Now that the process of establishing a new colony no longer comes with a massive energy cost, I've been completely neglecting researching any techs which speed up colony establishment. Am I making a mistake?
Last edited:
Is it worth getting Colony establishment speed techs?
- Thread starter LeonOfOddecca
- Start date
-
We have updated our Community Code of Conduct. Please read through the new rules for the forum that are an integral part of Paradox Interactive’s User Agreement.
I avoid it. I just look at it like this, how many colonies am I really starting? Sure early on the first worlds you can get. But you get those so early on they don't count. What could you have gotten if you avoided the tech? Population buffs, neat buildings etc etc.
All that being said, I do get it once I enter mid/late game. Mainly because its an ultra cheap tech card to get rid of by that point.
All that being said, I do get it once I enter mid/late game. Mainly because its an ultra cheap tech card to get rid of by that point.
I can never research it fast enough that early to make good use of it. Researching the first couple of cards just takes far too long. I tend to establish as many planets as I can ASAP to start growing new pops. Even crappy planets with awful habitability that I normally would sit on pre-2.2 I get online ASAP unless I have too many better options, because even though those pops are miserable and unproductive on THAT colony, I can resettle and "feed" the pop to my core worlds to build them up far quicker.
If you want your colonies to be established sooner, you are better off dipping into the expansion perk tree.
If you want your colonies to be established sooner, you are better off dipping into the expansion perk tree.
I only research it if I have a couple of planets to colonize, or if it's the cheapest option and none of the other options do anything useful.
It is never good time for me. Early on i favour more energy output, general science boost or even lassers/shields.
Later it will be ready when it is done, so i care less. Maybe if you ignore expansion tradition. But expansion as first tradition has so many benefits for your early game.
Later it will be ready when it is done, so i care less. Maybe if you ignore expansion tradition. But expansion as first tradition has so many benefits for your early game.
Seems like I'm not alone then. Devs, take note: those techs are now fairly useless 
Suggestion: make each of those techs add an extra pop upon establishment of colony.
Suggestion: make each of those techs add an extra pop upon establishment of colony.
I tend to pick it up the colonization-speed techs during mid game when they are cheap (10 months or less to research) and then only when my tech draw is full of other techs I don't particularly need that have long research times (3+ years). Same strategy goes for weapons I'm not really using. That is, there a non-terrible way to quickly redraw new cards for your research options in the hopes of getting whatever it is you actually need at that given time.
I never get them. Never worth the investment imo. can't get it early enough, and quite useless later on.
Establishing a new colony costs energy? I know pre-2.2 the colony ship and the developing colony had 8 energy upkeep. I'd want the colony to establish quickly so I can rid myself of that drain.
Post-2.2, I hover over a colony ship and it has 1 energy upkeep. I must be missing something here. I know the ship costs 200 each Alloys/C.Goods/Food.
Post-2.2, I hover over a colony ship and it has 1 energy upkeep. I must be missing something here. I know the ship costs 200 each Alloys/C.Goods/Food.
There's no energy drain now. You just get the colony up and growing faster with the tech. It's faster development IF you actually get to use it
Ah, then OP misspoke. I had assumed someone would have refuted the claim already if it wasn't true.
Oops! Yes, I meant to say that now that it *NO LONGER* comes with a massive energy cost. Will edit.
Those techs are shit filler, they either come too late, or don't matter at all, and take a while to research. Research them only to get back the tech option slot.
I quite like them, but then I'm happy to (mid to late game) start with habitats, ringworlds, and terraforming of "unsuitable" worlds, and don't really do manual relocation of pops.
I'm also happy to take a planet from a hive or machine, let them die out and then recolonise (again due to not generally using manual relocation).
I guess how useful they are depends on playstyle.
I'm also happy to take a planet from a hive or machine, let them die out and then recolonise (again due to not generally using manual relocation).
I guess how useful they are depends on playstyle.
I have a very specific use for them, but very hit or miss.
Technocracy + Efficient Bureaucracy civics. Expansion tree first. Postpone colonization barring one colony to run the CG + Alloy base of your empire. Mixed districts for both your capital and colony. Expand the most you can while systematically building research stations and researching +10% station techs. When colo speed techs pop up, get them. When you secured a good chunk of land, go for systems with inhabitable planets first, no need to finish grabbing all the systems. By then you should be able to colonize in one swoop.
Abort when :
- Neighbor too close
- Highly aggressive neighbor
Friendly neighbor desired. Defensive pact is best.
You can grab a fair amount of land like this while keeping a real tech lead and having plenty of toys to play with when your planets will be up and running. The 2 colo speed techs will compensate partly for colonizing late. Having the first colo speed tech is doable, having the second is harder and highly situationnal (neighbors, hyperlane layout, science deposits, etc...). If you do it fully and take discovery tree second, you should unlock +1 tech choice perk roughly at the same time you get the +1 tech choice tech, and get an early ease with desired techs on top on additionnal tech speed from the science director on all your new colonies, at no CG cost. Tech speed which never slowed down to begin with.
Downside is you will be weaker economically and will have to survive that, but if you do, that will snowball well. Nice for a tech focused empire geared towards conquest after tech.
Not a MP build, obviously, and highly RNG tied. But these colo speed techs are vital to even think about doing that.
Outside of this, I guess they're just QoL and easy tech options reroll, as already said earlier.
Technocracy + Efficient Bureaucracy civics. Expansion tree first. Postpone colonization barring one colony to run the CG + Alloy base of your empire. Mixed districts for both your capital and colony. Expand the most you can while systematically building research stations and researching +10% station techs. When colo speed techs pop up, get them. When you secured a good chunk of land, go for systems with inhabitable planets first, no need to finish grabbing all the systems. By then you should be able to colonize in one swoop.
Abort when :
- Neighbor too close
- Highly aggressive neighbor
Friendly neighbor desired. Defensive pact is best.
You can grab a fair amount of land like this while keeping a real tech lead and having plenty of toys to play with when your planets will be up and running. The 2 colo speed techs will compensate partly for colonizing late. Having the first colo speed tech is doable, having the second is harder and highly situationnal (neighbors, hyperlane layout, science deposits, etc...). If you do it fully and take discovery tree second, you should unlock +1 tech choice perk roughly at the same time you get the +1 tech choice tech, and get an early ease with desired techs on top on additionnal tech speed from the science director on all your new colonies, at no CG cost. Tech speed which never slowed down to begin with.
Downside is you will be weaker economically and will have to survive that, but if you do, that will snowball well. Nice for a tech focused empire geared towards conquest after tech.
Not a MP build, obviously, and highly RNG tied. But these colo speed techs are vital to even think about doing that.
Outside of this, I guess they're just QoL and easy tech options reroll, as already said earlier.
I grab them as early as possible given the need to start population growth asap. But no, I don't think they are terribly value added outside of eeking a very small lead in total population.
They already kinda do this, assuming no pop growth modifiers and that I'm reading the files correctly, each tech adds 0.3 pops if you look at how much faster your colony is up and running relative no no bonuses.Seems like I'm not alone then. Devs, take note: those techs are now fairly useless
Suggestion: make each of those techs add an extra pop upon establishment of colony.
It's weird that there doesn't appear to be any drain, as there's still a line in defines indicating it should cost 8 a month.
It does still have an effect. If a planet takes 5 years to colonise, and you increase development speed by 50% (so, roughly 1.5 years faster) then you are effectively causing your planets to start with more population, because you have an extra period of growth.
You get that by picking an almost mandatory tradition. Another 50% on top of that is not as useful. ANOTHER 50% on top of THAT is just an insult, especially at T3, in 2240, when your core colonization boom should be over.