Steam Power
Steam Power is an Industrial Age Factory upgrade that improves automatic Coin production. It converts an existing Factory into a stronger source of Coin without adding workers to a Mine or Estate, which can help support expensive late-game units and research.
Research profile
Effect
Research takes 30 seconds at a Factory and costs 250 Food and 250 Wood. The recorded effect increases the Factory’s automatic Coin output by 30%. It affects Factory production only; it does not improve Villager Coin gathering from Mines or other buildings.
Research condition
Available in the Industrial Age at Factory. Research time: 30 seconds. Cost: 250 food, 250 wood. Civilization-specific building access can vary.
Research decision
Select Steam Power when Coin is the resource limiting the army or technology plan and the Factory is set to produce it. As with the other Factory upgrades, the return depends on using the improved stream long enough to justify the cost. Keep Cannery and Water Power in mind when another resource is the actual shortage.
Factory Coin output
Steam Power raises a Factory’s automatic Coin production by 30%, from 5.5 to 7.15 Coin per second in the listed values. The upgrade takes 30 seconds and costs 250 Food and 250 Wood at the Factory in the Industrial Age. It affects Factory output only; it does not make Villagers mine faster or improve Coin income from an Estate or other source.
Choosing a Factory setting
The research is worthwhile when Coin is the resource limiting the late-game plan and the Factory is assigned to produce it for long enough to recover the cost. If the Factory is set to Food or Wood, Steam Power does not improve that stream; Cannery and Water Power apply to other Factory outputs. Check the current army and technology queue before researching so the upgrade addresses the resource shortage that is actually delaying production.