Spore Colony tweaks

[temuchin-]

Currently spore colonies commonly die from lack of food or collapse due to morale. I propose to tweak the extra spores to be a bit more potent. Note due to this being a sub tech it is never researched and all values are at 75% of stated values. I also considered adding 4 pts of research, but I haven't tried that option out and worry it might make the extra spores too good.

<technology id="9013" symbol="SPOREMINOR" name="Extra Spores">
    <discovery
        researchMod="1.00"
        level="99"
        researchRaces="B"
        maxImprovement="1"
    />
    <structure
        subtype="str75"
        buildProd="400"
        operWorkers="10"
        prodBio="24"
        prodBioMod="0.5,0.0,0.0,0.5"
        prodEn="24"
        prodEnMod="0.5,0.0,0.0,0.5"
        prodProd="12"
        prodProdMod="0.75,0.0,0.0,0.25"
        maxHP="17"
        moraleTrgt="+8"
        prodEnv="25"
        combatAtt="4"
        structWeapons="1,1,0,0,0"
        isMilitary="1"
        fullInfo="1"
    />
    <preresearch>Our spores colonize many planets.</preresearch>
    <description>There were extra spores left over from the primary Spore Colony.</description>
</technology>

[dahaic]

Can you expand on the statement that spore colonies die from lack of food? Because what I see in the code is that each extra spore produces 12 food, 50/50 dependent on environment. And each only needs 10 workers. That means, on TL6 (with 600 extra population per slot), that if it retains production of 7, it's golden.

That works on planet with environment 56 and more.

And that was ignoring the main spore colony structure. That one produces 50 bio, while consuming 26. Average planet of 14 slots (average is actually less than that) means each mini spore has +2 leeway from the main structure. And thus leaving colony self sufficient as soon as on the planet with around 12 bio :) (rounding will make slight differences).

So I don't see a problem, nor the need for a buff.

[temuchin-]

It leaves the bare minimum and if any other structure exists or is built that structure stands a good chance of not being supported. W/ testing I have been able to actually work this to my advantage by semi starving the pop and thereby not having the extra 600 pop per slot and morale kinda balances out w/ an entertainment center or two. Honestly If I deploy a spore anywhere not fully in the rear of an empire it must have a planetary shield or the first determined ship can take it out. Thankfully it will usually be completely destroyed requiring the invader to bring their own colonies.

• So the adding bio production is not needed as any excess pop dies off, w/ the morale penalty seeming to balance itself out. (watching a game where that plays out right now.)

• adding morale was suggested to restore the functionality of the structure to what is was pre-excess population.

• Doubling the CP of spores and sporesminor is useful w/o breaking anything and makes them useful in expanding an empire, also removes the need to have to manually delete spores before you build.

  Adding in more Production can easily unbalance spores, so should be considered a Gru.

  increasing morale boost to about 8 makes them effective to place on planets around 7 to 12 slots. Where normally the morale penalty is a detriment.

Simply point ATM If I am investing in large hull colony ships as a bio player I am going to skip the two levels of unnecessary colony module research (it is pretty RP intensive) and instead just place 2 adv colony mods on the Hull for the same RP (can't quite fit 3). This ensures I can build planets cleaner and quicker than w/ spore modules.

Spore Colonies are not the only dead end pointless techs w/ extremely niche uses, but it would be nice if they were half as transformative as they were pre 0.7.4-ish.

[temuchin-]

CSB - to lend context to the suggested modifications. In the older version I would use spore colonies to populate minor rim worlds w/ planetary shields and a basic structure or two. It was amazing to be able to achieve a very useful planet systems w/ low pop high morale and 25 to 75 research, or 50 to 100 production. Or to use them as a quick way to establish beach heads in places where I can quickly drop planetary shields.

Now they occupy something you can drop after an assault, if you have time to build planetary shields. They can be cheaper to deploy but cost more in momentum lost from not having a solid 100 to 400 CP on planet if you dropped 7 to 18 adv colony modules. so the investment is about 5 times what the CP of the equivalent in Adv Colony ships, and I have never seen an empire pinched for resources on colony ship support costs. Extra Colony ships can always be useful.

Spore Colonies are at a greater disadvantage, as the adv colony modules give about 1/2 HP to most L3 and higher structures you build meaning if you can spare production that is always the better way to go. And if you can't spare production , then why would you spend the excess time to research 2 L6 sub levels plus the L6 spore colony mod, when you could have invested in tech that would have given you a better production base like planetary assembly / condensation pods and adv colony plus 1 level of adv col modules