| Author |
The Art of Engineering/Building/Putting the Stupid Diamond on the Planet |
Grimith
Grand Admiral
Templar Knights
Joined: August 09, 2003
Posts: 836
From: Your local future farm.
|  Posted: 2006-01-22 22:52
As several of you know, I, Grimith, am an Engineer in DarkSpace by nature. I was never one in the beginning - I stuck to resupplying allied ships to help get me through the ranks in the beginning. But, from time to time, I'd build... and, whenever I wouldn't go crazy capping in my ICC Light Transport or decide to pilot a Command Carrier to shoot my foes, I would build.
With the introduction of 1.481, I found a greater reason to build. Armed with two, or sometimes even three builds, I'd roam across the systems, throwing up structures like a crazed demon. There are people around here who know about me doing this. Take a look at the very first quote of that "Random Lobby Quotes" thread that's floating around. The quote that Darkspacian posted. Grimith "Planet Mother" Reaper.
That's me.
Since I've come back, I've spent quite a bit of time in the Metaverse building - in a month and a few days, I've gained at least three thousand points in construction. And, over the course of this time that I've spent building, I've done quite a bit of work on gathering data on planets. Planets are rather weak against heavy bombing, as most of you know, but that doesn't stop me from doing what I do best: building planets.
Furthermore, when you build for as long as I have... you begin to experiment... and you come up with some kooky ideas. Some of them have worked; most of them have not. I've learned the hard way that trying some things just does not work, and to attempt them is to just doom the planet.
And, well, planets already get the shaft the way it is in this version. Let's not give it to them any more, eh?
Anyway, after all of the writing I've done on paper, I've developed quite a list of ways to build planets... and I've definitely refined the speed and efficiency at which I build planets. I've noticed now that I do best with a group of empty planets instead of just one empty one at a time - that's how I really used to be. Some of you folks know. There was one particular time... hell, it was after the last Metaverse total restart... I spent over twenty straight hours in the Metaverse, and I earned over 2000 in construction prestige. I did that one at a time. Now, within the past month, I've... come to realize that me building one at a time is no longer worth it. Slow-building one at a time is much harder for me to do these days... and, while I can do it, I'd rather rapid-build across a system, starting construction on six, seven, eight buildings at a time.
"Get to the point, Grim!"
After deliberating and debating (because I'm not entirely sure I want to share my trade secrets), I've decided to post up some information about what I do... and what I don't do. I suppose I'm not entirely too worried that these ideas and schemes of mind will spread like wildfire, or else I doubt I'd post them up to begin with. Building in the fashion I do is just not popular. No, sir. Not popular at all.
One: I do NOT stack planetary structures right next to each other in huge clumps... I don't make long strings of them... and I most certainly do not have a giant rectangle of all thirty-two structures in the middle of a tiny square of the planet!!! Why? Well, for one, it just looks completely stupid. You should have pretty planets! PRETTY! Two? Bombs have a high amount of splash-damage the way it is. And, while it doesn't seem like it means much to spread out my structures... it's an old habit from versions past, and I like to think that every little bit helps. Furthermore, in terms of barracks, it clumps all of your infantry units together, and that just spells trouble. One little, two little, three little neutrons...
If it's really bothering me, whenever I go to planets that allies started up, and they have brows creasing the poles of them, I'll rebuild the structures on the poles elsewhere and then scrap the original structures. Time-consuming, yet necessary.
There's are three exceptions to this first rule of mine:
-If I have waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too many planets to build... I'm talking about... seven or eight, relatively close by, and I have to get all of them off of their feet immediately because the enemy is relatively close by. I do like my planets to look pretty and organized, but I'd much more have them kept by my faction.
-When the enemy is shooting at me. Not just in the adjacent system... not just in the same system as me... but right next to me and firing at me. I don't have time to be pretty whenever I'm trying to dodge missles, torpedoes, and fighters. Those planet structures have to be thrown up immediately! So, I'll fly around the planet, doing circles, throwing up structures as I go along. It's a myth that you have to be in orbit to build.
-If I'm too tired of building. Yes, even I get fatigued after long building sessions, and I just... begin... to lack care. The planet, at this point, should be happy to even have structures put on it. That's the way I see it.
...At the moment, I cannot think of any other major rule points that I do tha the majority of people I see currently playing the game do not do. Let it be known that I may edit this post in the future (perhaps when I'm less tired and don't have the desire to play a game), so... check up here every now and then.
Now... it's time for my building schematics. These are -final- ideas of what planets of mine look like. I've gotten these notes from experimenting, observing other players, and trial and error. I'm not posting them all; I have neither the time nor desire right now to post up all of my planetary data. But, I'll give a few ideas of what planets of mine look like... so that... in the future... if you're looking at a planet... and you notice this exact same count of structures... you can say, "Hey, that's Grim's work!" Unless someone is actually reading this and decides to use one of my flawed ideas. Who knows?
BARREN (for ICC):
1 Colony Hub (+10 Habitat, Food, Power, Mining, Research)
5 Domes (+50 Habitat, -5 Power)
1 Automated Hydro Farm (+20 Food, -2 Power)
1 Biosphere Condenser (+30 food, -2 Workers, -5 Power)
3 Barracks (-3 Workers, -6 Power)
3 Sensor Bases (-3 Workers, -30 Power)
1 Interdictor Base (-1 Worker, -20 Power)
1 Starport (-1 Worker, -2 Power)
1 Shield Generator (-1 Worker, -20 Power)
4 Defence Base IIIs (-12 Workers, -80 Power)
6 Defence Base IIs (-12 Workers, -90 Power)
5 Variance Generators (-25 Workers, +250 Power)
Total:
32 Structures
60 Population; No Spare Workers
60 Food; No Spare Food
260 Power; No Spare Power
10 Research
10 Mining
BARREN (non-ICC):
1 Colony Hub (+10 Habitat, Food, Power, Mining, Research)
5 Domes (+50 Habitat, -5 Power)
1 Automated Hydro Farm (+20 Food, -2 Power)
1 Biosphere Condenser (+30 food, -2 Workers, -5 Power)
2 Barracks (-2 Workers, -4 Power)
4 Sensor Bases (-4 Workers, -40 Power)
1 Interdictor Base (-1 Worker, -20 Power)
12 Defence Base IIs (-24 Workers, -180 Power)
5 Variance Generators (-25 Workers, +250 Power)
Total:
32 Structures
60 Population; 2 Spare Workers
60 Food; No Spare Food
260 Power; 4 Spare Power
10 Research
10 Mining
TERRAN (Shipyard, non-ICC):
1 Colony Hub (+10 Habitat, Food, Power, Mining, Research)
4 Domes (+60 Habitat, -4 Power)
1 Automated Hydro Farm (+20 Food, -2 Power)
1 Biosphere Condenser (+30 food, -2 Workers, -5 Power)
2 Barracks (-2 Workers, -4 Power)
3 Sensor Bases (-3 Workers, -30 Power)
1 Interdictor Base (-1 Worker, -20 Power)
3 Cortex Nexuses (+60 Research, -9 Workers, -36 Power)
2 Subspace Networks (+30 Research, -4 Workers, -12 Power)
5 Defence Base IIIs (-15 Workers, -100 Power)
2 Defence Base IIs (-4 Workers, -30 Power)
1 Shipyard (-30 Workers, -60 Power)
6 Variance Generators (-30 Workers, +300 Power)
Total:
32 Structures
100 Population; No Spare Workers
110 Food; 10 Spare Food
310 Power; 7 Spare Power
100 Research
10 Mining
I believe that will be all of the schematics I post for now... bit... more... tired. Made several typos in converting that from lead to type. Typed down way more structures than I could possibly have on a planet, and... yeah... stuff.
One more thing before I finish, though... note that my templates are not the absolutely best way to build a planet in any given situation. Depots may need to be added. More sensor bases or barracks may be required. The old factory planet may have just been MIRVed, and a new one is required. I just follow my templates as standards, but I, too, assume that, at any point, efficiency may need to be thrown out the window to preserve the lives of yourself and your fellow faction players. Be prepared, at any given time, to change gears and modify your planet differently.
Stay tuned for future updates. I'll have to gather and organize this stuff more. Feel free to leave comments, too. Would like to know thoughts. Don't... start... any flames about bombing or how planet-building sucks or about how you hate me, because, really, I'm trying to help people, and I don't need any... negativity that doesn't belong in here in here.
---Edit: Darn typos in the schematics... I'll keep looking for any more.
[ This Message was edited by: Grimith {Construction is All!} on 2006-01-22 22:53 ]
[small][ This Message was edited by: Grimith on 2006-01-27 22:43 ][/small]
[ This Message was edited by: Grimith on 2006-01-27 22:43 ]
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Lux (Polaris)
Fleet Admiral
Raven Warriors
Joined: April 20, 2004
Posts: 835
From: Asgard
| Posted: 2006-01-22 23:08
zomg. Very well done, must have take a lot of effort, even just to type this thing up.
I applaud you for your effort and patience...
[ This Message was edited by: Polaris {Kit} on 2006-01-22 23:11 ]
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ICC Security Councilor - Raven representative
Loyal Admiral of the Interstellar Cultural Confederation Navy.
Senior Commander of the Raven Warriors, the ICC elite.
Captain of the Assault Dreadnaught \"Gungnir\"
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_x$witchBladex_ [1.480 Fanboy]
Grand Admiral
Joined: February 26, 2003
Posts: 849
From: Upstate New York
| Posted: 2006-01-22 23:25
All hail Grim, master of the build.
Useful info. 
~Switch
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* [=TB=]Enterprise @39933 sent to Clan: "Thats a lie Switch, you'd never let anyone else drink rum if it were right there. You'd slip teh roofies in and start drinking it yourself and not even realize it."
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Jaydawg
Vice Admiral
Joined: October 11, 2003
Posts: 150
From: vermilion AB
| Posted: 2006-01-23 00:00
So much material, I don't know if I can learn it all, oh wait, I don't have to, I'm already better than grimith!
Tehehe.
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Ants
Chief Marshal
Joined: February 11, 2005
Posts: 315
From: Canada
| Posted: 2006-01-23 01:48
Good job and can be usefull... as do I have my own way as to building but havent put it in to this much detail.
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Lord DowneyBUM (UK)
Fleet Admiral
Joined: January 13, 2003
Posts: 437
From: London England
| Posted: 2006-01-23 03:07
From one builder to another, good work.
I am experimenting with massess of def level ones at moment to see if it can beat the bombs but downside is it doesnt damage the enemy ships.
Bombing is an art that deserves way more pres.
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Rattle$nAkeGold
Fleet Admiral
Joined: March 26, 2004
Posts: 60
From: USA
| Posted: 2006-01-23 12:09
Thank you for sharing your engi insights with us Grimith. Well done !
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ICARUS Motto: Teamwork, Intelligence, & Respect
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BackSlash
Marshal
Galactic Navy
Joined: March 23, 2003
Posts: 11183
From: Bristol, England
| Posted: 2006-01-23 12:34
I remember back in 1.480, on my ICC account, I saw you in your station just looming in the center of a cluster building them all at what can only be described as superman-like speed.
Those will most likely go down in history, and I wouldn't be surprised if we start seeing Grimith planets pop up everywhere.
Nice post
- Jack
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Bobamelius
Grand Admiral
Galactic Navy
Joined: October 08, 2002
Posts: 2074
From: Ohio
| Posted: 2006-01-23 16:57
Quote:
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Bombing is an art that deserves way more pres.
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Uh... you mean building, right?
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Grimith
Grand Admiral
Templar Knights
Joined: August 09, 2003
Posts: 836
From: Your local future farm.
| Posted: 2006-01-23 20:50
---EDIT: WARNING! The below post is... well... it's bloody long. Adding this edit up here at the top, you're looking at a combined total of over 30,000 characters. Completely without the use of spell check. I'm sure there are errors. I ask you to suspend your criticism of my grammar. If reading all that I have typed terrifies you... well... that's understandable. Looking at what I've written just now... frightens me to. I can only hope that hte humour I've included will somehow help those few dedicated readers of my print get through this post of mine...
I appreciate all of the positive comments, although I'm not entirely sure what they're all for. I didn't think I really did much other than post a few blueprints of what my finished planets look like when all is said and done (and I could have done much more, like posted the exact resource count for all of the structures - which I don't have written down, but memorized... well, most of them, anyway)). That and add my rule about meticulously cleaning up planets because they look ugly when the structures are all clustered together, and, to me, it seems to increase the effectiveness of bombs even more.
Lord Downey, I find it worthwhile to mention that I tried the planets with hordes of simple defence bases, a la "1.480" style (-1 Worker, -10 Power). And, to be honest, the effectiveness of them has been very low, in my experiences. Even with an incredible mass of them, they don't quite pack the punch to deter enemy ships. I could see 20 ICC Defence Base I's perhaps being effective in terms of PD... but... ehn... I've seen frigates in their bomb runs get past hordes of Defence Base I's. The day I saw a frigate just breeze right through all of the defences and smack the planet with a frigate-full of neutron bombs was the day I stopped using Defence Base I's as a permanent defence stand.
I have been experimenting since I got back, though. In the beginning, whenever the Defence Base IIIs came out, I just used to stick by them solely. With two or three builds, they were much easier to churn out, too. However, as a way to look for both more planet defending-effective measures and time-saving measures, I switched solely to Defence Base IIs. They require fewer people (which allowed me to drop the max habitat on my general barren non-sy planets from 70 to 60), and consume less power... which allows me to make less of the building I absolutely loathe more than any other in the game.
The Variance Generator.
The Variance Generator absolutely, totally, beyond a shadow of a doubt angers me. Why? Because of what's required for it. The resource cost isn't bad; you'll almost always see them only in the Metaverse (and if you see them in the Admiral server, consider it a blessing - the odds of any planet getting the technology to do that in a limited time without the planet being bombed... incredible). The technology isn't so bad, either; it's only eighty... which isn't the highest one on the tech-requirement list. However... it's the population that's required for one of them. Five million people. And, for how much power? 50. A fusion generator requires one million people, and adds 30 power. You gain... 20 power... for four more million people? Where... where is the efficiency in this? All of a sudden, to power the scores of Defence Base IIIs, you have to have even more domes... even more farms... and more variance generators to power it all! AGH!!!
There was a period of a weeks where I built quantum generators instead of variance generators; you're dealing with a lower cost in workers and power. However, I found that too limiting, especially when faced with the limit of thirty-two structures. That's how I've come to the idea of how I build planets, now... but, even then, that's evolving. After realizing that I still generally have at least a little bit of spare workers and power after I'm done, I decided that I should try to bilk that, as well - hence the decision to have a mix of IIs and IIIs. It strengthens the planet without me having to build extra auxillary structures.
Whoo... you have no idea how long I've been typing just that little bit took me. I got distracted by all sorts of stuff. It's easy for me to be side-tracked from posting sometimes. But... that's all irrelevent. Back to the matter at hand...
As an offhand note, I'd like to see the structure limit raised a bit, at least for bigger planets. The teeny-tiny moons would have to stay at thirty-two structures because there's only thirty-two diamonds, but what about planets the size of... trying to think of one of the largest ones I've seen... Isemene. What about that? Why is that limited to thirty-two structures? There's more than ample room on those colossal planets. I can see problems with coding and interior working and the desire to be uniform... but... it's just a note of something I'd like to see. It would increase the strength of planets, especially planets that have to sacrificed space to build shipyards.
But, this thread of mine is neither the time nor the place for an idea suggestion. That goes in another forum. Time to go back to the topic at hand.
...
*turns on the "The Oogie Boogie Song", from A Nightmare Before Christmas*
...
And, to conclude the moment... I shall now do an edit-on-the-fly of one of my templates. After coming to the conclusion that more sensor bases need to be added to my current "best General Ice Non-Shipyard Non-ICC planet", I'm doing mental math and pulling out the calculator and lead for my paper.
That's the benefit of building for so long. You memorize the costs of everything. No need to write them down. If you'd like to follow along... perhaps even check my math... there's a section that shows you the benefits (and only the benefits) of planetary structures in the manual. I believe it's the very final bullet in the Building section... it gives you a list of the structures and what they do. However... it doesn't list your negatives.
(Offhand Note Added After Further Typing: Check here -
http://www.darkspace.net/index.htm?module=document.php&doc_id=1&chap_id=289&chap_name=5.10.13 )
Which is another idea for me... before I ad-lib this new template of mine that I'll have to try out as soon as an ice planet feels the fury of scores of MIRVs (and it'll happen), yet strangely doesn't melt...
Master List of Planetary Structures (The Good, The Bad, and Other Grim Comments)
Colony Hub:
Description: The headquarters of any planet; it's the best structure to use to get the colony off of its feet.
Positives: +10 Habitat, Food, Power, Mining, Research; Requires No Workers, Requires No Power; Costs Nothing But Time To Build
Negatives: The only one I can remotely think of is that the planet takes up one of your thirty-two structure slots. But... this structure is the most efficient structure out of your entire list.
Comments: I beg of you to build one of these on all of your planets. It provides all of the above with only a single structure. No other building does that. Trust me. I know.
***SPECIAL NOTE*** Without a hub, a barren planet with nothing on it will never spring to life. Anything that you could build to support the growth of people besides the Colony Hub costs both power and workers. Unless you have survivors of a neutron bomb attack, and the hub has somehow disappeared in the chaos, but there are enough people around to operate farms and domes and generators, a barren planet will never function. Keep that in mind if you decide to be hubless in your building career.
Dome:
Description: Similar to living quarters or arcologies in other games, this structure houses up to ten million inhabitants - and I also assume it contains other stuff that an arcology would... entertainment... shopping centres... whatever's needed to keep the folks happy.
Positives: +10 Habitat, Simple To Build, Requires No Technology
Negatives: -1 Power, -100 Metals
Comments: Domes aren't an essential to having a functioning planet... but, unfortunately, they are essential on several planet types in order to have a functioning good planet. If memory serves me correctly (and it may not; I must admit I don't get to build all planet types for an equal length of time)... the only two planet types that can naturally support a habitat of thirty or more without a colony hub or more domes added are the arid planet types and the terran planet types (and the former requires farms in order to get thirty or more million people). So... domes are almost as necessary as colony hubs. Ignore using them at your own risk.
Hydro Farm:
Description: The first of a series of three types of farms; provides minimal food at low cost.
Positives: +10 Food, Simple To Build, Requires No Technology
Negatives: -1 Worker, -1 Power, -50 Metals
Comments: With the farm, in the beginning, you're basically in the same boat that you are with the dome. They aren't absolutely essential, and may not ever kiss the surface of some planets... but, until new farm tech comes out, they'll be rather helpful for you. Refuse to build them at your own risk.
Fusion Generator:
Description: It's a... generator... that... provides... power! Simple enough, ne?
Positives: +30 Power, Simple To Build, Requires No Technology
Negatives: -1 Worker, -50 Metals (could be wrong on resource cost)
Comments: *cue groan* This is... this is more bloody necessary than the domes or the farms, in my opinion. The Colony Hub sadly provides only ten power... and... if you're going to build thirty-two structures, you're going to need more power, unless you plan on making them all generators... *snorts* Don't build them at your own risk.
Mine:
Description: A mine mines. That's... really as far as I can go with it.
Positives: +10 Mining, Simple To Build, Requires No Technology, Increases Flow Of Resources Onto Planet
Negatives: -1 Worker, -2 Power, -75 Metals
Comments: Only a major help in the Admiral servers, or after a total MV restart, or on planets that have vital resources that are diminished absolutely everywhere (like, for instance, hypermatter). And, if you plan on getting the planets to mine resources, you should build the stronger mines... or... bloody do it yourself! Earn money and improve your faction's economy at the same time!
Research Lab:
Description: Improves the planet's... researching... capabilities.
Positives: +10 Research, Requires No Technology
Negatives: -1 Worker, -3 Power, -700 Metals, Most Time-Consuming Of Early Planetary Structures To Build
Comments: In instances when planets have very little resources, the cost of the research lab can be a major kick in the pants. If you want to get a stronger planet overall, however, you need these buildings... Of course, if you have a resource-rich planet, the only problems you have to worry about are providing the power and having enough time to build the labs and then wait for the technology rating to rise.
***SPECIAL NOTE*** Anyone want to tell me why the technology rating plummets after I scrap everything promoting research? The knowledge should... still be there. It's not like I've scrapped the schematics and the designs and the details and the methods for constructing planets with high technology; can't I store them in the hub? Furthermore, why do all planets need this very high rating? Why can't technology be ferried over from the major shipyard planets to all of the tiny little planets? I shouldn't much complain, as that isn't the place that my thread's supposed to take up... but, when you've been building for as long as I have... you tend to think about things like this.
Or get bored... and make a bunch of notes.
Factory:
Description: From the DarkSpace manual, "Builds devices for ships, purchased at shipyard." (note that you actually buy the devices from the starport; the typo was fixed by Doran after I pointed it out... thank him for the accuracy the next time you read that bit in the manual)
Positives: Allows you to build alternative parts for your ship, Simple To Build, Requires No Technology
Negatives: -1 Worker, -1 Power, -50 Metals (I think...), Requires Technology Rating For Many (if not all) Components
Comments: Whenever you're in an engineer, you hardly ever need to modify your ship's layout. With that mindset, I don't really modify my ships. I'll use factories and starports sometimes, true, but I can function just fine with upgraded stock (or just plain stock). That's why not a single one of my planet blueprint schematics has a factory on the list. They're just not necessary for me.
Barracks:
Description: Trains infantry units... which are... well... let's just say as important in my mind as the colony hub is.
Positives: Trains troops for your faction, Simple To Build, Requires No Technology
Negatives: -1 Worker, -2 Power, -100 Metals, Requires 10 Technology For Heavy Infantry
Comments: Unless you plan on pulling out scores of new transport ships to place two green infantry units on all of your faction's planets... you better get in the habit of building these. Build many barracks whenever you first settle at a planet with zero structures on it (as in at least eight barracks), and whittle the numbers down as you progress further along the planet's development. Do not build them at your own risk.
Starport:
Description: From the DarkSpace manual... "Automatically trades vital resources between planets."
Positives: In addition to what the description notes, the starport also stores any ship parts the factories build, and you can also buy and sell resources in an attempt to trade and make a profit; Simple To Build; Requires No Technology
Negatives: -1 Worker, -2 Power, -150 Metals (not sure on this one, either...)
Comments: Very important structure, although I tend to scrap them from planets that I do not think need them - any planet that has no factories or a shipyard or very vital resources. Necessity if you want to be able to buy parts from factories. Keep in mind that, if you scrap a starport, all parts currently stored in it will be irrevocably deleted.
Solar Generator:
Description: Once again, the DarkSpace manual does it better than I do... "Provides Power depending on how much sunlight it receives. Optimum location is at equators."
Positives: +??? Power
Negatives: Too Many To List
Comments: Don't build these. Just don't. For this version... save it. There is not a single planet I have found in this current version that redeems solar generators. Back in 1.480, solar generators were the hip thing (fusion generators were only built when planets were far too distance from any sun); now... they're just... *shudders*
Quantum Generator:
Description: An upgrade of the fusion generator, adding more power while taking up less space.
Positives: +40 Power
Negatives: -3 Workers, Inefficient (3 Fusion Generators, with three workers, can produce 90 Power), Require Urdanium (10 or 15... I don't know... resource details get a bit hazy beyond the simple ones that are built in the Admiral server, when resource count really matters)
Comments: These are nice and stable... although I don't fully recommend them for beyond the Admiral server. Although it pains me to admit it, I think the Variance Generator is more worthwhile than the Quantum Generator due to how much space it saves... although I will note that the extra domes and farms required to feed the people powering this crap is a pain in the bloody arse.
Variance Generator:
Description: The most advanced of power generators. Produces even more power while only taking up one structure
Positives: +50 Power
Negatives: Earns Title Of "Most Hated Structure"
Comments: Essential to follow my most powerful templates... but... AGH! I HATE THESE! I recommend building as few of them as possible whenever you're building them... and... if possible... when all is said and done, and you have enough spare power to get rid of these... CHUCK THEM! Get quantum generators! Get fusion generators! You may find yourself with enough unemployed workers to scrap a dome or a farm... and get more out of your planet! For the bloody love of, don't just let all of that power sit around idly! Excess may be good, but these planets need as much help as they can get!
Automated Hydro Farm:
Description: A hydro farm... only... more efficient!
Positives: +20 Food, Requires No Workers, Relatively Painless To Build
Negatives: -2 Power, Requires Cryometals, Requires 20 Technology
Comments: With the requirement of no workers, this farm has unwittingly placed itself in many of my template builds. After I decided to shave the habitat from 70 to 60, this structure gave me a way to cope with losing that extra workforce. Recommended... although not required.
Biosphere Condenser:
Description: The big daddy of farming structures. If you're looking for maximum food output, you've found it in the Biosphere Condenser.
Positives: +30 Food, Generally The Most Efficient Farming Structure
Negatives: -2 Workers, -5 Power, Requires Hypermatter
Comments: These help to save an incredible amount of space - two of these equal the output of six hydro farms, and require less workers (but slightly more power). If you need food for your people, this is the structure to build.
Deep Core Mine:
Description: Mines at a faster rate than the normal mine, and is more efficient than the standard mine.
Positives: +20 Mining, Relatively Painless To Build, More Efficient Than The Standard Model
Negatives: -1 Worker, -5 Power, Requires Hypermatter, Requires 40 Technology
Comments: If mining has to be done, and you can't afford the time (or resources) of putting additional research buildings for the Mantle Extractor, then this is what you should go with. Not the best, but it's an all right building.
Mantle Extractor:
Description: The best structure for mining that there is out there on the market.
Positives: +30 Mining, Most Efficient Mining Building
Negatives: -2 Workers, -10 Power, Requires 70 Technology, Requires Hypermatter, Takes Up Valuable Space For Perhaps More Important Structures
Comments: If you have to build buildings like this on a planet, this is what you'll want. And, if you'd like to see totally awesome power, build at least ten of these structures on a planet that is currently mining rich mineral deposits. Where are the people that champion the causes of the environment against the power-mad barons of space that do nothing but strip mine?
...
*turns off "The Oogie Boogie Man" and puts Rockapella's "Where In The World Is Carmen Sandiego?" on*
...
Subspace Network:
Description: An improvement of the research lab.
Positives: +15 Research, More Efficient Than The Research Lab
Negatives: -2 Workers, -6 Power, Moderate Building Time
Comments: These are usually thrown out for cortex nexuses, but they're rather useful, especially on shipyard planets that I want to have 100 technology. Unless I've done my numbers incorrectly, it more efficient to have three cortex nexuses and two subspace networks than four cortex nexuses and one research lab. Feel free to check my math after you look at the statistics for the Cortex Nexus... which are right below!
Cortex Nexus:
Description: The best building for supporting the betterment of research in your colony that you can have.
Positives: +20 Research, Best Research-Providing Building
Negatives: -3 Workers, -12 Power, Lengthy Building Time, Resource-Consuming, Provide Absolutely No Defence To The Planet
Comments: If you need a high research rating on your planets, then you should use cortex nexuses. They save space for other planetary structures. Just feel prepared to feel as least a small stab of pain when you inevitably scrap these time-consuming structures in the end... and watch the max rating for research fall to ten.
All in the name of efficiency.
***SPECIAL NOTE*** This goes for all research labs: MAKE SURE YOU'RE PAYING CLOSE ATTENTION TO THE BUILDING YOU ARE ABOUT TO SCRAP BEFORE YOU SCRAP IT. RESEARCH BUILDINGS AND DOMES LOOK VERY MUCH ALIKE. YOU MAY EITHER REDUCE THE MAX RATING OF RESEARCH ON THE PLANET, OR DISPLACE TEN MILLION PEOPLE... And that's just bad for morale.
Depot:
Description: Repairs and resupplies all allied ships within reach (250 gu or lower).
Positives: See description. In addition... Requires Little Tech
Negatives: -1 Worker, -5 Power, -500 Metals, Does Not Bloody Help The Planet Out At All When There Are No Allied Ships Around To Take Advantage Of It
Comments: Honestly, considering how much space is needed to adequately defend planets these days, I rarely build depots on planets unless there is a grave need for them. Orbiting planets can repair and resupply you. And, with shipyards, an ally can easily yank out a supply ship of some sorts to patch you right up... and get prestige for doing it! So, to an efficiency-minded guy like me... these are... not high on the list of structures that should be built.
Sensor Base:
Description: Produces an effect similar to ECCM in order to detect hidden enemy ships.
Positives: See description. In addition... Requires Little Tech
Negatives: -1 Worker, -10 Power
Comments: Lack of building several of these may result in all of the work you've done building up those planets of yours meaning little more than footnotes of prestige in your profile when all of their structures are gone within the day. ECM is popular with bombers. Not only does ECM hide their ships, but it hides their bombs. DO NOT BUILD SENSOR BASES AT YOUR OWN RISK!!!
Anti-Sensor Base:
Description: From the DarkSpace manual... " Lowers the signature of all ships in the vicinity."
Positives: See description. I'm not writing any others.
Negatives: -1 Worker, -10 Power, DOES NOT HELP WITH DEFENCE OF PLANET UNLESS SAID PLANET DEFENCES INCLUDE ACTIVE PLAYERS THAT CAN SPOT MOVING BOMB TRAILS WITHOUT THE AID OF THE RED DIAMONDS THAT APPEAR WHENEVER SAID BOMBS ARE NOT HIDDEN!!!
Comments: I apologize for yelling again up there... but... it conveys just how much I despite the anti-sensor base. There are uses for this structure even today, but I will not list them on here. At least the Variance Generator is useful all around. This... only... hides stuff! And blinding the ability of planets to target enemies... that's... let's not help the bombers along, eh?
Interdictor Base:
Description: Halts the jumpdrives of enemy ships at a distance of roughly a thousand gu.
Positives: See description.
Negatives: -1 Worker, -20 Power, Requires 70 Technology, Requires Hypermatter
Comments: Rather fun to play with this structure... oh, yes indeed. Pause and unpause. Have bombers come in to do their run... only to find themselves strangely within orbiting distance of the planet instead of... Also, enemy ships will jump to a planet, realize they're near orbit range and think that there's no interdictor on the planet... and then... your allies come in... and the enemy ship fights... and then the enemy ship tries to jump away, only to realize that it cannot and... well...... that's all he wrote.
Defence Base I
Description: From the manual... "Defend(s) planet from orbital bombardment and enemy approach."
Positives: See description... and, in addition... Relatively Low Cost, Relatively Low Tech Requirement
Negatives: -1 Worker, -10 Power, Weakest Of Defence Bases
Comments: Do not rely on these to defend your planets. They're weak. They do not do much. Try to get IIs as soon as possible.
Defence Base II
Description: See description for Defence Base I.
Positives: See description. In addition... more powerful than DBIs.
Negatives: -2 Workers, -15 Power, Weaker Than the DBIII.
Comments: This is the minimum level that you should stop with in defence bases. Do not settle for DBIs. And, in my opinion, usage of DBIIs mixed with DBIIIs are a very effective way to cover a planet. However, refrain from using many of these on shipyard planets - as these planets suffer already with a lack of defences, keep the majority of any defence bases on shipyard planets as DBIIIs.
Defence Base III
Description: See description for Defence Base I.
Positives: See description. In addition... the most powerful of the Defence Bases.
Negatives: -3 Workers, -20 Power, Most Time Consuming Building In The Game, Ties For Highest Tech Required Building In The Game, Bloody Expensive
Comments: The master of defending here... although, in recent times, I have fallen to a mix of these along with DBIIs. DBIIIs, while very powerful, don't seem to give the max coverage of a planet that I want. They force me to build more domes, farms, and variance generators to feed the DBIIIs... and, well, you folks know how much I hate those, now.
Fighter Base I
Fighter Base II
Fighter Base III
Description: Fighter bases do their job at defending by launching fighters at any enemy ships that come within range of them.
( Note: Due to my very tired fingers and sore wrists at about hour four of working on this stuff, I'll just remark that these three buildings have the same base statistics as their counterparts. For instance, the Fighter Base II requires -2 Workers and -15 Power. )
Positives: I don't have many for fighter bases. Why? See below.
Negatives: Too many to list. Look a bit farther below for my main problem with fighter bases.
Comments: No PD against bombs. I don't want to lag the enemy bomber so much that he crashes into the planet. The bombs, not the bomber, are my primary concern. Besides, with pulse beams, pulse shield, and cloak out there... fighters should be used by ships, not by planets.
Shipyard:
Description: Allows the creation and spawning of more powerful ships, and allows said spawning to be done at other places besides the Faction Home Gate.
Positives: I think the description says enough.
Negatives: -30 Workers, -60 Power (The Most People and Power Consuming Structure In The Game), Requires 50 Tech To Be Built, Sharply Reduces Ability Of Planet To Do Well In Other Areas (like defence bases)
Comments: If you want to do well in the current Metaverse, you're going to need some of these shipyards. That's the bottom line. You can only create, at highest, the Frigate class of ships from the Faction Home Gate; you need shipyards on powerful planets for anything else. On the other hand, don't build shipyards on every planet... limit them to, at most, four in the really huge systems (like Epsilon Ind or Sol).
***SPECIAL NOTE ONE*** When choosing a planet for a shipyard... DO NOT PLACE IT ON A PLANET THAT HAS ORBITING CELESTIAL BODIES AT REALLY SHORT DISTANCES (200 gu or less). This can cause... quite a bit of grief. If you don't believe me... go ahead and try it. You may have luck and not have any troubles. You may discover why I'm so cautious by stating 200 gu. Just... keep my lesson in mind.
***SPECIAL NOTE TWO*** I don't build shipyards on planets, then finish building everything else I was going to on the planet, and then finally scrap off all of the research buildings on the planet save the Colony Hub, leaving the planet with only 10 research. I don't understand that. A shipyard with more defences? Well, gee, you can create diddly squat from it! "Oh, but, Grim, you can -log off- your ships in the middle of nowhere and then spawn them wherever your please, including at operational shipyards on planets with only 10 technology!" WHY!? This point, more than anything else, is crap. How can I log out a ship in the middle of bloody Sol... and, five minutes later, after I log back into the MV, be able to spawn that very exact same ship from Exathra in CD*36? How... what... that's just...... *takes a deep breath* Anyway, the reason why I don't do it is because I'm not a big person on needing factories in order to have good ships; just spawn it and run with it. I have neither the time nor patience to log my bloody ships. Seeing a shipyard planet with only ten max research on it just screams to me, "GRIM! REBUILD ME! I CAN CREATE FEWER SHIPS THAN THE FACTION HOME GATE!" And that just... just......
*sighs* ...Whew... I needed to let that out......it's a good thing I'm almost finshed here... after approaching five hours of working on this...
(---EDIT: About building shipyards on planets that will eventually have ten technology... whether you do it is up to you. I, in my original post, didn't state that it was a bad idea, so I'll cover it now: there are pros and cons to it, from what I see. The choice is yours. For an explanation of the benefits of low-tech shipyards, see Ragglock's post on this thread a few posts down. He had, perhaps rightfully so, countered my frustration on the matter with an explanation of the benefits of them... and I appreciate that. Shows that I'm flawed in this, and demonstrates that, while I've gathered all of this information together, that doesn't mean I'm superduperperfectman. Keep that in mind.
And, now, back to the original post...)
Shield Generator:
Description: This structure creates a planetary shield that protects the planet from bomber fighters, planetary siege missles, MIRV bombs, and telekinetic bombs. Neutron and bio bombs, however, can still penetrate the planet within the shield if they manage to get past any other defences.
Positives: See description. In addition... Requires 20 Tech (that's rather low), Not Too Time-Consuming To Build
Negatives: -1 Worker, -20 Power, Faction-Specific (ICC Only), Requires 10 Darkmatter
Comments: One should be put on -every- planet; not just ICC planets. If you're not an ICC engineer, you're going to just have to hope that planets are captured with the shield generators left intact; if you are an ICC engineer, congratulations! You have an extra option in building that the other factions don't. Use it with care.
***SPECIAL NOTE*** Scrap any shield generators before they fall into enemy hands; including if the planet's about to fall into ICC hands. Shield generators take 20 technology to build, and, unless the planet already has that covered, it'll take time to readd them. This preserves the option of your mates being able to completely flatten the planet should it prove too troublesome to take otherwise.
...Dear Faustus, I think it's over.
I'm done.
I'm finished with this.
I spent way too much time on this.
I had noted that I would make a new template all the way up there before I started this comprehensive list of buildings, but I... I don't think even I realized just how many buildings there are. The... the... ad-libbed template will just have to wait a while. I have to recover. My... eyes hurt. My... fingers hurt. This is more painful than building for half a day.
Before I finish, though... I took a gander to see if anything new was posted on this thread... and something that Bobamelius noted slipped my notice when I first read Lord Downey's note: Bombing may have once been an art instead of just the painful mass diamond slinging it is now... but... don't you mean building?
...and... on that note...... *walks away*
[small][ This Message was edited by: Grimith {Construction is All!} on 2006-01-23 20:53 ][/small]
[ This Message was edited by: Grimith on 2006-01-24 06:43 ]
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Special K
1st Rear Admiral
Angry Mob
Joined: November 12, 2005
Posts: 127
From: Somewhere between here and there...
| Posted: 2006-01-23 21:39
lol, i can't even write a half hour post, never mind 5 hrs....and on a side not, good job!!!!! Even though i had to leave to rest my eyes, cvome back a few times. I think you should write a building manual/tutorial for noobs in ds.
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Enterprise
Chief Marshal
Joined: May 19, 2002
Posts: 2576
From: Hawthorne, Nevada
| Posted: 2006-01-24 04:31
Wow.
I mean, just, wow.
This is such a helpful, and really extensive post that It could benefit..damn near everyone.
Newbies and Vets alike could learn a great deal from simply even skimming.
Keep it up Grim.
Or else
-Ent
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Ragglock
Marshal
BIOnics Industry Syndicate
Joined: May 29, 2001
Posts: 1955
From: Denmark
| Posted: 2006-01-24 05:11
nice one
as an old writer of tec manuals i can only say its good an covers most very fine.
i would recomend that it get convertet to multipage document with index and droped into the online manual page.
only thing i actuly have a beef with is the use of tactical low lvl shipyards
multiple low lvl sy have their use when you talking deployment of forces
i for one allways have very spicilaized ship configs stored, i can pull out depending on what task, enemy or ships im currently engage and i will allways change ship to fit the task if i have a chance.
other problem is if an enemy enters a system with only one shipyard and right of the bat take that one out, they can efectivly block system for reciving defenders for the remaning planets , i have used this tactic many times deploying forces to block gates have roming forces ready to intercept incomming from wh´s , while one or more bombers finnish the system off.
to prevent or slow this you need more than one sy to spawn in forces from other parts from the mv.
my idial system consist of 1 full tech sy + 1 low tec sy and with lager systems like indy sol etc get one more half lvl sy (cruiser max can work as factory planet to) so max 3.
this have draw backs were its more easy for the attacking enemy to get an workin sy in system.
so you have to make up for youself if the chance to get defnders in system vs the enemy get more attackers in easy.
more than one way to skin a cat 
you can take this with you into your documet as a note from me or just ignore it, if you want , just to get another perspective into tactical building.
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Grimith
Grand Admiral
Templar Knights
Joined: August 09, 2003
Posts: 836
From: Your local future farm.
| Posted: 2006-01-24 06:40
You're right when it comes to saying that low research shipyards have a use, Ragglock. In my... condemnantion of them, I forgot to state whether they could be considered worth building. I can see the use of them, yeah; especially when there's only one other shipyard in a system and jumping from the system next door may make you too late to save another planet. However, there have been times when, for systems as a time, I'll only see shipyards that have ten tech - there's no full-tech sy in the system at all. That's what I was remarking on with my frustration in my note; but you're right. They do have valid use.
I appreciate the further positive comments... and the honesty from you, Ragglock. I'll edit my above post to reflect that people should read more about shipyard stuff below.
Thank you.
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Grimith
Grand Admiral
Templar Knights
Joined: August 09, 2003
Posts: 836
From: Your local future farm.
| Posted: 2006-01-27 23:14
I have a habit with not wanting to edit posts in the past unless it's absolutely necessary. You can call it laziness. You can call it adding more to my post count. Perhaps you're right. Pre-this post, I had a post count of 666... and... really... I'm not entirely sure I wanted to keep that. So, I've got to make a new post... and what better place to do it than in my thread of... engineering... practices?
If you've followed along with me this far, and have read all that I've written, you've basically got incredible powers of constitution. Nothing else for the rest of your life will be as hard as reading my long, dry work on "putting the stupid diamond on the planet". Honestly. Ask Axianda. After all I put him through, and half of it completely irrelevant to the topic of the matter at hand, he's grown up to go do better things. That's why you hardly see him any more. He'll only ever come back if he needs another shock treatment from me - and I guarantee you that he won't be needing that any time soon.
Today, I'm... really tired... because I was out for a large portion of the day. From Calculus to volleyball, from working very quietly to shouting repeatedly at the top of my lungs, from breathing deeply and moving in spacious areas to hiding in cramped quarters... I've done it all in the past nineteen hours. I have been more active today than I have been in a long time, and it scares me that I still have the energy to type about this. But... you know... a man's just gotta type sometimes. That's the way it is. He's just got it.
The objective for this post today, besides allowing me to gain a +1 to my post count and giving me the ability to preserve the perfection of posts past, is to educate on how I build a barren planet from scratch. It's a system I'll follow with every single completely barren planet I come across, whether it has ample resources. As I progress deeper into the post, I'll expound on my deviations from the basic path, depending on whether I can afford the diamonds to place on the planet.
To start with, I'll grab an engineer (not a command dreadnought... not a command station... an engineering ship) and move over to the planet I'm going to build. It may take a bit of time in order to get to the planet (if it takes more than five minutes, though, perhaps you need to start building at a planet a bit closer to your starting location). Once you're at the barren planet in question, orbit it. If you have any troops (hopefully, you brought them, because they're going to speed the process up), drop them on the planet now. If no enemies are around, get to mining the planet. If there is a good chance of enemies coming to visit you, however (or if there's nothing on the planet to mine), you may want to consider refilling your cargo with infantry. At least two. Just in case.
Now, I'll build this empty barren planet of mine in a few different fashions, depending on how big the planet is. My main accomplishment is to get eight structures on four rows - if it's the smallest planet type, you'll only have thirty-two diamonds to work with, so there's no consideration on where to put them. For the smaller planet set, I'll place one space between each structure (sometimes leaving the eighth structure and the first structure placed together). For the medium planet set, I'll place the structures two diamonds apart, and for the larger planet set, I'll place the structures three diamonds apart. How can you tell what size of planet you have? Good judgment... and... if you're lacking that along with the ability to eye and know immediately what you need to do, start at a diamond and count of. If you get to eight structures before you get near the first structure, you need more spacing.
The first structure I build goes to the colony hub. Immediately after, I'll place four barracks, two on each side of the hub (skipping as necessary). I'll place a starport on one side, then a fusion generator on the other. That gives me seven structures, with an equal building pattern around the planet. The eight structure will tend to ruin your symmetry unless you have a planet that fits the eight evenly-placed structures on a row scheme. You'll have to pick which side you'll want it to go with.
Now, as for the eighth structure... it depends. If it's the Admiral, and there's something besides metals available on the planet (or if metals is really required), I'll build a mine. If not, I'll get to work on another barracks. And note thatthose first eight structures... I absolutely always build them on the South Pole. As far down as I can go. Old habit involving trying to reduce bomb damage. It can't hurt, right?
Structure nine goes to a research lab. Ten and eleven are a hydro dome and a farm. At this point, if not a little bit before, you'll run out of metals if you're in the scenario server - hopefully, the planet you've been mining has metals as a resource, so you'll be able to drop them on the planet (don't wait to be able to sell them at the starport, and don't bother pausing structures to operate it; just drop the metals on the planet by selecting it and pressing U). If you have more than enough resources to build anything you want, build structures 12 - 32 as a combination of barracks, research labs, fusion generators, domes, and hydro farms. Since I almost never put shipyards on barren planets, you'll want to strive for a population of sixty million (requires five domes and five hydro farms total, plus the colony hub). Build enough research labs to get your tech up to 90 (eventually). Build barracks and set them to produce normal infantry, even after the tech surpasses ten (you're going to be scrapping those units to help boost the population of the planet). Once you reach thirty-two structures, you're basically done with the planet at the moment until you get a higher technology.
From my experiences, I've found tech to increase at the following rate:
1 - 20 Pop: +1 Tech Per Minute (now known as TPM)
21 - 40 Pop: +2 TPM
41 - 60 Pop: +3 TPM
61 - 80 Pop: +4 TPM
81 - 100 Pop: +5 TPM
I may be wrong with those numbers, but that is what I've noticed during my time in the game.
Now, if you're planet is limited in resources, I don't recommend getting it to thirty-two structures unless it's the only planet you have to deal with. Build at least one more research lab, one more dome, and one more hydro farm. Build several more mines and barracks. And, as for where that second row of structures goes (9-16), place them all on the north pole, in the exact same format that the ones on the South Pole are placed. For the third row, start it a few diamonds above the South Pole structures and follow the same pattern; do the opposite for the fourth row to the North Pole. But, like I said, you may not want to wait until you get thirty-two structures on a barren planet with no stockpiled resources... although you can if there are no other planets around to now build.
Which is what I recommend doing after you finish, either way. Finding another planet. Unless you want to sit and wait by the planet and slowly improve it over time (which I used to do back in the day... I'd just crawl along, building automated hydro farms when I could, then scrapping them for biosphere condensers... I'd scrap the research labs for subspace networks, then turn right back around and scrap them for cortex nexuses, and then scrap all of those...), you're going to want to build elsewhere. Building another planet, preferrably from scratch, gives you something to do while waiting for the other planet's population to grow and research to soar.
...And, you know... that's all the energy I have for right now. Stay tuned for part two, which will most likely come tomorrow... which I will detail what to do when you have a technology rating of ninety.
Until then... be excellent to each other... and... party on, dudes!
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