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Author Topic:   Kinda New Here....

Migz posted 04-25-99 12:36 AM ET
I'm playing a game where I have just recieved supply crawlers. What are they best used for? Farms, mines, boreholes, etc.
eNo posted 04-25-99 01:11 AM ET
I'd say boreholes. Keep the terraforming damage away from your own cities and get +6 minerals or +6 energy from one crawler.
Nell_Smith posted 04-25-99 01:15 AM ET
You'll actually find good answers to most common questions in the in-game Datalinks, under the HQ section in the left-hand in-game menu. The topics are all interlinked and there's an alphabetical index covering most things. It can be quicker to find answers in the Datalinks than in the game manual. However, here is a brief answer:
There are quite a few uses for supply crawlers, e.g.:
1. Build crawlers and send them to a base where you are building a Special Project or a prototype unit (which cost 50% more than normal, unless you're the Spartans, who get "free" prototypes), and you will get the option of disbanding the crawlers and putting their *full* minerals value towards the cost of the SP or prototype. This is a good way of completing SPs quickly - send in 5 or 6 crawlers and the job's as good as done!
2. Set up nutrient/minerals/energy convoys from well-supplied bases to under-supplied bases. To do this, build a crawler at the base where you want to send the supplies from, then send it to the base where you want the supplies to go. You then get the option of setting up a regular supply convoy from the first base to the second.
3. Set up nutrient/minerals/energy convoys from good production squares that happen to be outside a base's radius, so you can't use an actual citizen to "work" the square. Again, you need to build a crawler, send it out to the square you're interested in, then right-click on it and use the Convoy option. You'll get a choice of which resource you want the crawler to start sending back to its home base each turn. This can be a good strategy with boreholes, as you can build them outside your city radius, on land that's not going to be used for anything else, and get the resources back using crawlers. (I'm pretty sure such boreholes still count towards eco-damage, though.)
Each crawler can only convoy one type of resource, and the resource you choose to convoy will obviously depend on what it is that your bases need at that time.
Hope this helps
Nell
PS: You did mean supply crawlers and not terraformers?? Just wondering, as you mentioned "farms, mines and boreholes", which are terrain improvements that you build using terraformers.
sandals posted 04-26-99 10:11 AM ET
Don't forget about energy fields.
If you have a large open land area, preferably with high elevation (Sunny Mesa is nice), build a field of solar collectors with some Eschelon mirrors. Use supply crawlers to take energy back to a city that has a number of tech/econ facilites to multiply the benefit. This can really get economy & research going without ecodamage.
I've also thought about building a supply foil & doing this with tidal harnesses (no mirror though). Anyone done that?
Earwicker posted 04-26-99 12:46 PM ET
:I've also thought about building a supply :foil & doing this with tidal harnesses
no mirror though). Anyone done that?
Sometimes the supply foils are the only way to get decent minerals for a sea base -- I usually send my seaformers (with an escort) trolling around for mineral/food/energy specials and develop those for bonuses. Then, when I'm ready to expand that way, there will already be some infrastructure.
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Author	Topic: Kinda New Here....
Migz	posted 04-25-99 12:36 AM ET I'm playing a game where I have just recieved supply crawlers. What are they best used for? Farms, mines, boreholes, etc.
eNo	posted 04-25-99 01:11 AM ET I'd say boreholes. Keep the terraforming damage away from your own cities and get +6 minerals or +6 energy from one crawler.
Nell_Smith	posted 04-25-99 01:15 AM ET You'll actually find good answers to most common questions in the in-game Datalinks, under the HQ section in the left-hand in-game menu. The topics are all interlinked and there's an alphabetical index covering most things. It can be quicker to find answers in the Datalinks than in the game manual. However, here is a brief answer: There are quite a few uses for supply crawlers, e.g.: 1. Build crawlers and send them to a base where you are building a Special Project or a prototype unit (which cost 50% more than normal, unless you're the Spartans, who get "free" prototypes), and you will get the option of disbanding the crawlers and putting their full minerals value towards the cost of the SP or prototype. This is a good way of completing SPs quickly - send in 5 or 6 crawlers and the job's as good as done! 2. Set up nutrient/minerals/energy convoys from well-supplied bases to under-supplied bases. To do this, build a crawler at the base where you want to send the supplies from, then send it to the base where you want the supplies to go. You then get the option of setting up a regular supply convoy from the first base to the second. 3. Set up nutrient/minerals/energy convoys from good production squares that happen to be outside a base's radius, so you can't use an actual citizen to "work" the square. Again, you need to build a crawler, send it out to the square you're interested in, then right-click on it and use the Convoy option. You'll get a choice of which resource you want the crawler to start sending back to its home base each turn. This can be a good strategy with boreholes, as you can build them outside your city radius, on land that's not going to be used for anything else, and get the resources back using crawlers. (I'm pretty sure such boreholes still count towards eco-damage, though.) Each crawler can only convoy one type of resource, and the resource you choose to convoy will obviously depend on what it is that your bases need at that time. Hope this helps Nell PS: You did mean supply crawlers and not terraformers?? Just wondering, as you mentioned "farms, mines and boreholes", which are terrain improvements that you build using terraformers.
sandals	posted 04-26-99 10:11 AM ET Don't forget about energy fields. If you have a large open land area, preferably with high elevation (Sunny Mesa is nice), build a field of solar collectors with some Eschelon mirrors. Use supply crawlers to take energy back to a city that has a number of tech/econ facilites to multiply the benefit. This can really get economy & research going without ecodamage. I've also thought about building a supply foil & doing this with tidal harnesses (no mirror though). Anyone done that?
Earwicker	posted 04-26-99 12:46 PM ET :I've also thought about building a supply :foil & doing this with tidal harnesses no mirror though). Anyone done that? Sometimes the supply foils are the only way to get decent minerals for a sea base -- I usually send my seaformers (with an escort) trolling around for mineral/food/energy specials and develop those for bonuses. Then, when I'm ready to expand that way, there will already be some infrastructure.