Hbb, hbc, hbl, hbm

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1

I hesitate to start this topic, because I fear pointing this out could result in a nerf instead of a buff… but here we go anyway.

Data:
3xHB1, 3xHB2 = 300 PIO / 300 SET; 66 Area
4xHBB = 300 PIO / 300 SET; 60 Area
HBB = 10% area savings for some additional building costs

3xHB2, 3xHB3 = 300 SET / 300 TECH; 78 Area
4xHBC = 300 SET / 300 TECH; 80 Area
HBC = 2.5% more area plus additional building costs

3xHB3, 3xHB4 = 300 TECH / 300 ENG; 90 area
4xHBM = 300 TECH / 300 ENG; 88 area
HBM = 2.3% area savings for additional building costs… and we’re talking really expensive building costs now

3xHB4, 3xHB5 = 300 ENG / 300 SCI; 102 area
4xHBL = 300 ENG / 300 SCI; 100 area
HBL = 2% area savings, I guess its nice that you were already dropping a full slate of A-fabs for the HB5 so its not really more expensive to use HBLs over HB5s if you also need engineers (also, 75 scientists is plenty lol)

Analysis:
The hybrid buildings seem to follow a pattern where they require more advanced building components for net fewer total fabs since only 4 buildings are needed instead of 6 (but at additional total cost due to more advanced fabs required).

HBBs - Should be utilized wherever possible to maximize SET/PIO utilization as it saves precious area
HBC - never build unless you only need 1 and you have a corner case example of just the right Settler/Tech count versus area to fit it in where an HB2+HB3 wouldn’t fit
HBM - I guess its kind of better, and maybe you only need a few engineers so getting some techs with it might be worth it. Probably will see these around the universe but probably not with regularity.
HBL - Basically better if you have scientists and engineers together, and if so, you already needed the a-fabs anyway - but only a few people will probably ever need to squeeze the last bit of performance out of a planet at the stage you need HBLs anyway.

Conclusion:

HBBs offer 10% area savings when fully utilized versus an equivalent number of HB1&2s
HBCs offer a net WORSE area
HBL/HBM offers around 2% area savings

If HBB is the standard (and I think it should be) then the following changes should be made:
HBC - 17 or 18 area ( 13% / 8% area benefit - I vote 17 area)
HBM - 20 area
HBL - 22 area

At the very least, HBC should be changed. I don’t expect anyone will ever build them, except in a very corner case situation of base area remaining vs. pop need.

6 Likes
2

A finer comparison of costs would be handy. For consistency, HBB should be 16 area and HBC 19 area, then each hybrid building is a 0.5 area saving.

The main thing is, last universe all the hybrid buildings were much more efficient on area. Now they’re ballpark the same area as standard buildings with much higher cost, so apart from corner cases what is the point of them?

Should they genuinely be in-between buildings-sized and costed between their respective standard buildings, and perhaps using a mix of tiers of fabs?

3

I understand the point; however, if I’m employing 900 PIO then I’m probably not going to build barracks style housing to also house 900 SET.

4

Of course if you’re full pio its trivial.

I own 10xHBBs across all my bases. So I’m getting tons of benefits there.

I don’t own a single HBC, and probably never will, even though I am about to employ many techs. Why have a building if nobody will ever use it?

Ditto HBM - I will have ENG within a week and I can’t see why I would build HBMs.

5

I think McCowens last paragraph is the real question. What is the design goal of these buildings?

If it’s to be an area saver for higher upfront cost and only for bases that meet their conditions, then HBBs are the model to follow.
If it’s to be an “in-between” to “better utilize area” then nobody will ever need more than 1 per base, likely 0… so why have them?
If it’s to be a less efficient area use for easier access to higher tier, then none of them do that currently.

6

As a owner of a HBM. Sometimes you can squeeze the buildings and workforce requirements better with these mixed ones.

Like HBBs for PP2s, or a HBC for a LAB+X

7

I was planning a single HBC to optimize my area usage, but with the ongoing tech shortage, I don’t really need more housing for them yet :frowning: