Difference between revisions of "UFO Power Source"

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==General Information==
 
==General Information==
[[Image:UFO_Powersource.gif|right]]The power source of [[UFO (UFO Defense)|alien craft]] is an anti-matter reactor which uses [[Elerium-115|Elerium]] (element 115) to generate powerful gravity waves as well as other forms of energy. The conversion of matter to energy is an incredible 99% efficient, therefore tiny quantities of Elerium can produce a huge amount of power. This unit can be reproduced easily using [[Alien Alloys]].
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[[Image:UFO_Powersource.gif|right]]The power source of [[UFOs]] is an anti-matter reactor which uses [[Elerium-115]] (element 115) to generate powerful gravity waves as well as other forms of energy. The conversion of matter to energy produces an incredible amount of power (E=mc<sup>2</sup>); even the tiniest amounts of Elerium produce huge amounts of power. Power Sources can be [[Manufacturing Profitability|manufactured]] easily using [[Alien Alloys]].
  
==Additional Information==
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The UFO Power Source is one of the three [[UFO Components]] you must have on hand to manufacture a new ship. It is essentially an engine, and uses [[Elerium-115]] to propel a craft.
The UFO Power Source is one of the three [[UFO Components (UFO Defense)|UFO Components]] you must have on hand to manufactore a new ship. It is essentailly an engine, and uses [[Elerium-115]] to propell a craft.
 
  
The UFO Power Source requires 1400 man-hours to build, $130,000, and the materials Elerium-115 and [[Alien Alloys]]. You can also obtain them from [[Alien Base Assault|Alien Bases]], and [[UFO (UFO Defense)|UFOs]]. They can be sold for $250,000.
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A UFO Power Source requires 1400 man-hours to build, $130,000, and the materials Elerium-115 and [[Alien Alloys]]. You can obtain these materials from [[Alien Base Assault|Alien Bases]] and [[UFOs]]. Power Sources can be sold for $250,000.<br clear="all">
  
[[Template:hintblock]]
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This item appears in ''[[X-COM|UFO: Enemy Unknown]]''. For the ''[[TFTD|Terror from the Deep]]'' equivalent, refer to [[Ion-Beam Accelerators]].
<table align = "right" {{hintblock}} ><tr><td> '''Hint:''' Don't bother building them. Salvage them from landed alien craft. If you choose to sell power units, keep a sufficient supply for any aircraft that you wish to build. A minimum of two power units are required for an [[Avenger]], and one for a [[Firestorm]] or [[Lightning]].</td></tr></table>
 
  
With the exception of one UFO Power Source found in a certain [[Alien Base Assault|Alien Base]] [[module]], every UFO Power Source that is intact at the beginning of a mission will have an Elerium-115 item stored in, or more correctly on, it. If a UFO should crashland, you will often find that the UFO Power Source(s) stored inside have exploded with great force; however, if they are destroyed during play, they will not detonate. --[[User:Bomb Bloke|Bomb Bloke]] 15:16, 4 Mar 2005 (GMT)
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<table align = "right" style = "background: #F0F0FF; border: 1px #404080 solid; width: 50%; margin: 1em 1em 1em 1em; padding:4px;"><tr><td> '''Hint:''' Don't bother building them. Salvage them from UFOs. If you choose to sell power units, keep a supply sufficient for any aircraft that you wish to build. A minimum of two PSs are required for an [[Avenger]], and one for a [[Firestorm]] or [[Lightning]].</td></tr></table>
  
The UFO Power Source has 50 armour, which means that an explosive needs a damage rating of 100 (or higher) to destroy it:
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<br clear="all">
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== Extracting Elerium from Power Sources ("Milking") ==
  
*Large Rocket
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Every UFO Power Source that is intact at the beginning of a mission will have Elerium, with the exception of one UFO Power Source found in a particular [[Alien Base Assault|Alien Base]] [[module]]. If a UFO crashes, you will often find that the UFO Power Source(s) stored inside have exploded with great force; for the probability of recovering Elerium from a crashed UFO, see [[UFO Crash Recovery]]. Note that PSs destroyed during play do not detonate.
*High Explosive
 
*Hovertank/Launcher
 
*Blaster Launcher
 
  
However, this is NOT the right way to get Elerium out of a Power Source, because explosions affect everything in their square equally, and Elerium itself (an object on the [[Explosions#Object Destruction|ground]]) is destroyed by explosive blast power over HE 20. (Elerium is not created when the UPS dies - it's actually sitting right there and can be seen in the overhead map; you just can't get to it until the Power Source is gone.) Thus, unfortunately, the UPS is much more resistant to explosions. You can destroy the Elerium with a standard Grenade exploding two tiles away, but the grenade can't hurt the Power Source even if right on top of it!
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A UFO Power Source has 50 armour, which means that an explosive needs a damage rating of 100+ HE to destroy it. Weapons that will kill a PS are: the Large Rocket, High Explosive, Hovertank/Launcher, or Blaster.
  
Because of this, you have to use firearms to take out the UFO Power Source surgically, leaving the Elerium behind. UPSs have a 25% resistance to conventional ammunition types (AP, Laser, and Plasma; a.k.a. firearms only do 25%-75% of listed Strength/[[Damage]] to terrain objects), so you need a listed weapon strength of at least 67 (50/.75) to destroy it:
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However, this is NOT the right way to get Elerium out of a Power Source, because explosions affect everything in their square equally, and Elerium itself (an object on the [[Explosions#Object Destruction|ground]]) is destroyed by '''<u>any</u>''' explosive blast over HE 20. (Elerium is not created when the PS dies - it's actually sitting right there and can be seen in the overhead map; you just can't get to it until the Power Source is gone.) The PS is much more resistant to explosions than its Elerium. Compare how you can destroy the Elerium with a standard human Grenade exploding two tiles away, but a standard grenade can't hurt the Power Source even if right on top of it. Clearly, the designers made Elerium a tough nut to get to.
  
*Tank/Laser Cannon
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Because of this, you have to use firearms to take out the UFO Power Source surgically, leaving the Elerium behind. PSs have the usual [[Destroying Terrain|terrain damage]] resistance to conventional ammunition types (AP, Laser, and Plasma; a.k.a. firearms only do 25%-75% of listed Strength/[[Damage]], so you need a listed weapon strength of at least 67 (50/.75) to destroy it). The following weapons can breach a PS:
*Hovertank/Plasma
 
*Heavy Laser
 
*Plasma Rifle
 
*Heavy Plasma
 
 
 
However, because these weapons can roll 25-75%, the chance of the weapon breaching the UPS's armour are as follows:
 
 
  '''                  Damage  Breach'''
 
  '''                  Damage  Breach'''
  '''Weapon           Range   Chance'''
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  '''Weapon             Range Chance'''
  '''------           ------  ------'''
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  '''------             -----  ------'''
  Plasma Rifle     20-60  26.8%
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  Plasma Rifle       20-60  26.8%
  Heavy Laser       21-63  32.6%
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  Heavy Laser       21-63  32.6%
  Tank/Laser Cannon 27-82  58.9%
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  Tank/Laser Cannon 27-82  58.9%
  Hovertank/Plasma 27-82  58.9%
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  Hovertank/Plasma   27-82  58.9%
  Heavy Plasma     28-86  62.7%
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  Heavy Plasma       28-86  62.7%
  
''Am I the only one who doesn't destroy power sources at all?  I just sight the power source, then treat it with kid gloves-- as long as the power source is left untouched, you'll get your elerium at the end of the battle.''
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This is usually only a concern if you are "milking" an alien base - deliberately not destroying it, so you can revisit it time and time again, and pull out Elerium and other goodies. On the usual UFO or Base raid, you simply kill all aliens, and recover any and all Elerium present anywhere on the map, at the end of the mission.
  
''More on finding UFO's with elerium:''
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==See Also==
''Whenever a UFO lands of its own accord, the mission starts with the elerium intact.''
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* [[UFO Recovery Values]]
 
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{{UFO Navbar}}
''If a [[Small Scout]] or [[Large Scout]] crashes and the roof isn't blown out, the elerium is usually intact at mission start.  If the room(s) containing the power sources inside of the UFO isn't blown out, the elerium in that section is certainly intact at mission start.''
 
 
 
''In anything but an alien base, any functioning power source will start the mission with its elerium intact.  It shows up as purple knob at the base of the power unit.  However, glancing fire or even light explosions can destroy the elerium but leave the power supply intact.''
 
 
 
''Alien base power supplies will have elerium about 50% of the time.
 
--[[User:Papa Legba|Papa Legba]] 23:28, 5 Dec 2005 (PST)
 
''
 
 
 
: ''Well, most of us don't destroy intact power units on a regular basis. The exercise of destroying power units generally comes into play when you wish to either secure the elerium (when you're a bit too eager with the high explosives), or you wish to make a tactical withdrawal, such as leaving an alien base after a successful robbery of equipment and elerium, or you're failing a recovery mission and are making a retreat when you find an opportunity to nick an elerium pod on your way out.''
 
 
 
: ''In general, alien bases only produce elerium when the large module with the four upper storage areas is generated. Of the two power units generated in the southern storage room, only one is ever "powered" with elerium. Zombie has more specifics on elerium generation in alien bases. - [[User:NKF|NKF]]''
 
  
==See Also==
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[[Category: UFO Components]]
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[[Category:Research (EU)]]
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[[Category:Enemy Unknown/UFO Defense]]

Latest revision as of 08:57, 30 August 2019

General Information

UFO Powersource.gif

The power source of UFOs is an anti-matter reactor which uses Elerium-115 (element 115) to generate powerful gravity waves as well as other forms of energy. The conversion of matter to energy produces an incredible amount of power (E=mc2); even the tiniest amounts of Elerium produce huge amounts of power. Power Sources can be manufactured easily using Alien Alloys.

The UFO Power Source is one of the three UFO Components you must have on hand to manufacture a new ship. It is essentially an engine, and uses Elerium-115 to propel a craft.

A UFO Power Source requires 1400 man-hours to build, $130,000, and the materials Elerium-115 and Alien Alloys. You can obtain these materials from Alien Bases and UFOs. Power Sources can be sold for $250,000.

This item appears in UFO: Enemy Unknown. For the Terror from the Deep equivalent, refer to Ion-Beam Accelerators.

Hint: Don't bother building them. Salvage them from UFOs. If you choose to sell power units, keep a supply sufficient for any aircraft that you wish to build. A minimum of two PSs are required for an Avenger, and one for a Firestorm or Lightning.


Extracting Elerium from Power Sources ("Milking")

Every UFO Power Source that is intact at the beginning of a mission will have Elerium, with the exception of one UFO Power Source found in a particular Alien Base module. If a UFO crashes, you will often find that the UFO Power Source(s) stored inside have exploded with great force; for the probability of recovering Elerium from a crashed UFO, see UFO Crash Recovery. Note that PSs destroyed during play do not detonate.

A UFO Power Source has 50 armour, which means that an explosive needs a damage rating of 100+ HE to destroy it. Weapons that will kill a PS are: the Large Rocket, High Explosive, Hovertank/Launcher, or Blaster.

However, this is NOT the right way to get Elerium out of a Power Source, because explosions affect everything in their square equally, and Elerium itself (an object on the ground) is destroyed by any explosive blast over HE 20. (Elerium is not created when the PS dies - it's actually sitting right there and can be seen in the overhead map; you just can't get to it until the Power Source is gone.) The PS is much more resistant to explosions than its Elerium. Compare how you can destroy the Elerium with a standard human Grenade exploding two tiles away, but a standard grenade can't hurt the Power Source even if right on top of it. Clearly, the designers made Elerium a tough nut to get to.

Because of this, you have to use firearms to take out the UFO Power Source surgically, leaving the Elerium behind. PSs have the usual terrain damage resistance to conventional ammunition types (AP, Laser, and Plasma; a.k.a. firearms only do 25%-75% of listed Strength/Damage, so you need a listed weapon strength of at least 67 (50/.75) to destroy it). The following weapons can breach a PS:

                  Damage  Breach
Weapon             Range  Chance
------             -----  ------
Plasma Rifle       20-60   26.8%
Heavy Laser        21-63   32.6%
Tank/Laser Cannon  27-82   58.9%
Hovertank/Plasma   27-82   58.9%
Heavy Plasma       28-86   62.7%

This is usually only a concern if you are "milking" an alien base - deliberately not destroying it, so you can revisit it time and time again, and pull out Elerium and other goodies. On the usual UFO or Base raid, you simply kill all aliens, and recover any and all Elerium present anywhere on the map, at the end of the mission.

See Also

UFO Badge X-COM: Enemy Unknown/UFO Defense
UFOs:Small ScoutMedium ScoutLarge ScoutAbductorHarvesterTerror ShipBattleshipSupply Ship
UFO Components:UFO Power SourceElerium-115UFO NavigationAlien Alloys
UFO Facilities:Alien FoodAlien ReproductionAlien EntertainmentAlien SurgeryExamination RoomAlien HabitatUFO Construction