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===== Silica ===== | ===== Silica ===== | ||
How important is silica? If we take a peek at the advanced research tree, you’ll notice you need nearly 400 Science | How important is silica? If we take a peek at the advanced research tree, you’ll notice you need nearly 400 Science Datacubes just for research requirements. | ||
[[File:Advanced_Research_Censored.jpg|800x506px]] | [[File:Advanced_Research_Censored.jpg|800x506px]] | ||
In the game, you can hover over the Robotics | In the game, you can hover over the Robotics Datacube item and hold ‘alt’ to see its “ingredient requirements for constant production”. | ||
[[File:Robotics_Data_Cube_Constant_Production.png]] | [[File:Robotics_Data_Cube_Constant_Production.png]] | ||
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That means you will eventually have to venture out to the plateaus and exterminate the bugs that spawn from their hives, securing the area for your miners to harvest the silica. | That means you will eventually have to venture out to the plateaus and exterminate the bugs that spawn from their hives, securing the area for your miners to harvest the silica. | ||
The game has some checks that determine the ‘'''bug hive difficulty increase.'''’ The strength level of bugs spawned from bug hives/holes when players get too close. (Beatwho @ | The game has some checks that determine the ‘'''bug hive difficulty increase.'''’ The strength level of bugs spawned from bug hives/holes when players get too close. (Beatwho @ [https://www.twitch.tv/videos/1870001104?t=109m46s Dev Stream #9] - “how big you are and your tech level”) | ||
*How many bots/buildings players have nearby, and… | *How many bots/buildings players have nearby, and… | ||
*How far the players have progressed through the research tree. | *How far the players have progressed through the research tree. | ||
Latest revision as of 09:23, 3 September 2023
Work in progress.
At the start of the game, you’re told to deploy your Command Center near Metal Ore and Crystal Chunk deposits in order for your bots to be able to mine them while in the power grid emanating from your Command Center building.
Other than metal and crystal, a third, even more vital resource is needed, Silica Sand.
Silica[edit | edit source]
How important is silica? If we take a peek at the advanced research tree, you’ll notice you need nearly 400 Science Datacubes just for research requirements.
In the game, you can hover over the Robotics Datacube item and hold ‘alt’ to see its “ingredient requirements for constant production”.
If we want to make just one blue cube every 20 seconds for our ≈500 advanced research (a really long time if you only use one Uplink. -Tip: Use more uplinks!) we would need 9 metal miners, 6 crystal miners and 10 silica miners running constantly.
Where is Silica[edit | edit source]
Silica Sand is located on the dangerous plateaus, home to hostile bugs that use silica to build their hives and holes.
That means you will eventually have to venture out to the plateaus and exterminate the bugs that spawn from their hives, securing the area for your miners to harvest the silica.
The game has some checks that determine the ‘bug hive difficulty increase.’ The strength level of bugs spawned from bug hives/holes when players get too close. (Beatwho @ Dev Stream #9 - “how big you are and your tech level”)
- How many bots/buildings players have nearby, and…
- How far the players have progressed through the research tree.
Choice One[edit | edit source]
Choice One – play as intended (slightly slower start, but play how the developers want you to play) Deploy your base at the start of a new game, start mining, build refineries and assemblers, and progress through the basic research tree (‘bug hive difficulty increase’?). You will then need to find silica to continue research. So it’s time to exterminate bugs. For bug extermination, you may only have access to early game bots.These early game bots (your starter scouts/scouts you find, workers and dashbots you build) only have 1 Small component slot. Each of these will fire a small turret and recharge at 100% speed. But now the hives are more dangerous, so you decide to take an army of bots (another ‘bug hive difficulty increase’?).
This is a good challenge and can be fun to learn how to balance bot numbers, like turret bots/power generation bots/battery bots. It’s also good practice for combat tactics and controlling numerous bots.
Tip: You can group your bots with ‘Ctrl + 1 to 0’ to help with your attack.
Choice Two[edit | edit source]
Choice Two – bug cheese (easier/faster start, but a bigger jump in combat difficulty later) If you put a small component in a medium sized component slot, if it has a progress bar action like refining/assembling/recharging it will gain a 50% speed boost. Put a small turret on a bot with a Medium sized component slot and it will recharge 50% faster. The Mobile Command Center has 2 Medium component slots. Right at the start of the game you have one bot that can have two turrets reloading at a much faster speed with no ‘bug hive difficulty increase’. If you have played before, or want to speed up the start of the game, find a nice location and then use your Mobile Command Center with the two turrets to clear out a nearby plateau. Completely eradicate all bug holes and bug hives in preparation for your later silica uses. You will need more silica from other plateaus so there will be guaranteed combat later on, and it will be harder due to a big jump in ‘bug hive difficulty increase’.