A brief discussion of the 'basic' dome: Don't

[YertyL]

That's simply not true.
A Basic dome gives you 60 hexes, but 2 micro domes give you only 64 hexes.
Furthermore: 1 Basic dome gives you 6 large building slots while 2 mirco domes give you 4 and 8 small spaces.
This means you can only have 2 large houses in one dome. Sure, you can have multiple domes with fewer housing areas but then you need more medical centres to keep the comfort threshold low (70 is quite high, especially in early game).

In my humble opinion this whole calculation crumbles to dust once you realize that you have to connect the domes.

Well, that's because you really don't have to connect the domes. I barely connect any of my domes at this point.
Connecting is helpful to make use of service capacity that is not used in a single dome -- especially with low level service, for which the -10 does not matter. I have done it for a long time too.
But -- as I argue in detail e.g. here -- you really don't need to fulfill every desire, and one high-value service is worth as much as two low-level services. So one fully staffed diner or bar can already go a long way, and you really don't need every dome to have green comfort value.
It is also usually better to share work force via an out-of-dome building than via passage so you do not eat the -10 penalty. Polymer factory is a good standard option.

Ofc I cannot argue with aesthetics. Honestly, I wish arcology was not so expensive in upkeep, because I think it looks really cool as well.
Alternatively, something like this mod could make the basic dome more desirable: In my mind, a low-upkeep, early game spire that fulfills shopping, dining and food at 25 capacity would be ideal. Generally applicable, and 25 capacity for these common needs would be used even in a basic dome. Colonists use roughly 3 times as much capacity for the food need as for any interest.

But in the current state of the game, a spire slot in a small dome is simply rarely an advantage, especially in the early game.

 

[Lycrist Katkiller]

Well, that's because you really don't have to connect the domes. I barely connect any of my domes at this point.
Connecting is helpful to make use of service capacity that is not used in a single dome -- especially with low level service, for which the -10 does not matter. I have done it for a long time too.
But -- as I argue in detail e.g. here -- you really don't need to fulfill every desire, and one high-value service is worth as much as two low-level services. So one fully staffed diner or bar can already go a long way, and you really don't need every dome to have green comfort value.
It is also usually better to share work force via an out-of-dome building than via passage so you do not eat the -10 penalty. Polymer factory is a good standard option.

Ofc I cannot argue with aesthetics. Honestly, I wish arcology was not so expensive in upkeep, because I think it looks really cool as well.
Alternatively, something like this mod could make the basic dome more desirable: In my mind, a low-upkeep, early game spire that fulfills shopping, dining and food at 25 capacity would be ideal. Generally applicable, and 25 capacity for these common needs would be used even in a basic dome. Colonists use roughly 3 times as much capacity for the food need as for any interest.

But in the current state of the game, a spire slot in a small dome is simply rarely an advantage, especially in the early game.

Well. Ok then, but this would only be viable in mid to late game and I don't see why I would want to build small domes in mid to late game. The advantages you list don't really matter when you can blob moisture vaporator and atomic accumulators or whatever floats your boat for power.

 

[YertyL]

Well. Ok then, but this would only be viable in mid to late game and I don't see why I would want to build small domes in mid to late game. The advantages you list don't really matter when you can blob moisture vaporator and atomic accumulators or whatever floats your boat for power.

? I did not mean the "smart home instead of clincs"-part, more the "one high value service or two low value services are enough"-part. Specifically micro domes are nice as early child or elder domes in which you don't invest into any staffed service. For children, comfort from playground and nursery is so high that uncooked meals do not really matter. But for regular colonists as well, e.g. just a fully staffed diner + housing will probably be enough to keep a micro dome with 2 living complexes at 50+ comfort (+10 +6 every day from meal and sleep). My point is you really do not need to have every service in every dome, you can get away with 2 missing services for almost all colonists if you have decent housing + one high value service (usually bar/diner). Staffed comfort buildings are a pretty big investment in the early game considering that apart from children they at best give +5 performance from high comfort.
I think the game pushes you into the wrong direction in this aspect with the "missing service" red alerts and your incentive to have high comfort for your founders to get your first martianborn. After this specific event, comfort is generally not that important until you have the tech to make martianborn really strong and the means to educate them properly.

 

[Lycrist Katkiller]

? I did not mean the "smart home instead of clincs"-part, more the "one high value service or two low value services are enough"-part. Specifically micro domes are nice as early child or elder domes in which you don't invest into any staffed service. For children, comfort from playground and nursery is so high that uncooked meals do not really matter. But for regular colonists as well, e.g. just a fully staffed diner + housing will probably be enough to keep a micro dome with 2 living complexes at 50+ comfort (+10 +6 every day from meal and sleep). My point is you really do not need to have every service in every dome, you can get away with 2 missing services for almost all colonists if you have decent housing + one high value service (usually bar/diner). Staffed comfort buildings are a pretty big investment in the early game considering that apart from children they at best give +5 performance from high comfort.
I think the game pushes you into the wrong direction in this aspect with the "missing service" red alerts and your incentive to have high comfort for your founders to get your first martianborn. After this specific event, comfort is generally not that important until you have the tech to make martianborn really strong and the means to educate them properly.

Anything below roughly 70 comfort is too low to have a sustainable colony. So it doesn't work in early game.

 

[CrazyJ]

Anything below roughly 70 comfort is too low to have a sustainable colony. So it doesn't work in early game.

not with proper medical care and/or the doctor commander profile. an infirmary reduces the minimum comfort by 15 to produce children and the doctor profile a further 15. combine the two together and you only need a comfort level of 40 to have a sustainable population(going off the wiki anyways, it's been a while since i played) which is attainable by even the most incompetent player.

 

[YertyL]

Anything below roughly 70 comfort is too low to have a sustainable colony. So it doesn't work in early game.

2 things here:

1. 70 comfort on average. You can have high comfort breeding/tourism domes and low comfort working domes. I honestly don't remember ever underbuilding comfort. even when consciously trying to limit service
2. You need 70 comfort in the long run. Early game most of your population will be flown in from earth either way. Until you at least have a university, martian babies cannot contribute much. And late game you will likely swim in comfort boosters either way. Worst case scenario you build 1 hanging garden and you will basically be set for sustainable population.

 

[Lycrist Katkiller]

not with proper medical care and/or the doctor commander profile. an infirmary reduces the minimum comfort by 15 to produce children and the doctor profile a further 15. combine the two together and you only need a comfort level of 40 to have a sustainable population(going off the wiki anyways, it's been a while since i played) which is attainable by even the most incompetent player.

That's not how population growth works.
Lowering the threshold doesnt change the fact that the number has to reach 1000 to have a newborn. Having a couple of colonists with a value of 70 will still provide more points towards a newborn than a couple with only 55.

2 things here:

1. 70 comfort on average. You can have high comfort breeding/tourism domes and low comfort working domes. I honestly don't remember ever underbuilding comfort. even when consciously trying to limit service
2. You need 70 comfort in the long run. Early game most of your population will be flown in from earth either way. Until you at least have a university, martian babies cannot contribute much. And late game you will likely swim in comfort boosters either way. Worst case scenario you build 1 hanging garden and you will basically be set for sustainable population.

1. high comfort breeding/tourism dome doesn't sound very early game to me. But maybe that's just me
2. Four words: Amateurs, The Last Ark

 

[YertyL]

That's not how population growth works.
Lowering the threshold doesnt change the fact that the number has to reach 1000 to have a newborn. Having a couple of colonists with a value of 70 will still provide more points towards a newborn than a couple with only 55.



1. high comfort breeding/tourism dome doesn't sound very early game to me. But maybe that's just me
2. Four words: Amateurs, The Last Ark

Well, in my last few games I have often gradually converted my first dome, which can use high comfort anyways to get that first martian baby, to a tourism dome, while building the next domes with lower comfort.
Also: Yes, with Last Ark you will want high comfort. But this is like saying "I would not waste space/ressources on security stations except with the rebel yell rule" While there are exceptions, I still think the tendency of players is to overbuild comfort.

 

[Lycrist Katkiller]

Well, in my last few games I have often gradually converted my first dome, which can use high comfort anyways to get that first martian baby, to a tourism dome, while building the next domes with lower comfort.
Also: Yes, with Last Ark you will want high comfort. But this is like saying "I would not waste space/ressources on security stations except with the rebel yell rule" While there are exceptions, I still think the tendency of players is to overbuild comfort.

Yeah. I get it. I played 400 hours of surviving mars and never played with tourists but i am 98% certain that you don't gradually converted your first dome before you colony is somewhat stable. And that means you are not doing it in early game.
So your whole calulation doesnt work in early game - but why would I build any small dome in mid or late game when i got access to larger domes? Makes no sense to me.

Who actually build security stations if not for rebels? Even with max disaster colonies don't tend to get full rogue.

Your calculation is fun and game on a drawing board but I don't see any real world application for it unless for games with low difficulty maybe. Which is fine, obiviously.