Generator Range upgrade somewhat underpowered?

[Maddin]

It doesn't seem all that good to me. Steam hubs are somewhat way better in giving me additional stuff. Or is the generator that much more efficient? You can't really go without the hubs, as the generator range just doesn't go up fast enough for it and when you build them, you don't really need the range anymore.

Am I missing something?

[pmpdadypenguinmn]

i've found steam hubs are better but as you fill out the area they become less efficient because you have overlapping areas. Steam hubs are still much better. It saves you on research

[RobinGuk]

Steam centers are better than increasing the radius of the generator. In the first scenario, all residents easily located about 4 steam centers. In the second scenario, an increase in radius does not yield anything useful. In the third scenario, it makes sense, but you have too little time to spend it on three radius studies, there are more important technologies.

[Maddin]

Yeah I believe they should somehow make the power of it stronger. Either making it like 2 increases and two times upgrading to a total of 5 or somehow else. But it is stupid that Steam Hubs are way better with less upgrades.

[MaebeKnot]

I find the main generator underwhelming. I prefer steam hubs and really think the main generator needs a buff to the coal efficiency to make it more worth using over steam hubs. If you are willing to rebuild and smart placement avoids most overlap. You even can abuse the requirement of covering a building by 51%+ to get the benefit of a heat source. So gaps between heat sources are normal and ideal. The same can be done with the main generator though. Example: a 3*X building can have just 2*X heated and it will act as if the whole building is heated. Same with a 4*X building when you heat 3*X.

Steam hubs are OP when you take advantage of the day settings and build workplaces accordingly. Homes in the main generator saves a lot of coal from steam hubs that need to run 24 hours in the day. I also find homes super easy to place around the main generator when comparing effective house placement around hubs. Workplaces excluding hospitals are often wasted in the main generator radius. No sense in heating those buildings when no one is working them.

[erneiz]

Hmm, I thought that hubs only approach vs generator range approach discussion was already settled sometime ago that in the end they are pretty much equal in efficiency. The main difference between these two approaches; obviously aside from the tech you need to research; is in the city layout. You can't use the hubs-only city layout when you go for generator range upgrade and vice versa.

That said, I do prefer the hubs-only approach because the hubs-only city layout is the better choice with my play style.

[RobinGuk]

The 4th level generator heats 72 houses. 4 steam centers heat 72 houses, but consume less coal, and less resources and time for research. The choice is obvious.

[erneiz]

No, really, they end up using up the same amount of coal if you do it right. You are only feeling hubs is superior because that's your natural playstyle. In fact, some people actually think that hubs consume more coal than generator range increase because their natural play style makes the range increase more effective.

[RobinGuk]

The 4 level generator with efficacy studies consumes 76 coal per hour.
4 steam centers with a study for efficiency consume 32 coal per hour, add 24 coal from the central zone of the generator and get 56 coal per hour, which is much less than 76.
If we do not do research on efficiency, we get 96 vs. 72, and again the steam centers are more profitable.

[Maddin]

Yeah so in short, they should either drastically change the generator range, either making a range upgrade more profitable or not use more coal or nerf the steam hubs by increasing the coal consumption to roughly double it is now.

Because as of now, using the generator range upgrade is detrimental in every aspect. Efficiency, placement choice and research time.

[Redshirt]

Originally posted by Maddin:

Yeah so in short, they should either drastically change the generator range, either making a range upgrade more profitable or not use more coal or nerf the steam hubs by increasing the coal consumption to roughly double it is now.

Because as of now, using the generator range upgrade is detrimental in every aspect. Efficiency, placement choice and research time.

I don't think the generator range/cost is the issue. I think the steam hubs coal cost just need to be tweaked.

Look at what you get with generator range upgades. (Note, these prices are based on all upgrades researched).

Range 1 --- ~10 Homes --- 19 coal per hour.
Range 2 --- ~15 Homes --- 38 coal per hour.
Range 3 --- ~20 Homes --- 57 coal per hour.
Range 4 --- ~27 Homes --- 76 coal per hour.

So you get 5 extra homes in ring 2 for the same price of heating 10 in ring 1.
10 extra in ring 3 for the price of ring 1
17 extra in ring 4 for the price of ring 1.

[Maddin]

Yeah but I can fit 28 homes into an extended Steam Hub for the price of 6 measely coal per hour.
This is slightly more than I can fit into ring 4 for 1/3 of the price. And I don't need 3 techs for it (which are also very low down into the tech tree), but only 2 of which I have to get one anyway, because you can't really play without steam hubs.

And not just that, I can even put individual times into it and have it stay whereever I need it to be. This is why the generator range or the steam hubs need tweaking. Reduce their range, at least double their cost or even make them use steam cores.
Of course the game is currently balanced around using the steam hubs so tweaking the generator range may be easier, or tweak both and change the meta a bit.

I just believe something with all these individual pros that a Steamhub has, should have some deficits in efficiency compared to using the generator range. I personally would welcome if they upped the cost of the steamhubs and increased the generator range by two rings for each upgrade.

[SteelHeart]

Maybe the generator range upgrades just shouldn`t comsume any coal or they should increase coal consumption by the cost of an addition steam hub. Option A is probably really OP but I have no idea on the balnce of option B since I don`t have the numbers.

[Maddin]

It not needing coal would be the only thing that would even make me consider getting it.