What does it take to explore the colony map and roll back the fog?

[captainpatch]

I'm getting desperate in this current game. I have literally -- no exaggeration! -- uncovered half the colony map without finding a single Metal deposit. No Metal effectively kills any game advancing because you can't build things like Water Towers, Outposts Depot, or Trade Centers without Metal. (And, yes, I researched Metal Scavenging early on.)

I've built Guard Towers -- upgrade for the Scout Tower -- at the edge of the fog,and walked Guards along the edge of the fog, but neither of those push back the fog.

If I can't get to the Metal deposits that MUST be out there in the fog, I can kiss this game good-bye and start a new one.

[patrik.possi]

I have the same experiance

[metalsingh]

How do you know that you have uncovered half of your map?
There will be metal at the dark side, promised!
It's sometimes really hidden, but there!

[captainpatch]

The way I can tell is that you can WASD to the (hidden) edge of the map to show you just how big the map can get. (Area = X x Y). Then subtract the area of the map that has been revealed. (No fog) Subtract the revealed amount from the Total map area and you will have a good estimate of how much map remains to be revealed. When I made that post, the amount that I had already uncovered was approximately equal to how much remained under fog. (I have since given up on that game and started a new one that is MUCH more workable.)

[Dawnsteel420]

dude i am sorry but if u still cant clear the fog of war quick or within a decent timeline with only using the HQ....you are just bad.......

[captainpatch]

The HQ is the third stage of of the Campsite structure. To get to it, you have to achieve a number of conditions -- all of which require structure that require Metal. No Metal means no Trade Centers, which means you can't barter with Societies for their Metal. No Metal means that you can't build Water Towers, which means that you can't build things like Cookhouses to do a better job of feeding your people which makes them unhappy. No Metal means you can't build any of the structures that improve colonist Happiness. And no Metal means that you can't build any of the Security structures like the Secure Lab, Anti-propaganda Tower, or Bomb Bunker -- which means that you WILL be overwhelmed by the Rival's covert attacks.

If rolling back the fog is just a matter of time, a player without Metal doesn't have time.. Between Rival covert attacks and unhappy colonists quitting the colony, the player is good as dead within 50 days.

Now, if there IS a way to force the fog to roll back, please demonstrate your brilliance by describing that method. If you do NOT know a way to do that, be honest enough to admit it.

[Dawnsteel420]

I have given this same fog of war removal tip more then once i am sure but i shall tell it again for you. To remove large FOW early without ever getting tech to upgrade the HQ is to simply destroy CAMPSITE because its just a campsite like I would in RL to reposition my area of HQ. Take example your DAY ZERO camp placement. Notice how when you wait until like day 5 your campsite will have progressed until the scout meter has reached 100%?? OK so now I have reached my INITIAL FOW uncover. Notice again how far the HQ scouted passed the gate to the south? wow what wasted map reveal....I wonder if I should tear down my INITIAL CAMPSITE and place it again but this time at the very NORTH of my FOW reveal. *done* ok WOW look at that my T1 campsite has just restarted its scouting meter?!?!? I wonder why that is hhhmmmmm oh maybe its because I now have new areas to reveal?? ALL THIS IS DONE WITH ZERO TECH POINTS EARNED! and guess what again? ITS COMPLETELY FREE OF CHARGE! All you need do is wait until 100% scout then repeat as needed until player has gotten enough tech to get T2 then T3 all while repeating said steps.

Also I have broadcasted this game live for a long time in the past showing all my strats. I had loads of people stop by and watch me kick a$$ at this game =D

[captainpatch]

Wow. Caught me in my blindspot. I would have thought the Campsite -- and its replacements were indestructible. This will teach me to make assumptions.

THANK YOU very much! I will try not to be so brainless in the future.

[dakkagords]

Also, build scout towers. They require wood and plastic only and will reveal a radius around themselves over time. You need never move or upgrade the campsite and can reveal the entire map with scout towers. Not guard towers, I don't believe they reveal fog of war, but the lower tier scout towers specifically. Using them its easy to find metal and other resources. Just make sure to have a specialist or two on hand to kill wildlife that appear.

[captainpatch]

It seems rather peculiar that the Scout Tower can push back fog, but the bigger 'n' better Guard Tower can't. (I can personally confirm that the Guard Towers I built at the edge of the fog didn't do diddly.)