Advanced Heaters

[WondrinOstrich]

Been playing the main scenario only (yet) and maybe there is some other way in the other scenarios, but I am a bit puzzled about the heaters in workspaces: as soon as one finishes research in better heaters (improved and advanced) one is not able to "level" the heaters down one or two steps, unless I am missing something here.

What I would like is to switch between heater levels for a workspace, like an option to step-change the output of one heater to adapt different workspaces to different temperatures.

Now I can only turn heaters on or off, nothing in between, no way to "level" them like the generator (steam level 1 to 4) - is there any way I am missing? Or is it just on or off !?

Appreciate any advice in that matter (or maybe it is for some game-feature in future?)

thx :)

[PhailRaptor]

You're not missing anything. The only control you have over Heaters is on/off, and how much you've researched. On one hand it's super frustrating. On the other, Coal production should be one of your biggest focuses, and it's a small cost per hour.

[dimonfallout101]

Sure, this is the only thing that ever confused me in this game. After fully upgrading the heatrers, if you turn on all of them, the coal consumption rises enormously even if i don't need all three heating levels, but only one or two for example. It would be great if i could level the heaters in each building to save coal and adapt more buildings to the current temperature effectively. I wonder if this will ever be implemented, but honestly i think that developers won't do anything about it anymore since it's gonna be like some kind of major update for them already, even considering the fact that such leveling is really logical and obvious to have. Pity about it, but well, the game's still a brilliant.

[socratessoul]

I don't think it's an obvious thing to have. I never had a problem with it because it's part of how this game expresses the brutality of its environment. It's like not being able to repeal a law. You COULD repeal a law, but that would take away from the emotional impact of creating a law and having to live with the consequences.

Not everything needs in a game needs to be 'perfectly flexible' and 'perfectly realistic.' And in real life things are not 'perfectly realistic' anyway. Maybe they could create some in-lore in the game that explains why you can't control the heat level, ie, particular kind of air vent. But why bother. Once you upgrade you are faced with the consequences that you better have the coal output to keep up with the heaters or you're screwed.

It works really well for this game.

Having said all this I rarely upgrade the heaters. I place hubs strategically so that they cover resource buildings, then I don't have to have the added cost of coal powering the heaters, and I also don't have to spend precious research time researching heaters.

[WondrinOstrich]

Originally posted by socratessoul:

..
It works really well for this game.
..

glad this works for you handling thermal logistics with mostly hubs,
but I on the other hand use a lot of heaters instead,
even 4 years after my original post.

mainly dependent on ones town-layout and planning still no heater-levelling though,
but in the meantime I know to stock just ridiculous amounts of coal, so it won't matter to heat the hell out of that hole in the gound, hub or heater..
;-)

[Shining Hector]

You sorta get there with the efficiency research dropping level 2 back to level 1 levels, and then the final upgrade raising them back to 2 coal for 3 heat, which is reasonable. Don't know why there's no low heat toggle, but it's not going to happen at this point. And by the time you've gotten far enough to even be able to research advanced heaters, you should be generating tons of coal anyway.

[Reaper King]

Yeah heaters can't be leveled. To get around this you have to use some smarts. PLan your city well, use Steam hubs and things like the soup Kitchen ( From the faith tree) and plan your reaserch. If you do all of this well then the coal burn rate or level of the Heater should always be at exactly what you want.

Also to make your life a bit easier on the New Home scenario. Rush the automaton. There is a free automaton waiting for you if you go to the left with your first scout party. Still make sure you get the people you find home safley but otherwise you want to be line for a place called " The icy bridge". You will get a pop up decsion to scrap the autmaton or send it home. Always, always, always send that guy home. IF you do that you will have a worker which never sleeps, never gets sick and can't strike by like day 10. If you then research a level 1 steam coal mine you will be set for coal generation for like half the game. Likewise you could also pair the sucker with a Hothouse, Saw Mill or Iron mill for similar effects. But get that Autamaton !