Orbital thingies on colonies

[Charlemagne]

It seems orbital stations over colonies contribute to their core as if they were part of it. This wasn't too clear. Of course things that add resources are straightforward, manufacturing, research, money, food because colonies already have these stats and furthermore, when you place say a space elevator, you can immediately see the increase in manufacturing.
But what about atmospheric cleansers or prisons? Common sense says that if the cleanser is over a colony it cleans only the colony's atmosphere and would have no effect on the core, but turns out, a cleanser over a colony does affect the core! I can't test prisons right now because I have no crime, but I suspect they work as well. This brings a new look to the much debated early game crime wave.
And what about recruiting centers? This is less clear. The AI customarily places an RC over each colony, but I wonder if the growth accumulates on the core.

[SDSkinner2011]

Just checked; it doesn't.

[z|A|bik2]

Hello Charlemagne!

Thanks for the feedback. It may be worth forwarding it to the team, as it does sound cheeky

[Charlemagne]

I started a new game just to test this.
Atmospheric Cleanser- Stacks and is reported in the planet menu. And isn't reduced by decay. A great way to reduce pollution, which can easily get out of control and is hard to counter even with buildings and the one Cleanser over the capital. But with support from colonies... Yay. Of course it takes a slot that could be used for something else so it is balanced IMO.
Orbital Prison- It does work in colonies, but what it does is reduce the colony's own crime (the amount the colony contributes to the core). -20% means that practically all colonies would have their crime reduced to zero. Probably not justified except with huge crime levels.
Recruiting Center- Confirmed, it doesn't work in colonies.

[peterhoran79]

So prisons do reduce crime on a colony which directly impacts the core world.

Recruiting stations and the other improvement that increases growth are pointless on colonies.

Sensor arrays do benefit colonies but are a waste as this job is better done by starbases.

I have never tried atmospheric cleansers on colonies didn't know they worked.

Just for extra information if people care the influence beacon on a colony does work, its just the effect isnt noticeable to be mentioned in the UI. If you check out a colonies stats using the cheat console you will say even planets with 0 cultural output produce a small amount of natural influence and this figure is increased by the influence beacon (and comms starbases) .

[peterhoran79]

Originally posted by Charlemagne:

I started a new game just to test this.
Atmospheric Cleanser- Stacks and is reported in the planet menu. And isn't reduced by decay. A great way to reduce pollution, which can easily get out of control and is hard to counter even with buildings and the one Cleanser over the capital. But with support from colonies... Yay. Of course it takes a slot that could be used for something else so it is balanced IMO.
Orbital Prison- It does work in colonies, but what it does is reduce the colony's own crime (the amount the colony contributes to the core). -20% means that practically all colonies would have their crime reduced to zero. Probably not justified except with huge crime levels.
Recruiting Center- Confirmed, it doesn't work in colonies.

Sorry I wrote my post without properly reading yours. I'm surprised about the atmospheric cleansers working on colonies. However I'm a bit confused I thought that pollution only impacted 2 things pop growth and food output both of these things only happen at the core world. So how does reducing pollution on a colony help the core. Do colonies contribute to a core's pollution (I didn't think so but I never explicitly checked either)?

[Charlemagne]

I think it is a good mechanics even if not explained satisfactorily, because there aren't too many ways of fighting pollution. One could say that pollutants from the core are getting dumped in desert parts of the colony...
Pollution affects beyond growth and food, in that it causes some really nasty events.

[peterhoran79]

Originally posted by Charlemagne:

I think it is a good mechanics even if not explained satisfactorily, because there aren't too many ways of fighting pollution. One could say that pollutants from the core are getting dumped in desert parts of the colony...
Pollution affects beyond growth and food, in that it causes some really nasty events.

So to be clear your saying atmospheric scrubbers on feeder colonies reduce the pollution on the core world?

[Charlemagne]

Originally posted by peterhoran79:

Originally posted by Charlemagne:

I think it is a good mechanics even if not explained satisfactorily, because there aren't too many ways of fighting pollution. One could say that pollutants from the core are getting dumped in desert parts of the colony...
Pollution affects beyond growth and food, in that it causes some really nasty events.

So to be clear your saying atmospheric scrubbers on feeder colonies reduce the pollution on the core world?

Yep.

[peterhoran79]

Originally posted by Charlemagne:

Originally posted by peterhoran79:

So to be clear your saying atmospheric scrubbers on feeder colonies reduce the pollution on the core world?

Yep.

Cool I never knew. I never used them in colonies because I assumed they were only useful on cores.

[peterhoran79]

Originally posted by peterhoran79:

Originally posted by Charlemagne:

Yep.

Cool I never knew. I never used them in colonies because I assumed they were only useful on cores.

So I tested this out in my own game. I took note of the pollution level on a colony and its connected core world. I build an atmos cleanser on the colony.

The colony pollution level was reduced (which I expected to see) but the pollution level on the core world remained the same (which I also expected to see).

So apologies if I'm missing something obvious but I still don't see how atmos cleansers on a colony benefit the core world it feeds?

[Charlemagne]

Originally posted by peterhoran79:

Originally posted by peterhoran79:

Cool I never knew. I never used them in colonies because I assumed they were only useful on cores.

So I tested this out in my own game. I took note of the pollution level on a colony and its connected core world. I build an atmos cleanser on the colony.

The colony pollution level was reduced (which I expected to see) but the pollution level on the core world remained the same (which I also expected to see).

So apologies if I'm missing something obvious but I still don't see how atmos cleansers on a colony benefit the core world it feeds?

Yeah I checked further and you are right. For some reason, I am getting Atmospheric Cleaner effect doubled and I assumed it was from the AC on the colony. But it wasn't, just some bug maybe.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3062851841

[peterhoran79]

Ah cool now worries, its always fun teasing out mechanics in games like these!