outpost_2:outpost_2_manual:tutorial_10 [Outpost Universe Wiki]

This tutorial introduces you to the causes and effects of your Colonists' happiness (or lack thereof).

1 - Start Tutorial 10 - Morale

2 - The Morale of your Colonists is one of your major concerns. It affects several things: the production rate at factories and Agridomes, the research rate at laboratories, and the birth and death rates of your Colonists.

3 - Two kinds of things affect Morale: events and conditions. Events have an immediate impact on Morale, but the effect wears off as time passes. Morale events include such things as: the birth of a Child, disasters (such as a meteorite impact), and the death of a Scientist.

4 - Conditions continually affect Morale. Their effects do not wear off, but the value of the condition can change over time, which changes their effect on Morale. Morale conditions include such things as: the housing capacity at Residences, the percentage of your Colonists who do not have work assignments (unoccupied Colonists), and the percentage of your Scientists who are assigned to Worker jobs. The Morale Report shows the conditions that affect your colony.

5 - In previous tutorials, Morale has been permanently set at 75. In his tutorial, Morale will “float.” Check the Morale report by pressing <Alt+M>. The top line of the report says No Residences.

6 - Move a ConVec to the Structure Factory and load it with a Residence kit.

7 - Build the Residence. Make sure to deploy it so that it is connected by Tubes to the rest of your colony. If after you place it you find that it is not connected, use the Earthworker to build Tubes to connect it.

8 - When the Residence is fully constructed and connected check the Morale report again. It may take a few moments for the change to have an effect on the people, but eventually the top line will change to say Residence Demand followed by a percentage.

9 - Although having one Residence is better than having none, the demand is still over 100 percent. Build another Residence structure kit at the Structure Factory.

10 - While the Residence kit is being produced, move a ConVec to the Structure Factory dock and load it with the Agridome kit.

11 - Check the Morale report. The second line of the report indicates that the Net Food Production is negative - the colony is consuming more Food than it produces. Press <Alt+F> to see the Food report. A Food deficit is bad for Morale.

12 - Order the ConVec to deploy the Agridome. Make sure to deploy it so that it is connected by Tubes to the rest of your colony. If after you place it you find that it is not connected, use the Earthworker to build Tubes to connect it.

13 - A few moments after the Agridome is completely assembled and connected, check the Food and Morale reports. Net Food Production is now positive. 14 - The Residence kit should now be ready at the Structure Factory. Load it onto a ConVec and build it, making sure that it is connected to the Tube system.

15 - Check the Morale report. The third line is Disabled Bldg. Ratio. Your Colonists will lose faith in your management ability if you have Disabled buildings.

16 - The Standard Lab is Disabled because it is not connected to the Command Center. Have the Earthworker connect the lab.

17 - Check the Morale report. When it updates, the Disabled Building Ratio should be zero percent.

18 - The bottom line of the Morale report says Nursery not operational. Having children and a place to care for them increases the Morale of your colonists.

19 - Send a ConVec to the Structure Factory to load and then build the Nursery. As usual, make sure it is connected to the colony.

20 - When the Nursery is completed, check your Morale report. The bottom line has changed to Nursery Operational. You need to have only one Nursery operational in your colony.

21 - The second line from the bottom in your Morale report says No Med. Centers. Medical Centers will not only improve Morale but will also decrease the mortality rate of the Colonists.

22 - Pick up the Medical Center kit in storage and build it in the colony somewhere making sure it is connected.

23 - When construction of the Medical Center is complete, check the Morale report. The Medical Center line now reads Med. Center Demand followed by a percentage, which should be less than 100 percent.

24 - Your colony's Morale should be improving. Morale will increase or decrease a little bit at a time.

25 - The fourth line of the Morale report reads Unoccupied colonists, followed by a percentage. Adult Colonists, that is, Workers and Scientists, who are not occupied in labor, training, or research become unhappy, lowering Morale.

26 - Select the Standard Lab. Start researching Cybernetic Teleoperation with the maximum number of Scientists allowed on the project.

27 - Check the Morale report. The Unoccupied Colonists rate should decrease, perhaps all the way to zero percent. Morale should improve.

28 - Having too many Scientists will bring Morale down. Converting all of your Workers into Scientists means some of your most highly educated and skilled Colonists will have to do the jobs of Workers, which has a negative effect on Morale. However, completing new research topics has a positive impact on Morale - and this is most quickly accomplished by assigning the maximum number of Scientists allowed to each project. Keeping a proper balance of Scientists and Workers is an important key to success in Outpost 2.

This the end of Tutorial 10