After reading (though not too toughly) the new rules version (20160310), some comments (some of them would also apply to previous rules sets, just now realized):
4.2.1 (this was already in earlier versions):
To produce SUs, all economical TLs must be 5.5 or higher. That means that until they are all at theoretical TL 10 (where a university may give you the 0.5 extra needed), SUs can only be produced if you have a Heavy Industrial Group. Is that intentional?
5.2.1:
I guess the 1% increase for cutting edge research (that in case of joint research only the one paying 50% or more receives) is additional to the 1% for increasing a theoretical TL (so that a country making the research alone will receive a 2% boost, while in join research each partner will receive 1% boost and the one paying over 50%, if any, 2%). Right?
5.2.4 (probably just an errata):
You kept the 1000 as divisor in the formula. It should be 200 (as each SU is now what before were 5)
7.1:
quote:
World Size may not be 0 or R.
So, an asteroid belt cannot be colonized (see also below under the Asteroid Mining Facility)?
quote:
A Colony may not have more than (10, 25, 50 or 100) / World Size facilities in a surface hex without access to the appropriate number of Power, Road, Railway, Airfilm or Maglev type Ground facilities <snip> A Colony may not have more than (100, 250, 500, 1 000 / World Size) surface access to the appropriate number of Road, Railway, Airfilm or Maglev type Ground facilities,
The last sentence is incomplete, but if it refers to ground facilities, it’s contradictory to the first one...
quote:
A Colony requires a Communication Net Orbital facility for every 1 000 Population units, and a GPS Net Orbital facility for every (50 / World Size) hexes it covers
See that no Earth nation would fulfill the communications requirements as now things are, and a few (Brazil, China, Canada, Russia, USA…) would not even fulfill the GPS ones (that in Earth would be 1 GPS/7 hexes)…
7.3:
The reference to pop/5000 as modifier for settlement TL is now superfluous, as if it reaches this level it becomes a Core World settlement. Suggestions: either to reduce the Pop needed for the +0.1 TL increase or to outright delete the reference to pop.
As rules are now (and not only in this rules set, but already in previous ones), a colony may have a maximum infrastructure TL of Theoretical TL/2 + 3.5 (so, if your country is at theoretical TLs 10, the maximum colony TLs would be 8.5, so about Earth’s in 2010, according the same game). IMHO there should be a way to increase it above those basic TLs (maybe by using PAs?), even if it is limited somewhat.
7.8 (this was already in earlier versions):
Must all industry facilities to be active to have one as heavy industry or they may be idle, due to lack of supplies, pop, RMU or power?
As rules stand, one could build 5 industrial facilities in a planet while having only one mining facility producing 20 RMUs and 2 pop available and declare only one of them active, but having a heavy industry it could build items or (IMHO even more important) claim the +1 TL and locally produce the needed supplies with it. Is that intentional or all facilities must be active?
See that this is not fully illogical if we assume it centers its efforts on the heavy industry, even if most supporting industries are undermanned…
7.9.1:
Asteroid mining: As it is described now, you need at least space infrastructure TL over 7 for this to have any utility. That, even for quite close asteroid belts (0.5 AUs distant), means either:
- Theoretical space TL 9 + 25 Heavy Industrial Groups (so 125 industrial facilities).
- Theoretical space TL 10 + university + 5 Heavy Industrial Groups (so 25 industrial facilities).
- Theoretical Space TL 11 + 5 Heavy Industrial Groups (so 25 industrial facilities)
See that, to put our own Solar System as an example, if you intend to mine the AB from Mars, being the orbital difference 1.2 AUs You need to have at least Space TL 8.2 in Mars colony, and, even with university and 25 Heavy Industrial Groups (so with +3.5 TL) you’d need to have a Space theoretical TL of 9.4, and if you only have 5 HIG (plus university) on Mars, you need Space theoretical TL 11.4.
Of course, all those situations in a colony are quite difficult to achieve, making asteroid mining only for Core Worlds or very developed or high tech settlements. Is this intentional?
EDIT:
Wouldn't be easier to allow colonies to be built in Asteroid Belts, assuming several asteroids are used as one hex (and transport failities to be in space shuttles instead of small watercrafts as would on an arxipielago colony in a satellite?
Also, looking at 2300AD setting (that we try to use as our basis), remember that the Bavarian colony in Rho Eridani (Heidelsheimat) supports a mining colony in an Asteroid belt orbiting its companion (DM-56 328), at 59.25 AUs (Colonial Atlas, page 57). So, it either supports a space infrastructure TL 66.3 (dubious) or there is a colony in the AB itself. END EDIT
7.9.2:
Deadfall: its base downlift depends on atmosphere and planetary size. Which one is applied? The grater one (as was in previous versions) or the lower one?
8.5:
In reserve, green and experienced it is said:
are limited as to the hex type they may enter (see section 8.9 and 10.3). I don’t find the references to limitations by quality in 8.9 nor in 10.3
As always, probably more to come...
This message was last edited by the player at 19:51, Thu 24 Mar 2016.