Starbase idea - use diminishing returns

from Stardock Forums
There was a poll on the galciv website recently asking whether, if there was more than one star base in a sector, whether or not the effect should be cumulative. However I don't think the poll gave enough options. My idea is that the law of dimishing returns applies. This means the first starbase in a sector is fully efficient. But the next one built there is only 1/2 as efficient. The next one only 1/3 and so on. The game would have to keep track of the order in which starbases are built to apply this rule. Perhaps we should see a number on the starbase information panel and the efficiency it is running at. Also, there is also talk of limiting the number of starbases in a sector and then increasing that number through techs. Well, we could have that and/or also techs that increase the efficiency of starbases, say increase the number of starbases in a sector before dimishing returns is applied. Therefore you could have two starbase limits in a sector - the max number allowed and the number that can run fully efficiently. Possibly there could also be a third limit for minimum spacing limit which could also be improved with research. All these limits, as well as being improved by techs, could also be adjusted at the beginning of the game with modifiable abilities. Also, it's possible that starbases built on a mineral may not count towards the limits.

~SDC~
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Reply #1 from Stardock Forums Top
I understand that the new technology "logistics" does something to limit starbases but could it be used for an efficiency factor as well?

You could have a UP proposal that might come up to try to limit the number of starbases in a sector for an individual race or total number per sector regardless of race thoug this may already be in the game, I don't know.

Effieciency could also be applied a different from the way I mentioned in the first post by applying it evenly over all your starbases in a sector. That is, rather than the first one be 100%, the next one 50% etc, could be evened out. So with 2 starbases, both are 75% efficient until more research. This may mean really thinking before you build another starbase because the moment you do, inefficency may appear for previous starbases.

We could actually have both methods (or even more) in the game - the one being used may depend on which government is in office!

Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top
The way things work in the Beta, each starbase costs S*X credits to build, where S is the number of starbases you currently own and X is 250 at Logistics Level 0.

There is nothing else in the current beta that mentions Logistics - no techs - just this one "level" indicator on the cost of building a starbase pop-up.

So, the first starbase is free, the second costs 250, the third 500, and the twelvth 2750.

With the 3-parsec 'navigation space' limit, the maximum number of starbases you can fit in a sector is 9, excluding starbases built on resources (which, apparently, never pose a navigational hazard for passing ships).

Resource-mining starbases still count towards your building cost.

I imagine one of the things the Logistics ability does is reduce the amount X in some way.
Galactic Civilizations III
Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top
Umm... one other thing I just noticed. May be a bug, but I don't think I'm seeing maintenance costs for these starbases.

This test was in a tiny universe, I'm having trouble loading the Gigantic game I have going (probably need to reboot).
Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top
Thanks for that answer. I was wondering my posts had just been ingnored so it's good to get some feedback.
Reply #5 from Stardock Forums Top
#3 by Citizen Duodecimal - 1/24/2004 11:09:24 PM
Umm... one other thing I just noticed. May be a bug, but I don't think I'm seeing maintenance costs for these starbases.
End of quote

Frogboy mentioned in another thread that there are no more maintanance cost for starbases. Just the costs for logistics and the constructors.

I guess they finance themselves by charging ships which use them ;p
Reply #6 from Stardock Forums Top
I imagine one of the things the Logistics ability does is reduce the amount X in some way.
End of quote


My suspicion is that it's more along the lines of (S-L)×250, where S is the number of starbases already built and L is your Logistics ability.

~SDC~
Reply #7 from Stardock Forums Top
Since now (in AP I mean)the starbases cost so much, tle logics of diminishing returns is already present: in order to have the same benefits, the starbase costs much more. Therefore diminishing returns. Maybe it's even an easier way to implement it.
In any case I've noticed a severe drop in starbase numbers in the galaxy. I think it's a good change. Now I'm waiting for the logistics tech, because I cannot afford to get all the resources I'd want right now...