Is PQ worth it in 1.03?

You only need a base class 20 planet if you never built Soil Enhancement, Habitat Improvements, or obtained any of the other +PQ social improvements and technologies. Add that 5% on top of other bonuses and you will see an effect.

As someone mentioned in the another thread, it may still push you over the edge to a higher PQ level in combination with other PQ enchancing social projects.

But yes, for the starting game, it is much less useful.

I think its a good move (even though I pick PQ15 consistently) as the majority of us have been picking it over the rest of the ability picks. Now we should see some more variety in our starting picks.

Za H,
Ohhhh. Always assumed the +PQ trait/facilities modified the base value and not the way you described it. Thanks for the info. Well that does explain why it's been called over-powered...

RayChua,
Dunno if the move'll help variety. For me it just means picking +2 speed over everything else so that I can grab more resources/systems a lot faster. *hopes speed doesn't get hit in the next update :p*

~SDC~

Well, in 1.03, speed +2 now cost you 9 points.

I used speed+2 before I was converted to PQ+15. Like yourself, speed+2 will now become one of my favourites again.

Well, if one ability appears to be overly favoured by players, it would suggest some imbalance. So yeah maybe speed may be further tweaked if it becomes the refuge for ex-PQ junkies.

Ray,

I see a lot of Huge and larger galaxies in your last wins. +2 speed is huge on those types of maps, but less important on smaller maps.

Perhaps this pick should scale depending upon map size?

Not sure whether it would be easy to scale the pick though.

But is speed really not so important in smaller maps? My only experience with small maps are with my first few games (i chose speed) and I do remember that I managed to grab all the good systems leaving the other races with very few systems each. Then it was a cakewalk (the low AI difficulty contributed to this as well, I guess).

Personally, I find speed more vital on the small maps where there are so few systems up for grabs. If I can grab 2-3 systems that were otherwise going to be grabbed by the AI I've practically won the game already.

Of course, speed is very useful in larger maps too, and useful for longer. But speed on small maps can mean total early game domination.

On larger maps I say dump speed and buy research bonuses instead, then beeline to impulse drive to get the +1 speed. The research bonus is useful longer.

Of course if the speed bonus allows you to grab a key resource, it might be more useful. As always, YMMV.

Getting back to the original question, you'll find that for every Planet Class from 14-19, +5% PQ combined with SE and/or HI will result in a Planet Class one higher than the same planet with only SE and/or HI. Not as wild as +15% PQ, but still worth it, IMO.

The exception is PQ 15 (unfortunately the most common one), 15 + 20% = 18, 15 + 25% = 18.75 rounded down to 18.

But it is still one point higher with just SE or HI, rather than both. 15+10%=16.5, 15+15%=17.25.

~SDC~

I still take it, because (although it is not as useful as the initial PQ+10/+15) there are still Precursor special events. Once one of those occurs, the affected planet zooms through the stratosphere.

Now (admittedly) this is a random which may (or may not) occur. But I have found that, with the Luck bonus, it happens more often than not.

Also, (should SD permit officially sanction them), there are some mod's which greatly benefit from even a +5 PQ bonus.

So I am undecided on this pick. But I like it better than many of the other options, except speed (which, regardless of map size, is always useful).

~SDC~