Most of the structures in the game are assembled from structure kits built at the Structure Factory. These kits are then loaded on ConVecs and taken to an appropriate site to be deployed. Kits may be assembled at any location on the map as long as two requirements are met: the terrain in the tiles in which the structure will be placed must be passable (that is, a vehicle can drive to that location) and unoccupied by any other unit or structure; and there must be a border area around the structure in which the terrain is passable and there are no structures. This is represented by the “building footprint” that appears under the cursor when you click the Build button in the ConVec's Status display. The building footprint is a yellow rectangle with a blue-gray border. The yellow rectangle indicates the location of the structure to be built. The blue-gray border is the area around the structure that must be clear.

Many structures will also have two tan squares in the border, one to the right and one below the yellow rectangle. These represent Tubes that will be automatically placed when the structure is deployed. Red squares anywhere in the building footprint indicate that the structure may not be deployed in this location. Once you select a suitable location for the new structure, the ConVec proceeds to the site and begins construction (unless some vehicle has moved into the deployment location while the ConVec was en route). A construction site appears at the location, and the ConVec, if it was selected, becomes de-selected. You may not select a ConVec while it is deploying a structure.

A small number of structures are not built from structure kits but are instead built by ordering a vehicle to transform itself into a structure. These structures are the Common Ore Mine, Rare Ore Mine, Magma Well (all built from the Robo-Miner), and Geothermal Plant (built from the GeoCon, or Geothermal Constructor). Both the Robo-Miner and GeoCon are built at the Vehicle Factory.

Each of these structures must be placed over a particular feature on the map. Mines may be built only at the location of a surveyed Mining Beacon. Magma Wells may be constructed only over magma vents. (The Robo-Miner will automatically build the appropriate structure if it is ordered to build in a valid location.) Geothermal Plants must be built over a fumarole. The other tiles that will be occupied by the new structure must be passable and unoccupied by vehicles or other structures (although these structures may be built over Tubes). The requirement for a one-tile wide border around the building site also applies to vehicle structures. Once one of these vehicles has been ordered to build, it will move to the location and begin deployment, much as the ConVec carrying a structure kit.

• Go Back to Rules Section - Continue on to Structure Status
  

  ---

• Go Back to Online Manual
  
• Go Back to Wiki Home Page