Question on Power

[Antmf]

Hey all just downloaded the game and love these types of games. Anywho, when I start my base do I use more power generators or just 1 with multiple batteries? I seem to be running out of power even with 3 generators but only 2 batteries? Unless I have to many light up but I only have a total of about 6 lights. PLease let me know...

[Semmy]

You will need either solar generators or geothermal generators to create power.

The batteries are to store power to get through the night when the solar generators turn off.

For the geothermal generators you must look for geysers.

[Dragula]

And you can't have too much batteries really, with more batteries the energy storage is spread .

[Stickle]

And you can't have too much batteries really, with more batteries the energy storage is spread .

Except that if you store too much power all connected to the grid at once, you will get shorts and things will explode, draining all your stored power...

[Nasikabatrachus]

You need more generators, not more batteries. Adding new batteries is only a benefit if the current amount of batteries is not capturing all of your generated energy. Remember that you can turn off everything that uses electricity, so if you need your colonists to work during the night, and you don't need to keep them happy at the moment, you can turn off your lights so that the doors have enough power to keep your colonists moving quickly through the base.

[Tiberiumkyle]

If you can locate enough geothermal vents, you won't even need batteries, unless something changes.

[EarthyTurtle]

It's really a balance. Early game I'd start with 1 solar generator, and maybe 3 batteries. As I progress I just watch my battery level at the end of the day. If it hasn't got much of a charge then I add more solar.

If your lucky you might spawn next to a geyser, which will give you an enormous advantage in the early game. I still recommend only 2-3 batteries in the early game because you can't really afford to spend too much metal after spending 250 on geothermal.

[Dragula]

And you can't have too much batteries really, with more batteries the energy storage is spread .

Except that if you store too much power all connected to the grid at once, you will get shorts and things will explode, draining all your stored power...

Agreed, that can be nasty in the beginning. However if you have a big base why not enjoy the big explosion every once in a  while :p

[Amaror]

It's really a balance. Early game I'd start with 1 solar generator, and maybe 3 batteries. As I progress I just watch my battery level at the end of the day. If it hasn't got much of a charge then I add more solar.

If your lucky you might spawn next to a geyser, which will give you an enormous advantage in the early game. I still recommend only 2-3 batteries in the early game because you can't really afford to spend too much metal after spending 250 on geothermal.

Why would you need batteries at all with a geothermal generator. They never stop producing energy unlike solar generators.

[ShadowDragon8685]

Why would you need batteries at all with a geothermal generator. They never stop producing energy unlike solar generators.

Because lights and doors gobble up ridiculous amounts of energy. A single standing lamp and a single door for one room eats up 1/20th of a single geothermal plant's power output.

I have two geotherm plants going in my Steam Valley game, and I exceeded their power output by simply erecting rooms for everybody, a few armories and a few doors.

[Amaror]

Why would you need batteries at all with a geothermal generator. They never stop producing energy unlike solar generators.

Because lights and doors gobble up ridiculous amounts of energy. A single standing lamp and a single door for one room eats up 1/20th of a single geothermal plant's power output.

I have two geotherm plants going in my Steam Valley game, and I exceeded their power output by simply erecting rooms for everybody, a few armories and a few doors.

Yeah in the late game, you will need solars to suplemment them for sure, but in the early game you don't need any batteriers, when you have an geothermal generator

[Nasikabatrachus]

The main reason I use batteries in my latest colony is for when my 2 external geothermal generators get cut off for some reason (usually when a lightning strike hits their power conduits). Even with one interior geothermal, there is a deficit when solar and the other 2 are taken out. Since it's Tough Kassandra, it's usually too dangerous to leave batteries connected to the grid for extended periods except when charging them.