All Ships Can Survey

What good is it?

from GalCiv2 Forums
I have noticed in most all my games that the planetary improvement that allows all ships the ability to survey usually appears later in the game. Given that, what good is it? I mean by the later levels of the game all anomilies have been survey already. It just doesnt make any sense.
What do you think?
Also are there any other improvements that seem ill timed that I may be missing?
12,043 views 10 replies
Reply #1 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Sensors are the easiest tech to get. So the fact they're late game is your fault, you didn't research them quickly.
Reply #2 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I dunno you have to research 4 techs just to be able to build it, and being a galactic wonder it's pretty hard to get it built before all the anomalies are gone.

Besides that, if you aren't also researching life support techs chances are the only ship with enough range to get to the remaining anomalies is your flagship.

I built this my last game and regretted it, since I already had my flagship and two custom "survey scouts" by the time it was completed. I doubt I'll ever build it again.
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Reply #3 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Yeah, but what the wonder actually does is reduce the cost and size of the survey module to zero, right? So it's not that all your ships get the ability to survey, it's that there's no reason not to put a survey module on every ship you build. And since that would give each ship +2 to sensors for free, it's kind of nice. Of course, if you're building wonders off the sensor branch, just skip the guidebook and go for Eyes of the Universe, which is the most useful wonder, imo.
Reply #4 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I've built it a couple of times and the thing doesn't work for me. I try putting survey modules on new ships and try to upgrade old ship designs and they still take up a lot of room.
Reply #5 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I don't know if it's currently possible to mod this, but I'd love to see a mod that caused new anomalies to appear in the galaxy. Either as an occasional event that generates a bunch at once, or for them to appear occasionally one or two at a time semi-regularly. That would make survey ships and the guide book useful throughout the game.
Reply #6 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
When I first built it I was expecting to have any ship already built be able to explore. Then I read how it actually reduces the size of the survey module. So I went to the ship builder and looked. It was not zero size. The thing is broke, from what one can see. I only built it because I figured it would help my game score out a little bit but it should work the way it's worded. And either wording if fine.
Reply #7 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
The Guide Book wonder does come too late to be of much use. I don't waste a plnet square on it. If anomolies regenerated then it wold be a different story. (Kinda reminds me of Explorers in Civ3. The tech came so late that they were pretty much useless except for destroying improvements.)

I build several early fast survey ships using cargo hulls once I get the sensor tech, so putting survey mods on my ships is not needed.

I find the EoU wonder much more useful.
Reply #8 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
It's one of those wonders thats pretty pointless on small and medium maps and worthwhile on gigantic.
Reply #9 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I'll give you that point SS.

But for the majrity of maps it is useless. I'd rather see it come early enough in the tree to have an effect or to have recurring anomolies. Maybe a tweak would perhaps be building it will make anomolies regenerate at random times only in the builder's Sphere of Influence. They will not regenerate otherwise. This gives you some advantage, but the aI will also have a chance at the anomolies. That at least would make it worth something on those other map sizes.
Reply #10 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I tried it in a game, and it didn't reduce the size of the survey module at all, so it was useless. Maybe it's fixed in one of the beta's or in 1.1, but it didn't work for me.