How do you use the Ark Ship?

[eatonpye]

I have it wandering around the big map, finding stuff, but how does it start a colony?

[LadyAquanine735]

You save up 500 nanites, go to the big map by pressing the "X" key, and choose a Remote Settlement from the menu (it will look like a glass dome) and plunk it down anywhere on the map that has been explored previously. Your Ark Ship will automatically take 250 colonists from those currently living in your main colony, and fly over to deposit them at the remote settlement.

It takes time to save up 500 nanites, so you can also use your Ark Ship to clear out the "fog" on the big planet map while you're waiting. That way, you'll be able to see many Points of Interest when they pop up, and you won't be restricted as much when you put down the remote settlements or their nearby stations.

[eatonpye]

Thanks, got it now. It practically collapsed my core settlement to take all those colonists out- I should have waited!

[eatonpye]

I planted a remote settlement, but not sure how to interact with it. Do I just add one of the special buildings like the solar array? I don't seem to be able to zoom in to it. Is there a way to develop it like the main colony? There's something about a building limit, but I don't know how to build anything there except the three big special items.

[mystikmind2005]

Probably the first thing you want to do with your remote colony is to build 1 mining thing.

Usually you want the mining thing first because sometimes you can run out of iron to mine after building all these expensive things that gets you to that point.

Then you wait for the remote colony to collect at least 122 copper.... you monitor that using the trade menue and click on create your own trade route thingy then select that colony. If it has less than 122 coper simply exit without creating the trade route. Do the same for iron.

You will not want to build more than two remote mining plants. And the reason is, after you create about 4 of your own permanent trades, the game refuses to let you create any more trade routes than that, even if you have free trade ships, game will let you 'attempt' to create more trade routes, but when you go and look for it in the trade list, its not there.

[eatonpye]

Interesting, I'm about to give it a try. So, you never really see the remote settlement? It's just a place on a map, and you build one or two of the three items- deep mine, missile system or solar array? That's all your options?

[LadyAquanine735]

I'm afraid the most you can do with a Remote Settlement is click on it and get a larger, animated thumbnail of what it looks like. And yes, setting up the extra stuff is your only option.

It should be noted that you cannot build Deep Mines, Solar Arrays, or Missile Launchers without a Remote Settlement, because you need a place for the workers to live in the area. Also, RS's can only have two additions made to them; you cannot place all three additional structures with any one Remote Settlement.

I'd recommend that for the first Remote Settlement, you set up a Deep Mine and a Missile Launcher. You can only build so many RS's, so it's a good idea to choose wisely for each of them. The Deep Mine will allow you to import minerals to your main colony, which is handy if you've run out. The missile launcher will help against enemies heading for your map, but even their range is limited, so it's a good idea to set up the Remote Settlements' missile launchers in a sort of "ring" around the main colony. After that, the other RS's can have a solar array and a missile launcher. The extra electricity will help a lot.

[eatonpye]

I set up to RS's, one with solar array and deep mine, another with a solar array- and nothing else, yet. I explored the whole map and wiped out all the baddies- do they grow back? Anyway, that power is a huge boost, I was maxed out with the colony resources, and the only trades available involve sending away what I most need, or have a limited found supply of, so not sustainable.
I found a couple of alien artifacts, just got them back to town, we'll see what happens with those....

[mystikmind2005]

Missile launchers are completely unnecissary, instead, build 4 extra level 2 expedition centres, then send the ships just outside your base in a cross pattern.... and with advanced sensors researched, Nothing gets through that. Also, once the ships are sent out, you can lower the labor priority for the expedition centres.... they don't need all that labor at the expedition centre just to fire their missiles, as long as the ship itself is fully staffed.

As for trades, you have to create your own custom trade with the colony that has the mines.

quote from my earlier post "Then you wait for the remote colony to collect at least 122 copper.... you monitor that using the trade menue and click on create your own trade route thingy then select that colony. If it has less than 122 coper simply exit without creating the trade route. Do the same for iron."

[eatonpye]

I'll give that a try, with the trades. It would just be nice to be able to trade with other places for things I actually need without sending them huge amounts of something else I desperately need or can't get. The trade routine in this game is both boring and useless.

[mystikmind2005]

Originally posted by eatonpye:

I'll give that a try, with the trades. It would just be nice to be able to trade with other places for things I actually need without sending them huge amounts of something else I desperately need or can't get. The trade routine in this game is both boring and useless.

what i would like, is to be allowed to create more than just 4 of my own trade routes. It is made more frustrating because i have to look at all the stupid useless trade deals sitting there taking up space in the trade list and nothing i can do about it.... offering me things to trade for gold when no gold is on the map.... F--k sake!

[eatonpye]

Originally posted by mystikmind2005:

Originally posted by eatonpye:

I'll give that a try, with the trades. It would just be nice to be able to trade with other places for things I actually need without sending them huge amounts of something else I desperately need or can't get. The trade routine in this game is both boring and useless.

what i would like, is to be allowed to create more than just 4 of my own trade routes. It is made more frustrating because i have to look at all the stupid useless trade deals sitting there taking up space in the trade list and nothing i can do about it.... offering me things to trade for gold when no gold is on the map.... F--k sake!

Exactly! Although I did manage to trade gold for 25 nanites and 15 nanites for robots by picking up loot out on the big map. Doesn't last, but at least I didn't have to deplete my own nanite production to keep colonists happy.

[mystikmind2005]

The main thing for keeping your colonists happy is to maintain good air quality.
But that can be difficult when you have a labor shortage and desperately need labor in other areas, BUT NOOOOO you have to increase the labor priority at all the stupid air turbines or they refuse to work properly. (grumble). They should by rights be automated structures, but i guess watching a fan spin is far more complicated and labor intensive than say, firing a turret!

So, as a result of the above absurdity, in most of my games, i tend to build allot of those park structures.... they do use up allot of space, but thats ok, i recycle them as need be. Then when i got too much labor later on in the game, i can build more air fans if need be.

[eatonpye]

Originally posted by mystikmind2005:

The main thing for keeping your colonists happy is to maintain good air quality.
But that can be difficult when you have a labor shortage and desperately need labor in other areas, BUT NOOOOO you have to increase the labor priority at all the stupid air turbines or they refuse to work properly. (grumble). They should by rights be automated structures, but i guess watching a fan spin is far more complicated and labor intensive than say, firing a turret!

So, as a result of the above absurdity, in most of my games, i tend to build allot of those park structures.... they do use up allot of space, but thats ok, i recycle them as need be. Then when i got too much labor later on in the game, i can build more air fans if need be.

I didn't realize the parks were that good at air cleaning. I'll have to try that. The air filters are really not as effective as you'd expect.

I just did the Hyla's Crescent campaign, and it really irritated me. High Command wants to build an ag colony where there are no resources, and examine an alien artifact. So they plop the colony base down on the other side of the map instead of, say, right in the middle of the relatively resource-rich zone right near the artifact... and then they want you to waste resources on building not one, but two retail centers for people who whine about crime when there IS NO CRIME ANYWHERE ON THE MAP. Yeesh. No, beotch, I'm not giving you service robots, it's just something for someone to steal.

[mystikmind2005]

Is that the mission with the rediculous 500 iron resources?

The secret with that one is that you just use level 1 mine only, don't upgrade the iron mines, its just a waste for so small an iron deposit. Also, keep your population low, no more than 1 sky scraper and 1 terminal, and 1 immigration centre. Population grows slow, its fine, things have to be slow because of the resources squeezing your nuts purple and blue!! lol

[eatonpye]

Yeah, I got through it, but I started ignoring the missions after a while. They were just a pointless waste of resources. Export broccoli, forsooth!