BULK MATTER TRANSMITTER

• +2 Minerals at every base

    This is one of those touchy late-game projects that you have to watch out for. It can be very useful, but it can also turn around and bite you.

    +2 minerals may not sound like much, but take into account that by the time you're far enough along the tech tree to build this project, you're pretty close to having all base facilities available, including all those nifty gizmos that cause your mineral production to shoot up. If a base has a full suite of production-enhancing facilities ( Genejack Factory, Robotic Assembly Plant, Quantum Converter and Nanoreplicator ) this goody gives that base an instant +6 minerals per turn, and that's a significant jump.

    The downside to this is that it comes at a time when Planet is probably ecologically vulnerable anyway, and unless you're very careful, this project could easily tip you over into global warming instantly. If you start work on the Bulk Matter Transmitter, also immediately start your high-mineral-production bases building Tree Farms and Centauri Preserves ( if they haven't already ). Alternately, you may want to think about negotiating for the Council votes to launch a solar shade, should it come to that.

    This facility is most useful if you're in a late-game push to outdo the other factions in overall base production, but avoid it if you're worried that you may be in danger of an unwanted spell of global warming.