Ecology

As humans or Progenitors expand and build bases on Planet, they inevitably begin to cause ecological damage. Ecological damage can provoke the native life forms and cause other unexpected effects, such as a 20 turn bout of global warming that causes sea levels to rise by as much as 333 feet.

Managing damage

The more mines, solar collectors, roads, and farmss (but not forests, which actually help the ecology) you build, the more the potential damage. Thermal boreholes, Echelon mirrors, and Condensers cause even greater damage. You can reduce or eliminate this type of damage by building Tree Farm and Hybrid Forest facilities.

As your industrial output (minerals) increases, ecological damage will also take place. This effect can be reduced by building the Centauri Preserve, Temple of Planet, and Nanoreplicator facilities.

Precise formula

The ecological damage formula is complex:

1. For each base total the number of Mines, solar collectors, farms, soil enrichers, roads, mag tubes, Condensers, echelon mirrors, and thermal boreholes. Items in squares which are actually being worked count double.
2. Add an extra +8 for each Borehole, +6 for each Mirror, and +4 for each Condenser.
3. Subract 1 for each Forest.
4. Halve if base has Tree Farm, and Eliminate if also has Hybrid Forest.
5. Divide this value by 8, and reduce by up to 16 plus number of previous damages. Set this number aside.
6. Take the number of minerals produced this turn (but not from Orbit)
7. If result from 5 was reduced by less than 16+#, reduce result 6 by remaining amount.
8. Divide minerals by 1 plus number of Centauri Preserve, Temple of Planet, and Nanoreplicator facilities.
9. Sum the values of (5) and (8), and add +5 for each major atrocity.
10. If Alpha Prime is at perihelion (20 years out of every 80), double your value.

Take the resulting number and compute:

Ecology% = (ValueFromStep10) * Difficulty * Technologies * (3-PLANET) * LIFE / 300

• Difficulty = Normally 3, but 5 on two highest two difficulty levels.
• Technologies = Number of technologies discovered
• PLANET = Social Engineering PLANET value
• LIFE = Native life level (1-3) from Custom Start