Mid-Game base slowdown advice?

[Soulwind]

I've reached the same point in my latest base that I reach with most of my bases (a couple dozen at this point).

A couple of hundred cycles in, all the basics are taken care of and the base is running smoothly.

{The base isn't fully sustainable yet, but I could easily go 300 or so more cycles before unrecoverable failure point}.

I'm at the point where I know I should start exploring the larger environment, but things just slow down to a crawl

(game-wise, not performance-wise).  Most of the dupes, typically 12 at this point in the game, are busy with their

assigned jobs supporting the living area.  Getting out to the new areas takes so long that they dig 1 tile and turn around.

Trying to get any large scale exploring done just seems to take forever and I usually become frustrated (or I run out of

real-world time and the next upgrade is released) and I end up just starting a new colony.

So, does anyone have advice on how to get over the mid-game slowdown hump? 

Or a few sample colony saves (non-debug) showing how it's done?

[Kabrute]

Antigravity System.sav

normal mode

Trainwreck.sav

fatalistic/miserable

[Ayka]

Make sure you're turning on Advanced Priority mode in the Priority windows options (The cog on the top Right), It can help you a lot by keeping your dupes out when they venture out of base.

Also, learning to automate a lot of the delivery/supply jobs within your main base using shipping can help free up valuable dupe time.

[Arash70]

Some tips:

1-Get rid of manual generators and replace them with other types of generators

2-Disable unnecessary machinery

3-Use the priority table as your main task control center (lower all priorities, higher build + dig priority for example)

4-Develop a method for base building, and optimize your base every run

5-Use algae terrariums to oxygenate distant places

 

Less tasks dupes have to do = more room for expansion.

 

Sample colony:

Here's my current play

Happy Trainwreck.sav

[travaldofan]

get exo suits, problem solved

[Cataca]

The only way i was ever able to solve "there is something my dupes need to build 3 screens away but it takes them 50 turns to build a wall" is twofold i find:

a. Exile. Either build mini outposts and build them up to self sustain or lock out your dupes once they exit main base for at least 60% of the cycle. Wait until they ate and did potty, get them in an exo and link your doors with a pressure, time of day sensor and an and gate. (you need several of course). Not beeing able to constantly go back to base to do take a shower really improves efficiency.

b. Build exclusively with what you find in the biome you want to build in. Sometimes this leads to dupes not wasting 99% of their day dragging stuff 6 screens across and showering. Sometimes.

[Jigsawn]

I find that replacing algae deoxiders and terrariums with an electrolyser helps a lot, as dupes don't have to spend ages running around getting algae and water any more. Also mealwood farms take loads of supply and harvesting time. To counter that, stick storage containers dedicated to dirt, seeds and fertiliser close to your farms. Then move up to mushrooms/bristleberries asap as they take far less time. They yeild more calories per harvest and require less maintenance. You can still keep a mealwood farm but set the tiles to a lower priority so your farmer will deal with them last.

Movement efficiency helps a lot too. Make sure you tile all the major corridors that dupes use for increased runspeed, and have long single ladders in your base rather than lots of little ones. Leave a 1 tile space next to the ladders and research fire poles. Then build massive fire poles running through your whole base next to the ladders and down to places like the oil fields, saves loads of travel time. Set pneumatic doors you don't need closed to Open.

For priorities, if you want more digging/exploration done, have a dupe or two with miner job. In the priorities screen make sure their dig skill is set to spanner or very high priority. Now they'll always dig before anything else. Same goes for building via an architect. Make sure research and cooking is done only by dupes with a decent level skill so they aren't wasting time (unless you are trying to raise stats).

In the early game, try to get dupes with good athletics or strength and put them on jobs like gofer. Their faster speed or bigger carry capacity saves lots of time.

Pretty obvious but have proper bedrooms for dupes so they get the stamina bonus each night.

Put refridgerators/ration boxes next to your cooking machines and set them on a slightly higher priority to save your chef having to go collecting ingredients. Be warned though that dupes can spend a lot of time collecting meal lice if you do that, but in the long run its good. Make your cooking area close to your farms and a water source if possible to save a lot of dupe travel time.

Smart batteries save energy and thus dupe time producing power or supplying generators.

Do you have enough toilets? Have quite a few and spread them around your base. It's amazing how much time can be wasted each day by dupes running across your base to go to the loo! Also, showers are a time sink you don't need in the game right now, so you could just avoid them altogether or only build them in the late game.

[travaldofan]

1 hour ago, Jigsawn said:

Smart batteries save energy and thus dupe time producing power or supplying generators

Cannot agree more. I am at cycle 300 and only using coal generators with smart batteries. SO GOOD. Only 12 hatches btw

[Denisetwin]

4 hours ago, travaldofan said:

get exo suits, problem solved

This is what fixes it for me, but also I have to remember to take the time to build actual floor tiles to the far job sites as they can move faster on those than blocks of unbuilt material and build fire poles as well as ladders so they an quickly get to it.   Totally agree with the smart battery recommendation.  Also hydroponic tiles instead of planters so they are not wasting time watering crops.  Electrolyzers for oxygen.  This stuff is important to me as I always build my generators and other machines far way away from my base

[Ray_Garraty]

6 hours ago, Soulwind said:

Trying to get any large scale exploring done just seems to take forever and I usually become frustrated

Imho the most frustrating thing is dupe's "nice" habit to drop down anything they're carrying when they suddenly decide they need to go to bed/toilet etc. or to take a breath. It's especially funny when they have almost climbed up a long ladder...

[Whispert]

All of these are good advice. I do use outposts like @Cataca They come in real handy for large jobs that are far away. Just an outhouse and maybe a couple beds if you really want to keep them in place. Watch their kCal if you don't give them a ration box of food and their stress since they won't be going to high decor at night. In these extreme cases I tend to just lock two dupes (miner, and builder) out of the base on a rotation and then give a gopher access to go out there too. The gopher can bring them things that they need that they otherwise wouldn't have access to within the colony. I also agree that using the local materials when possible really shaves down time when it's appropriate.

If you don't have exosuits yet, make sure you have oxygen in the area where they are exploring. Dupes that have to catch their breath take forever to get a job done and are easily distracted

[travaldofan]

8 minutes ago, Ray_Garraty said:

Imho the most frustrating thing is dupe's "nice" habit to drop down anything they're carrying when they suddenly decide they need to go to bed/toilet etc. or to take a breath. It's especially funny when they have almost climbed up a long ladder...

This problem can be solved with exosuits or don't build straight ladders, build a little floor so they drop things on that floor. But exosuits completely solves it

12 minutes ago, Ray_Garraty said:

Imho the most frustrating thing is dupe's "nice" habit to drop down anything they're carrying when they suddenly decide they need to go to bed/toilet etc. or to take a breath. It's especially funny when they have almost climbed up a long ladder...

This problem can be solved with exosuits or don't build straight ladders, build a little floor so they drop things on that floor. But exosuits completely solves it

this is really reliable way to deliver oxygen to docks.  

[clickrush]

These threads make little sense if you don't provide screenshots or saves. People will just give you random/general advice.

I've personally never experienced a midgame slowdown, in fact the opposite is true: The more ressources, tech and dupes I have the faster I advance. It all comes down to what to build when and to balance oxy/food/water income with dupe numbers.

[Jigsawn]

Another tip that might help if oxygen is a problem out there and you don't have exosuits yet. Build an algae distiller or terrarium somewhere along your tunnel network. It will create little pockets of oxygen for your dupes that will help keep them working for longer. Over time if you are using airlocks to seperate your base from the tunnels, oxygen will naturally get out too when airlocks open, so eventually the problem gets reduced.

[CantBreathe]

@travaldofan I saw something about this earlier, why do you use the bridge? 

Thank you

 

[Kabrute]

@kasuha posted this the other day to show how to evenly split your feed 4 ways

[travaldofan]

credits to kasuha, i love this 4way split

[llunak]

In 'Reports', you get a summary of time that dupes spent working. If you expand it by clicking, you'll get a per-dupe list. And if you hover the items, you'll get a tooltip telling you what activities has that specific dupe spent the time on. So just have a look to see where the time is spent.

 

[Soulwind]

Wow, thanks llunak.  I had never noticed that you could drill down for more details on the reports.

That should help me analyze things. I appreciate the various suggestions folks, time to give things

another try :).

 

[goboking]

The first and easiest thing you can do to make exploration more efficient is to build exo suits.  This will greatly extend the amount time your dupes can spend in hostile environments.  Some other things you can try that might also help:

• Specialize your dupes.  If your miner/scout only digs then they won't be running back to the base to delivery sand to the water sieve or to fertilize your bristle berries.
• Automate your showers so that they only run in the mornings or evenings.  It's a massive waste of time when your miner gets all the way out to the tunnel then turns around to head back for a quick rinse off before they've done any actual digging.
• Build ladders and such with native materials.  Using igneous rock to build ladders in the purple biome and sedimentary rock to build them in the swamp biome cuts, for example, cuts down on delivery time.
• Alternatively, skip building ladders and floors altogether.  It's possible to build straight up or down if you leave your dupes a foothold every two tiles (see picture below).  This allows your miner to explore the asteroid without relying on your builder's assistance.

[Jigsawn]

Good tip about materials, I'm fed up of dupes going down to oil to get igenous rock so I need to think about using granite/sedimentary for other building zones.

I never thought about automating showers either, that's a great idea. Can you automate the showers or do you need to automate liquid cutoffs so the showers can't get water during "off time"?

[goboking]

2 minutes ago, Jigsawn said:

I never thought about automating showers either, that's a great idea. Can you automate the showers or do you need to automate liquid cutoffs so the showers can't get water during "off time"?

You can either automate a liquid shutoff valve that feeds your showers (or the pump that feeds them, but having a pump that only feeds your showers is an inefficient use of power), you can automate a mechanized airlock and just lock them out altogether, or your can automate a dupe checkpoint.  Any of these methods will work, but the valve allows you to keep your lavatories and showers together, so that's the way I'd go.

Note: if you use a mechanized airlock, have a second door that allows dupes to exit, but not enter, the latrine to avoid locking anyone inside.

[Jigsawn]

Cool, yeah the doors sounds like the ideal option. Finally the days of dupes constantly showering are over. Shower in the morning or go grimy!

[travaldofan]

8 minutes ago, Jigsawn said:

Cool, yeah the doors sounds like the ideal option. Finally the days of dupes constantly showering are over. Shower in the morning or go grimy!

one shower for 100 dupes huh?

grimy still doesn't effect things right?

[Darkpony]

In one game i built a system of locking doors that prevented dupes from returning to the base for 60 seconds or so forcing them to do everything available for the alotted time before returning to the base. It can however be a little dangerous so i suggest using exosuits.