Hive declares Vendetta and since they are the second largest faction, I decided to administer a lesson on being courteous to the Tree-Huggers. As I basically tear through the heart of Hive territory--much of it taken from the Believers--I'm starting to take cities with *FIVE* drones and no workers. I was being particularly careful not to destroy things like farms, etc. But, I've noticed that the Hive has no reluctance in this area, so I'm guessing that Yang tore the place up when he was taking out the Believers. It was too early in the game for the Telepathic Matrix (I think that's the one that prevents drone riots), so I really didn't know how to handle this kind of thing. So, I got out Ye Olde Nerve Staple Gun (available at fine hardware stores everywhere ) and managed to commit enough atrocities to earn over 170 years of sanctions.

So, my question is: would a rush-built Punishment Sphere solved the problem better? I didn't really mind the sanctions since I was by that time in Vendetta with every remaining faction and wasn't trading anyway. But I could not build anything fast enough to solve this problem (a fondness for spending energy on SPs). Also, I'm kind of wondering what would have happened had I done nothing. Would the cities shrivel up and die? As it was, once I started Nerve Stapling Hive--but formerly Believer--citizens, Yang would not surrender and I had to kill him off. No great loss there, but I would have been displeased had I been forced to kill UoP that way. Miriam, on the other hand, later surrendered so she wasn't upset that I stapled a bunch of her former citizens; uncommonly good sense on her part.

posted 08-10-99 05:28 PM ET            

I've found a rushed Rec Commons will keep most conquered bases in line, as long as you recruit a specialist or two.

posted 08-10-99 05:43 PM ET            

I always build , rec commons, energy banks and later network nodes. Lately, I've started putting a Children's creche in all border cities (+1 morale and +1 efficiency, the extra growth catches them up with core cities, too). Tree farm and hybrid forest unless there's no forest, then I may or may not put in a research hospital and fusion lab. If I don't need the psych, I'll just put in the fusion lab.

I tend to scatter aerospace complexes in about 1/4 to 1/3 of my cities just because air power seems to be a major component of AI attacks. I build interceptors and then energy satellites whenever possible in those cities, the extra energy is great - it doesn't cause any ecodamage to rush build base facilities and units.

posted 08-17-99 01:13 PM ET            

Rec Commons only does one thing --subtracts two drones. I'd rather do it with Police Infantry, or with Research Hospital --subtracts one drone, boosts psych, AN increases research as much as a Newtowrk Node. High maintenance is a peoblem, though. Once I built a bunch of these as the Hive and really tanked out myeconomy (they cost 3 credits a turn!).

Punishment Spheres --great for captured bases. Forget about trying to boost research in that base --just write it off for reserach and build units. Right after the sphere, build a Genejack Factory --there's no drone penalty. Here's a build que for a captured base:

posted 08-19-99 07:48 AM ET            

The Rec Centre is as necessary as the Civ2 temple.

Other great buildings for their cost are:
Recycling Tanks
Children's Creche
Research Hospital and Tree Farm

Worst buildings:
Skunkworks
Quantum Converter
Psi Gate