What's the right way to get Galactic Wonders Perk?

[SadNova]

Not sure I understand it correctly. The Perk itself requires the technology Mega-Engineering. But the Mega-Engineering is unlocked by the Perk Voidborne.
I really don't want to waste a slot for the Voidborn, the habitat is a joke (size of 6). Is that the only way to get the tech? I've played a few rounds but the tech never popped up by itself.
Thank you. Appreciate your help.

Edit: Thank you everyone for the explanation. So what's your strategy? Do you wait for the tech or do you get the voidborne? Does it worth to wait for decades? Thank you.

 

[Linusz]

The tech can pop up without voidborne being picked.

It is a rare tech with its collateral low draw weight of 5. The weight is increased by having a megastructure within your borders (not matter its condition, meaning a demolished one suffices) by 20.

If the scientist does not have either voidborne, curator or maniacal trait the draw weight is halfed.


So basically, if you do not have any megastructures within your borders, chances are quite low that the tech(-card) appears and it might take a couple of decades.

 

[Dannydehz]

EDIT: I got it wrong

 

[RandomZach]

Mega-engineering is a low weight (2.5) tier 5 engineering tech that requires Battleships, Zero Point Power, and Citadels as pre-requisites. You do not need any ascension perks to get it, they just guarantee it if you go down that path. You can double the weight by using a curator scientist or a scientist with the voidcraft/maniacal traits in your engineering slot. Having more than 1 of these traits does not increase the weight further. The weight is also greatly increased (by a factor of 20) by having an existing megastructure in your borders. This includes ruined megastructures but does not include habitats or gateways.

Spoiler: Code from 2.2.3

@tier5weight3 = 20

...

tech_mega_engineering = {
    area = engineering
    cost = @tier5cost3
    tier = 5
    category = { voidcraft }
    ai_update_type = all
    prerequisites = { "tech_starbase_5" "tech_battleships" "tech_zero_point_power" }
    weight = @tier5weight3
    is_rare = yes

    feature_flags = {
        megaengineering
    }
 
    modifier = {
        country_resource_max_add = 20000
    }
 
    weight_modifier = {
        factor = 0.25
        modifier = {
            factor = 0.5
            NOR = {
                research_leader = {
                    area = engineering
                    has_trait = "leader_trait_expertise_voidcraft"
                }
                research_leader = {
                    area = engineering
                    has_trait = "leader_trait_curator"
                }
                research_leader = {
                    area = engineering
                    has_trait = "leader_trait_maniacal"
                }           
            }
        }
        modifier = {
            factor = 2
            has_ascension_perk = ap_voidborn
        }   
        modifier = {
            factor = 2
            has_ascension_perk = ap_master_builders
        }
        modifier = {
            factor = 20
            has_any_megastructure_in_empire = yes
        }
    }
 
    ai_weight = {
        factor = 1.25 #important component
        modifier = {
            factor = 1.25
            research_leader = {
                area = engineering
                has_trait = "leader_trait_expertise_voidcraft"
            }
        }
    }
}

 

[KingAlamar]

I've been thinking that the weights just seem way too low for my personal taste. While I don't mind the required techs or even the scientist weightings ... that all makes sense and adds flavor.

It's annoying that you have to either "win the lottery" or take an AP [voidborn] that you have no intention of using other than it enabling you to snag the other techs / APs you want.

It's too bad that a Curator [or Caravaneer] couldn't sell you [for a steep price] 1 research point into MegaStructures to remove the RNG aspect. This would esp. help the bad players like me seeing as having the megastructure bonuses available EARLIER would be helpful against Crisis / AE / L-Gate and other events.

 

[Masoz]

In my current game I'm at 2390 with two acension perks queued waiting for this tech to pop up because I want master builders too and don't need voidborne.

Even though I'm well into tier 5 and repeatables, have all the necessary techs, a high level Curator scientist working engineering, and a ringworld in my borders, it's still stubbornly refusing to show up. IMO, it's very much necessary to pick up Voidborne if you want this tech at a reasonable time.

 

[SadNova]

In my current game I'm at 2390 with two acension perks queued waiting for this tech to pop up because I want master builders too and don't need voidborne.

Even though I'm well into tier 5 and repeatables, have all the necessary techs, a high level Curator scientist working engineering, and a ringworld in my borders, it's still stubbornly refusing to show up. IMO, it's very much necessary to pick up Voidborne if you want this tech at a reasonable time.

I agree. Time is money in this game. Not to say the Megastructures themselves required too much time to build. It seems we can't afford to wait.

 

[evilcat]

The tech couldpop up naturally but have very low chance to roll, what increases the odds: having broken megastructure, having master builder, having voidborne or curator scientist or maniac. Sacrifizing space goat.
YOu also need Citadel, Zero Fussion and Battleship

Generally it is nighmare, and i almost never have a chance to roll it normally. Even if i have ruined megastructures nope, just nope.

So my normal way is: Pick Habitats as my first perk, then Master Builder then Galactic Wonders. Master Builder guarantees Megaengineering.

It is stupid, since that 3 perks, and megastructures are not even that big deal. Generally before i can finish them i could either conquere half of galaxy or start taking some ringworld from FE. Generally going for Bio Ascession and conquering FE could be more effective (nerve stample).

Also the new eunopolis could serve as RingWold but requires only perk and no fancy tech combo.

EDIT: If you have Voidborn and 2 perks open just pick Master Builder which forces Mega Engineering.
Galaxy wonders require 3 other perks so you need to go:
Habitats +X+Master Builder + and then Galaxy Wonders.

I like the idea of Curator and Caravaneers selling 5% of insight toward megastructure tech for small price of 10k.
It unlock after mid game.
You still need required technologies otherwise they will polity tell it is beyond our comprahension.

 

[Masoz]

People are arguing over whether Psyonic/Synth/Genetic ascension is the most OP path of Megacorp in other threads...

Personally, I'd argue the strongest path is the Ecumenopoli > Voidborne > Master Builder > Galactic Wonders. I don't think it's possible to have a stronger economy than Ecumenopoli fed with a Matter Decompressor.

 

[permeakra]

Edit: Thank you everyone for the explanation. So what's your strategy? Do you wait for the tech or do you get the voidborne? Does it worth to wait for decades? Thank you.

I usually go for voidborne and master builders. Some builds have it better (hiveminds), some worse (stupid egalitarians), but habitats are not as bad as some make it sound, its's just specific. They have housing districts second in density only to ecumenopolis, opening 2 building slots each, you just have to come with creative abuse for getting amenities (domestic slaves, some civic-specific building and so on. Also, AFAIK 1st-level temple and gene clinic can be built on habitat and provides +10 amenities.) and get rare resources for 5+ pop production buildings. Or go hiveminds who can build housing buildings on habitats and have such buildings large enough to open two slots with them. Default leisure districts for habitats are sprawl-inefficient.

 

[Masoz]

I usually go for voidborne and master builders. Some builds have it better (hiveminds), some worse (stupid egalitarians), but habitats are not as bad as some make it sound, its's just specific. They have housing districts second in density only to ecumenopolis, opening 2 building slots each, you just have to come with creative abuse for getting amenities (domestic slaves, some civic-specific building and so on. Also, AFAIK 1st-level temple and gene clinic can be built on habitat and provides +10 amenities.) and get rare resources for 5+ pop production buildings. Or go hiveminds who can build housing buildings on habitats and have such buildings large enough to open two slots with them. Default leisure districts for habitats are sprawl-inefficient.

To add to this, if you enslave your workers and stack trade/slave/worker bonuses, and enable the Consumer Benefits policy, you can cover your entire empire's consumer goods and amenities costs with Commerce Megaplexes at ZERO mineral cost.

 

[KingAlamar]

I sort of got lucky in my current game. Got Mega Engineering to pop at roughly 2390 after looking for it 40 years I managed to start my first Mega Structure in prep for FE / AE / Crisis.

The unlucky part is my ironman game is CTD [crashing to desktop] now. I assume it's a bad event but likely no way to fix the game ;(

 

[Surimi]

The quickest way is to take habitats as your first ascension perk (they are not that bad, and at this stage the competition is fairly mediocre), master builders as your third ascension perk, and then galactic wonders as your fourth. Since master builders unlocks mega engineering, you can finish this very early if you just rush all the power techs as soon as they crop up. Getting your first megastructure running 120-150 years into the game is not unthinkable, and with +50% build speed you'll be able to build a lot of them.

Default leisure districts for habitats are sprawl-inefficient.

They are sprawl inefficient, but they also provide unity, which is one of the more limited resources in the game. Whether it's worth it is debatable, but I've used them as unity farms.

 

[BigPony]

I am just a scrub, but I do not get the Habitat hate. I know they have changed a lot, but I use them now to handle all my rare resource factories so I do not need them on my worlds. You really only need a couple of them, but I find them quite handy so I can upgrade a lot of buildings easily.

It also has the added benefit of always getting to the megastructures earlier than without.

 

[SadNova]

I am just a scrub, but I do not get the Habitat hate. I know they have changed a lot, but I use them now to handle all my rare resource factories so I do not need them on my worlds. You really only need a couple of them, but I find them quite handy so I can upgrade a lot of buildings easily.

It also has the added benefit of always getting to the megastructures earlier than without.

That's a good idea. I guess that's why we need discussion like this.

 

[Talanic]

I feel like some people don't know how the tech cards work, and this may help them reliably get Mega-Engineering much faster. This is in addition to having voidcraft / curator / maniacal on your Engineering research lead.

Each tech has a tier assigned to it, and in order to have a tech show up, in addition to its unique prerequisites (if any), you need to have completed six techs of the previous tier. If you're having repeatable techs show up, Mega-Engineering can also be drawn; if you're not, you might not have completed enough high-tier research. The worst thing you can do is finish Battleships and Citadel, then only research quick techs that you skipped on the way there. Odds are, you will never get Mega-Engineering until you have six tier four techs.

Battleships and Citadel are both tier four, so you only need four more. All Synth techs, all top-tier Engineering weapons (including both Mega and Giga cannon), Battleship Standardization Patterns, Neutronium Materials or Impulse Thrusters...any four of those are needed.

 

[Nimic]

I've been thinking that the weights just seem way too low for my personal taste. While I don't mind the required techs or even the scientist weightings ... that all makes sense and adds flavor.

It's annoying that you have to either "win the lottery" or take an AP [voidborn] that you have no intention of using other than it enabling you to snag the other techs / APs you want.

It's too bad that a Curator [or Caravaneer] couldn't sell you [for a steep price] 1 research point into MegaStructures to remove the RNG aspect. This would esp. help the bad players like me seeing as having the megastructure bonuses available EARLIER would be helpful against Crisis / AE / L-Gate and other events.

Right, I pretty much agree with this. I had to wait until 2387 or something to get it in my last game, and I was eligible for a hell of a long time before that. I get that it's just how the tech system works, but it feels like could maybe be some other way of doing it with an important tech like that (for gateways).

Obviously I could have taken Voidborn, but I had decided early on that I didn't want it. Maybe that's already the "other way of doing it", but I just don't particularly like it being tied to that perk. Perhaps I'm just whinging.

 

[Nerisande]

You can save perk slot, but you will waste a lot of time trying to win Megaengineering in disgusting "tech casino". I prefer to waste perk slot and get megastructures earlier.

 

[The Exile]

It's too bad that a Curator [or Caravaneer] couldn't sell you [for a steep price] 1 research point into MegaStructures to remove the RNG aspect. This would esp. help the bad players like me seeing as having the megastructure bonuses available EARLIER would be helpful against Crisis / AE / L-Gate and other events.

I kinda like this idea. The price could start astronomically high, and drop as you get more of the prerequisites (reactor types, hull types, starport upgrades) until it is at a reasonable price for the midgame once you've researched all the direct prereqs for Mega-engineering itself.

That way, you would have a reliable way to get it once you'd put in the work, and maybe could get it a little earlier if you were willing to sacrifice other opportunities to build up enough cash.