road paver depot Understanding ?

[Neil_MH]

So how is this supposed to work? Planted two of them over couple games and tried to expand the tiles when available but got a negative smile face when next times shown.
So whats up ?
Thanks!

[Rooks]

If I remember correctly, that building just gives you expansions. It does NOT mitigate negative support due to distance. For that, you want the Bus Station / Train Station / Hyperloop buildings.

[Neil_MH]

Yup, used those with great success, I just dont see any advantage with the RPD at the moment.

[sbszine]

You can use the RPD to expand to locations that generate support or comfort. So although you get negative support from distant locations, that can be more than balanced out if the location is the right type.

[CryonicSuspension]

It's subtle in that Android gives 2 expansion, road paver 3 expansions.

If you want long distance, without the penalties, you need the bus / train / hyperloop.

[graphitepaddle]

Originally posted by CryonicSuspension:

It's subtle in that Android gives 2 expansion, road paver 3 expansions.

If you want long distance, without the penalties, you need the bus / train / hyperloop.

Android does more than add expansions. Since it is increasing the population of the city, it adds more expansions within the city (assuming your city isn't fully populated yet).

[molina.jose.8800]

Now with the newest additions, Road Paver Depot has been "buffed" indirectly.

I think the plan now is that you can make cities as small as possible with only 2 Population (be it 1 people + 1 robot or 2 people) and still exploit all spots possible. With 2 population, you normally can occupy only city 9 slots total (like the Deimos Moon). But then, you can occupy more slots than normal if...

1- You rescue the lost explorer in the early game and made her a leader instead of giving her the hero's welcome (and the juicy +75 support). It unlocks the "Self Sufficient Cities" perk, that allows cities with just the starting HQ to use 8 tiles instead of 5
2- Research the Advanced City Planning Technology (only costs 5 Science. The cheapest of all techs). It adds 3 to the number of tiles you have available to exploit.
3- Coffeeshop and City Planning Office also give the 3 extra city tiles to exploit, plus a small bonus to support (the first gives +3 to all HUMAN habitation builidings) and the latter gives a flat +4

I tend to draw Coffeeshop in the early game. It costs only 9 Nitrates and that opens possibilities, like having a 3 pop only city that can still be exploited fully. Or even a 2 pop + 1 bot if I draw Combined Housing Building. That way your city will claim only 2 tiles for starters (normally, the 2 mines at your beginning point), but there comes the RPD to the rescue, letting you claim a total of 5 tiles with minimum unhappiness (-1 usually).

Later in game you may want to replace it with the Train Station (giving you a net +1 Claimable outer tile and +1 support) or even the Hyperloop if you're feeling greedy enough ;)

AAAAAAAND all of this synergizes greatly with the Rural Retirement Center. It will give you a maximum of +20 support (22 - 2 per the only pop there if you go for the 1-pop city challenge). In my case (3 pop) it still nets +16 supp and makes your game more enjoyable.

For extra fun, put your Rural RC in the Deimos Moon AND combine it with the City Planning Office. That's a net of +24 supp with a comparatively cheap total cost (20 En, 10 Food, 10 W, 10 Science). Scientists deserve happiness. Period.

Hope this helps you, at least at the lower levels. It helped me with the Weekly Challenge in Week 10.

[molina.jose.8800]

Originally posted by graphitepaddle:

Android does more than add expansions. Since it is increasing the population of the city, it adds more expansions within the city (assuming your city isn't fully populated yet).

Were you referring to the Robot Hub?

Android Hub nets 3 robotic population and 3 expansions, costing 10 energy more than RPD.

RPD is for when you want small pop cities (where you can nuke the climate zones and use Radiodurans with minimal penalty) and you might want to replace them with Train Stations or Hyperloops in the future.

Android Hub is great if you want to sprawl with robotics (3 Pop + 9 bots cities are a godsend if you want to juice up your Trade Hub with that Hefty +4). Add Domestic Robot Dispatch Centers and you're golden.

[Neil_MH]

Thank you, great info ! I like using the trains. Always add Android Hubs. Il like to avoid the -1 :)
I video record all my plays, their posted. Will do the next Mission tomorrow :)