From what I can see Alex has not made changes to TechMining in the new (0.96.x) release. This should still be relevant for both 0.95.x and 0.96.x versions.
Whisper's Techmining Alterations
(version 2.0)Now up on NexusModsCharacteristics:* Techmining is a structure, not infrastructure (since it doesn't benefit the faction/planet directly)
* A ruins degradation (excavating?) percentage
* Add seamlessly to existing techmining in an existing game (make a save first - if you want to uninstall you will need to revert to this save)
* Initial chance to immediately receive a special item
* Progress bar towards a guaranteed item (unless the ruins degrade too far)
* High first-finds value
* Decent ongoing finds value
* All finds based upon the Ruins size (1-4, Scattered-Vast) and Colony size (3-6)
** A Ruins 1 * Colony 3 gives 3x the average basic ruins value
** A Ruins 4 * Colony 6 gives 24x the average basic ruins value
** Add +25% for an Alpha AI Core, +15% for a Beta AI Core, +5% for a Gamma AI Core
** Add +25% for spending Story Points
* Unusual planets (gas giants, inimical, irradiated, jungle, toxic) and worthwhile ore conditions (any organic, any volatile, decent ore/rare ore) give extra drops
* Decivilized/Saturation-Bombed base-game planets do not give Special Items, just a bunch more of domestic stuff
* AI-controlled planets do not give the AI anything
Example image showing the % decay/excavation and progress towards the next Special Item:
Example images for first find with Ruins 4 (Vast) * Colony 3 (with a setting so that it doesn't give the player metals):
"Wait, what? It doesn't give the player metals?"
Correct, that is one of the configurable options.
Configurable Options:The settings.json file is highly configurable to the player's taste. I have set what I consider to be a reasonable set of returns, tweak to your heart's content.
(Note: Breaking your game by doing any of this is on your head.)
The "mods/WhisperTechminingAlteration/data/config/settings.json" file (all of these may be changed "on the fly"):
{
##############################################################
# Settings for Whisper's Techmining Alteration
# Tweak at your own risk
##############################################################
# the monthly rate at which ruins decay by size of ruins
"wta_ruins_decayrate_scattered": 0.97,
"wta_ruins_decayrate_widespread": 0.98,
"wta_ruins_decayrate_expansive": 0.99,
"wta_ruins_decayrate_vast": 0.995,
# the cutoff point (%) below which no more special items are found
"wta_ruins_speciallimit_scattered": 0.9,
"wta_ruins_speciallimit_widespread": 0.85,
"wta_ruins_speciallimit_expansive": 0.8,
"wta_ruins_speciallimit_vast": 0.75,
# whether to drop metals at all (default true)
"wta_drop_metals": true,
# the base credit value of ordinary drops (multiplied by ruins size and colony size)
"wta_ruinsvalue_basic" : 4000,
"wta_ruinsvalue_goods" : 3000,
"wta_ruinsvalue_other" : 2000,
# the first-find multiplier
"wta_firstfind_bonus" : 10,
# whether spending special points has the ruins *not* decay (default false, if set to true will always stay at 99.99% decay rate)
"wta_specialpoints_nodecay": false,
# whether the player wants to ruins to *not* decay (default false, if set to true will always stay at 99.99% decay rate)
"wta_ruins_nodecay": false,
# whether to write to logfile (default false)
"wta_logging": false,
# the Tech-mining finds bonuses for Alpha, Beta and Gamma cores
"wta_alphacore_finds_bonus": 0.25f,
"wta_betacore_finds_bonus": 0.15f,
"wta_gammacore_finds_bonus": 0.05f,
}
Q: Just a weeee bit over the top for a big ruins and large colony?
A: I fully-expect players to hold off on a Vast Ruins planet, grow a Size 6 Colony, then go all-in with a Techmining structure + Alpha AI Core + Story Points. They deserve the massive returns that they're going to get. Enjoy.
Q: Yeah but that's way too much!
A: Tone your copy down in the settings.json then. Is why I exposed all those settings.
Q: Okay, but why a no metals option?
A: Because by the time of colonizing, in my view the player cannot be bothered carting 10k metals to market to get (if they're lucky) 30 credits per. A whopping great total of 300k credits at best...pfui. That kinda low-grade stuff goes onto the open market and helps pay the workers in the Techmining structure.
Q: So why drop metals by default?
A: Because that's the default of the existing Techmining. Player's can change it if they want.
Q: So how many special items can be retrieved...?
A: In theory: infinite. (If the ruins are set to not decay.)
In practice: 2-3 for Scattered Ruins, up to 10-12 for Vast Ruins. It's a little bit random and AI Core/Story Points will increase the progress towards finding the item(s).
Note: The base-game drops are increased and will also include Special Items, so sometimes 2 items will drop at the same time. One was progressively searched out, the other was randomly found.
Credits / Inspiration:Better Colonies
Slightly Better Tech Mining
Alex's post on having a progress-bar towards finding Special Items
Thoughts by BigBrainEnergy and Megas (and probably others - it was a while back)
Mod help from Alex
Mod help from RuddyGreat
Mod help/permissions from Wyvern
