From what I can see Alex has not made changes to TechMining in the (0.98) release.
This should still be relevant for releases:
* 0.95.x
* 0.96.x
* 0.97.x
* 0.98.x (stress-testing completed)
Whisper's Techmining Alterations
(version 4)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+)
** 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. Players 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
