Academies or Biowells ?

[Magean]

Hi,

Which one do you most often build ? Academies or Biowells ? I personally build Biowells mainly, IMO food + health = win. Especially since Biowells can make up for Manufactories health malus.

Anyway, what's your opinion on this topic ?

 

[robincox]

I haven't played that much yet, so I haven't built any academys but biowells are really great, just build some generators and then alot of biowells for laot of food and acompanying health.

 

[GAGA Extrem]

Academies shine if you go knowledge. The +5 science from a single tile is certainly better than the Biowell.

Without virtues I'd say it is a close call. Biowells offer more utility, but the health is rarely needed (at least in my case, since I usually go Prosperity).

 

[Acken]

Well if we talk specifically about science Academies are better. Biowells are good to help you get healthy though, there is a 20 to 30% differential in science if you achieve health.

However once you're healthy there's not point in making biowells over academies. The science from academies is FAR superior to whatever amount of science 2 food can get you through growth. The game isn't as population focused as civ5 was.

The real question is whether or not staying unhealthy and spamming academies is better than trying to achieve a good balance and get healthy first.

 

[Kouvb593kdnuewnd]

Academies + prosperity + knowledge is a pretty strong combo, great overall with very strong science and health in the green with not even a singel biowell.

 

[Stalker0]

I was loving biowells until I discovered academies, and I haven't looked back.

In general I found growth really tapers off around pop 10 unless I am pushing it. Health doesn't deliver that much of a penalty. As such, more science = more tech = more building options = stronger units = faster to a win condition.

 

[Grotius]

Newbish dumb question: you have to work a biowell improvement to get its benefit, right?

 

[elder abuser]

Newbish dumb question: you have to work a biowell improvement to get its benefit, right?

Yes, every particular tile needs to be worked by the city. Improvements, including the biowell, increase its yield. In the city screen you can assign your desired tiles to be worked.

 

[Stalker0]

Newbish dumb question: you have to work a biowell improvement to get its benefit, right?

The food bonus yes, the health bonus no.

 

[Manannan]

I'm just now realizing I haven't built either yet. I haven't had any real issues keep my health positive (well, minus during early REX, but that's always temporary) in any game, so I don't see a reason to build biowells, and while academies sound nice I've been so obsessed with spamming weather controllers and their strategic resource equivalent who's name I forget I haven't bothered with much past farms and the odd generator or mine. Maybe I should invest in building some domes and academies next game to see how they are.

And while I'm listing off special improvements may I just say that manufactories are pointless, as it's way too easy to get your production up by other means (ie: trade routes and satellites).

 

[Becephalus]

I think the game is relatively well balanced and that is one of its strong points and that many of these things are not massively overpowered compared to others.

 

[Grotius]

The food bonus yes, the health bonus no.

Oh -- that was really my question. I often build biowells primarily for the health bonus. So you're sure you get that bonus even if you don't work the tile? The UI isn't crystal clear about that.

 

[dat1337vet]

Oh -- that was really my question. I often build biowells primarily for the health bonus. So you're sure you get that bonus even if you don't work the tile? The UI isn't crystal clear about that.

I would like to know as well

 

[Ryika]

The Health-Bonus is always active, you can even place them on tiles that none of your cities can work and you'll still get the health bonus. (<- sorry, this information is wrong. Biowells need to be worked in order to give the health-bonus.)

As for the question itself... really depends on the strategy. I actually prefer to have none of both, spam generators early on and then terrascape the whole planet. Because there's really no better way of playing harmony - adapting to the alien planet by completely rebuilding it. :>

 

[Slvynn]

The Health-Bonus is always active, you can even place them on tiles that none of your cities can work and you'll still get the health bonus.

As for the question itself... really depends on the strategy. I actually prefer to have none of both, spam generators early on and then terrascape the whole planet. Because there's really no better way of playing harmony - adapting to the alien planet by completely rebuilding it. :>

this is not correct.
Tile MUST be worked in order to provide bonus health. 100% checked.

I play Biowell spam on Apollo as Brasillia Harmony now, combined with SC spam early in the game those things deliver.
I going mainly for never ending rex and conquest, so health is the issue.
In long term, you can benefit from BW more, because you can city spam/conquer and there will be no cap for your growth and TR spam. More cities = more buildings and TR

 

[Ryika]

this is not correct.
Tile MUST be worked in order to provide bonus health. 100% checked.

Mhh... yeah, I just rechecked, and you're indeed correct. Not sure why I thought otherwise, my biowells probably always got assigned by the AI. ^^ Or I just had a lot of biowells doing nothing but costing me maintenance. Because THAT is something they really do without being worked, double-checked that, too.

 

[kingsbury]

Academies shine if you go knowledge. The +5 science from a single tile is certainly better than the Biowell.

Without virtues I'd say it is a close call. Biowells offer more utility, but the health is rarely needed (at least in my case, since I usually go Prosperity).

To get the health effects of prosperity and the +2 from academies you need to get a total of 15 virtues (minus the free ones).

I am working on a current strategy trying to strike a balance between biowells and academies. One of the main obstacles is in the early game if you don't spawn near a river the cost for either can start to become prohibitive if you also start to build military units.

 

[s0nny80y]

Don't forget to launch solar collectors and secure geothermals to boost energy cost of those expensive improvements!

Unfortunately, since those expensive improvements don't occur until the mid ring, it's easy to get lost in surplus trade, surplus not always being a good thing.

And if you plan to go tall, jack up your Air Force.

 

[GoodSarmatian]

I build Biowels instead of farms as soon as I have Bionics, and a one or two Academies in cities.

 

[cazaderonus]

1/3 terrascape 1/3 academies 1/3 generator + full prosp and knowledge + holomatrix and lasercom satelites = OPhorsehocky