Colonization Mega Guide v1.0b Released

Perhaps you could look in the Codex to check.

And proofread the guide against the Codex whilst you're at it...
I can but when the codex conflicts with patch notes, it’s worth clarifying if you already looked into it?

Last time someone told me “go look at the codex” was actually FDEV directly, telling me to go look at the point-increase mechanic for ports … which simply was not there (and was eventually added thereafter after we pointed out it just wasn’t there.)

So bear with me if my faith in the codex is somewhat limited.
 
The codex has many errors and unfortunately anything it says needs to be verified and often clarified. It got better with the last update but it's still not to be trusted. Even the patch notes can't be trusted so the only way to do anything is to waste huge amounts of time veryifying things in game.
 
Just wanted to say thanks to you Mechan, for all the work and content you added in the last months with colonization. It was a great help.

Regarding the topic of cannibalization of economies... This is imho very important. So it'd be good to add a link to this page https://elite-dangerous.fandom.com/wiki/Commodities/Supply_and_Demand or reproduce the table (i think a few newer commodities are missing, like Steel, Muon Imagers or Insulating Membrane).

Before building any weak links of any sorts it helps to take a look at this table and make sure to not cannibalize a commodity that you want to offer in your stations. Sometimes this works (e.g. using an Exploration hub with tourism economy instead of a science lab with hightech economy; when you want to boost your tech level to UCG levels). Sometimes it doesn't (e.g. when addressing security issues; there the question is only: How to minimize military weak links for a given level of security).

This of course is only very high level. The exact numbers, variability and their demand modifiers (e.g. liquid oxygen having a high industrial demand modifier, so even small amounts of industry economy will make them vanish from refineries) is a large and deep rabbit hole, that Ian Doncaster researched in detail and published on his website.

The rest of the stuff (mentioning DSS scan in the preparation phase; the boost vs. override thing) i already wrote to you on youtube.
 
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The documentation part is good. It summarize official docs + official posts + objective known facts well. I suggest to separate that from the rest, it will be good (and short) material to read before starting Colonization.

The rest (opinions, suggestions, etc.) are: (a) leaned toward groups (b) some are questionable (c) some are misleading:

(Questionable) T3 ports are questionable facilities. They are terribly long to build, slower to use and have no known advantages (except population). If there are advantages, it will be good to know which.

(Questionable/incomplete) Described "Sniping" problem is very specific. And written suggestions to prevent it cover really exotic case: some commander or even a group of them religiously don't want construct on there own... Because otherwise they will complete or claim+build 1-2 (more for group) bridge outposts within a day instead of waiting when original architect is about to bring the last T8 of goods..
Way more practical and not mentioned advise: do NOT track yourself (EDMC, EDDI, etc. with data uploading turned on). Not even during planning (visiting potential systems). Till you have claimed all systems you have planed to claim in the region. That will not prevent detecting 20 outposts bridge to highly wanted system, but will avoid random players interfere (usual case).

(Misleading) Planetary ports are not slower to use in comparison to orbital in general, except when constructing in the same system or orbital is in "perfect" position (possible to "hyperbreak" from long distance without extra curve and the entrance points to the "right" direction). The last happens for short period of time (if at all) and "time saving" is small (not worse single "mistake" with planet hit). Note that is for large ships / T1 planetary / T2 orbital (T3 are slower to use in both cases, T1 orbital are way faster but M pads only). I know it is hard to believe, till you measure.

(Misleading/incomplete) Planet size/gravity can significantly impact the time for landing. The best are ~0.05 earth, which almost always have 3 slots. 5+ slots are on big planets, they are slower (but not drastically) to land. Tiny planets / moons (most have 2 slots) can be tricky and in all cases significantly slower to land. So, "perfect" planetary Refinery is on planet with 3 slots, not 5+.

(Questionable/misleading) With current population growth and influences, single Refinery hub on the same planet triggers insane number of most required commodities. Even Refinery hub on another planet (one weak link) can be sufficient to cover one architect needs (sure, that is "unstable"). And so constructing 2+ hubs needs good reason (f.e. different planets for planetary/orbital port).

(Questionable) Advanced docking computer is good for construction platforms and carrier (you can choose the destination during auto start), but it is bad of orbital stations (you can't ask your ship to stay when the gate is blocked). So when hauling from orbital station it is better have standard docking computer (assuming the player knows how to fly out manually).

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I can't remember I have seen general hauling advise: learn how to use SCO at any distances (3-6Mm, 3-10ls, 100ls, etc.) and don't forget to use it when leaving planets.

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Also there is no "orientation" numbers for hauling speed. I mean to let the player know when he/she can do it faster (probably currently does it suboptimal way).

That is one of major arguments when planning construction sequence: "what will take less time at the end, making new refinery and constructing from it or use sub-optimal existing one?".

I don't have statistic, so just from own expirience (specially and fully engineered cutter, self build refineries at good locations). Numbers in "deliveries per hour":
  • I have started with around 3-4 ("platinum transporter" ship, no "trading" expirience, not trained to use SCO).
  • carrier allows ~6 (12 trips load/offload)
  • from good refinery to near site in the next system: 7 - 8.5
  • building in the same system on/over different body: 7 - 11
  • building on the same body (from the nearest planetary port): 10 - 12

Note that "the feeling" may be different from reality (especially when using carrier or planetary ports), these numbers mean "after 1 hour playing I have delivered...". Also note these numbers are for "single commodity". If you are shopping industrial materials, it can take several minutes just to buy proper amounts.
 
The documentation part is good. It summarize official docs + official posts + objective known facts well. I suggest to separate that from the rest, it will be good (and short) material to read before starting Colonization.

So much to unpack! Will try.

Hard to separate out things as you describe, there is demand for a shorter version tho. Once the longer version gets a bit more “stable” and complete will think on it/how a “cheat sheet” could look like.

The rest (opinions, suggestions, etc.) are: (a) leaned toward groups (b) some are questionable (c) some are misleading:

(Questionable) T3 ports are questionable facilities. They are terribly long to build, slower to use and have no known advantages (except population). If there are advantages, it will be good to know which.

Population is their biggest advantage. Especially so for Planetary T3 Ports which absolutely dwarf anything else one can build.

And population matters - a lot - as it “feeds” into production volumes.

(Questionable/incomplete) Described "Sniping" problem is very specific. And written suggestions to prevent it cover really exotic case: some commander or even a group of them religiously don't want construct on there own... Because otherwise they will complete or claim+build 1-2 (more for group) bridge outposts within a day instead of waiting when original architect is about to bring the last T8 of goods..
Way more practical and not mentioned advise: do NOT track yourself (EDMC, EDDI, etc. with data uploading turned on). Not even during planning (visiting potential systems). Till you have claimed all systems you have planed to claim in the region. That will not prevent detecting 20 outposts bridge to highly wanted system, but will avoid random players interfere (usual case).

You may be surprised as to how often the above has happened. Sadly, it is hardly “exotic.”

(Misleading) Planetary ports are not slower to use in comparison to orbital in general, except when constructing in the same system or orbital is in "perfect" position (possible to "hyperbreak" from long distance without extra curve and the entrance points to the "right" direction). The last happens for short period of time (if at all) and "time saving" is small (not worse single "mistake" with planet hit). Note that is for large ships / T1 planetary / T2 orbital (T3 are slower to use in both cases, T1 orbital are way faster but M pads only). I know it is hard to believe, till you measure.

Yes the assumption is that it’s possible to hyperbreak on orbital facilities, whereas it’s clearly not possible to do so with planetary ones. It’s rare that you can’t hyperbreak directly into an orbital one (need to get temporarily unlucky as to the phase of its orbit.)

Similar logic applies when departing - planet can often obscure your destination so you have to supercruise away first. That practically never happens with orbital facilities.

I have always felt the different to be very stark. But your comment intrigued me so maybe I will go and actually measure.

(Misleading/incomplete) Planet size/gravity can significantly impact the time for landing. The best are ~0.05 earth, which almost always have 3 slots. 5+ slots are on big planets, they are slower (but not drastically) to land. Tiny planets / moons (most have 2 slots) can be tricky and in all cases significantly slower to land. So, "perfect" planetary Refinery is on planet with 3 slots, not 5+.
This is incorrect, assuming you care about volume of production (most people do) as the additional refineries boost production greatly.

If you don’t care for volume though, for sure you can build on smaller planets or moons.
(Questionable/misleading) With current population growth and influences, single Refinery hub on the same planet triggers insane number of most required commodities. Even Refinery hub on another planet (one weak link) can be sufficient to cover one architect needs (sure, that is "unstable"). And so constructing 2+ hubs needs good reason (f.e. different planets for planetary/orbital port).

Eh, this is highly debatable. Even Anvil’s Pride, a Tier 3 Orbis with two refineries in a highly built up system, was often permanently dry of steel and titanium while building up the Pleiades.

Your comment might apply in remote areas of the galaxy, but in areas with significant build activity, that’s really debatable.

(Questionable) Advanced docking computer is good for construction platforms and carrier (you can choose the destination during auto start), but it is bad of orbital stations (you can't ask your ship to stay when the gate is blocked). So when hauling from orbital station it is better have standard docking computer (assuming the player knows how to fly out manually).

You can manually disable auto launch (and auto dock, and auto land) in your right panel if it really bothers you - there’s no reason whatsoever to not use the advanced version to at least keep that as an option.

Further, autolaunch will place you in a queue when the slot is busy.

I’ve rarely had any issues with it.
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I can't remember I have seen general hauling advise: learn how to use SCO at any distances (3-6Mm, 3-10ls, 100ls, etc.) and don't forget to use it when leaving planets.

Yes there’s some additional tips worth adding; that section can use beefing up in general.

----

Also there is no "orientation" numbers for hauling speed. I mean to let the player know when he/she can do it faster (probably currently does it suboptimal way).

That is one of major arguments when planning construction sequence: "what will take less time at the end, making new refinery and constructing from it or use sub-optimal existing one?".

I don't have statistic, so just from own expirience (specially and fully engineered cutter, self build refineries at good locations). Numbers in "deliveries per hour":
  • I have started with around 3-4 ("platinum transporter" ship, no "trading" expirience, not trained to use SCO).
  • carrier allows ~6 (12 trips load/offload)
  • from good refinery to near site in the next system: 7 - 8.5
  • building in the same system on/over different body: 7 - 11
  • building on the same body (from the nearest planetary port): 10 - 12

Note that "the feeling" may be different from reality (especially when using carrier or planetary ports), these numbers mean "after 1 hour playing I have delivered...". Also note these numbers are for "single commodity". If you are shopping industrial materials, it can take several minutes just to buy proper amounts.

Yes this logic is pretty helpful and something I’d like to incorporate at some point in that section!
 
Even Anvil’s Pride, a Tier 3 Orbis with two refineries in a highly built up system, was often permanently dry of steel and titanium while building up the Pleiades.
Was that before the changes to population sizes and production volumes in Update 3, though? A combination of much lower production volumes and populations per station and much higher pace of construction was a very different environment - as well as the greater work required pre-Update 3 to set up a refinery at all.

With Update 3 my T1 orbital got a 30x rise in production; my T1 surface port got closer to a 1000x rise - taking both from "provides enough for my personal use but might run out if anyone else joined in" to "it would take a CG arriving next door for these to ever run out". Even a T1 port with a 1.0 economy nowadays should be able to produce enough commodities to support multiple parallel constructions, which will generally then of course be producing their own commodities for further colonisation in substantial quantities so it won't need to support that parallel construction for very long.
 
The trailblazers were running out of steel even with their tweaked supply. It's perfectly possible to run a large port of out steel if it's the primary refinery for several people but it passes as the surrounding systems get built up.
 
Population is their biggest advantage. Especially so for Planetary T3 Ports which absolutely dwarf anything else one can build.
And population matters - a lot - as it “feeds” into production volumes.
...
This is incorrect, assuming you care about volume of production (most people do) as the additional refineries boost production greatly.
If you don’t care for volume though, for sure you can build on smaller planets or moons.
...
Eh, this is highly debatable. Even Anvil’s Pride, a Tier 3 Orbis with two refineries in a highly built up system, was often permanently dry of steel and titanium while building up the Pleiades.

Your comment might apply in remote areas of the galaxy, but in areas with significant build activity, that’s really debatable.
That is the reason I think the doc is "groups oriented". May be mark/separate corresponding sections/suggestions ("for groups" / "for single players")?

All my Refineries markets have 100k+ stock of primary commodities (Steel, Alu, CMM, etc.). With some non-primary in 1-2k range. The last is potential problem, in case other come to get them (looking in Inara at my area, that is usual). So, for single player (which is not exposing to Inara its own refinery in case there is no other 50lY around...), single refinery hub per station is more then sufficient (to be on safe side, with one more slot reserved for the second one).

For groups, especially big groups or huge projects, expectations from "primary refinery" can be different. But groups have huge "building resources" as well. I don't think that is the case for "most people" (lonely architects).

Yes the assumption is that it’s possible to hyperbreak on orbital facilities, whereas it’s clearly not possible to do so with planetary ones. It’s rare that you can’t hyperbreak directly into an orbital one (need to get temporarily unlucky as to the phase of its orbit.)
Similar logic applies when departing - planet can often obscure your destination so you have to supercruise away first. That practically never happens with orbital facilities.

I have always felt the different to be very stark. But your comment intrigued me so maybe I will go and actually measure.
Primary advantage in speed for planetary is departure. You are out of "mass lock" within several seconds (one burst), if destination is obscured, supercruise + SCO + jump is just several seconds longer then just jump (FSD requires no cooling between SCO and charging). In my observation, there is around 30 seconds difference with departure from coriolis.

"Well done" orbiting + gliding (0.05 earth planet) for me is comparable in time with flying to the entrace from the back of coriolis. Auto-landing time is more or less the same (after drop near port / right in from of the coriolis entrance).

I get "obscured destination" when departing from orbital often (as reported by many players, most orbits are extremely low). Also that is phase dependent (orbitals in general turn faster then planets, for port on locked planet, the destination stay almost on the same place for many hours, star orbiting speed).

Direct hyperbreak is possible 50% of the time (when the station orbit is in the system plane), and you never know when. So normally you don't break from 7ls during your first visit (also after relatively long break).

In addition, "arrival" direction (from the local star) and "departure" direction (to the destination star) are different (when constructing in different system). So you come "from the back" or "turn around" at departure often. In comparison, planetary landing is almost the same in time independent from the direction you come (no "hyperbreak", small curve at the end doesn't cost much time) and planetary departure is the same for any destination as long as it is over it (you turn when charging).
You can manually disable auto launch (and auto dock, and auto land) in your right panel if it really bothers you - there’s no reason whatsoever to not use the advanced version to at least keep that as an option.
Further, autolaunch will place you in a queue when the slot is busy.
I’ve rarely had any issues with it.
"Waiting in a queue" can take minutes and that happens often (they sum into hours after 100s times).

When departing from "near" pads, all my "Advanced computers" on all my Cutters:
  • don't choose right vertial speed to fit into the gate every second time (periodically hitting the wall), then "fly back", take position, finally fly out (take a lot of time)
  • "shaking" when in the queue, periodically hitting walls.
Do you mean my computers are "brocken" and the problem is not usual? Any tip in which System I can fix them? ;)

Also when I depart manually, I can have any speed and burst from withing the gate. When auto-departing I immegiately get annoying "speed warning" alarm.

"Shaking" is the primary reason I don't like advanced computer on. Often, arriving large ships really block the gate, so I have to wait several seconds. Without computer, I just stay where I am (and that is good). With computer, it takes control and move the ship, always in "wrong" (not the one I want) direction. Annoying.

So I prefer not auto launch from orbitals.

To not think/check "is it off or on", I equipe "standard" variant.
And now my "conspiracy theory": on or off, there is more traffic when I have "advanced" :devilish::cool:
 
Short Question: I have read the Case Study #1: Building An “Ideal” Refinery System.But it is difficult to find rocky planets with 6 or 7 slots and a water planet. I have often observed rocky icy plantes with water planets in the system. According to patch notes, they will support refinery and industrial. Will they also be ok?
 
Thanks for sharing. The title "Elite: Dangerous" is an outdated spelling of the name. It should be written as "Elite Dangerous: Colonization Mega Guide". Or remove the colon.
Nah, I think it should be: "Elite: Dangerous: Colonization: Mega Guide"

The levels of categorization make sense: It's a game in the Elite franchise, this one being the "Dangerous" generation of the franchise. The subject of the document is colonization. And what it is, it's a mega guide. Thus, "Elite: Dangerous: Colonization: Mega Guide".
 
Short Question: I have read the Case Study #1: Building An “Ideal” Refinery System.But it is difficult to find rocky planets with 6 or 7 slots and a water planet. I have often observed rocky icy plantes with water planets in the system. According to patch notes, they will support refinery and industrial. Will they also be ok?
Industrial presently eats up most if not all of your refinery mats. You're better off with a small rocky planet, than with a rocky ice planet.
 
Short Question: I have read the Case Study #1: Building An “Ideal” Refinery System.But it is difficult to find rocky planets with 6 or 7 slots and a water planet. I have often observed rocky icy plantes with water planets in the system. According to patch notes, they will support refinery and industrial. Will they also be ok?
So the difference is:
Rocky: provides a boost to Refinery ONLY.
Rocky ice: provides a boost to Refinery and Industrial.

If you build on a Rocky Ice body, there is a risk that the Industrial element of the economy will consume the Refinery output, which means you will not get any raw Refinery exports.

This is explained on page 28 with a quite similar example.
 
Also, if i only build refinery supporting facilities on that planet?
That would help by improving the ratio of refinery to industrial, but you'd still get worse results for many commodities than just building a port with no supporting facilities at all on a rocky/no geo/no bio planet. Some refinery products need to have a ratio of 20:1 or better over industrial for production to be guaranteed, so your best approach for that sort of thing is always "don't put any industrial in to start with".

There is a huge amount that could be written about dual- and triple-type economies and what trade-offs you can make (and is written, elsewhere on the forums) but the simple answer is "don't".
 
Eh, this is highly debatable. Even Anvil’s Pride, a Tier 3 Orbis with two refineries in a highly built up system, was often permanently dry of steel and titanium while building up the Pleiades.
Nope, not anymore.

Anvil's pride is now a megaton supplier
1749069054127.png


With population changes, any T3 will kick ass with two refineries, or around a rocky planet.
My current refinery can serve multiple fleet carriers at once. It is a Coriolis with 4 Refineries and a space farm. 100k supply. It's not running out anytime soon and serving the upper Orion Arm.

With the population changes we now have megaton supplies in decent T3 facilities. So supply really isn't the issue anymore. (Edit: of course, making mistakes in the economy setup will cost you dearly)
 
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of course, making mistakes in the economy setup will cost you dearly
I haven't figured out Colonization yet, but here's a question I have. We have sites where you can see systems with planets, etc.
Is it realistic to make a colony builder site in the future?
Choose a system and build all sorts of stations and see what happens. With hints and recommendations.

Or is it impossible to do this? (I'm not talking about the site engine, I'm talking about the algorithm.)
 
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