How to use steam?

[Jet12]

I'm playing Utopia builder and the only heat source left is steam, how can I even use it? The generator doesn't want to use it at all, and I don't see any specific research (only oil)

[tomseven[GER]]

There is a research for Generator Upgrade II to use other resources.

[Airatome]

Generator upgrade II will do that. Which comes after Generator upgrade 1

Upgrade 1 required 1 core to slot into your Generator and will alloe you to use ALL 3 resources, including oil.

Upgrade 2 requires 3 cores but will allow you to prioritize steam or coal or oil for additional heat per unit.

If you want steam to do anything for you, do NOT get Generator upgrade III or oil will permanently become your primary source of considerable heat no matter what you tell the second upgrade to prioritize.

[Jet12]

Are you sure that upgrade 1 allows you to use all 3 types of fuel? Right now, after researching it, I can only use oil. The game simply does not offer research into 3 fuel options, so i'm a little confused

Or is there no option to use steam in the game from the start?

[Airatome]

Originally posted by Jet12:

Are you sure that upgrade 1 allows you to use all 3 types of fuel? Right now, after researching it, I can only use oil. The game simply does not offer research into 3 fuel options, so i'm a little confused

Or is there no option to use steam in the game from the start?

You're missing a step.
Read your information tool tips. Hover over Generator Upgrade I in the research tree. It hands out all the information you need on a very silver platter.
It will allow the generator to use ALL 3 sources of fuel. But RESEARCHING it is not enough. You also have to BUILD the upgrade into your Generator. It's the buildings button right near the districts button. Then the tab on the far right is where the generator upgrade appears once researched.

Throw that in there and bam. Done deal.

Then research Generator upgrade II
Build THAT
Set it to steam.
Profit.

JUST doing the research isn't enough. There's more steps than that....

[Jet12]

I know I need to build the upgrade I just researched to get a profit. I just don't have a choice from other factions that offer 3 fuel options. No research - no build options.

Although I apparently realized that this was most likely due to the fact that I passed fewer laws that supported adaptation, and went more towards progress.

Most likely this is the problem, I didn't understand the game mechanics well enough, so sorry for not giving context.

Thanks anyway

[Airatome]

Originally posted by Jet12:

I know I need to build the upgrade I just researched to get a profit. I just don't have a choice from other factions that offer 3 fuel options. No research - no build options.

Although I apparently realized that this was most likely due to the fact that I passed fewer laws that supported adaptation, and went more towards progress.

Most likely this is the problem, I didn't understand the game mechanics well enough, so sorry for not giving context.

Thanks anyway

I am still very confused with what the problem actually is....

If you did the research, then build the generator upgrade.

There's no other way to get access to other fuel options otherwise.

the factions have absolutely nothing to do with your Generator or its upgrades or building and researching the appropriate upgrades. No laws are required. No faction specific buildings are required.

Would pictures help you? I can give you a play by play of how to enable 3 fuel functionality?

[Jet12]

No, thanks
I have already completed the campaign on the penultimate difficulty, I more or less understand everything, so it looks like I came across a bug that does not allow me to research (and build accordingly) an upgrade for 3 types of fuel, whats kinda strange...

[Gucky]

It is a bit broken.
If you have the generator upgrade 2, steam might not be used at all, if you use the oil or coal boost.
I which steam was always used first or I could decide which fuel to use in which order.

[Silent_Steed]

I see the problem. See there are 2 possible generator one upgrades you can get, one for adaption, and one for progress. It sounds like you choose the one for progress, the problem being this forces your generator to only be able to intake oil, meaning you are unable to use steam power if you choose it. To be able to get the adaptive pumps allowing you to use all 3 fuel types, you need a faction that promotes adaption, either the foragers or one of your radical factions. As far as I'm aware, there is no way to use steam power if you go down the progress route, which only allows your generator to use oil.

Note: I'm pretty sure (but not certain) that once you pick one of the generator upgrade 1 paths you're locked out of the other regardless of zeitgeist or factions available. Sadly I'm pretty sure your run is doomed, and you need to restart.

[Ridesdragons]

Originally posted by Airatome:

Originally posted by Jet12:

Right now, after researching it, I can only use oil. The game simply does not offer research into 3 fuel options, so i'm a little confused

You're missing a step.

you're actually missing something here. jet went down the progress path.

jet, when you're grabbing generator upgrade 1, there are 2 paths: adaptive, and progressive. if you're playing campaign, it's locked behind embracing or defeating the frost. in utopia builder, it's locked behind actually having a community or faction that has that ideal. the progressive/defeat the frost path locks your generator to only oil. you'll never be able to use steam if you grab this. you do make oil very, very efficient, though. the adaptive/embrace the frost path instead makes it so your generator can run on any fuel. judging by what you've said, you've gone down the progressive path, in which case, you can't use steam. sorry, m8!

[Airatome]

Originally posted by Ridesdragons:

Originally posted by Airatome:

You're missing a step.

you're actually missing something here. jet went down the progress path.

jet, when you're grabbing generator upgrade 1, there are 2 paths: adaptive, and progressive. if you're playing campaign, it's locked behind embracing or defeating the frost. in utopia builder, it's locked behind actually having a community or faction that has that ideal. the progressive/defeat the frost path locks your generator to only oil. you'll never be able to use steam if you grab this. you do make oil very, very efficient, though. the adaptive/embrace the frost path instead makes it so your generator can run on any fuel. judging by what you've said, you've gone down the progressive path, in which case, you can't use steam. sorry, m8!

Ahhhh so I see! They are path dependent.

Why can't I have a Progressive path that ALMOST cares about the environment? 🥺🫤

But yeah, alright. I see where the confusion was. At least Progress DOES make oil HIGHLY efficient.

[HardNRG]

Originally posted by Airatome:

Originally posted by Ridesdragons:

you're actually missing something here. jet went down the progress path.

jet, when you're grabbing generator upgrade 1, there are 2 paths: adaptive, and progressive. if you're playing campaign, it's locked behind embracing or defeating the frost. in utopia builder, it's locked behind actually having a community or faction that has that ideal. the progressive/defeat the frost path locks your generator to only oil. you'll never be able to use steam if you grab this. you do make oil very, very efficient, though. the adaptive/embrace the frost path instead makes it so your generator can run on any fuel. judging by what you've said, you've gone down the progressive path, in which case, you can't use steam. sorry, m8!

Ahhhh so I see! They are path dependent.

Why can't I have a Progressive path that ALMOST cares about the environment? 🥺🫤

But yeah, alright. I see where the confusion was. At least Progress DOES make oil HIGHLY efficient.

Wait, you haven't played progress path for generator yet?

Heresy!

[Emjay]

Originally posted by Jet12:

Are you sure that upgrade 1 allows you to use all 3 types of fuel? Right now, after researching it, I can only use oil. The game simply does not offer research into 3 fuel options, so i'm a little confused

Or is there no option to use steam in the game from the start?

There's different upgrades to each tech for different groups.

You have selected an option that prioritises oil, but there's an option that let's the generator use oil, coal and steam.

Unlike the other research nodes, your choice on the generator upgrade locks out the other options, so you can't research all possibilities here...

[Airatome]

Originally posted by HardNRG:

Originally posted by Airatome:

Ahhhh so I see! They are path dependent.

Why can't I have a Progressive path that ALMOST cares about the environment? 🥺🫤

But yeah, alright. I see where the confusion was. At least Progress DOES make oil HIGHLY efficient.

Wait, you haven't played progress path for generator yet?

Heresy!

I'm getting there! I'm getting there. I am running through certain achievements first. Like Isolationist. There was no way I was going to survive stockpiling in Utopia without ever leaving the city had I gone Progress first.

Now Im doing the reach Devoted with 5 factions at once and I needed the Bohemian faction I accidentally ran into during one of my my earlier runs lol.

[gegyman]

This confuses me too. I mean, they push you to the oil upgrade and if you have done it, you can not see the other way in the tech-tree, because you can not select and inspect what you missed.
I would suggest to the developers to make it possible to select and inspect the things you have missed in den generator upgrades. I would say in this case: This is a little bit of bad design, if you need a forum to realize, why you can not use the other fuels.
I played for many hours Utopia and the campaign, but never figured out why i can not use steam or cole anymore until this post here.