Ecological damage (SMAC)

The Ecology Damage is listed on the display screen for each base. The manual states it is the percentage of chances you have for Planet to respond and attack you.

Causes

It is determined by the number of terraforming enhancements you have built in range of that base, and the number of minerals the base is receiving by any means. Committing atrocities such as the use of nerve gas will cause the planet to attack you, unless the Planetary Council has voted to eliminate the ban on them. The same is true with using planet busters but the damage is more severe.

If enough boreholes are built, the planet will heat up and melt the ice caps flooding everyone. Voting to launch solar shades helps with this, and you can use formers to raise your land.

Ecological damage can be altered by making choices in the Social Engineering menu that affect Planet.

You can also build Base Facilities and Secret Project to help, or plant trees to reduce it.

Formula

The ecological damage formula is complex:

1. For each base total the number of Mines, Solar Collectors, Farms, Soil Enrichers, Roads, Mag Tubes, Condensers, Mirrors, and Boreholes. Items in squares which are actually being worked count double.
2. Add an extra +8 for each Borehole, +6 for each Mirror, and +4 for each Condenser.
3. Subract 1 for each Forest.
4. Halve if base has Tree Farm, and Eliminate if also has Hybrid Forest.
5. Divide this value by 8, and reduce by up to 16 plus # of previous damages. Set this number aside.
6. Take the number of minerals produced this turn (but not from Orbit).
7. If result from 5 was reduced by less than 16+#, reduce result 6 by remaining amount.
8. Divide minerals by 1 plus # of Centauri Preserve, Temple of Planet, Nanoreplicator.
9. Sum the values of (5) and (8), and add +5 for each major atrocity.
10. If Alpha Prime is at perihelion (20 years out of every 80), double your value.

$Ecology\% = (ValueFromStep10) * Difficulty * Technologies * (3-PLANET) * LIFE / 300$, where:

• Difficulty = Normally 3, but 5 on two highest two difficulty levels.
• Technologies = Number of technologies discovered
• PLANET = Social Engineering PLANET value
• LIFE = Native life level (1-3) from Custom Start

Planet responses

After you pass its current tolerance threshold, it causes xenofungus to bloom around your base, destroying some terrain enhancements. It also releases native lifeforms to attack you.

Every time a massive attack is created by the planet, its tolerance threshold goes up, so the same amount of eco-damage doesn't bother it any later on.

The planet will sometimes cause a volcano to erupt in the ocean, creating a new island.

Base Facilities

• Tree Farm eliminates half of the damage done thus far by terraforming.
• Hybrid Forest eliminates the other half.
• Centauri Preserve
• Temple of Planet

Secret Projects

• The Pholus Mutagen +1 Ecology