Is it worth running more than one colony?

[Chiqui]

In my current game I am running 2 colonies but I don't see any distinct advantage. I wanted to mold the second into a specialized group, but in the end I still have to run many of the basics.
I tought I could just keep a food/Med suppliescaravan dropping off often but with distance simple meals don't last.

SO! What have I done wrong? Is it worth it?

[Rous]

I haven't tried it before, but I'd see if running raw veggies would be easier. Obviously they'd last longer but I'm foggy on the math of whether bulk vegetable caravans would be worth it. Then you'd cut down on farming atleast, but you'd still need a kitchen.

[JoeDaTomato]

I find that it is- I run four colonies (to those who know my older strategy, I've moved up by one). My main colony, obviously, is mostly self-sustaining.

My first other colony (the "meat processing" one) is usually self-sustaining- I send any undesirable colonists (I.e. pyros, ugly, brawlers) there, and they butcher the corpses of my enemies. They get to eat the meat, and the skin is shipped out. I don't manage that one much, other than sending new recruits from my second other colony there.

My second other colony is a prison colony. I use it to store all of those who live through raids, and it relies on imports from my third colony to survive.

My third other colony is essentially a massive farm.

So basically what you're doing wrong is nothing. You just need either more exports or more self-sustainability.

[Bullwinkle]

I'm still fairly new so take this with a grain of salt. But I've never felt the need to run more than one colony. As I approach end-game, I am toying with the idea of starting a second colony closer to the landed ship. A colony to move in to, and from there take it to end-game. But multiple colonies simultaneously? Maybe if one had significantly different resources, I suppose.

[JoeDaTomato]

Originally posted by Bullwinkle:

I'm still fairly new so take this with a grain of salt. But I've never felt the need to run more than one colony. As I approach end-game, I am toying with the idea of starting a second colony closer to the landed ship. A colony to move in to, and from there take it to end-game. But multiple colonies simultaneously? Maybe if one had significantly different resources, I suppose.

The main reasons I've found is that either: you need more space (the game only lets you build up to 390x390), you want to avoid colony-based debuffs (organ harvesting/human butchering), or you want to (as you said) gather different resources.

[Chiqui]

Originally posted by JoeDaTomato:

I find that it is- I run four colonies (to those who know my older strategy, I've moved up by one). My main colony, obviously, is mostly self-sustaining.

My first other colony (the "meat processing" one) is usually self-sustaining- I send any undesirable colonists (I.e. pyros, ugly, brawlers) there, and they butcher the corpses of my enemies. They get to eat the meat, and the skin is shipped out. I don't manage that one much, other than sending new recruits from my second other colony there.

My second other colony is a prison colony. I use it to store all of those who live through raids, and it relies on imports from my third colony to survive.

My third other colony is essentially a massive farm.

So basically what you're doing wrong is nothing. You just need either more exports or more self-sustainability.

Thanks JoeDaTomato, I think I just need to keep pressing foward on my design. I am runniong 14 and 6 pawns between the 2 at the moment. I Have sooo much Rice I can for sure do that. I heard population has a soft cap so I started spreading out. I will reach 4 some day... :)

[grapplehoeker]

The only time I consider setting up an additional colony is when I am close to having exhausted all of the mineral resources on the current map. I could relocate the main base or just set up an additional one in a tile nearby. That additional base would have to be developed to a point where it can sustain itself of course. I don't want to have to waste my time 'feeding' it.
Even so, both bases have to be constantly monitored and maintained. Two bases on Cassandra extreme provides more than enough activity and the management required can lead to headaches and so there is absolutely no incentive for me to ever consider expanding to more than two at a time o.O

[climbingeastofwinter]

Not positive, but I believe that each colony has its own counters for storyteller events.

There are any number of reasons why someone may want more than one colony, but if threat event challenge ratings scale individually for each colony, then you may just want to create new colonies for the first few years and move your "keeper" pawns between them to build up valuable experience and get research done, abandoning colonies that become too properous (and which therefore attract super-dangerous raids and such) for newer ones while continueing to build up your core group of pawns.

Also, long range mineral scanners with overlapping scan radii will be less effective than scanner which sweep entirely different areas (it has a range of 30 world map tiles I believe), so placing colonies 60 tiles apart to avoid overlap would mean more total rare mineral maps being generated, than if you had a single colony, or multiple very close colonies.

I don't think you really need more than one colony, but it's fun to play with more imo.

[ambi]

You can try growing berries. Berries can be eaten raw (no need for kitchen) and last 14 days.

[Mr Conspicuous]

Never done one before I never see people talk much about more than one... I am going to create multiple in my current playthrough.

[Syndicake ☠]

Yes without a doubt, running a second colony lets you:

- get access to renewable supply of resources for mining without any tech costs or guess work.
- gives you the fun of running supply caravans between your settlements
- makes you less vulnerable to raids (if a bunch of people die, you can send over fighters from your other settlement)

Better to source food on site, even if you have to get a freezer.

[Majere]

I do , but I always make sure to run it as close as possible (2 tiles maybe?)
Only do it for resources. Send my best builders over there, and miners to get it off the ground. I typically setup launch pods to ferry supplies between the 2 colonies.

[climbingeastofwinter]

It can be pretty useful to create additional colonies just to look for maps with better steam geyser / soil placement. Once you find a map that is a keeper, just pod over resources and get your base built.

[Chiqui]

Thanks everyone! I think 2 is enough for now. It is sometimes a lot of work if two events go off at the same time, but I think I will just make it more of a mining base and just clear.