Looking at this list, it should be fairly obvious to most people that there is a significant balance/cost gap between settlers and technicians.
I propose the following adjustments:
HB3 (Technician Habitation) now uses LFABs
HB4 (Engineer Habitation) now uses RFABs
This is a relatively simple change, and the adjustment should allow players to fully staff a prefab plant that produces the prefabs of that tier without having to purchase them from the market or run their prefab plant at 1/2 to 1/3 capacity to house the appropriate workers and “tech up”. Right now the “more complex” 75/75 residences such as Communal Abode are significantly cheaper and easier to build than the “simple” 100 worker versions, because their recipes call for less RFABs and AFABs.
Those educated people sure like their windows too. I sometimes wonder if they are all living in literal glass houses given the ratio of “Transparent Apertures” to other construction materials. Who needs privacy anyways?
Is this as relevant now Rfabs have been buffed? I think so but it’ll be interesting to see once the prefabs market settle a little whether the costs are quite so high.
It’s more relevant than ever now given how many technicians, engineers and scientists are required to build stuff that is actually useful now. The 75/75 habitats are for some reason much cheaper than the 100 worker habitats.
The exorbitant cost of these habitats is also very frustrating in combination with Populous mechanics where it is expensive and difficult to grow these higher level populations in the first place. It often it costs more to build a habitat than the production facilities that would be using those workers. The worst part is that even if you invest in growing the population on a particular planet, someone else can come along and steal them from you.
Finally, from a realism perspective, I’m going to ask the question why Scientists and Engineers need their bulkheads and structures to be more durable than pioneers do? Is there a particular reason that they need the glass on their windows to have a hydrophobic, oleophobic nano coating?
It seems like a more educated workforce might appreciate some Decorative Elements (DEC), Holographic Displays (HD), some clean air (AIR), and some working plumbing (FLP) in their homes a little bit more than having high tech reinforced building materials rated for stresses that one might find in an advanced manufacturing facility.
I actually quite like this idea that the higher level buildings need more complex and varied parts. Would also provide a domestic market for some POPI materials.
Sci hab is too big for the scientists needed all around. It should be adjusted to 20-30 people. Same for the hybrid one scaled down.
One sci hab can service all needed chains and too easy to get.
HBC vs HB3 price is unbalanced but PP3 is already a Tech building that requires tech level habs.
HBC should be adjusted up and in L-fabs ( like HBL ) as a bridge housing to open Tech chain. Keep HB3 cost, maybe tone it to 8 RTA. - it will promote the GL industry.
HBL is totally useless
I disagree making HB4 a R-fab Habitation since there aren’t so many engineers needed anyway. Spamming SL/SE/APF/AAF should be a horrific burden not trivial thus I think the capacity of both
Engineer and Sci Habs should go down considerably to incur heavier costs.
Long term this can also help POPI prevent planet spam of hi-tech players with SL/SE/APF/AAF
