Difference between revisions of "Pollution"

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{{Biotech}}
 
{{Biotech}}
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{{Stub|reason=Mechanics (Pollution spread / acidic smog % chance / wastepack cocoons), detailed analysis}}
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'''Pollution''' refers to ''toxic'' pollution, largely as the byproduct of recharging [[allied mechanoid|friendly mechanoid]]s. Even using a [[wood-fired generator]] or [[chemfuel generator]] won't create it, for instance.
  
==Creation==
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== Creation and Spread ==
Pollution refers to ''toxic'' pollution - [[wood-fired generator]]s and [[chemfuel generator]]s won't create it, for instance. Pollution is created when [[toxic wastepack]]s are destroyed, whenever by burning, dumped by a [[caravan]] near your tile, or natural deterioration. With the Biotech DLC enabled, it may also exist from world generation. The pollution coverage can be adjusted, with 5% as default. Pollution can also affect nearby tiles.
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==== Within Colonies ====
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[[File:pollution_spread.png|400px|thumb|right|Ground pollution generated by a toxifier generator, visualized by the pollution overlay. The tiles under the player-built walls are polluted, though this does not show on the overlay.]]
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Each [[toxic wastepack]] that is destroyed or disintegrates creates 6 tiles of pollution. Any means of destroying wastepacks creates pollution, except for the [[wastepack atomizer]].
  
With the Biotech DLC installed, [[Defoliator ship]]s pollute 6 tiles within their radius a day. Destroying the ship will not clean tiles already polluted by the ship.
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A [[toxifier generator]] creates 6 tiles of pollution every 3 days.  
  
== Pollution ==
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[[Defoliator ship]]s will pollute an expanding circle of tiles when landing, centered on the ship. This is in addition to the actual defoliation; the pollution is separate and spreads much slower.
There’s no shortage of tools to deal with (or even embrace) pollution. Wearing anti-pollution gear, like face masks and gas masks, reduces your colonists’ exposure to pollutants. Transplanting artificial detoxifier organs makes your colonists immune to pollution’s toxic effects. There’s even pollution-related genetic modifications.
 
  
Order colonists to manually clean up polluted terrain and they’ll package it back into toxic wastepacks. However, the safer option is to use automated pollution pumps to keep vulnerable colonists away from the pollution.
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Pollution created again in the same area will spread in an expanding circle. Natural rock walls block the pollution spread, but player-made walls and other structures do not.
  
== Pollution Mitigation ==
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Pawns lingering in polluted tiles will accumulate [[Toxic buildup]] at a rate of 40% per day, assuming no [[Toxic Environment Resistance]] or [[Toxic Resistance]]. Unlike [[Toxic fallout]] or other map conditions, this is not mitigated by roofing the tile.
There are several ways to deal with wastepacks.
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* [[Temperature|Freezing]]: Frozen wastepacks won’t dissolve, but they take up a lot of space.
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==== On the World Map ====
* '''Export''': Use caravans or transport pods to dump your wastepacks on the world map. For extra fun, you can even leave them as a gift in your enemies’ bases. People may not love you doing this.
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Dumping wastepacks on a hex utilizing [[caravan]]s or [[transport pod]]s will increase the pollution percentage of the hex by 0.05% per Wastepack dumped, or 1.3% per full transport pod. Once a world map hex reaches 100% pollution, any additional pollution gain will instead happen to one of its 6 possible neighboring tiles- this can spread pollution to the player's colony if one is not careful.  
* [[Polux trees]]: Heavily polluted maps will eventually sprout special polux trees. These trees slowly purify polluted terrain around them. Their delicate root network prevents them from being replanted.
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* [[Wastepack atomizer]]s: High-tech wastepack atomizers let you completely neutralize the threat of toxic wastepacks. The process is somewhat slow - and quite expensive.
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Caravans walking through polluted terrain will accumulate [[Toxic buildup]] based on their [[Toxic Environment Resistance]] and [[Toxic Resistance]] stats. The unmitigated rate will be at 20%/day for Moderately Polluted tiles (50-75% pollution) and 40% per day for Extremely Polluted tiles (75~100% pollution).
* '''Ignorance''': Polluting the land does have some benefits. Polluted terrain can grow new crops, like the fast-growing [[toxipotato]]. (Just don’t eat it raw.) Pollution can also attract new animal variants, like [[toxalope]]s and [[waste rat]]s.
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Dumping wastepacks within 15 tiles of another faction settlement will cause the player to take a relationship penalty, scaling up with the number of wastepacks dumped and proximity to the settlement. Outlander and pirate factions may send a [[drop pod]] of waste back at you, while hostile factions can [[raid]] you.
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Pollution may also exist from world generation, where certain tiles will be heavily polluted. You can configure the pollution coverage, with 5% as a default.
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== Summary ==
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{{Stub|section=1|reason = numbers and world tile and map tile effects, missing plants that can occur}}
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Pollution takes the form of polluted tiles. Polluted soil has a fertility of 50%, as long as the soil's original fertility is greater than 0%. Polluted soil can only grow a limited number of plants, namely:
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* [[Toxipotato plant]]s;
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* [[Devilstrand]];
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* [[Psychoid plant]]s; and
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* [[Gray pine tree]]s
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Having polluted tiles increases the map's overall pollution, which causes a number of effects.
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Colonists will receive [[toxic buildup]] while standing or walking on these tiles at a rate of 40% severity per day.
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Pollution on the ground can be turned back into toxic wastepacks with a [[pollution pump]], or by ordering colonists to clean it up.
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=== Acidic Smog ===
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If there is enough pollution present within 4 tiles of your world tile, a weather effect known as Acidic smog will occur. How often depends on the level of pollution present. Tiles 2-4 spaces away have a 0.5x multiplier to pollution.
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Acidic smog covers the outdoor area with a greenish haze, reduces light levels by {{--|28%}}, slows plant growth by {{Bad|x50%}} (stacking with reduced light for a total of {{bad|22%}} growth), gives non-immune colonists the {{--|5}} ''Acidic Smog'' [[mood]]let, and [[deteriorate]]s items at 300% speed. Items and pawns indoors are not affected by acidic smog in any way. Having the [[Genes#Total_antitoxic_lungs|Total antitoxic lungs]] or [[Genes#Tox immunity|Tox immunity]] [[gene]] renders immunity to the acidic smog moodlet.{{Check Tag|Other immunities?|Do other sources of total environmental toxproofing, such as detox lungs, affect the penalty? What about partial immunity?}}
  
== Pollution and insects ==
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Despite what players may expect, acidic smog itself does not have any negative health effects. The smog will affect pollution-friendly plants such as [[toxipotato plant|toxipotatoes]] the same as it does other plants. It does not provide or maintain [[Genes#Pollution_stimulus|Pollution stimulus]]'s effects.
  
Giant insects love pollution. Originally engineered as anti-mechanoid bioweapons, these insects are stimulated by the toxic fumes of polluted terrain, making them faster and deadlier.
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=== Insectoids ===
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Originally engineered as anti-mechanoid bioweapons, Giant [[insectoid|insects]] are drawn to pollution. When a toxic wastepack is destroyed, there's a chance for insectoid cocoons to emerge from the ground. These cocoons will hatch if a pawn comes within a small radius of it.
  
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=== Pollution stimulus ===
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{{Main|Pollution stimulus}}
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Insects and humans with the [[Genes#Pollution_stimulus|Pollution Stimulus gene]] are stimulated by the toxic fumes of polluted terrain, making them faster and deadlier.
 
* Pollution stimulus (minor):  
 
* Pollution stimulus (minor):  
 
** Moving x110%
 
** Moving x110%
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** Consciousness +5%
 
** Consciousness +5%
  
When conditions are inhospitable, insects form stasis cocoons and burrow underground. These cocoons keep insects safe from fire, extreme temperatures, and other threats for decades. Many planets are littered with these cocoons, lying just below the surface. The scent of a dissolving wastepack can trigger the cocoons to resurface in a dormant state, until they’re disturbed… causing a mass eruption of insects.
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== Pollution Mitigation ==
 
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{{For|dealing with [[wastepack]]s themselves|Toxic wastepack#Disposal}}
Cocoon infestations are threatening, but have their uses. They can be intentionally triggered to farm insect meat or be set up defensively in strategic locations. (Stop raiders in their tracks with a horde of angry insects!) You can also avoid cocoons altogether with strict wastepack management.
 
  
== Acidic Smog ==
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=== Cleaning polluted tiles ===
When settling near a site with pollution, or through polluting your map, a weather effect known as Acidic smog will occur every few days (depending on the level of pollution).
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* Having colonists manually clean pollution via the Zoning tab. This exposes them to toxic buildup.
Acidic smog slows plant growth, makes colonists unhappy, and deteriorates items.
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* [[Pollution pump]]s automatically pick up pollution in the area when [[power]]ed.
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* Letting [[polux tree]]s cleanly consume pollution. However, they only grow in sufficiently polluted areas, and seeds are difficult to come across.
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Note that the former two ways of cleaning pollution up only turn it into [[toxic wastepack]]s, which then need to be [[Toxic_wastepack#Disposal|dealt with]] somehow.
  
== Tox gas ==
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=== Living with pollution ===
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* '''[[Apparel]] items'''. [[Face mask]]s ({{+|50}}%), [[gas mask]]s ({{+|80}}%) and the [[Prestige robe]] ({{+|20}}%) give [[Toxic Environment Resistance]]. This protects the user from accumulating [[toxic buildup]] as quickly.
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* '''[[Artificial body parts|Artificial parts]]'''. The [[detoxifier kidney]] ({{+|50}}% [[toxic resistance]]) and [[detoxifier lung]] ({{+|60}}% environmental resistance) will slow the effects of pollution. Two organs of the same type will stop toxic effects of pollution.
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* '''[[Gene]]s'''. Tox resistance gives {{+|50}}% toxic resistance. Partial antitoxic lungs give {{+|50}}% environmental resistance. Tox immunity or Total antitoxic lungs render full immunity to pollution and acidic smog.
  
Tox gas is a deadly chemical irritant. It burns the lungs and eyes, causing temporary shortness of breath and reduced sight. Chronic exposure to tox gas results in toxic buildup, and eventually death. It can be created by burning toxic [[wastepacks]], or weaponized with a new research project. Tox gas weapons include [[tox grenades]], [[toxbomb launcher]]s, [[tox mortar shell]]s, [[tox IED]]s, and wearable [[tox pack]]s.
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Toxic resistance stacks additively with other sources of ''Toxic Resistance'', but stacks multiplicatively with Toxic ''Environment'' resistance. For example, a face mask and detoxifier lung, or face mask and partial antitoxic lungs, offers 100% resistance to pollution. A face mask and detoxifier kidney only provides 75% resistance to pollution.
  
Tox gas adds a lot of interesting combat tactics. Tox gas clouds can greatly diminish the effectiveness of ranged attackers. After all, it’s hard to shoot a gun if you can’t see or breathe. Additionally, attackers that are exposed to tox gas for long enough will eventually be downed from toxic buildup. You’ll also need to learn how to defend against tox gas (it’s the signature weapon of the wasters) Wear [[gas mask]]s or be smart about your colonists’ movement to negate the effects of tox gas.
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== Version history ==
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* [[Biotech DLC]] Release - Introduced.
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* [[Version/1.4.3682|1.4.3682]] - Fix: Pollution overlay grid not updating after cell-filling buildings are destroyed.
  
 
{{Biotech navbox}}
 
{{Biotech navbox}}
  
 
[[Category:Game mechanics]]
 
[[Category:Game mechanics]]

Latest revision as of 06:00, 19 November 2024

Pollution refers to toxic pollution, largely as the byproduct of recharging friendly mechanoids. Even using a wood-fired generator or chemfuel generator won't create it, for instance.

Creation and Spread[edit]

Within Colonies[edit]

Ground pollution generated by a toxifier generator, visualized by the pollution overlay. The tiles under the player-built walls are polluted, though this does not show on the overlay.

Each toxic wastepack that is destroyed or disintegrates creates 6 tiles of pollution. Any means of destroying wastepacks creates pollution, except for the wastepack atomizer.

A toxifier generator creates 6 tiles of pollution every 3 days.

Defoliator ships will pollute an expanding circle of tiles when landing, centered on the ship. This is in addition to the actual defoliation; the pollution is separate and spreads much slower.

Pollution created again in the same area will spread in an expanding circle. Natural rock walls block the pollution spread, but player-made walls and other structures do not.

Pawns lingering in polluted tiles will accumulate Toxic buildup at a rate of 40% per day, assuming no Toxic Environment Resistance or Toxic Resistance. Unlike Toxic fallout or other map conditions, this is not mitigated by roofing the tile.

On the World Map[edit]

Dumping wastepacks on a hex utilizing caravans or transport pods will increase the pollution percentage of the hex by 0.05% per Wastepack dumped, or 1.3% per full transport pod. Once a world map hex reaches 100% pollution, any additional pollution gain will instead happen to one of its 6 possible neighboring tiles- this can spread pollution to the player's colony if one is not careful.

Caravans walking through polluted terrain will accumulate Toxic buildup based on their Toxic Environment Resistance and Toxic Resistance stats. The unmitigated rate will be at 20%/day for Moderately Polluted tiles (50-75% pollution) and 40% per day for Extremely Polluted tiles (75~100% pollution).

Dumping wastepacks within 15 tiles of another faction settlement will cause the player to take a relationship penalty, scaling up with the number of wastepacks dumped and proximity to the settlement. Outlander and pirate factions may send a drop pod of waste back at you, while hostile factions can raid you.

Pollution may also exist from world generation, where certain tiles will be heavily polluted. You can configure the pollution coverage, with 5% as a default.

Summary[edit]

Pollution takes the form of polluted tiles. Polluted soil has a fertility of 50%, as long as the soil's original fertility is greater than 0%. Polluted soil can only grow a limited number of plants, namely:

Having polluted tiles increases the map's overall pollution, which causes a number of effects.

Colonists will receive toxic buildup while standing or walking on these tiles at a rate of 40% severity per day.

Pollution on the ground can be turned back into toxic wastepacks with a pollution pump, or by ordering colonists to clean it up.

Acidic Smog[edit]

If there is enough pollution present within 4 tiles of your world tile, a weather effect known as Acidic smog will occur. How often depends on the level of pollution present. Tiles 2-4 spaces away have a 0.5x multiplier to pollution.

Acidic smog covers the outdoor area with a greenish haze, reduces light levels by −28%, slows plant growth by ×50% (stacking with reduced light for a total of 22% growth), gives non-immune colonists the −5 Acidic Smog moodlet, and deteriorates items at 300% speed. Items and pawns indoors are not affected by acidic smog in any way. Having the Total antitoxic lungs or Tox immunity gene renders immunity to the acidic smog moodlet.[Other immunities?]

Despite what players may expect, acidic smog itself does not have any negative health effects. The smog will affect pollution-friendly plants such as toxipotatoes the same as it does other plants. It does not provide or maintain Pollution stimulus's effects.

Insectoids[edit]

Originally engineered as anti-mechanoid bioweapons, Giant insects are drawn to pollution. When a toxic wastepack is destroyed, there's a chance for insectoid cocoons to emerge from the ground. These cocoons will hatch if a pawn comes within a small radius of it.

Pollution stimulus[edit]

Insects and humans with the Pollution Stimulus gene are stimulated by the toxic fumes of polluted terrain, making them faster and deadlier.

  • Pollution stimulus (minor):
    • Moving x110%
    • Consciousness +5%
  • Pollution stimulus (moderate):
    • Moving x115%
    • Consciousness +5%
  • Pollution stimulus (maximum):
    • Moving x120%
    • Consciousness +5%

Pollution Mitigation[edit]

Cleaning polluted tiles[edit]

  • Having colonists manually clean pollution via the Zoning tab. This exposes them to toxic buildup.
  • Pollution pumps automatically pick up pollution in the area when powered.
  • Letting polux trees cleanly consume pollution. However, they only grow in sufficiently polluted areas, and seeds are difficult to come across.

Note that the former two ways of cleaning pollution up only turn it into toxic wastepacks, which then need to be dealt with somehow.

Living with pollution[edit]

Toxic resistance stacks additively with other sources of Toxic Resistance, but stacks multiplicatively with Toxic Environment resistance. For example, a face mask and detoxifier lung, or face mask and partial antitoxic lungs, offers 100% resistance to pollution. A face mask and detoxifier kidney only provides 75% resistance to pollution.

Version history[edit]

  • Biotech DLC Release - Introduced.
  • 1.4.3682 - Fix: Pollution overlay grid not updating after cell-filling buildings are destroyed.