Cultivator

The Cultivator is a production block that turns water and power into Spore Pod. It is one of the earliest ways to generate this organic item and is most useful in maps where natural spore growth is limited or where a steady supply is needed for later production chains. The block draws 80 power per second and 18 water per second, then outputs one Spore Pod every 1.66 seconds under normal conditions.

Its output depends heavily on the tile it is built on. On most floor tiles, it produces 0.15 Spore Pod per second per tile of effect, up to 0.6 per second at maximum. Better terrain increases this rate progressively, reaching 0.21, 0.24, and 0.33 per second per tile on stronger tiles, with corresponding maximum rates of 0.84, 0.96, and 1.32 per second. Because of this, placement matters a great deal: a Cultivator placed on favorable terrain is far more efficient than one placed on ordinary ground.

The block also receives a large bonus from deep tainted water, gaining up to +60% affinity from it. Even so, it cannot be placed directly over deep tainted water, so the bonus is useful only when the surrounding conditions allow the effect to apply. During a Sporestorm, all of these rates increase by 0.15 per second per tile, or 0.6 per Cultivator, making it a strong temporary boost to production.

In version 7.0, Build 127, the block was adjusted to use more power and water while producing faster. Its power consumption rose from 54 to 80 per second, water use rose from 12 to 18 per second, and production time dropped from 2.33 seconds to 1.66 seconds, increasing output from 0.43 to 0.6 Spore Pod per second.

Practical use is straightforward:

• Place the Cultivator where its tile bonus is strongest; the terrain bonus is a major part of its value.
• Feed it a reliable water line, since water consumption is constant and fairly high.
• Keep its power supply stable, as the block is power-hungry for its tier.
• Use Sporestorms to temporarily accelerate production when the map weather allows it.
• Remember that deep tainted water improves efficiency only as an affinity bonus; it does not change the fact that the block itself cannot be built over that liquid.

Because Spore Pod is a key intermediate resource, a well-sited Cultivator can support a large portion of a base’s organic material needs with relatively simple logistics.