Food
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[edit] Overview
For most races, food is the single most important factor in determining population growth. Consequently, food is a major component of a good economy. Players should begin stockpiling food as early as possible in order to maximize growth (and, therefore, tax and city revenue). Food is also very important for training high guard.
[edit] Producing Food
Farming is by far the most popular method of producing food, but it can also be risky since each farm requires 1000 colonists (assuming default HConfig settings), and you may not have the strength to defend many farming worlds. But, there are a few other methods of getting food.
- Farms
Farming produces 1 food per turn per farm. You must find a planet with a suitable farming climate, and the maximum farm output is limited by the planet's soil rating. - Agrodome
Some races can build ships with agrodomes. This device can produce food in space. - Gathering
Most planets are initially created with some food lying on the surface. You can beam this food up with a starship, or beam down some colonists who will slowly gather all the food into your new base. - UEA's Redistribution Center
This special building, only available to the UEA, can turn contraband into food. This is currently the best food source in the galaxy, since you can basically buy as much food as you need on demand. Recent (Host 212e) limits this to 300 extra Food per base per turn. + The normal farming The UEA will never miss food. - The Solar Federation can produce extra food from farms using their agrovators
- The Crystal Assembly have no farms, but can convert Hyperdimensional Stress into food (and lots of other stuff) using their Hyperlathe buildings.
- The Interstellar Master Traders have no farms, but can convert natives or prisoners into food using their Sloane 24x24 Ranger, and natives into food using their Reticulian Med Lab ship device.
- The Privateer Bands can steal food using their Cargo Grappler ship device or Pirate Cove structure.
- The Scavenger Tribes can produce extra food from Insectoid natives using their Scav Crawler assault unit.
- The Reunited Coalition of Systems can build their special Arerran Capital base structure, which causes each farm to produce one additional food unit and one med unit.
- Some food is also produced when Amorphous natives are cooked with a Glory Device.
Races without special devices and structures for acquiring food will not be able to compete, population-wise, in the long run.
[edit] Consuming Food
Food stores are depleted in several ways:
- Every 100,000 colonists on a base will eat 1 kt of food per turn (assuming default HConfig settings)
- Each city consumes 2 kt of food per turn
- Chupanoids can eat your food.
- Privateers can steal your food using the Pirate Cove or Cargo Grappler
- The Robotic Imperium can destroy food with their Eye of Madagon device
- The Holy Draconian Empire can destroy food with their Solar Gamma Ray device
[edit] Food and Population Growth
Assuming default HConfig settings, a ground base needs to maintain a stockpile of 100 food for every 100,000 colonists on the base in order to maintain maximum growth. Since populations grow exponentially, that means that your food requirements also grow exponentially! Most food sources do not scale well, almost all races will eventually have their population growth constrained by food shortages. Thus, for races who rely on their population for most of their income, food needs to be a major priority from turn 1.
For example, a ground base of 10,000,000 colonists will require 10,000 food in order to grow at the maximum rate, and must be producing or importing 750 food per turn in order to keep up with population growth (assuming average race growth rate).
Players will also need to determine for themselves the best balance between cities, which consume your much needed food for a short-term income boost, and long-term growth.
