Artifact Combos

Promethian

Warlord
Joined
Oct 23, 2014
Messages
282
Lets start compiling the artifact combos we find so we can perhaps determine when its best to do a 3 combo or to hold onto them. Include the name of the artifact, its origin (Old Earth, Alien, Progenitor), its quality and the resource it gives when converted solo. Please add your results if you get the same end reward but use different name/origin/quality/resource artifacts and the amount of resources in the final combo so we can fully figure out what decides the end reward.

Note: I use bold and italics to differentiate between entries, not to give any specific entry greater importance. Suggestions on formatting are welcome.

Tesseract Targeting: Cities can bombard through terrain obstacles (24 energy 54 science)

Pristine, Polypeptor Organic Antifreeze, Old Earth, 60 Science + Battered, Jelly-Stalk Ring, Alien, 36 Food + Pristine, Jelly Space, Progenitor, 48 Energy 48 Science

Xenoanthropology: Artifacts are discovered 20% more often (31.5 science 9.6 production)

Pristine, Polypeptor Organic Antifreeze, Old Earth, 60 Science + Battered, Jelly-Stalk Ring, Alien, 36 Food + Worn, Tesselation Vault, Progenitor, 38.4 Production 6 Science

Ground Penetrating LIDAR: 100% faster expedition speed (55.5 science 24 energy 9.6 production)

Pristine, Polypeptor Organic Antifreeze, Old Earth, 60 Science + Pristine, Jelly Space, Progenitor, 48 Energy 48 Science + Worn, Tesselation Vault, Progenitor, 38.4 Production 6 Science

Dimension Folding Complex: (Wonder) -50% unhealth from city population (25.5 science 24 energy 9.6 production)

Battered, Jelly-Stalk Ring, Alien, 36 Food + Pristine, Jelly Space, Progenitor, 48 Energy 48 Science + Worn, Tesselation Vault, Progenitor, 38.4 Production 6 Science

Now for some analysis of what I have. First I bring attention to two different results from two different combinations of Old Earth, Alien and Progenitor (Tesseract and Xenoanthro). This is important because it allows us to discard the hypothesis that origin is the sole determinant of the result. That leaves quality, name and resource to consider. I predict that in the end origin and resource are going to be the determinants. Something like this combination of origins pulls from this pool of results with the specific result chosen by the highest two resources provided by the artifacts.
 
Pretty sure the reward is just random and doesn't depend on the inputs. In your game, putting A + B + C together will always product result X, but in someone else's game, A + B + C may product result Y instead.
 
sadly i did not record the artefacts names, but three alien ones gave me +50% air unit strength. another one reduced spy mission time. i had a lot more but sadly once you turn them in, you cannot not look at them again. there really needs to be a screen so you can at last see what bonuses you already got.
 
No the reward is not random. The artifact have a preffered reward and then I'm almost certain the game uses the state of the artifact (worn, pristine) to determine which will prevail.

It would require a lot of trial and error to find the exact formulas but this is how it seems to be working.

Known:
-You get artifacts based on where you got them.
Old earth stuff come from pod and human expeditions.
Progenitor stuff come from progenitor ruin
Alien stuff come from nests and skeletons

Each artifact has a reward preference. See CivBEArtifacts.xml.

Then you have 3 possible levels for each artifact.
There are also two types of rewards. The building stuff and a couple bonuses that are in CivBEArtifacts.xml (let's call these rewards) and some other bonuses. My guess is that those other bonuses are given when your combinaison does not meet the conditions for the rewards.

What is unclear is how exactly the game uses the levels and artifacts to decide what is the reward. My current guess:
-There is a threshold based on the category. Your combination must have enough of a the category based on the levels of items use.
-If you fail to meet the condition, a general bonus will be chosen.
-When there are multiple items giving different rewards and the threshold are met it will pick one. Not sure how... wonder if it's not just by alphabetical order.
 
Warp Spire:
(Building Unlocked)
+50% yields from domestic trade routes
(Pristine Impossible Drive, Pristine Polypeptor Organic Antifreeze, Worn Personal Meditation Helmet)

(2.4 production, 60 Science, 9.6 Culture)
 
sadly once you turn them in, you cannot not look at them again. there really needs to be a screen so you can at last see what bonuses you already got.

This so much. I'd really like to be able to check what I got in case I forget.
 
Old Voice Archives:
(Building Unlocked)
+10% yields when at war
(Battered Isotopic Decay 3, Battered Hull Repair Suit, Pristine Impossible Drive)

(+30 Science)

Note: Interestingly the parts of this provide +36 prod/+36 culture, but lose it upon completing the set of 3
 
Warp Spire:
(Building Unlocked)
+50% yields from domestic trade routes
(Pristine Impossible Drive, Pristine Polypeptor Organic Antifreeze, Worn Personal Meditation Helmet)

(2.4 production, 60 Science, 9.6 Culture)

To corroborate my theorycrafting:
All 3 items are Old earth stuff and the warp drive clearly is a old earth reward in the files. Based on the files:
The drive has a preference for pan spectral observatory
The antifreeze has a preference for warp spire
The helmet has a preference for Old voice archive

Possibility: The helmet being worn it loses against the 2 pristines. One of the two pristine reward is chosen (unknown how).

Tesseract Targeting: Cities can bombard through terrain obstacles (24 energy 54 science)
Pristine, Polypeptor Organic Antifreeze, Old Earth, 60 Science + Battered, Jelly-Stalk Ring, Alien, 36 Food + Pristine, Jelly Space, Progenitor, 48 Energy 48 Science
Xenoanthropology: Artifacts are discovered 20% more often (31.5 science 9.6 production)
Pristine, Polypeptor Organic Antifreeze, Old Earth, 60 Science + Battered, Jelly-Stalk Ring, Alien, 36 Food + Worn, Tesselation Vault, Progenitor, 38.4 Production 6 Science

All these are not in the CivBEArtifacts.xml preferrence so these are the "general bonuses" I'm talking about when you do not meet the conditions for the reward. They have their category set on NULL in the rewards file.
The theory is supported by the fact that the 3 items used are of a different type.

Dimension Folding Complex: (Wonder) -50% unhealth from city population (25.5 science 24 energy 9.6 production)
Battered, Jelly-Stalk Ring, Alien, 36 Food + Pristine, Jelly Space, Progenitor, 48 Energy 48 Science + Worn, Tesselation Vault, Progenitor, 38.4 Production 6 Science

This one is a Progenitor reward. My theory is also supported by the fact that here you have used a total of 5 for progenitor.
The Jelly space preference is the folding complex in the xml.
Considering it's the Pristine artifact it has the strongest weight and was chosen. The tesselation vault reward is the tesselation foundry.

However
Ground Penetrating LIDAR: 100% faster expedition speed (55.5 science 24 energy 9.6 production)

Pristine, Polypeptor Organic Antifreeze, Old Earth, 60 Science + Pristine, Jelly Space, Progenitor, 48 Energy 48 Science + Worn, Tesselation Vault, Progenitor, 38.4 Production 6 Science
doesn't match my current hypothesis. The LIDAR is also one of those general bonus not being in any category while you had the same progenitor stuff.

Hypothesis: The pristine polypeptor negates one condition. Possibility are that you cannot have too much (3+3+2 in that case) or something else involving the level of the item. I don't think the origin of the third item matter here, I would focus on the level.
 
one more reward was a building:
+10 city strength, trained units start with one promotion
 
Soul Discerner Training:
+25% Covert Operation Speed
(Battered Carbon Hail (A), Pristine Impossible Drive(O), Battered Hull Repair Suit(O))

+30 Science
 
The artifact reward that gives +100% embarked defense appears to give it's bonus to all naval units. I hope that's a bug as it's incredibly overpowered otherwise. Gamebreaking to put things mildly.
 
Statecraft:
+2 Diplomatic Capital from agreements
(Pristine Carnivorous Hive Eels (A), Battered Carbon Hail (O), Battered Hull Repair Suit (O))

+24 Energy, +38.4 Food
 
Slumber-Slaughter Extract:
+50% Worker Build Speed
(Pristine Carnivorous Hive Bees (A), Battered Isotopic Decay 3 (O), Battered Hull Repair Suit (O))

+24 Energy, +38.4 Food
 
Ok some extra information. The file artifactcategories.xml has a line for cost called RewardCost.
It is at 3 for OldEarth, 2 for Alien and 4 for Progenitor.

Possible theory:
You need to have only one of the items meeting the reward cost. This is why you get the LIDAR: you meet both the requirement for an OldEarth item (3/3) and those of a Progenitor item (5/4)
On the other hand for the wonder you have Alien 1/2 and Progenitor 5/4 so it gives you a Progenitor reward.

Although this wouldn't work with this:

Statecraft:
+2 Diplomatic Capital from agreements
(Pristine Carnivorous Hive Eels (A), Battered Carbon Hail (O), Battered Hull Repair Suit (O))

+24 Energy, +38.4 Food

Soul Discerner Training:
+25% Covert Operation Speed
(Battered Carbon Hail (A), Pristine Impossible Drive(O), Battered Hull Repair Suit(O))

+30 Science

So there is more to it.
 
Pan-Spectral Observatory:
(Building Unlocked)
+100% Production for Orbital Units, +2 City Orbital Strike Range
(Pristine Carnivorous Hive Eels (A), Battered Isotopic Decay 3 (O), Pristine Impossible Drive (O))

+38.4 Food, +24 Energy, +30 Science
 
Tidal Navigation:
Tidal Units gain +100% Defense against ranged attacks
(Pristine Carnivorous Hive Eels (A), Battered Carbon Hail (A), Pristine Impossible Drive (O))

+38.4 Food, +24 Energy, +30 Science

Sky Chitin:
+50% Strength, +3 range to air units
(Pristine Carnivorous Hive Eels (A), Battered Carbon Hail (A), Battered Isotopic Decay 3 (O))

+38.4 Food, +24 Energy

Also another recipe for Tesseract Targeting:
(Battered Carbon Hail (A), Battered Isotopic Decay 3 (O), Battered Hull Repair Suit (O))
This gives no resources in addition to it, unlike the one listed in the OP.
 
The trend I'm noticing is that certain techs are associated with a minimum tier of a certain variety.

So combinations 1+ Pristine Aliens might have statecraft, or tidal navigation, for example.
 
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