Balancing of colonies

from Offworld Forums

I think the most important thing to making this game as great as it can be is a proper balancing of the colonies. I think they are pretty balanced for the most part but I feel a scientist has a slight edge robot and expansive are about even and a scavenger is at a slight disadvantage. What does everyone else think? Are there any suggestions of bonuses that can be implemented or taken away to balance the colonies better? My personal opinion is that if you take away the scientists' ability of taking less damage from the black market that would take away their slight advantage and at the same time take away the scavengers' slight disadvantage. Any thoughts?

91,394 views 17 replies
Reply #1 from Offworld Forums Top

I think you're not sufficiently experienced to understand the balance.

Besides, every time Soren tweaks something like Offworlds, shipping, BM, Engineering, the balance swings around. Science has gone from supremacy to rubbish to supremacy two times already. None of the HQ types is excessively powerful at the moment.

Galactic Civilizations III
Reply #4 from Offworld Forums Top

Why does everyone always look for a good science spot first though?

Reply #5 from Offworld Forums Top

Also scientists is basically imune to nuke which is a very powerful bm

Reply #6 from Offworld Forums Top

scientific is very easy to play when adjacent to steel and water, and people generally don't try to kill them first when they're in this kind of a superb spot which they need to be. And they're not a colony type, they're a company type.

Reply #7 from Offworld Forums Top

Quoting showcasemike23, reply 4

Why does everyone always look for a good science spot first though?

On top of what Cubit said, I think the adjacent iron and water areas are by far the easiest to spot visually so they draw immediate attention. Personally, I prefer expansive and scavenger over scientific or robotic, and as of now scientific is my least favorite faction. I don't think they are overpowered at all. I think a good balance has been finally reached a few patches ago and all HQ types are equally competitive as long as they are found in the correct location. What makes a certain company overpowered is god-mode spots on specific map, something that hasn't really changed since the initial release.

Reply #8 from Offworld Forums Top

I'm going to disagree that all the HQ's are balanced at the moment. Scientists have a clear advantage based on the double fuel cost change in beta 8 and 9. Why do you think that 9 times out of 10 the scientific spot is the first one founded and people take on all that debt? Because it pays off in all the fuel you save and the resources you get access to directly next to your base. It's especially true if the black market is strong since they resist black market so well.

I think it used to be balanced in beta 7 but not so much anymore. That's not to say that other HQ types can't win. They can but they're at a disadvantage. 

Reply #9 from Offworld Forums Top

Here's how I think it works:

1. Iron and water? Science.

2. Poor water overall? Robo.

3. Good selfish BM (claims)? Scav, if not founding too late.

4. No iron? Robo.

5. Otherwise expansive.

I think the game is only interesting when at least one or more resources is very poor.

Reply #10 from Offworld Forums Top

Quoting blackmagic1, reply 8
I'm going to disagree that all the HQ's are balanced at the moment. Scientists have a clear advantage based on the double fuel cost change in beta 8 and 9. Why do you think that 9 times out of 10 the scientific spot is the first one founded and people take on all that debt?

Because Soren is obsessed with scientific HQ + Teleportation? :P 

Btw, science + teleportation has always been the thing. Now TP's advantage is bigger, that's all.

Quoting blackmagic1, reply 8
Because it pays off in all the fuel you save and the resources you get access to directly next to your base. It's especially true if the black market is strong since they resist black market so well.


I think it used to be balanced in beta 7 but not so much anymore. That's not to say that other HQ types can't win. They can but they're at a disadvantage.

Am I missing something? Are fuel costs calculated differently for scientist (serious question, as you know I don't play these days myself)?

Last time I checked scientists were those who have remote plants rather than directly accessible resources next to their base. God-mode spots of adjacent iron and water are a no brainer, just like they were before. Nothing's new here. However, fuel expenses of any other HQ founded on iron+water spot will be minimal as well. It's all about specific founding location, not the faction. 

Reply #11 from Offworld Forums Top

Quoting InSyncOTC, reply 10


Quoting blackmagic1,
reply 8
I'm going to disagree that all the HQ's are balanced at the moment. Scientists have a clear advantage based on the double fuel cost change in beta 8 and 9. Why do you think that 9 times out of 10 the scientific spot is the first one founded and people take on all that debt?



Because Soren is obsessed with scientific HQ + Teleportation? :P  

Btw, science + teleportation has always been the thing. Now TP's advantage is bigger, that's all.


Quoting blackmagic1,
reply 8
Because it pays off in all the fuel you save and the resources you get access to directly next to your base. It's especially true if the black market is strong since they resist black market so well.


I think it used to be balanced in beta 7 but not so much anymore. That's not to say that other HQ types can't win. They can but they're at a disadvantage.



Am I missing something? Are fuel costs calculated differently for scientist (serious question, as you know I don't play these days myself)?

Last time I checked scientists were those who have remote plants rather than directly accessible resources next to their base. God-mode spots of adjacent iron and water are a no brainer, just like they were before. Nothing's new here. However, fuel expenses of any other HQ founded on iron+water spot will be minimal as well. It's all about specific founding location, not the faction. 

 

Scientific has always been fuel efficienct when played and placed properly. Even if the buildings are dispersed, you are shipping larger volumes of 2nd tier resources. instead of shipping 20 iron per shipment, you are shipping 40 steel (80 iron) per shipment. Far less fuel consumed even if shipped from a distance. Scientific shipping runs into problems on electronics/glass which utilizing shipping both directions, but that can be worked around via teleportation :) It's usually the 1st tier resources that consume the most fuel since they ship in smaller amounts.

Reply #13 from Offworld Forums Top

Quoting Jaiwera, reply 9

Here's how I think it works:

1. Iron and water? Science.

2. Poor water overall? Robo.

3. Good selfish BM (claims)? Scav, if not founding too late.

4. No iron? Robo.

5. Otherwise expansive.

I think the game is only interesting when at least one or more resources is very poor.

This is how I scan the map when the debt timer ticks

First you look at how many rescources there are total on the Market >

View the Map in 4 dragclicks >

Godtiles(Iron and alu in one tile) go Robot (Found at 45k Debt) >

If with alot of people look for Alu and Sil closeby so you can do Robo Power Play (also look if there are no Double Geos,Which can ruin your strat)(Found at 0k Debt) >

 Are Iron and Water/(Sil) Closeby eachother? (both connected if you have your Hq placed down) Science Play (Found at 33k debt) >

Not Alot of (High)Water on the Map? ( Water(?)/Player(?)= If below 4 = Robot (Found at <33k debt) >

Not alot of rescources in general?(but in high volumes)also Geos??) Expansive (Found at <33k debt) >

Is Carbon Good? (Good as High/Medium Carbon with atleast 2 low carbon connected)(preferable with claims on the market) Scavenger ( Found at <25k debt) >

 

(Some1 else founded the location you wanted)(Leaving you with non of above^)>

If high Iron(preferable with low connected) still exist go Expansive // if cluster Iron still exist go Scientific (and water/sil nearby) // Not enough water closeby? but High iron/alu nearby?(and preferable sil) go Robot // 3 low carbon(or 2 high separate) your only choice? go Scavenger 

 

Everyone has their own preference. mine is Robo>Science>Expansive>Scavenger

 

Note That < debt relies on How many other good spots there are on the map.

 

 

 

Reply #14 from Offworld Forums Top

1. How's silicon looking? Can I power robo?

 

2. Oh god i've used up almost 1/3rd my time... uhhh scav spots? That's quick to check!

 

3. no there's never a scav spot, time to look around the map

 

4. ok that's an alright science sp- *scientific colony founded*

 

5. Alright alright find iron place down expansive there we go... shit the water was miles away...

 

*wins anyway*

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Reply #15 from Offworld Forums Top

Founded Last, Still Dies from Debt*

 

So I fixed it for you :P

Reply #16 from Offworld Forums Top

1. Is gameslayer playing. If yes > found Robopower at -100. If no > quit and play something else.

Reply #17 from Offworld Forums Top

Quoting indczn1, reply 11

Scientific has always been fuel efficienct when played and placed properly. Even if the buildings are dispersed, you are shipping larger volumes of 2nd tier resources. instead of shipping 20 iron per shipment, you are shipping 40 steel (80 iron) per shipment. Far less fuel consumed even if shipped from a distance. Scientific shipping runs into problems on electronics/glass which utilizing shipping both directions, but that can be worked around via teleportation :) It's usually the 1st tier resources that consume the most fuel since they ship in smaller amounts. 

1st tier resources are shipped by everyone. Expansives/Rototics usually will only ship iron or aluminum, not both. Scavengers ship either carbon or more often aluminum, seldom both. Scientists usually ship aluminum. The only resource they have advantage at is water which is kinda mitigated by the fact they have to ship twice for all other second tier stuff. On top of that robots don't really need water, expansives have shipping discounts and scavangers don't take too much power debt so they can afford a bit of extra fuel debt. I think... And obviously if you have Teleportation, you have an edge when it comes to shipping costs. :) 

Conclusion? I need to start playing again and maybe then I'll understand what you all are talking about. :P