Worker robot speed (research)
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Worker robot speed (research) |
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Prototype type |
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Internal name |
worker-robots-speed-1 |
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Required technologies |
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Allows |
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The Worker robot speed bonus applies to logistic robots and construction robots. The basic speed of logistic robots is 0.05 tiles/tick (3 tiles per second) and for construction robots 0.06 tiles/tick (3.6 tiles per second) when they have enough power. The worker robot speed research also increases the speed at which robots move when out of power, as this is defined as 20% of the current normal travel speed.
| Technology | Cost | Effects | Cumulative effect |
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35% | 35% |
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40% | 75% |
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45% | 120% |
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55% | 175% |
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65% | 240% |
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 2^(Level-6)*1000 (eg. 1000 for level 6, 2000 for level 7, 4000 for level 8) |
65% per level | 240% + 65%*(Level-5) |
For Space Age, non-infinite worker robot speed stops at level 6 (with the same cost as computed above), with infinite speed upgrades from there adding electromagnetic science packs:
| Technology | Cost | Effects | Cumulative effect |
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 2^(Level-6)*1000 (eg. 2000 for level 7, 4000 for level 8) |
65% per level | 240% + 65%*(Level-5) |
Speed versus range
Players should note that the Worker robot speed research does not significantly increase the distance robots (of either type) can fly before needing to recharge.
Both types of robots have an internal capacitor holding 1.5 MJ at full charge, and consume 3 kW (= 3 kJ / sec) at all times when airborne (hovering or moving), plus 5 kJ per "meter" (= 1 tile) traveled.
While increasing robot speed means they cover the same distance faster, and therefore the time-based power cost component is less over that distance, a simple calculation shows that the distance-based component far exceeds the time-based one, and this discrepancy only increases with higher robot speed, making range gains from this effect increasingly trivial with further robot speed research.
For example, the first level of Worker robot speed adds less than 5% range; level 5 adds only about 1% range (a bit over 10% cumulative); and level 10 (= 5th "infinite" level) adds about 0.3% range for a cumulative increase for the 10 first levels of about 15% (from ~250 to ~290 tiles). Note that these range figures are based on the assumption robots spend all time airborne moving, none hovering.
