Bacteria cultivation research should not be a separate technology

[Thadrax]

Putting bacteria cultivation into a separate technology that unlocks later is counterproductive. It suggests to new players to build up a set up with spoilage to bacteria as a first step for production, just like basic oil does on Nauvis. However due to how terribly slow and inefficient those bacteria recipes are, its only real use is to jump start bacteria cultivation loops.

Gleba is front loaded enough, new players really shouldn't be encouraged to go down dead ends as well. Unlocking bacteria cultivation at the same time as unlocking the nutrient to bacteria recipes makes it clear that those aren't separate steps in technology but should be used together.

[angramania]

It unlocks after bioflux. It requires bioflux to work and push player in right direction. Exactly the same for nutrients receipts. And close to oil and uranium processing in base game. Your suggestion just break pattern and leave player with recipe he can't use. Bad idea.

[Thadrax]

It unlocks after bioflux. It requires bioflux to work and push player in right direction. Exactly the same for nutrients receipts. And close to oil and uranium processing in base game. Your suggestion just break pattern and leave player with recipe he can't use. Bad idea.

I agree it isn't ideal, but it would be better than the current unlocks. Basic oil is useful to build (and even required) before you go to the advanced recipe. Same with uranium, you can actually do useful stuff with it before unlocking kovarex. Contrary to that, the basic bacteria recipy is almost entirely useless and only used to jump start bacteria breeding. The first ever useful production line on Gleba requires fruit farming, processing, bioflux production, bacteria production and bacteria breeding. It is super front loaded, but trying to hide the fact by pretending it isn't so doesn't help new players.

I'd suggest redesigning the whole early process on Gleba to make small steps and building up step by step make sense, but that's a bit outside of the scope of this post. As long as it is as steep as it currently is, at least be honest about it and make the unlocks reflect the reality.