Planet Baen: Web Game for free eBooks

[ATDrake]

Originally Posted by Ginwen

I think I'm kind of paying a bit now for my early rush to get books at any cost (basically by always getting more Baen bucks), as my energy and bliss are severely lacking. Working on fixing that now, but it takes a long time when you are so far back.

Just sent you a bunch of gifts of Bucks and Bliss. Hope they got through.

I'm going to sit out a few cycles as far as levelling goes and build up my Energy and other resources until I've got a hefty warchest going, and possibly rearrange my assets even with the moving penalty (looks like it's 20 Bucks per square from original position, and 240 Bucks to move entirely off the board, at least at level 2), to maximize the efficiency of the stuff I'll want to surge twice a day if possible via the Quick Charge squares

Also, for people who are looking to ally, here's all the MR members who've posted their participation thus far (apologies if I missed anyone):

Abtacha
AnemicOak = Rolo
askyn = Askyn
bgalbrecht = Francis7
Blue Tyson = BlueTyson
BrianIsMe = Brian
Codetoad13 = Marlowe York
colinsky = CRAIG
colleenFL = Ky
cromag = Cromag
Crusader = MegaMan
DHNightshadow = Mercurius
Elfwreck
Freeshadow
gbm
ghostyjack = Bristol Bob
Ginwen
Iphinome
JeffZ = Nemo
kaleissin = Kaleissin
koland = BOTK
kraby = Proffy
Lemurion = Stark
mewmartigan
MikeB1972 = Mike
mnfe = Wildfire
nightcolors
orlok = Orlok
Pegster = Kalethea
plib = BrianBoru
rolalinii = Hild
sapphiresilver
scottken = ArchyToothless
theenframed
travger = Trav
weedfreak
wyndslash
xg4bx
Yapyap

I'm there as "Alexander the Drake".

[Freeshadow]

me is there same nick as here, but i have recently joind N° 20 and have still 10 waiting allies... will of course do as fast as I can but - before level 9 there is serious energy trouble as we all know now. my last levelup was so heavy that i lost nearly all bliss before got energy losses away now I slowly recover. I simply cannot afford a money making population rush... but since recovery doesnt use bucks up cause i wait for mines to recharge i can at least go on with steady joining those already in, spending the money while saving energy

[ATDrake]

It looks like Baen has tweaked the game so that energy may be a bit more difficult to get at the lower levels.

Those Open Pit Coal Mines which could be surged for 1 point and yield 575 Energy yesterday are only worth 150 E per surge today. Don't bother upgrading them to Level 2, you only get 225 Energy for 2 surge points and you still don't get any more Baen Bucks per cycle from them.

But on the plus side, that HandyNuke thing that was part of my default assets is now worth 1800 E for a 10 point surge instead of just 500.

[AnemicOak]

Note that the code also work for $6 off a monthly bundle instead of for a free single book too.

[Freeshadow]

*sigh*rechecking assets page now: you are right,

have you tested the radiation shield?

[ATDrake]

Radiation Shield says 550 Energy for 4 surge points when bought (I didn't get one of those in my drop package, and I should note that my Handy Nuke is at Level 10, rather than the default 4 in the market). If it makes any difference as regarding political parties/alignment, I'm a pure centrist/pragmatist.

Anti-Matter Reactor Town says 1000 Energy + 500 all others for 4 surge points, and I guess if you surround it with a bunch of Population things to subtract that (I think that's how it works), it might be okay.

Thorium Reactor's still 4100 Energy for 9 surge points, but they've reduced the Bucks per cycle from 3100 to 2300 (I made a list of all the best-looking assets when I started yesterday, so I could plan which ones to get).

[koland]

Originally Posted by ATDrake

Just sent you a bunch of gifts of Bucks and Bliss. Hope they got through.

I'm there as "Alexander the Drake".

I'll try to get you the next round (I am trying to get to level 10 today; should make it without any problem, but still need two cycles, as I added an ally earlier today), then have to save 500K or so in order to add another Ally (which will be #20!).

I did move my stuff around (and sold off some things around level 5 - no sentiment allowed, anything that didn't produce >300/cycle or wasn't a coal mine (of which I ended up with around 15, so I could surge 5 every cycle, plus another 5 after leveling up), was sold off.

Now, I have 8 or 9 reactors, plus a couple of heavy population and food sources (around 3K each) on the quick charges. That leaves a few squares that I think have bucks on them, but I don't bother using (I'll sell them, eventually, rather than move them, I think). I'll get to level up again and probably will need to buy some extra reactors (they can slow charge, since they'll only get surged on level up turns).

[DHNightshadow]

The radiation shield have more ouput. I am on level 7 and the shield gives 1375 on this level. But I have many coal mines because they were cheaper, the next round will be heavy on the energy. I should go buy more shields.

[koland]

Originally Posted by ATDrake

It looks like Baen has tweaked the game so that energy may be a bit more difficult to get at the lower levels.

Those Open Pit Coal Mines which could be surged for 1 point and yield 575 Energy yesterday are only worth 150 E per surge today. Don't bother upgrading them to Level 2, you only get 225 Energy for 2 surge points and you still don't get any more Baen Bucks per cycle from them.

But on the plus side, that HandyNuke thing that was part of my default assets is now worth 1800 E for a 10 point surge instead of just 500.

Hmm... did you level up yourself? I noticed that as I gained levels, the coal mines became much less attractive (and I still needed to surge only them on every turn, just trying to keep up). Leveling the coal mines up, though, at least resulted in better than before I went up a level (1875 dropped to 15xx after I leveled up, then back up to 2100 after upgrading the mine - I think this was the level 7-to-8 numbers).

That said, yes, they did an upgrade yesterday afternoon. Supposed to be mainly bug fixes, but I see they destroyed the effectiveness of coal mines.

[ATDrake]

Originally Posted by koland

I'll try to get you the next round (I am trying to get to level 10 today; should make it without any problem, but still need two cycles, as I added an ally earlier today), then have to save 500K or so in order to add another Ally (which will be #20!).

No worries, I'm really not that into allying with people right now while I get used to the game. Might work out better if you reciprocally re-ally with people who've already allied you (unless you've already run out) and work on sorting out the levelling stuff first.

Myself, I'm keeping the assets which came in the default drop package, since it looks like they're rearranging the yields for those from something insultingly worthless to something actually pretty decent. And I'm keeping the stuff which comes with extra whack protection.

But once I'm done with them and they've been around for enough cycles to repay their purchase price, those project app components are mostly getting sold.

[DHNightshadow]

Originally Posted by koland

Hmm... did you level up yourself? I noticed that as I gained levels, the coal mines became much less attractive (and I still needed to surge only them on every turn, just trying to keep up). Leveling the coal mines up, though, at least resulted in better than before I went up a level (1875 dropped to 15xx after I leveled up, then back up to 2100 after upgrading the mine - I think this was the level 7-to-8 numbers).

That said, yes, they did an upgrade yesterday afternoon. Supposed to be mainly bug fixes, but I see they destroyed the effectiveness of coal mines.

No, the last cycle I get 1200 from the coal mine, the same level 7, now they are only 600, and at last when you did buy them, they were on 550 like the shield, but much cheaper, now they are only on 150 like ATDrake said.

[ATDrake]

Originally Posted by koland

Hmm... did you level up yourself? I noticed that as I gained levels, the coal mines became much less attractive (and I still needed to surge only them on every turn, just trying to keep up).

Just to level 2 yesterday, and they were at 575 Energy for at least 4 cycles before dropping to 150 today. About the only thing I've done is qualify myself for a level 3 upgrade by finishing the projects (but haven't actually leveled yet).

In any case, the coal mines are still my best yield-per-surge short of the New!Improved! HandyNuke.

[koland]

Originally Posted by ATDrake

But on the plus side, that HandyNuke thing that was part of my default assets is now worth 1800 E for a 10 point surge instead of just 500.

My nuke only made about 10 - I sold it off (they said it made a nice, pink night light!). whether or not you can sell off drop package items seems to be random (or a bug).

Anyone tried buying a new core and upgrading it to see how much it produces at around level 9?

My current reactors are producing 3,726/cycle, so it looks like they didn't downgrade existing assets.

[Freeshadow]

they do - at least they have done with the coal mines

[khunnylex]

It looks interesting, I take a look.