Can we fix the Thulium Data Archive

from GalCiv3 Forums

The Thulium Data Archive building is completely useless right now, and has been since it was introduced over a year ago.

  1. it's an early-game structure
  2. it requires a resource that isn't terribly abundant, and one which has many other very powerful uses
  3. it costs an ENORMOUS amount of production, particularly for a early-game structure
  4. it has quite low benefits, being barely better than the 2nd-tier improvements

Unlike the Durantium Manufacturing Plant, which does have benefits worth the early-game cost, the TDA is so unbalanced that no sane person would ever build one. It's far too expensive to build for something that provides very little benefit.  Since it's an early-game building, and tends to be built on worlds concentrating in Research (thus, with lower Manufacturing levels), I find that it can take 20+ turns to get it built.  That's way to long for a very mediocre building, and also means that I can get better buildings about the same time it completes.

For comparison, the 2nd tier Research building (Xeno Research Lab) doesn't cost you a valuable Thulium resource, has a BETTER base research bonus (+30% vs +25%), and costs half as much (if you include the cost to buy the 1st tier Research Lab).  The TDA's adjacency bonuses give it a MAXIMUM of +25% total research bonus over the XRL, in the best-case-scenario where you can surround the TDA with 6 labs.   That's a terrible cost/benefit.

I've played over 400 hours and maybe three dozen full games, and NEVER have found it useful in it's current incarnation.

 

Personally, I think the TDA should be an early-game version of the 4th-tier, one-per-planet research buff;  that is, roughly equivalent to the Terran Research Coordination Center.

I'd vote for one of the following:

  1. Increase the Research bonus to be +65%
  2. Decrease the build cost to 75.
  3. Bump the bonus to +40% and decrease cost to 100

 

Stardock - take a look at the saved games we've been sending you. How often does the TDA get built?  I think you'll find virtually never.

 

7,392 views 9 replies
Reply #1 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

I agree with you about the Thulium Data Archive.

 

Seeing this reminded me of another odd research building, the temple of enlightenment.  It gives a research bonus and a research adjacency bonus but is considered an approval improvement.  Is that intentional?

Reply #2 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

A couple of other options that might be good:

Give it =10% research/level. This would make it a situational building, but good when you can create high levels of adjacency with it.

Give it a flat research production bonus like the Durantium Refinery. That way it will scale with the other research buildings on the planet.

Also to the OP, this would be really easy to mod, and might be a great place to start if you are interested in adjusting the game to your own tastes.

ObjectDock - Access shortcuts and frequently used applications from an animated dock.
Reply #3 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

I already mod my stuff to do this, via the option #3. 

But this is broken/horribly unbalanced in the base game, and really should be fixed.

Reply #4 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

tbh, a flat bonus is better; keeps it useful all game and makes it benefit from the improving basic buildings.

Reply #5 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

The Anti-Matter Power Plant should also be in this conversation. It is worse than worthless. It has nothing but a 2X adjacency bonus. I have never been tempted to build one.  

Reply #6 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

The antimatter power plant is good for boosting the hyperion shrinker and logistics system, though afaik that's the only time it's useful.

Reply #7 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

I think in general the developers over-value buildings that grant multiple kinds of adjacency bonuses, especially the ones that don't receive bonuses back. This might be less true once/if 100% specialized worlds become less optimal, but for now, versatility just isn't that useful.

Reply #8 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Quoting Franco, reply 5

The Anti-Matter Power Plant should also be in this conversation. It is worse than worthless. It has nothing but a 2X adjacency bonus. I have never been tempted to build one.
End of Franco's quote

 

It's alright for military improvements. You want one on your planet with the hyperion buildings. 

Reply #9 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

One of my favorite things about stardock games are how easy they are to mod. That is by far the best idea  any gaming company has ever had to put into a game.I mod the game to suit my playstyle. The first thing on the list is improvements as i dont like a slow game.

I would never use any of the "special resource" buildings in their original form. However, modded, my special resource buildings give a large bonus to adjacent buildings of the proper type. Unfortunately i still do not use the data archive as i complete all research in less than 40 turns making it a pointless building for me.