Features are used to classify the state of territories. They can be simple terrain features like plain and forest, constructions like roads and farms, or even sophisticated effects caused by operations. Features can change the resources that a terrain tile gives to a city, the speed at which units can move through them, apply combat modifiers to units within them, and more.
Features can be broken down into several groups; features from different groups can generally co-exist in the same tile, but a tile can generally only have one feature from a particular group at a time.
Most terrain features can be altered by formers, though a specific technology or project may be required.
Biome[ | ]
Biome features represent the most general characteristics of a region; they are the primary determinant of the food generated by a tile. All tiles have a biome feature.
Biomes can be altered by formers once an advanced project is completed.
Arctic[ | ]
Provides city nothing
Cold and deadly, the frozen landscape at the either pole of Pandora is a very hostile climate to humans. Agriculture is impossible without technical assistance.
Coast[ | ]
Water
Provides city 2 Food
The mixture of fresh and salt water provided by coastal regions offers many nutrients for marine and terrestrial fauna and flora, making them highly sought-after zones.
Desert[ | ]
Yield: nothing
Extremely high temperatures and miles upon miles of infertile sand make the desert a very difficult climate to survive in. Agriculture is impossible without technical assistance.
Grassland[ | ]
Yield: 2 Food
Grasslands are areas dominated by herbaceous plants. The soil is very nutrient-rich, making it a prime candidate for agriculture.
Ocean[ | ]
Water
Yield: 2 Food
The majority of Pandora's surface is covered by oceans, which are the hosts to numerous plant and animal lifeforms, from the microscopic to the unbelievably large.
Savanna[ | ]
Yield: 1 Food
Savannas are characterized by a warm and dry climate, and their fertile wide plains they are passable candidate for agriculture.
Tropical[ | ]
Yield: 2 Food
The distinguishing features of tropical zones are a warm, humid climate, lush vegetation, and soil that's rather poor in nutrients.
Tundra[ | ]
Yield: 1 Food
The tundra is cold and barren, its vegetation mainly composed of shrubs, mosses and lichens. Agriculture is hampered by the low temperatures and permanently frozen subsoil, even in short growing seasons.
Elevation[ | ]
Elevation features represent how mountainous an area is; they are the primary determinant of the minerals generated by a tile, and also have important modifiers for combat. All tiles (except water) have an elevation feature.
Elevation can be altered by formers once a certain project is completed.
Plains[ | ]
+25% power for mechanical ground units
-25% power for light biological ground units
Yield: normal
The near abscence of native shrubs and trees makes the plains of Pandora easily-habitable areas, but offer little cover to infantry troops.
Hills[ | ]
Yield: -1 Food +1 Minerals
The transitional area between mountains and plains. The rough terrain makes agriculture more difficult but provides valuable minerals.
Mountains[ | ]
+25% power for light biological ground units
-25% power for mechanical ground units
+1 movement cost
+1 sight
Yield: 0 Food and 2 Minerals (regardless of biome)
Improvements[ | ]
Improvements represent the facilities or flora available in a region; they usually provide additional resource yield that is cumulative with the biome and elevation. Most improvements can only be created by formers, but some also occur naturally.
Most improvements can be removed by any unit, but forest and fungus can only be removed by formers (and cities can only be destroyed by razing).
City[ | ]
+25% power for defending light biological units
0.5 movement cost
+100% healing rate
Feature only appears in tiles where a city has been founded.
Sprawling conglomerates of structures, cities offer shelter and a wealth of common resources to the colonists.
Construction Bay[ | ]
Yield: +1 Production
Requires Pandoran Construction to be created
The cramped confines of our base weren't designed for large-scale construction. These exterior bays have the space and shelter to make production easier, safer and faster, once we get our tools in place.
Energy Park[ | ]
Yield: +3 Credits
Requires Pandoran Construction to be created
These spaces are focal points for a distributed solar / wind / wave energy collection network. Here, we can safely siphon off the collected energy, to be sold on the open market.
Farm[ | ]
Yield: +1 Food
With the advent of industrialization, these huge areas provide the raw materials for our food processing facilities.
Field Laboratory[ | ]
Yield: +1 Research
Requires Pandoran Construction to be created
These pre-fab labs allow us to set up scientists outside of the cramped central study institutes. Once we get remote access put in, this'll be a boon to our research efforts.
Forest[ | ]
+25% power for light biological ground units
-25% power for mechanical ground units
+1 movement cost
Yield: 1 Food, 1 Minerals, -1 Pollution (regardless of biome or elevation)
Can be created and removed by formers
A forest is an area with a high density of trees. It functions as a habitat for organisms, hydrologic flow modulators, and soil conservers, constituting one of the most important aspects of the biosphere. Mechanical units will struggle to access this area.
Fort[ | ]
+50% power for defending units
+100% power vs operations
+1 sight
+100% healing rate
Yield: normal
Massive fortifications that provide strong defenses and a vision bonus to any garrison. When manned by artillery units they are perfect for protecting borders or strategic positions.
Fungus[ | ]
Inflicts 0.2 damage per turn
+25% power for light biological units
-25% power for mechanical units
+1 movement cost
Yield: +1 Pollution (regardless of biome or elevation)
Yield can be increased by certain projects.
Requires Fungus Cultivation to be created and removed
Very similar to old Earth, fungi on Pandora mainly act as symbionts for plants and animals. However, we recently discovered a macroscopic and very aggressive species that infest all kinds of organic lifeforms, emitting highly toxic spores. Further research is required, but for now troops should operate in fungus-contaminated territories with extreme caution.
Mine[ | ]
Yield: +1 Minerals
Built for the extraction of mineral resources from the ground, this mine provides the colonists with raw materials.
Suburb[ | ]
Yield: +2 Habitat -2 Credits
This area of low-rise homes is ideal for our blue-collar population to retire to after a hard day in the factories and mines.
Purifier[ | ]
Yield: -2 Pollution -2 Credits
Requires Pandoran Construction to be built
In contrast to the energy parks, these wind and water traps use tremendous power to filter the atmosphere and seas of Pandora. They're expensive, but they hugely reduce our impact on the planet.
Road[ | ]
0.5 movement cost
Yield: normal
Can be on the same tile as other improvements (except cities, but they have 0.5 movement cost anyway)
When properly maintained, this thoroughfare greatly eases the transportation and deployment of vehicles and troops.
Bonuses[ | ]
These rare features cannot be created by players and provide exceptional bonuses to nearby cities. Cities cannot be founded directly on bonus features, but founding a city adjacent to a bonus feature is usually a good idea (where possible).
Gaia Forest[ | ]
Yield: +3 Food +1 Morale
A lush forest of titanic fruit trees which provides more food than even the best agricultural compund.
Gold Vein[ | ]
Provides city +50% Credits
Gold has been a valuable and highly sought-after metal long before the beginning of recorded history on old Earth. Just like on our own world, virtually all accessible gold on Pandora's surface has been deposited by meteorites. A gold vein drastically increases the credits output of the city that controls the territory.
Hot Springs[ | ]
Provides city +4 Morale
Our colonists have learned to greatly enjoy the streaming baths of hot springs, which give them a reprieve from the daily burdens of colonial life and time to renew their spirit.
Natural Plantation[ | ]
Yield: +2 Food
Rich soil, proximity to water and a perfect micro-climate will help us attain generous harvests in this area.
Noxium Field[ | ]
Yield: +4 Minerals -1 Morale
The midnight-blue Noxium is probably the most valuable mineral in the universe and incredible-dense deposits have been in this area. However, as its name implies, its radiation is lethal for miles around. While modern technology can eliminate the danger to personnel, most people still fear Blue Lung.
Observatory[ | ]
+1 sight
Provides city +50% Science
A largely intact observation tower constructed with alien technology eons ago is both a marvelous sight and a real boon for out scientists. It greatly boosts the research output of the controlling city not only allowing our scientists to study the sky, but also by letting us observe the aliens themselves from safe distance.
Xenite Flowers[ | ]
Provides city +50% Production
Xenite is a wondrous plant that, when administered as a drug, allows the human body to enter a state of trance resistant to exhaustion and numbed to pain. While a person's working capacity is significantly increased by its usage, even a slight overdose resluts in instant cardiac arrest -- thus requiring a continuous monitoring of any workers who use it.
Special[ | ]
These features have special rules.
Hive[ | ]
+50% power for defending units
+100% power vs operations
Generates Xenomorphs depending on the level of Alien Aggression. Moving a combat unit into an undefended Hive will destroy the Hive and give the attacker a sizable amount of credits.
This organic structure hosts a colony of Xenomorphs, giving them shelter and allowing them to reproduce.
Infestation[ | ]
0.5 movement cost for Messari ground units
Yield: 1 Pollution (regardless of other all features)
Infestation occurs in areas where Messari attack. It can be removed by formers.
As the Messari advance, the landscape about them changes. Reports from scientists occupying the observatories say that this seems to be a fundamental chemical reaction, perhaps using the fungus in the ground, perhaps its spores in the air. The atmosphere left when the reaction is complete seems to invigorate the Messari troops -- perhaps this is their version of terraforming?
Ion Storm[ | ]
Inflicts 1 damage per turn
+2 movement cost
Ahead of Messari arrival, areas are wracked by massive electromagnetic storms which inflict severe damage on any inhabitants.
Portal[ | ]
+50% power for defending units
+100% power vs operations
Spawns Messari. Moving a combat unit onto an undefended Portal will destroy the Portal.
The portals by which the Messari appear on Pandora are closely guarded. Towers on inhuman scales, like the ruins we discovered, but shiny and new. And occupied by Messari troops.
Ruin[ | ]
Gives a reward when explored by a unit (then disappears).
There remnants of a long-gone alien civilization, these ruins can host great knowledge and richness.
Wasteland[ | ]
Yield: 1 Pollution (regardless of other all features)
Wasteland is created by the use of nuclear weapons. It can be removed by formers.