Game Time: 5/26/2006 9:23:29 PM
|
Bases - Overview Bases are fixed in space and not mobile like Starships. While not specifically placed on a planet which orbits a Star System it is generally implied that they are placed on a planet, moon or large asteroid. Exactly what it is on isn't important. Bases are the only place you can install a Ore Mine, Smelter or Factory. It is the place to stockpile your goods until needed. They effectively can serve as your base of operations. Players are not limited to the number of bases they can establish. As with most things in the Living Universe your biggest limitation is how much "stuff" you can effectively control. Establishing a New Base First you will want to select a starsystem in which to build your base. Before you select a starsystem you will want to get an Ore Sample or two with your Prospector. If you should sample a few different stars before deciding which one has the best mix and quality of ore. Use a Base Construction Droid to create a new base Load the Base Construction Droid onto your starship and take it to the selected destination. Use the Establish Base command (found in the green menu on the Ship Status page) to place your Base Construction Droid into A Living Universe. Your Base Construction Droid will create Base Hulls to expand your base. You must supply it with all the metals required to build Base Hulls. You don't have to build your base in an empty starsystem, multiple bases may be built in one system. You may live in peace or war, that is up to you. Your new Base will start with 150 Base Hulls so you can outfit it with some basic arms and equipment. The most inexpensive insurance you can have against attack is to have a few Activated Repair Robots and some Spare Parts in your Inventory. This way if your Base is attacked while you are away your Repair Repair Robots will begin repairs automatically. As your Base grows in size you can add more equipment. If you establish your base in a hostile area it will be very important to arm it with a basic turret and laser for anti-missile defense. Once your Base Construction Droid is exhausted you can replace it with a new one to further expand your base.
Expanding Your Existing Base Use a Base Construction Droid to expand your base. Buy or transfer it from your starship to your base. DON'T "Establish a New Base", unless that is really what you want to do. After your base has the new Base Construction Droid, you add it to your Engineering section just like you would any other piece of standard equipment. From there its the same care and feeding you used to establish your base. The items described below all very large weigh many tons each. When you are first starting the game you may need to strip one of your ships down to just a Bend-1 Drive and fuel to make enough space to move Mines. If you do not have a ship big enough to haul an item this large, don't despair. Just place a Wanted Ad and I'm sure someone with a large ship will be happy to deliver one (for a profit, of course). There lots of other Factories you can build at your base, be sure to browse the Factories instruction page. How Bases Work Unlike a Starship your Base is not limited to the quantity of items it may store. Base Hulls are used for Engineering, Production and Weapons. Inventory and Damage Control do not count against Base Hulls. This means you may make piles of Ore and Metal outside of your Base superstructure. Once your Base Construction Droid has built enough Base Hulls you can install a basic missile defense system. Keep expanding your base to include an Ore Smelter, then you can buy Ore from other Bases and smelt it into Metal yourself. (This is a good way to save a lot of credits!) Building up your Base is a slow and steady process that will span several days if you are dilligent, it may take several weeks if you just play occasionally. Having a way to turn Ore into Metal is a key step in building your empire. It may be even more important than having a Mine early in base building. Starting a mining operation using Ore Mines will keep your base supplied with lots of raw material. Now each Starsystem does not produce all the raw materials you will need so having several bases located in nearby stars is a sure way to have a steady supply on hand. Ore Mines Ore Mines are used as a basic resource collector. Although Ore Mines are very large they can be moved from Base to Base as needed. Before a mine is placed a player will want to collect ore samples using a Prospector Class Ship. You might also buy Ore Sample information from a trusted source. An Ore Mine uses 0.25 ton of fuel per turn for each mine installed. The amounts of ore and ore types are related to the sectors star class. Mines create lots of ore for you and are a good source of revenue. Ore Mines weigh 546 Tons. Ore Smelter Ore Smelters are used to stamp, smelt and purify ore into metal. An Ore Smelter can complete 100 work units of smelting a turn. To see how many tons of ore it takes to make one ton of metal look at the Metal Table and select the metal you want to learn about. Ore Smelters can really bring your gameplay into a new dimension. No longer will you be totally dependant on your own resources and just selling the Ore you Mine. There is a great premium to be reaped by smelting ore, for yourself or to sell. Ore Smelters weigh 403 Tons. Fuel Refineries Want to make your own fuel? We knew that would get your attention. Buy a Fuel Refinery and your on your way to success. Feed in Uranium Metal, and out comes a stable source of fuel for your Starships and Factories. Fuel Refineries weigh 658 Tons. Putting it all together! Do your research! If you plan to do any mining get Ore Samples FIRST! Grow your base hulls and then install a Ore Mine or Ore Smelter. If you need credits and the Ore Samples are promising install an Ore Mine. The next step up would be to install an Ore Smelter to turn your Ore into Metal. You may find that your neighbors have lots of Ore you can import and smelt. Sometimes importing ore from your neighbors and smelting it yourself is a cheaper option. Put up Wanted Ads and let starships sell it to your base. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||