Geologists can become useless

[Louella]

I got a breakthrough tech that allowed automated extractors. Which is good, but it means that I no longer have any role for my geologists. All my mines are a long long distance from my domes, so I don't know what to do.

I don't know if the wonder extraction thingies need staff though, haven't reached those techs yet.

But right now, my geologists have no work available.

So what I was thinking was that the breakthrough tech that allowed automated mines, would give you the ability to build automated mine buildings as a separate building type from the staffed ones, and there'd also be an in-dome building, a geology lab or mineralogy lab, that would affect only the auto-mine buildings to improve their yield.

That way my geologists would get an indoor job rather than being totally unemployed.

 

[FunkyBigodon]

Hello! As far as I know, your geologists can still work in other buildings, granted with a specialization penalty, but it is still better than having them doing absolutely nothing. Additionally, I think the breakthrough makes your extractors work autonomously, but only with a 50% efficiency, so having your geologists working in them is still a better option. Cheers!

 

[Thorin]

Yes, your geologist are useless after the AI extractor (the endgame ones don't need workers), even without them you will sooner or later won't need them, since the mines will run out and only the mohole will remain.

 

[Louella]

Hello! As far as I know, your geologists can still work in other buildings, granted with a specialization penalty, but it is still better than having them doing absolutely nothing. Additionally, I think the breakthrough makes your extractors work autonomously, but only with a 50% efficiency, so having your geologists working in them is still a better option. Cheers!

Yeah, but the university that trains people into specialists still thinks lots of geologists are needed. And I don't think you can retrain specialists if there's a surplus.
And yeah the automines are only 50% efficient but that's not so important when the mines are on the other side of the map, and you have the little jet drone things to reach them.

Yes, your geologist are useless after the AI extractor (the endgame ones don't need workers), even without them you will sooner or later won't need them, since the mines will run out and only the mohole will remain.

I don't know if it's just the difficulty I'm playing on, but I'm pretty sure the rare metal mines are respawning when they run out, maybe that stops if you have the mohole and stuff .

 

[FunkyBigodon]

Yeah, but the university that trains people into specialists still thinks lots of geologists are needed.

Ah, I see your point! In this case it would be useful to have the option to toggle off specific specializations from the university. Hopefully it gets patched. Cheers!

 

[Thorin]

Hmm, never seen that, anyway, you don't need more rare metal than what the mohole gives (20/sol) unless you want to build dozens of domes and currently that is not an appealing option.

 

[sterrius]

Geologists can manage bars, grocers and diners at no penalty. If i remember right arts and eletronics shops too.

 

[Dinges]

Yes, your geologist are useless after the AI extractor (the endgame ones don't need workers), even without them you will sooner or later won't need them, since the mines will run out and only the mohole will remain.

To be honest, I would like an endgame upgrade to all the extractors (only available once you researched or even built the respective wonder) that allows you to build and use extractors even when there is no deposit nearby. This upgrade should be costly and produce only at average speed to prevent it becoming too powerful.

That way, unless you have the specific breakthrough tech, you still have a use for geologists if you want to expend more, since even with the mohole, the need for electronics is really high and soon won't be able to keep up with demand. This is even worse when you use the electronics store, seriously they use so much I strongly suspect the shoppers there are eating it as a light snack.

 

[HechiceraWG]

Geologists can manage bars, grocers and diners at no penalty. If i remember right arts and eletronics shops too.

In my current game I got the tech to automate those to robot workers first. And did that ... since I needed more miners ... at the time. Feel free to laugh at me, I am.

But I also got the tech that drastically reduces the wrongs specialization penalty, so there are ways. I think it is possible though to get a really bad random order of techs, or a really good one.

 

[Almaravarion]

To be honest, I would like an endgame upgrade to all the extractors (only available once you researched or even built the respective wonder) that allows you to build and use extractors even when there is no deposit nearby. This upgrade should be costly and produce only at average speed to prevent it becoming too powerful.

That way, unless you have the specific breakthrough tech, you still have a use for geologists if you want to expend more, since even with the mohole, the need for electronics is really high and soon won't be able to keep up with demand. This is even worse when you use the electronics store, seriously they use so much I strongly suspect the shoppers there are eating it as a light snack.

soooo... in essence Nanite Reprocessing? [or however that breakthrough is called]

 

[Ramidel]

This is a self-solving problem, fortunately. You just use your geologists in subpar positions (as ersatz engineers perhaps) until they age out of the workforce.

 

[Dinges]

soooo... in essence Nanite Reprocessing? [or however that breakthrough is called]

Possibly, I have never gotten that one so I don't know

 

[HechiceraWG]

Possibly, I have never gotten that one so I don't know

I did. It looked like a very small amount.

Not that good if you had any chance of getting the resource undepleted nearby. Perhaps good to use on many already depleted ones at once? then the small amount might add up to be useful.

 

[MarQan]

Yeah, but the university that trains people into specialists still thinks lots of geologists are needed.

Even if you turn off/close the worker slots in the extractor? I don't recall getting too many Botanists with the farm automation.

 

[Dinges]

I did. It looked like a very small amount.

Not that good if you had any chance of getting the resource undepleted nearby. Perhaps good to use on many already depleted ones at once? then the small amount might add up to be useful.

I found out I was wrong and actually "did" have that technology at some point. I just reloaded I save where I had it, and one of them produced 1.5 metals a day at 50 performance, compared to 10 for an average one at 50% capacity. Water extractors gave 0.8 water an hour. I also checked to be sure, and even with this technology you can't place these building anywhere, there has to be a deposit nearby. You also can't build them where there has been a resource, so if you remove these buildings after the resource has run out, they are gone for good. Not all that useful really in my opinion, disappointing for a breakthrough tech.

Anyway, to get back on topic, geologists do get useless sooner or later. Sooner with the breakthrough tech, later once you have the mohole and have run out of other resources. I personally wish it was different, but this game does seem to be more oriented to get to the evaluation with as high a score as possible, finish your mystery and then start a new game. If you play like that, unless you happen to get the breakthrough tech, they will probably stay useful till or near the end.

 

[sterrius]

I found out I was wrong and actually "did" have that technology at some point. I just reloaded I save where I had it, and one of them produced 1.5 metals a day at 50 performance, compared to 10 for an average one at 50% capacity. Water extractors gave 0.8 water an hour. I also checked to be sure, and even with this technology you can't place these building anywhere, there has to be a deposit nearby. You also can't build them where there has been a resource, so if you remove these buildings after the resource has run out, they are gone for good. Not all that useful really in my opinion, disappointing for a breakthrough tech.
.

its a good breaktrough because while you need to have a deposit to build 1 mine nothing says you can´t build multiple mines over 1 deposit, turn everyone but 1 off and wait the deposit to run dry before turning all on again.

If made a combo with AI extractors you can have a very nice sum of resources at no cost of manpower.

Also this makes sure you don´t need the Mineral/rare mineral wonder and can go for the concrete wonder instead.

 

[Louella]

Even if you turn off/close the worker slots in the extractor? I don't recall getting too many Botanists with the farm automation.

Aha ! if you close the worker slots, it reduces the demand in the university to 0.

But you need the shifts on, but closed, for the mine to produce resources.

 

[Thorin]

That one is really annoying. You need to tell the AI extractor to work the mine when no people works there.