Suggestion about PHQ

[GCU Grey Area]

If you're trying to move the PHQ, it's not a useful location for gathering materials. Trying to source 50k advanced electronics, plus everything else you need to complete the jump research so you can move the PHQ from nowhere to civilization is terrible. Especially if it's relatively early game, and you don't have 3 or 4 star manager at another factory you can swap in.

That's usually a high priority for me in every game. However have never had much success trying to source sufficient Adv Electronics (etc) from the NPC economy. Perhaps just bad luck with RNG & the initial allocation of NPC stations, however there never seems to be much available to buy from NPC factories regardless of HQ location. Have always ended up needing to build production modules at my HQ in order to make it jump-capable in a reasonable time frame. For that approach the abundance of basic resources right next door in Watchful Gaze was very handy during my Boron game.

[jlehtone]

If you're trying to move the PHQ, it's not a useful location for gathering materials. Trying to source 50k advanced electronics, plus everything else you need to complete the jump research so you can move the PHQ from nowhere to civilization is terrible. Especially if it's relatively early game, and you don't have 3 or 4 star manager at another factory you can swap in.

That's usually a high priority for me in every game. However have never had much success trying to source sufficient Adv Electronics (etc) from the NPC economy. Perhaps just bad luck with RNG & the initial allocation of NPC stations, however there never seems to be much available to buy from NPC factories regardless of HQ location. Have always ended up needing to build production modules at my HQ in order to make it jump-capable in a reasonable time frame. For that approach the abundance of basic resources right next door in Watchful Gaze was very handy during my Boron game.

Paranid had electronics production in Wretched Skies. Cheapest, probably due to being in a corner. That is just two jumps from Heretics, but naturally my PHQ was in GE as there were no Boron yet.

I did build some Adv.El. fabs, but not for myself. Rather as bonus to stations that the NPC did commission from me. Nevertheless, Wrethed Skies was the main source. It obviously is up to the Almighty RNG to place NPC stations.


On the "ugly" we have stated two extremes that players can do:
* Do not build. Do not look. The PHQ is hard to not build, but one can teleport to inside (eventually). Avoiding sectors simply because we have stations in them is not convenient, and there was some "economy" as incentive to build.
* Build so big that you won't see the details. That too can lead to avoidance of sectors, and is not an "instant" solution.

We have already heard that we do not agree on what is "ugly" in the PHQ model. Yes, we can let the devs decide whether they allocate resources to some change that unavoidably will be judged "worse" by some minority of the players.

[vvvvvvvv]

Yes, you have to progress their story, but if you don't... you never see them, and the Heretic's End location of the PHQ is abysmal. It's abysmal even if you immediately unlock the Boron...

And I'm aware it can be done in a custom start, but that doesn't mean that there can't be an option to choose where you want the PHQ to appear for a new game start.

Here's how I see it.

Custom start is a game start. So selecting PHQ location is already satisfied.

Heretic End is one of the good locations for PHQ. It doesn't have terraformable planets, but it is "nobody's sector" without police without police or plot fees since the beginning and location is also decent. That's where I ended up moving my HQ in one of the very first games, where I managed to actually snowball with Selaia Tarren. Plenty of neighbors, xenon might make it from Emperor's pride, but it will quickly fall, there's also some resources in the sector, though it is not the largest amount.

My advice would be to clear boron questline and use custom start in the future. "Default Starts", for me is not something I'll keep replaying again. Some quest lines are irritating, and after experiencing them once or twice, I'd want them to start in a solved state, and that's what Custom Start is for. It could use few more templates, though, but it is sufficient. In custom start you can also begin with teleportation unlocked. Then you'll have one free teleport off the bat. So you can start anywhere, and if you don't like it you can move once without collecting resources. Those research quests, after all, they are effectively interesting to play through only the first and maybe second time. Basically, they're interesting, but like with plots, replayability is not high.

Regarding sourcing materials, IIRC you can simply buy materials all the way up to high mass teleportation where you can move HQ around. Now, you might need to buy them YOURSELF, meaning without automated traders, but it is not as bad, as, for example, aerial maze with its tens of thousands of shield and weapon components.

[grapedog]

Here's how I see it.

Custom start is a game start. So selecting PHQ location is already satisfied.

Heretic End is one of the good locations for PHQ. It doesn't have terraformable planets, but it is "nobody's sector" without police without police or plot fees since the beginning and location is also decent. That's where I ended up moving my HQ in one of the very first games, where I managed to actually snowball with Selaia Tarren. Plenty of neighbors, xenon might make it from Emperor's pride, but it will quickly fall, there's also some resources in the sector, though it is not the largest amount.

My advice would be to clear boron questline and use custom start in the future. "Default Starts", for me is not something I'll keep replaying again. Some quest lines are irritating, and after experiencing them once or twice, I'd want them to start in a solved state, and that's what Custom Start is for. It could use few more templates, though, but it is sufficient. In custom start you can also begin with teleportation unlocked. Then you'll have one free teleport off the bat. So you can start anywhere, and if you don't like it you can move once without collecting resources. Those research quests, after all, they are effectively interesting to play through only the first and maybe second time. Basically, they're interesting, but like with plots, replayability is not high.

Regarding sourcing materials, IIRC you can simply buy materials all the way up to high mass teleportation where you can move HQ around. Now, you might need to buy them YOURSELF, meaning without automated traders, but it is not as bad, as, for example, aerial maze with its tens of thousands of shield and weapon components.

I'm aware of how custom starts work. I'm glad heretics end worked for you. But if you're really playing as the Paranid factions, Teladi, PIO, Terrans, or FRF... then heretics ends is a crap location.

Alternate locations should be available based on the game start you choose, not based on which DLC you have installed.