Due to the age of the game, a lot of information on the specifics of the game was lost or simply forgotten. Information lost to the sands of time. This guide will go over the essential information in a newcomer or forgetful veteran may need and can easily use with the steam guide system. This guide will also go over some of the rumors about the Biodeck.

This is my first guide, and I will expand on it as time goes on and when suggestions are filed.

Biodecks require the help of "Karmarama" aliens. They can be identified by their wiggling green hair, purple skin, and four arms. Jobs in startopia are based on race, and karmarama aliens are the only ones who can grow on the Biodeck. These are hired by right clicking on one and clicking your faction's symbol at the top of the menu. Pay close attention to the "skill" stat and whether or not the alien has a criminal backround in the same menu.

An alien with a criminal background will be detrimental to your growing efforts, not to mention the added cost of his wage. Its highly recommended to not hire aliens left and right because of what job they can perform without checking their stats and history.

Karma farmers cannot be told what to plant and where. They choose a plant based on the biome they happen to be in. They also get stat penalties if you over harvest the biodeck. Harvesting too much will cause unhappiness and resignations.

A special note on Karma farmers. A karma farmer can produce a "karma boom" that gives huge bonuses to everyone around them. You can identify a "karma boom" as a wave of red energy emanating from a Karamarama. You can't miss it as it's incredibly obvious. A karma boom gives massive bonuses to the stats of everyone around them. However, a criminal karma can produce a bad karma boom that gives massive negative penalties to those around them. Karma booms also apply to robots.

Karma Booms are made when they feel at one with nature. A station Administrator that cuts down huge swaths of trees stops Karmas from feeling that way. Every tree and shrub cut down means your Karma takes a hit to his stats, most importantly his "soul" stat. Strip mining your Bio-Deck will lead to your farmers quitting.

Remember, a happy farmer is a happy station.

Biopots are "corridor items" that can be placed in rooms and around the station. To use one, beam up a tree or shrub and beam it down on the brown soil in the pot. Trees and shrubs can be put in pots outside of rooms, but only shrubs can be placed inside rooms.

The pots do give bonuses, but how big is uncertain. Its also uncertain if plants linked to an alien's home planet give a bigger bonus. Regardless, they look cool and are cheap. You can never go wrong with having these things.

The biodeck can only grow so many plants in a particular area, moving the plants to bio pots around the station can side step the plant limit. This acts as a sort of pseudo storage of resources that you can use in an emergency since all plants produce a certain kind of resource.

When you first use the biodeck, you will notice some colored triangles at the upper left corner of your screen. You might also notice a lock at the top, which disables the triangles so you may beam up things from the biodeck without modifying the terrain.

The two important triangles are heat and humidity as they are the ones that define biomes. Biomes define what sort of plants you can grow and what resources are produced. Biomes are also "linked" to a particular alien race which will be covered in the next section.

Note: These section, other than the home planet bonus and turdite, is a rumor. An old paraphrased rumor at that. I added this to ensure I cover all potential grounds. I am unsure if this information is proven or not. The happiness bonus that aliens get from visiting the biodeck is not a rumor.

Every race has a home planet, and that planet has its own climate. An alien will visit the biodeck to experience their home planet, have a swim, etc. This makes aliens happy, and this is particularly useful for keeping morale up and helping Polvakian Gem Slugs become happy and produce turdite. Turdite is a glossy silvery coiled turd that can be recycled into quick easy money at a recycler in the industrial deck.

Biomes don't just effect one race, they effect all races. The effect of a biome depends on the race of the alien in question. An alien that wanders into a biome that isn't similar to its normal environment get a happiness and a very small health penalty. This penalty doesn't actually matter in the day to day if true, but the information may be useful. Regardless, its just extra money they will end up spending at your medi bay anyway, their loss is your gain.

It's easy to see which biome is home to which races, as they congregate mostly in their home biome. A special exception is the water and medium-medium biomes, as they are liked by all races.

Hot-Dry:
Home to: Kasvagorians.
Love:
Zedem Monks
Turrakken

Like:
Dahanese Siren
Grekka Targ
Karmarama

Dislike:
Gem Slugs
Groulien Salt Hog

Hate:
Grey


Hot-Medium:
Home to: Turrakken.
Love:
Kasvagorian
Dahanese Siren
Karmarama

Like:
Groulien Salt Hog

Dislike:
Zedem Monks
Grekka Targ
Grey

Hate:
Gem Slug

Hot-Wet:
Home to: Dahanese sirens.
Love:
Gem Slugs
Turakken
Kasvagorians

Dislike:
Groulien salt hog
Greys
Karmarama

Hate:
Grekka Targ
Zedem Monks

Medium-Dry
Home to: Zedem Monks
Love it:
Kasvagorians
Grekka Targ
Karmarama

Like:
Turrakken
Gem Slugs
Groulien Salt Hog

Hate:
Grey
Dahanese Siren

Medium-Medium:
Home to: Karmarama
Liked by all.

Medium-Wet:
Home to: Gem Slugs
Love:
Dahanese Siren
Karmarama
Greys

Like:
Turrakken
Zedem Monks
Groulien Salt Hog
Hate:
Grekka Targ
Kasvagorian

Cold-Dry:
Home to: Grekka Targ

Love:
Zedem Monks
Groulien Salt Hog

Like:
Kasvagorian
Karmarama
Grey

Dislike:
Gem Slug
Turrakken

Hate:
Dahanese Siren

Cold-Medium:
Home to: Groulien Salt Hog
Love:
Turrakken
Karmarama
Grey
Grekka Targ

Like:
Zedem Monk

Dislike:
Gem Slug

Hate:
Kasvagorian
Dahanese Siren

Cold-Wet:
Home to: Greys
Like:
Gem Slugs
Groulien Salt hog

Dislike:
Turrakken
Zedem Monks

Hate:
Kasvagorians

There are 9 biomes you can choose from, and 1 special biome called the water biome. The water biome is basically a lake you create with the water tool. Every Biome, with exception to the water biome, only has a tree and shrub. The water biome has 3 plants instead of two, and all 3 are shrubs. A shrub produces 1 crate, and a tree produces 2. However, a tree will never produce 2 crates of the same type. Every biome produces a different range of resources, everything else like mineral ores, and hardware must be made at a factory.

Temperature-Humidity

Cold-Dry (barren)
Shrub: Alien Artifact.
Tree: Alien artifact, Industrial material.


Cold-Moderate (tundra)
Shrub: Luxury Goods.
Tree: Black Market goods, Food.


Cold-Wet (snow)
Shrub: Medical Supplies.
Tree: Medical Supplies, Industrial goods


Moderate-Dry (dry grass)
Shrub: Food.
Tree: Food, Industrial Materials.


Moderate-Moderate (temperate forest)
Shrub: Luxury Goods.
Tree: Medical Supplies, Industrial Materials.


Moderate-Wet (swamp)
Shrub: Black Market Goods.
Tree: Food, Industrial Materials.


Hot-Dry (desert)
Shrub: Industrial Materials.
Tree: Food, Medical Goods.


Hot-Moderate (savannah)
Shrub: Black Market Goods
Tree: Food, Industrial Goods.


Hot-Wet (jungle)
Shrub: Food.
Tree: Luxury Goods, Food.

Water:
Lily Pads: Luxury Goods.
Reeds: Medical Supplies.
Seaweed: Black Market Goods

You are allowed to translate this guide into other languages.

I will add to this section as needed.