home
***
CD-ROM
|
disk
|
FTP
|
other
***
search
/
PCPP Game Guide 2
/
PCPP_GG2.iso
/
PCPP
/
faqs
/
outpost.txt
< prev
next >
Wrap
Text File
|
1998-06-02
|
25KB
|
617 lines
****************************************************************************
* *
* Outpost[tm] FAQ 09/08/94 V1.0 *
* *
****************************************************************************
1. Index
========
1. Index
2. General Stuff
2.1 Legal Stuff
2.2 What other documents are available?
2.3 Are there any patches available?
2.4 Is there a ftp-site for Outpost?
2.5 Are there any save-games available?
3. Mines, Trucks, Smelters and the Spew
3.1 The relationship between mines, smelters, SPEW and storage tanks
3.2 Table of recources needed for building and operating structures
3.3 I'm running out of recources, my buildings are idle
3.4 How do ores get from the mines to the smelters?
3.5 Does dozing "roads" to the mines has any advantages?
3.6 Why do my trucks just sit in the warehouse?
3.7 When should I build a smelter?
3.8 When should I build a SPEW?
3.9 All my mines have run dry - what now?
4. Robots
4.1 I advised my factory to build robots but I cannot access them?
4.2 What does "out of communication range by x tiles" mean?
4.3 What are explorers for?
4.4 I saw an animation of my explorer getting destroyed - should I care?
5. Morale
5.1 Is there an easy way to keep the morale of my colony up?
6. Research
6.1 Possible Bug
6.2 The research-tree
6.3 Results of the different research topics
6.4 What are "bold new discoveries"?
6.5 What is this time traval thing?
6.6 I finished Basic Research but the topic is never indicated as
"finished"?
7. Other Stuff
7.1 Cheat Keys
7.2 What can I do to make Outpost[tm] run faster?
8. "Final words" and Credits
2.1 Legal stuff
===============
Outpost[tm] is copyright and trademark by Sierra On-Line.
This text is copyright by Joerg Stenger. You may freely distribute this text
as long as you don't edit or change it in any way. You may not charge any
fee for the distribution or copying.
Joerg Stenger disclaims all warranty regarding the content of this text
and possible results, using the information contained in this text.
Any opinions expressed in the text are the personal ones of Joerg Stenger.
Joerg Stenger is in no way related with Sierra On-Line, any of Sierra
On-Line's employees or any other company.
2.2 What other documents are available?
======================================
If you haven't done so, read careful through the readme-file,
that comes with Outpost[tm].
There were number of useful hints in the NewsNet
comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.strategic group.
With the 1.1 patch there comes a file called: "oututor.txt", which
contains some useful hints.
I have written a file with the title: "Outpost: How to start" in which I
explain how you get a basic colony within short time.
2.3 Are there any patches available?
=====================================
Yes. As of today, Sierra has released one patch which updates Outpost
to version 1.1. Basicly the patch adds a "beginner" level and makes
recource management more realistic. It also corrects the help-file so
you will no longer get help on features that aren't available (like
mono-rails). Improved laboratories will now show up in the Master-Lab-
report.
The patch is available at the Sierra BBS and at
wuarchive.wustl.edu:/pub/MSDOS_UPLOADS/games/patches/outp11.exe.
Sierra promised to release a further patch this fall, which shall add
the missing features (see the readme, what is missing).
2.4 Is there an ftp-site for Outpost[tm]?
======================================
I don't know.
[If you know of any, drop me a note]
2.5 Are there any save-games available?
=========================================
I have read that on the Sierra BBS, some are available, I'm not aware of
any that are accessable from the internet.
[Could someone please upload them to a known anon-ftp site?]
3. Mines, Trucks, Smelters and the SPEW
======================================
3.1 The relationship between mines, smelters, spew and storage tanks
====================================================================
The smelter will process the ores from your mines whenever a truck brings
a load from them. The processed ores will be stored in storage tanks.
You don't have any influence on what is stored in the tanks.
Your colony needs a certain "mixture" (see 3.2) of processed ores per turn.
If one of them isn't available from the tanks, MPG from your SPEW will
replace the missing part as long as the storage level of the SPEW allows
it.
If there isn't enough MPG available your buildings will go idle, due to
the lack of recources.
If there isn't enough room in your storage tanks you waste the processed
ores and your MPG storage-level will decrease very fast. Always keep an
eye on the storage level of your tanks and if you have only room for,
say, 200-100 units, built a new storage tank.
3.2 Table of recources needed for building and operating structures
=======================================================================
Surface Structure |MetA|MetB|MetC|MetD|PrcA|PrcB|MinA|MinB|MinC|Power|People
------------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+-----+------
AgriDome - build | 1 | | | | | | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2
- run +M| | | | | | | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1
------------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+-----+------
CHAP - build | 1 | | 1 | 1 | 1 | | 1 | | 1 | 6 | 4
- run | | | | | 1 | | 1 | | 1 | 5 | 4
------------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+-----+------
Mine - build | 1 | | | | | | 1 | | | 6 | 2
- run | | | | | | | | | | 5 | 1
------------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+-----+------
Robot - build | 1 | | 1 | | 1 | | 1 | 1 | | 4 | 2
Command - run | | | | | | | | | | 3 | 1
------------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+-----+------
Smelter - build | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | | | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 4
- run | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | | | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 3
------------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+-----+------
Solar - build | 1 | 1 | | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | | | 2 | 2
Receiver run | | | | | | | | | | | 1
------------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+-----+------
SPEW - build | 1 | | 1 | 1 | | | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3
- run +M| | | | | | | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2
------------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+-----+------
Storage - build | 1 | 1 | | | | | | | | 2 | 2
Tanks - run | | | | | | | | | | 1 |
------------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+-----+------
Warehouse - build | 1 | | | 1 | | | 1 | | | 2 | 2
- run | | | | | | | | | | 1 | 1
------------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+-----+------
Command Facility, Seed Factory, Seed Lander, Seed Power and Seed Smelter use
no people, power, or resources to run.
Underground
Structure |MetA|MetB|MetC|MetD|PrcA|PrcB|MinA|MinB|MinC|Power|People
------------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+-----+------
Commercial- build | 1 | 1 | | 1 | | | 1 | | | 4 | 2
- run +M| | | | | | | | | | 3 | 2
------------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+-----+------
Factory - build | 1 | | | | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3
- run +S| 1 | | | | | | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2
------------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+-----+------
Lab. - build | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3
- run | | | | | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2
------------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+-----+------
Medical - build | 1 | 1 | 1 | | | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2
- run | | | | | | 1 | | | | 2 | 2
------------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+-----+------
Park/ - build | 1 | | | | | | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1
Reservoir - run +M| | | | | | | | | | 1 |
------------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+-----+------
Residen- - build | 1 | 1 | | | | | 1 | | 1 | 3 | 2
tial - run +MS | | | | | | | | | 2 | 1
------------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+-----+------
Under the "run" category, "+M" signifies additions to Morale, "+S" signifies
additions to the MPG reserve.
3.3 I'm running out of recources, my buildings are idle
=======================================================
You have overextended. A golden rule in Outpost[tm] is not to construct
more than two structures at the same time. Keep in mind that a mine is
also a structure that needs recources to be built.
Make sure that you have a SPEW and enough room in your storage tanks.
Stop all researching and producing in your factories, doze some of the
buildings that aren't necessary for surviving. Then doze every building
under construction except the mines.
Never doze a mine that is under construction! You won't be able to build
a new one at this location.
3.4 How do ores get from mines to my smelter?
=============================================
Every time a mine is built, an "internal" truck is built, too. You never
will see any trucks, doing their work, though.
3.5 Does dozing "roads" to the mines has any advantages?
========================================================
The "paved" roads were left out of version 1.0 and 1.1, but will
supposedly be included in in future versions. What you can create through
the bulldozing is a "dirt" road, and it does improve the flow/speed of
resources from your mines. The more rough terrain you can get rid of along
the path from mine to colony, the better off you are. This is a great way
to use those dozers once you have all the in-town dozing done.
3.6 Why do my trucks just sit in the warehouse?
===============================================
Since every mine has it's own truck you don't really need to produce extra
ones.
Outpost[tm] doesn't allow you to use trucks, other than the "internal"
trucks for the ore transportation.
It has been reported that at the harder levels the "internal" trucks
will occasional have accidents. Then after the next turn a truck
"disappeared" from a warehouse.
3.7 When should I build a smelter?
==================================
Not before turn 130. Your Seed facilities, including the Seed smelter,
will completely break down around turn 150. Until then you must have
your own smelter; keep in mind that a smelter needs processed ores to
be operative, mostly MPG takes over that part.
At harder levels it is recommended two smelters because if one breaks
down you can use the other to re-activate it.
3.8 When should I build a SPEW?
===============================
As soon as possible because MPG can replace every other processed ore.
3.9 All my mines have run dry - what now?
=========================================
Depending, on which planet you have landed, it is possible to extend a
mine down to 4 levels.
If you have loaded a geological probe, the planet display will show
you, how deep you can dig.
To extend a mine, place a robo miner on the deepest mining level of
it. You can find out this level by left-clicking on either the surface
structure or on the first underground (UG-1) level of that specific mine.
During the constructing of the extention, the level from which you
extend will not produce any ores, i.e. if you extend a one-level mine,
it won't produce ores for 7-5 turns.
4. Robots
=========
4.1 I advised my factory to build robots but I cannot access them - why?
========================================================================
To have access to your robots, two things are necessary:
- a warehose
- a roboter command.
One robo command can control a maximum of ten robots, if you want
to operate more than this number, you have to build another robo-
command.
4.2 What does "out of communication range by x tiles" mean?
================================================
If you didn't pack a comm-sattelite you will need to build comm-towers
if you want to use your robots far away from your colony.
If you want to rely on comm-towers, you should use dozers to "feel out"
the land around them. Go out beyond the range of your colony and attempt
to place a robodozer. It should tell you it is out of range. Move in
gradually toward your colony until you find the furthest range at which
you are allowed to build. Doze that spot, and put your comm-tower there.
4.3 What are explorers for?
===========================
According to the manual they discover new mines from time to time.
[Can anyone confirm that? It never happened to me.]
4.4 I saw an animation of my explorer getting destroyed -should I care?
=======================================================================
If you like, just build a new one. It will sit in the warehouse for
some turns and then dissappear (I guess it is somewhere out there,
doing it's work).
5. Morale
=========
5.1 Is there an easy way to keep the morale of my colony up?
============================================================
Sure, just build parks and a recreational centers. Even when your
residentials get overcrowded, moral will stay high or even increase
and they don't cost you any recources, except during construction.
6. Research
===========
6.1 Possible Bug
================
It has been reported that there might be a bug, concerning the research.
Some people have researched completely the nano-tech tree and never got
a nano-tech facility while others report that research sub-trees "vanish"
without reason.
6.2 The research tree
=====================
BASIC RESEARCH - Just keeps going..and going..and going...
APPLIED RESEARCH
|
|-----ASTRONOMY
|
|-----ASTROPHYSICS
| |--------BASIC ASTRONOMY
| |--------PLANETARY ASTRONOMY
| |--------STELLAR ASTRONOMY
|
|-----BIOLOGY
| |--------MEDECINE
| | |--------GENETICS ->See Hot Lab
| | |--------PHARMACOLOGY
| | |--------ALIEN PHARMACOLOGY
| |
| |--------EXOBIOLOGY
| |--------PLANT BIOLOGY
| | |-------AGRICULTURE I
| |
| |--------PHYSIOLOGY
| |--------ANATOMY
| | |-------COMPARATIVE PHYSIOLOGY
| |
| |--------EMBRYOLOGY
| |--------IMMUNOLOGY
| |--------ENTOMOLOGY
| |--------ECOLOGY
| |--------ALIEN
| |-------ATMOSPHERIC
| |-------TERRESTRIAL
| |-------MARINE
|
|-----CHEMISTRY
| |--------BIOCHEMISTRY
| |--------PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY
| | |-------METALLURGY
| | |-------MATERIALS PROCESSING
| |
| |--------QUANTUM CHEMISTRY
|
|-----PLANETARY SCIENCES
| |--------METEOROLOGY
| |--------GEOGRAPHY
| |--------GEOLOGY
| |-------TERRESTRIAL
| | |-------TECTONICS & EARTHQUAKES
| | |-------MINERALOGY
| | |-------VULCANOLOGY
| |
| |-------MINERAL RESOURCES
| | |-------TERRESTRIAL MINING
| | |-------EXTRATERRESTRIAL MINING
| |
| |-------ENGINEERING GEOLOGY
|
|-----MATHEMATICS
|
|-----COMPUTER SCIENCE
| |--------ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
| | |-------NANOTECHNOLOGY I ->See Hot Lab
| | |-------AI MANAGERS
| | |-------AI PERSONALITY PROBLEMS
| | |-------SPACE PROBE INTELLIGENCE
| | |-------ROBOTICS I
| | |-------AIRBOTS
| | |-------REPAIRBOTS
| | |-------HUMANOID WORKER REPLACEMENTS
| |
| |--------ADVANCED PROCESSORS
| |--------SYSTEMS ANALYSIS
| |-------EFFICIENCY STUDIES I
| |-------EFFICIENCY STUDIES II
|
|-----PHYSICS
| |--------AEROSPACE
| | |-------WIND TUNNELS
| | |-------SPACECRAFT TESTING
| | |-------ORBITAL SPACE STATIONS
| | |-------SATELLITES & PROBES
| | |-------METEORSAT
| | |-------COMSAT/NAVSAT
| | |-------SOLAR POWER SATELLITE
| | |-------GEOLOGIC PENETRATOR PROBE
| | |-------WEATHERSAT
| | |-------ORBITAL OBSERVER
| | |-------FLYBY PROBE
| | |-------ULBI PROBE
| |
| |--------COMMUNICATIONS
| | |-------HARSH ENVIRONMENT SIGNALS PROCESSING
| | |-------SETI
| |
| |--------ORBITAL MECHANICS
| |--------ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING
| | |-------ROBOTICS II
| |
| |--------OPTICS
| |--------POWER GENERATION
| | |-------ALTERNATIVE ADVANCED SYSTEMS
| |
| |--------PROPULSION SYSTEMS
| | |-------STANDARD PROPULSION SPACECRAFT
| | |-------ASTEROID MINER
| | |-------HEAVY LIFTER
| | |-------LOW ORBIT FREIGHTER
| |
| |--------THEORETICAL PHYSICS
| |-------ANTIMATTER
| |-------NUCLEAR PHYSICS
| |-------PLASMA PHYSICS
| |-------SUPERCONDUCTIVITY
| |-------QUANTUM MECHANICS
| |-------NANOTECHNOLOGY II -> See Hot Lab
|
|-----SOCIAL SCIENCES
| |--------ECONOMICS
| |--------POLITICAL SCIENCE
| |--------PSYCHOLOGY
| | |-------TRADE NEGOTIATION
| | |-------ADVANCED TEACHING METHODS
| |
| |--------SOCIOLOGY
| | |-------SOCIAL STRATIFICATION
| | |-------INDUSTRIAL SOCIOLOGY
| | |-------CROWD PSYCHOLOGY
| | |-------CULTURAL CHANGE
| |
| |--------URBAN STUDIES
| |-------CITY PLANNING
| |-------POLICE SCIENCE
|
|-----HUMANITIES
|--------DRAMA
|--------FINE ARTS
|--------HISTORY
|--------MUSIC
|--------PHILOSOPHY
HOT LAB
|
|-----BIOLOGY
| |--------GENETICS
| |-------GENETIC ENGINEERING
| |-------AGRICULTURE II
|
|-----COMPUTER SCIENCE
| |--------NANOTECHNOLOGY I
|
|-----PHYSICS
|--------NANOTECHNOLOGY II
|-------NANOMACHINES
|-------ASSEMBLER
|-------REPLICATOR
|-------CONSTRUCTION
|-------MINING
|-------MEDICAL
|-------TERRAFORMING
|-------FOOD PRODUCTION
You need both Assembler and Replicator to continue with the
nano machines even though they're listed under Replicator. If
there are other multiple prerequisites I don't know about them.
6.3 Results of the different research topics
============================================
The following is some of what I've picked up about the results. I should
caution you that this list is not perfect. There were some results
that appeared on turns when I hadn't completed any research areas
(i.e., Nanotech Factory) and there are some that I'm sure require
more than one research area, which I just listed with the research
area that I completed when they appeared. For example, when I
completed Basic Astronomy, I was suddenly able to build a spaceport.
I had already researched all of Physics, and I'm sure some of the
Aerospace stuff must be required.
There are also some results I haven't listed because I wasn't sure
what research areas they were associated with. I think some of
them may have a built in delay; i.e., research the correct topics
and a certain number of turns later Nanotech Factories appear
on the menu. If you can improve on this list please let me know.
BASIC RESEARCH.........................Improved Laboratory
ASTROPHYSICS...........................Meteor Alert, Solar Flare Alert
BASIC ASTRONOMY........................Space Program
STELLAR ASTRONOMY......................Celestial Navigation
MEDECINE...............................Suspended Animation
ALIEN PHARMACOLOGY.....................Alien Virus Cure
EMBRYOLOGY.............................Infant Survival Improvement
QUANTUM CHEMISTRY......................Improved SPEW Facility
METEOROLOGY............................Weather Prediction
GEOGRAPHY..............................Mapping With Coordinates
TECTONICS & EARTHQUAKES................Earthquake Prediction
MINERALOGY.............................Improved Smelter Production
VULCANOLOGY............................Volcanic Prediction
TERRESTRIAL MINING.....................Find Mineral Resources Faster
EXTRATERRESTRIAL MINING................Improved Mine Production(?)
ENGINEERING GEOLOGY....................Road Building Improvement
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE................Hot Lab
AI MANAGERS............................Multiple AI
AI PERSONALITY PROBLEMS................No AI Problems
SPACE PROBE INTELLIGENCE...............Intelligent Space Probes
AIRBOTS................................Airborne Robots
REPAIRBOTS.............................Repair Robots
HUMANOID REPLACEMENT WORKERS...........Humanoid Workers, Improved Morale
EFFICIENCY STUDIES I...................Factory Production Increase
EFFICIENCY STUDIES II..................Tech Level Advance
SPACECRAFT TESTING.....................Spacedock, Space Facility, Space Lab
METEORSAT..............................Meteor Defense System
COMSAT/NAVSAT..........................Communication/Navigation Satellite
SOLAR POWER SATELLITE..................Solar Power Satellite
GEOLOGIC PENETRATOR PROBE..............Mass Driver(?)
WEATHERSAT.............................Weather Satellite
ORBITAL OBSERVER.......................Orbital Observer
HARSH ENVIRONMENT SIGNALS PROCESSING...Improved Communications
ALTERNATIVE ADVANCED SYSTEMS...........Geothermal Power
There are a few others that are fairly obvious, i.e., Advanced
Teaching Methods gives improved universities and Police Science
gives improved police stations, etc. but my note-taking didn't
capture them. All of the above are based on empirical evidence
alone, and I tried to avoid making assumptions about obviousness.
6.4 What are "bold new discoveries"?
====================================
Bold new dicoveries just indicate that one of your labs has finished its
research. Sometimes it gives you improved kinds of stuctures, sometimes
there is no direct result but it opens a subtree of research. If you are
doing only Basic Research, there will never be "physical" results.
Check your laboratory report. Click on the "research topic" button and
then on results.
6.5 What's this time travel thing?
==================================
Just a joke without any (dis-)advantages.
6.6 I finished Basic Research but the topic is never indicated as "finished"?
=============================================================================
It's like in reality, Basic Research is never finished.
7. Other Stuff
==============
7.1 Cheat Keys
==============
There are four cheat keys known, as of today:
CTRL-F9 activates your massdriver (if you have one)
CTRL-F10 brings up the desaster menue
CTRL-F11 gives you unlimited recources
CTRL-F12 brings up the population menue
(you can manipulate morale-, education- and crime-level)
7.2 What can I do to make Outpost[tm] run faster?
=================================================
Get as
