A use for Fusion Reactor

Umbral Reaver

Secret Wizard
Joined
Oct 15, 2009
Messages
104
I'm not great at Civ, so I may be looking at this completely wrong but...

We know 100 energy is useless for buying things compared with the other starting options.

What about using it as a buffer to sink into negative energy economy, dedicating to early growth and production without concern for energy until it's running out?
 
That's OK. But energy will be more freely available than BNW at the beginning of the game since you get it from river tiles, so it might not be necessary. In BNW I never had trouble with negative gold at the beginning of the game, and I doubt I will in BE.

Later in the game there is a higher need for energy because of worker improvements, but by then you should have trade routes up bringing in plenty.
 
The other spaceships provide a longer advantage than the fusion reactor. It should be changed to something that lasts a bit longer. With 100 energy you can not do much with it and it will stay in your stockpile for 20-30turns. You can use it to expand your borders early and that is about it.
 
Fusion Reactor bonus is as flimsy as a paper tissiue
I would change it for something meaninful, like first 4 cost 1 maintaince buildings in the capital are free, or something on those line
As it is, I guess the only function of fusion reactor, is disapoint someone who use the random features option
 
^ lol

I concur ... 100 energy is way too little.

Agree its too little, but it should stay as a lump sum if it was 200 that would be good, if it was 500 that would be OP.
 
The other spaceships provide a longer advantage than the fusion reactor. It should be changed to something that lasts a bit longer. With 100 energy you can not do much with it and it will stay in your stockpile for 20-30turns. You can use it to expand your borders early and that is about it.

I'd actually rather simply get free tiles on start in the capital straight away, ala the Shoshone. Much more fun bonus to me, and more powerful.
 
I'd actually rather simply get free tiles on start in the capital straight away, ala the Shoshone. Much more fun bonus to me, and more powerful.

Well you can also save it and get an extra unit/early building in 10-30 turns (depending on your energy usage)
 
Well you can also save it and get an extra unit/early building in 10-30 turns (depending on your energy usage)

That's not exactly an argument in favor of keeping the free 100 energy in my eyes.;)

A minor bonus such as a soldier or basic building in 30 turns is amazingly weak.
 
How much do workers/soldiers/Relic/clinic cost? They are all around 200-250 energy. So I think fusion reactor should give 200 energy. It's not enough to buy a soldier but is about equal to the least expensive option. Maybe make it slightly less, 190 energy. This way it works as a "wait and see" option instead of committing to a worker or clinic before even seeing the map.
 
How much do workers/soldiers/Relic/clinic cost? They are all around 200-250 energy. So I think fusion reactor should give 200 energy. It's not enough to buy a soldier but is about equal to the least expensive option. Maybe make it slightly less, 190 energy. This way it works as a "wait and see" option instead of committing to a worker or clinic before even seeing the map.

I would agree with that.. at least making it 150.
 
How much do workers/soldiers/Relic/clinic cost? They are all around 200-250 energy. So I think fusion reactor should give 200 energy. It's not enough to buy a soldier but is about equal to the least expensive option. Maybe make it slightly less, 190 energy. This way it works as a "wait and see" option instead of committing to a worker or clinic before even seeing the map.
Yes, I suppose that's the intent, to provide a versatile tool which requires less commitment than the other options. 150 instead of 100 might be okay, but it's tricky since going overboard with the value essentially nullifies the other options. And we know energy comes by easier than gold in Beyond Earth, so the difference in turns between the costs of the soldier/worker/clinic and the Fusion Reactor bonus isn't all that much to begin with (10 turns?). Tweak that 20 energy too much and balance is skewed.

By the way, I do love the way it's easier to gain energy throughout the game. In traditional Civs, gold-rushing was a late-ish game luxury for me (though perhaps less so in BNW, due to all the trading additions), when I was swimming in riches without a care in the world. Now energy purchases seem like an actual tactical tool.
 
I do think the bonus should be upped a bit (maybe 150?), but at the same time I don't think it's as weak as you are making it out to be.

Remember, the Fusion Reactor goes in the "Spaceship" slot, which is about information about the planet and arguably the weakest slot (or at least "most likely to be weakest"). You're not comparing the 100 energy to a worker or soldier or clinic. You're comparing it to knowing about the coastlines of your planet, or knowing where terrestrial strategic resources are early, or other similar bits of knowledge. Taking the Fusion Reactor is basically saying "I don't need or want that energy, I can do just fine with a classic Civ start with no knowledge of the world and explore manually" and getting some bonus resources for it.

In short, it's the min/max or munchkin option, the Civ equivalent where the guy in your DnD game trades the ability to speak for +1 strength. :D You forgo your early knowledge of the planet to try to get a building or worker or soldier up for cheap later. I still It does need to be bufed a bit, but it's not nearly as weak as people are making it out to be.
 
I do think the bonus should be upped a bit (maybe 150?), but at the same time I don't think it's as weak as you are making it out to be.

Remember, the Fusion Reactor goes in the "Spaceship" slot, which is about information about the planet and arguably the weakest slot (or at least "most likely to be weakest"). You're not comparing the 100 energy to a worker or soldier or clinic. You're comparing it to knowing about the coastlines of your planet, or knowing where terrestrial strategic resources are early, or other similar bits of knowledge. Taking the Fusion Reactor is basically saying "I don't need or want that energy, I can do just fine with a classic Civ start with no knowledge of the world and explore manually" and getting some bonus resources for it.

In short, it's the min/max or munchkin option, the Civ equivalent where the guy in your DnD game trades the ability to speak for +1 strength. :D You forgo your early knowledge of the planet to try to get a building or worker or soldier up for cheap later. I still It does need to be bufed a bit, but it's not nearly as weak as people are making it out to be.

I agree completely. People are underestimating the snowball effect of being able to rush buy something critical 10ish turns before someone who didn't take the extra energy.
 
I do think the bonus should be upped a bit (maybe 150?), but at the same time I don't think it's as weak as you are making it out to be.

Remember, the Fusion Reactor goes in the "Spaceship" slot, which is about information about the planet and arguably the weakest slot (or at least "most likely to be weakest"). You're not comparing the 100 energy to a worker or soldier or clinic.
You are correct and that is a very good point. I had thought it was a cargo option.
 
It's a nice starting capital, and combined with popping 1-2 supply portable reactor pods in the early game (or a solar satellite) gives a player the energy to rush something in say turn 20-30.
 
150 energy would be perfect since you can get 60 energy in a resource pod and a explorer costs 200 (which is more than the 140 gold for the scout). If you don't find a pod you will probably be able to save up 50 energy in 8-12 turns and get a explorer early enough to be useful.
 
I think Fusion Reactor should instead be a 'Palace Bonus' in your Capital that provides +5 Energy/Turn for your first 50 turns before it must be dismantled for safety (for game balance purposes).
 
No doubt IMO that Fusion Reactor needs some buffing up to be in the same class as the other Spacecraft options. It should be part immediate reward and part long-term benefit. I could live with +50 Energy and +1 Energy in the Capital from worked tiles, or something like that.
 
I think it would be cool if it negated maintenance on your first building instead of being a fixed quantity.
 
Top Bottom