Alpha Centauri Forums
Strategies and Tactics
Energy Farm Help?
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Alpha Centauri Forums
Strategies and Tactics
Energy Farm Help?
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| Author | Topic: Energy Farm Help? |
| Drago Sinio |
posted 06-21-99 10:14 PM ET 
I remember seeing a while back on this forum some diagrams and descriptions on setting up an array of echelon mirrors and solar collectors in a particular pattern that yields the maximum energy. Can anyone let me know what the best way is? Thanks. |
| Plato90s |
posted 06-22-99 12:08 AM ET
There was, but the SMAC forum server crashed back in early April and that thread was lost. |
| Krushala |
posted 06-22-99 06:04 PM ET
Check out the Best Bases thread. Near the bottom their are some ideas for mirror arrangements. I just don't micromanage enough to bother with them. |
| googlie |
posted 06-22-99 08:25 PM ET
The suggested formation in a 5 x 5 pattern was  where E = echelon mirror and S= solar array) which gave (energy)E S E S E 1 5 1 5 1 This gave 77 energies from the grid (e.g. Sunny Mesa). If any were on energy bonus squares, the effect was magnified |
| googlie |
posted 06-22-99 08:26 PM ET
Got to watch my loose brackets, I see  |
| sandals |
posted 06-23-99 12:11 PM ET
I thought Eschelon Mirrors also helped each other, so the actual energy from that pattern is: 2 5 2 5 2 I'm thinking an Excel spreadsheet might help out here. Maybe I'll get creative later, and come up with something that can evaluate energy & build time. |
| sandals |
posted 06-23-99 02:18 PM ET
OK, I'm done with the spreadsheet. It computes energy, build time, e/square, & e/build time for a field of up to 10x10. The user enters the S/E pattern & the altitude bonus of each square. But I need confirmation about a couple of things (SMAC manual inaccessable): Standard Build Time: Energy: Energy bonus, economy bonus, former speed, and former movement are not incorporated in the sheet, because those are constant for any field, so they are not useful for comparing field configurations. Assuming all that is true, the 5x5 ESESE row pattern (e/sq) is better than SESES at sea level (takes about 10% longer to build though), but at 2000 m, the SESES pulls ahead (more solars). Anyway, I'll send my speadsheet to Apolyton or wherever (tell me where) once I can confirm my numbers. |
| RGE |
posted 06-23-99 05:57 PM ET
I just checked v1.0, and Echelon Mirrors takes 12 turns to build. In my previous calculations in the "Best Base" thread I had the Weather Paradigm, so I assumed (somewhat incorrectly) that the time was 4 turns for a Solar Collector and 8 turns for an Echelon Mirror. However, unless things have changed between v1.0 and v3.0, Echelon Mirrors do not gain any bonus from other mirrors; they count as standard Solar Collectors, and only gain bonuses from altitude, economy, landmarks and possibly the Merchant Exchange as well. I also found out that the actual build time is what makes or breaks a pattern in comparison with other patterns. Therefore it is important to keep the amount of former power in mind when choosing a pattern. But then again, under most circumstances I believe that the builder of the pattern will use it for quite some time, and will use enough formers to build it rather quickly. Under such circumstances the best pattern is always the one which gives the best energy/area, rather than the best energy/time. My first mirror park ran into some problems though. I was going for a 7x7 pattern (and then some) on the Sunny Mesa, but my cities only push my borders about five squares away. Since Echelon Mirrors outside my borders don't give any bonuses to my Solar Collectors, I am now forced to place a city inside the pattern, or place a few cities very close to the edges of the pattern. I find this very disturbing. Ah well, I'll do better next time...with orbital food, minerals and energy, I have a good mind to turn the whole country into a giant mirror park. Nah, just kidding...I've read about those solar flares RGE |
| Alpha3592 |
posted 06-23-99 06:20 PM ET
Hey sandals, cool idea. Could you send me a copy of that spreadsheet program? Thanks. |
| Alpha3592 |
posted 06-23-99 06:21 PM ET
my email address is: [email protected] |
| sandals |
posted 06-24-99 12:32 PM ET
RGE- Why are you so concerned about your city borders? USE CRAWLERS. And I'm not so sure that mirrors get altitude bonus & not mirror bonus. The last hedgerow park I built it seemed like my outside mirrors were giving 2 energy & my inside ones three. Like I said before - things like former speed and Merchant Exchange/econ bonus aren't really important for evaluating different patterns against each other. Alpha - I'm gonna verify this stuff before I send it anywhere. And I'll probably send to Apolyton so I don't have to send it to 20 different people. |
| eNo |
posted 06-24-99 11:27 PM ET
Echelon mirrors don't help each other. |
| jimmytrick |
posted 06-24-99 11:32 PM ET
SMAC PARTY THIS WEEKEND IN THE CHAT LOBBY AT ACOL: http://www.an.i-dentity.com/ac.cgi/main Check in now and then; party hardy SMACERS! |
| RGE |
posted 06-25-99 01:25 AM ET
Sandals: I'm not really concerned about my city borders. I'm concerned about my country borders. See, my echelon mirrors only give bonuses to solar collectors if the mirrors are within my borders. Kind of like sensor arrays which only work in your favour if they are within your borders, as well as within two squares. In order to get the whole of Sunny Mesa within my borders I had to build a city inside the pattern, because the border would only go so far beyond that city. I suppose that your mirror park is totally within your borders? About echelon mirrors gaining bonuses from other mirrors; read the datalinks. It works exactly like it says in there. And while former speed doesn't affect most choices, it can be of some use to know about it in games where speed is of the essence. I just realised that I'll probably transcend shortly after finishing my mirror park, so maybe I would've been better off building a faster and less rewarding pattern after all. But you're probably right...if I don't use the pattern for a long time the difference in energy won't be all that big anyway, making all pattern comparison a moot point RGE |
| sandals |
posted 06-25-99 12:04 PM ET
I stand corrected on the altitude bonus & mirror (non)bonus to mirrors. I also verified 12 turn standard build time for EMs. I tried it in the game (v3) to be sure. Don't trust the datalinks or the manual, there are many errors in the tables, such as Forests giving 1/2/0, and the EM altitude bonus is not documented (in the manual at least). I fixed the spreadsheet to match reality, and added a line for former speed. It's ready to go - I'll figure out how to submit it to Apolyton. I didn't know EMs had to be inside territory borders for them to provide a bonus. Sounds like a bug. Also, last night I found the exception to my 'USE CRAWLERS' statement. Monsoon Jungle. Put some cities in it & turn the rest into a mirror park. You don't get the 'One Science City' for building the SPs but it seems to be working out nicely. I'm supporting about 5 big cities all cranking out energy. After a start between Monsoon Jungle & the Borehole Cluster, If I don't win this one (Hive/Large/TI), I suck. Lal's shining my shoes with his dewrag, & Deidre's got one empty seabase left, but I've got to invade the Spartans tonight. They are decent sized after absorbing Morgan & Miriam early. |
| sandals |
posted 07-06-99 10:50 AM ET
Well, I'm back from vacation & it seems that Apolyton didn't like my submission. Anyway, I'm going on a business trip today. I'll find some web space to post this on & post the URL when I do. And, yes, I won that Hive game I mentioned above. The Spartans surrendered really quick - I had a nice zone of about 4 of their cities, including HQ, but they still had plenty of good cities when they surrendered. |
| Series II |
posted 07-06-99 12:52 PM ET
If you choose 'Stockpile Energy' as your city's build option is that 'extra' energy added to the city's energy before calculating science mods, or is it just added to your energy reserves? My HQ is currently the Borehole Cluster and I ahve all the science SPs except for the Merchant Exchange. |
| Series II |
posted 07-06-99 12:52 PM ET
If you choose 'Stockpile Energy' as your city's build option is that 'extra' energy added to the city's energy before calculating science mods, or is it just added to your energy reserves? My HQ is currently the Borehole Cluster and I ahve all the science SPs except for the Merchant Exchange. |
| sandals |
posted 07-09-99 02:05 PM ET
OK, I'm back. UC Berkeley Space Sciences Lab has the most beautiful view of SF Bay Area you could imagine. The spreadsheet is posted at: Enjoy! And stockpiling energy only adds to your energy reserves, not science. You can see this by checking out the production equations for the city in the worker layout screen. |
| googlie |
posted 07-09-99 03:33 PM ET
Sandals: great analysis. But surely a straight line config is faster and more productive: SSS gives 23 energy: 343 and takes 72 turns: 060606 Giving 2.55 energy/square average and .3194 energy/time Googlie |
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