Production Templates

More about Production

Playing Stars!

A production template is a sequence of auto-build items imported from a production queue and saved for later use. Use production templates to automate auto-build production strategies you plan to use more than once. The default production template is automatically applied on any planet taken over or newly colonized by your people. The other three templates can be manually applied to any planet's production queue. Templates are saved for the duration of the game but may be edited at any time.

You implement templates by simply selecting the template name instead of manually adding the items to the production queue. When you apply a template, all auto-build items currently in the queue are replaced with the list of items in the template.

Production Template Strategy

To help illustrate how production templates are useful, here's a typical example of a good default template for new colonies:

Minimum Terraform Up to 10%Factories (Auto Build) Up to 10Mines (Auto Build) Up to 10Defenses (Auto Build) Up to 2Factories (Auto Build) Up to 25Mines (Auto Build) Up to 25Maximum Terraform Up to 10%Defenses (Auto Build) Up to 5

Minimum Terraform Up to 10%
The planet will work on terraforming first if it is possible and people might die otherwise. This handles fledgling negative worlds, overcrowding and disasters.

Factories (AB) Up to 10 / Mines (AB) Up to 10
You want constant progress on improving the planet's productivity. This is what fledgling colonies spend most of their time doing.

Defenses (AB) Up to 2
If the planet is doing well enough to complete all those mines and factories you can afford to work on defenses a bit to keep from falling way behind. Fledgling colonies don't make it this far.

Factories (AB) Up to 25 / Mines (AB) Up to 25
At this point we want to ensure the planet has the maximum number of mines and factories. Only mature planets will reach this point.

Maximum Terraform Up to 10%
Push a mature planet to perfection. The mines and factories are probably maximized for the current population so, if possible, increase the maximum population and growth rate.

Defenses (AB) Up to 5
Add defenses if the colony has the maximum number of mines and factories possible for the current population.

Contribute only Leftover Resources
For fledgling colonies it is a good idea to select 'Contribute only leftover resources to research'. When the colony reaches the point where defenses are being auto-built you can deselect this "contribute" option.

Creating a Template

Auto-build items do not need to be consecutively listed nor do they need to appear at the top of the list to work.

1.        Make sure the auto-build items in the queue are arranged in the same order in which they should appear in the template.

2.        Make sure the 'Contribute only Leftover Resources to Research' checkbox is set the way you want it to be reflected in the template. A checked box is indicated at the bottom of the Production dialog by the words "Don't contribute to research" while an unchecked box is indicated by the words "Contribute to research".

3.        Right-click on the blue diamond and select <customize>.

4.        Select default or one of the three other template choices.

5.        Click on Import.

6.        Type in a name for the template, then click on OK to close the name dialog.

7.        Click OK in the Template dialog. The template is now ready to apply. If you created a default template, it will be applied automatically whenever you establish a new colony.

Manually Applying a Template

Right-click on the blue diamond and select a template to apply to the current production queue. The auto-build items in the template are applied underneath the last item currently in the queue.

Editing a Template

1.        Repeat steps 1 & 2 above.

2.        Right-click on the blue diamond and select <customize>.

3.        Select the template to be edited.

4.        Click on Import.

5.        Type in a new name for the template if you wish, then click on OK to close the name dialog.

6.        Click on OK in the Template dialog. The edited template is now ready to apply.

Renaming or Deleting a Template

1.        Right-click on the blue diamond and select <customize>.

2.        Select one of the three non-default templates. Click on Delete to erase the template contents and it's name or click on Rename and type in a new name.

The default template cannot be renamed. To clear the contents of the existing default template you must import an empty production queue.