Damn I love geysers

[1997]

I've been hoarding materials to just spam geothermal power plants all over the map.

Their power fluctuation is not actually an issue because the interval is extremely short, the power output dips for maybe 30 seconds and you're gonna have 20 batteries anyway.

Pls don't nerf

[Evilsod]

Why would they nerf them? They've actually made them a viable power source now for the early-mid game. Before they were totally worthless as by the time you could build them you barely got any benefit.

They still cap out at 7.1GW average, which isn't much by the time you're scaling up for Phase 4.

[DaBa]

There is no need to nerf them, they are hardly overpowered. The hassle of running around and building them all around the map is the price you pay. Also getting enough high speed connectors this early can be quite a hassle if you haven't automated caterium yet.

You could use all that time you spent running around setting up fuel power generators which are unlocked roughly at the same time, and you'd likely end up with more energy production in the end that way anyhow.

They are an interesting alternative, that's all. Also they are limited by the amount of geysers so they aren't a long term solution, just a side thing you can do.

[NocheLuz]

I normally use them to power my Radar Tower. So I can have an accurate position of the resource nodes and plan my factories around them.

[DaBa]

Originally posted by NocheLuz:

I normally use them to power my Radar Tower. So I can have an accurate position of the resource nodes and plan my factories around them.

They do make for a very convenient power source for them.

[1997]

It's always interesting how there's different player types and approaches.
For example, I don't consider running around a hassle at all because all I see is a reliable, basically "free" power source that needs 0 attention or management.
Fuel generators are very nice but they compete for fuel with other uses.
It's just a matter of what you weigh, personally.
For me they feel OP, literally no downside.

[kLuns]

Originally posted by DaBa:

Also getting enough high speed connectors this early can be quite a hassle if you haven't automated caterium yet.

If you got one constructor for quickwire and find some plastic on crash sites you can buy high speed connectors in the awesome shop and spend 4 coupons on 4 geo generators once unlocked.

[Hydroculator]

Originally posted by DaBa:

...The hassle of running around and building them all around the map is the price you pay..

Running around collecting rare resources and hard drives from crash sites? Rare resources you can use to research tech early. Hard drives you can use to get better recipes that make the early game easier.
All while dropping a network of set it and forget it power. No resources to balance, no worries about blowing a fuse from some kind of backup... Just power. For just the cost of some coupons.

What exactly was the downside again?

[DaBa]

Originally posted by Hydroculator:

Originally posted by DaBa:

...The hassle of running around and building them all around the map is the price you pay..

Running around collecting rare resources and hard drives from crash sites? Rare resources you can use to research tech early. Hard drives you can use to get better recipes that make the early game easier.
All while dropping a network of set it and forget it power. No resources to balance, no worries about blowing a fuse from some kind of backup... Just power. For just the cost of some coupons.

What exactly was the downside again?

If you're smart enough to bundle all those things together, sure. And if you wait with exploration all the way until you get access to them. Which I imagine most people don't, especially if they are new at the game and don't even know what to anticipate.

So yes, being inconvenient to set up in comparison to fuel power, which you set up all right there in a single location is definitely one of the caveats. Then there's the fact it has a pretty low ceiling when it comes to how much it can generate which for a more experienced player presents a question of "why do I even bother if I will set up fuel generators anyway". Or that it uses a material you didn't have to use for anything else yet means it can take you some time to get resources required to build a bunch of them if you haven't prepared beforehand, which would be a very common scenario when you're new to the game. Or the fact you need batteries to fully utilize it (relatively small hurdle but still). You may want to act like a smart ass, but the simple fact is that yes, there are clear downsides to it still. And good, that makes it interesting. Synergistic mechanics like these (exploration aiding base building) are at a core of every interesting game.

[shoopy]

Build them in pairs of opposite phase and the power won't fluctuate.

[xitooner]

Originally posted by Panic:

Near 8000Mw of free-ish power

I got about 5.5MW from it doing most of the normal/pure geysers, but I am not complaining; at some point you will need far more but it more than compensates for the trouble at the time, IMO, given you had to explore anyway.