One of the first questions I ran into when learning the game was when to upgrade carbon/ore/nova/food centers? If I need a quick T3 time, should I do any of them? What about the motivator in the town center... that upgrades all villagers, is that better that upgrade just one or two of them in T2?? Should I make more villagers in T2?? Here is some exerps from a post on our web site, www.chimaeraclan.net) (http://www.chimaeraclan.net), nice plug huh? :)

HOW_BENEVOLANCE
Let me enlighten some of you... If your t2 rushing, good to get motivator at around 30 workers, if your not t2 rushing, i say the best thing to do is rush to t3 and in doing this I would skip the motivator unless of course your fishing a lot since that affects the fishing too or you t2'ed late and have about 30 workers... I dont think it matters much but if your doing a t2 rush I think its a great idea to research it. Of course sometimes ill forget to research until late t3 but i dont think that penalizes my economy too much.

SPRQ Pompei
Here is the lay down, you get motivator when you get 13 farmers, and optimized when you either hit 30 farmers or the pop cap, whichever is first.

Heres why. motivator only really increases the effiency of your farmers, it increases the carbon workers, nova, ore all minimally. it roughly increases a farmers work rate by about 15%. well i cant remember exactly since id have to pull out my tests. but if you get motivator (175 food) before 13 workers, the food you get from the present workers would be less than what you would get from the 4 you could have bought. and after 13, you would be getting more food by increasing your efficiency by buying motivator than by buying another 4 workers.

sounds confusing? just remember... buy motivator at/around 13 _farmers_, being close is fine, but getting it way too early/late means your losing food now and later on.

ps.. its 13 carbon gatherers for the first carbon extractor upgrade as well, which is usually what most people get it at anyways.

Chimaera_JAB
Thanks for chiming in there Pompei, it sounds like you have put some time and effort into solving that riddle.

I knew their had to be some mathmatical way of breaking it down, but when I started to consider walking distances, different resources, and the actually timing of researching it and then techin' I really ended up getting confused and settling in on my generalized, 30+ get motivator.

Thanks, I appreciate the insight.
Follow Up Question-- How could it be that the individual resource pit upgrades also require 13 workers before they became cost-effective, because the first upgrades only take 100 food 50 carbon? Or were you refering to the second upgrade in each pit? When do you research the first upgrades? HOW_Bene had told me he gets every resource pit upgrade before going to T3. Again, thanks for the insight.

SPRQ Pompei
Well first upgrade youll want is the first carbon upgrade for sure. In 300 seconds, a 10 workers with no upgrades bring on average 1015 carbon, with first upgrade, 1195. Thats a 15.06% increase. Carbon upgrade costs 100 food, 2 workers. You need to know when increasing all your carbon workers each by 15.06% surpasses that of 2 workers... basically its at 13.3 workers.

Now for motivator. 10 farmers, 300 seconds. no upgrades brings average 960 food. with motivator, 1085. thats a 11.2% increase. motivator costs 175 food, 3.5 workers. going by that.. you need 31.25 farmers before you get more food buying motivator than 4 workers. but motivator also increases carbon efficiency by, carbon goes up to 1230, up slightly more...

actually having made me relook at my test results, my last post was incorrect. the carbon workers was right at 13. but the motivator.. you want way later, around 30 farmers.

now for 2nd carbon upgrade. 10 carbon gatherers, 300 seconds, with motivator. without 2nd upgrade 1230, with 1438, a 14.5% increase. now 2nd carbon upgrade is pricey, 175 food if im not mistaken, 3.5 workers there. which equals 24.1 carbon workers before its worthwhile.

now for the 2nd motivator, considering you need 30 farmers to make the first one worthwhile, dont get that till you hit the pop cap.

as for the first nova upgrade, 5 workers, 300 seconds, non naboo 525 nova. with first upgrade 560. equals 6.25% increase. costs 100 food, 2 workers -> 32 nova workers to make it wortwhile!

ore is the same, the upgrades are _never_ worth it, well at least till you hit the pop cap.

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Hope that gives you some insight.. I may saying more than you care to know.. but when I started I wanted to know everything.

CHIMAERA_JAB OUT!!!!