[G] [D] Zerg Mineral Saturation - Page 5

every worker up to 16 adds 100% efficiency up to 16 mineral workers. At >16 workers, glitching may occur, but it will balance out especially on far patches. The real result is that although glitching occurs, each worker does however generate a net boost in income - although only on average 50% as much as each additional worker beyond the 0th. The roof is at 24.

So:
0-16: Each worker adds 100% optimal income (~45 income/minute)
16-24: Each worker adds ~50% optimal income (~22.5 income/minute)
>24: Each worker adds 0% optimal income.

So, in short: Prio #1 is to saturate bases with >16 workers each, and if you need to further improve mineral income without expanding, 24 mineral workers per base is max.

Compare the cost of an expansion: 350 minerals & 1 larvae, to the cost and income of workers. Let's say you have 32 workers on two bases. You can either expand or build 7 workers for your 350 minerals (building workers costs more larvae, of course). Each worker will increase your income by 22.5ipm. Your additional hatchery, given that you are at OPTIMAL (16) saturation will net you exactly 0 income. But what happens when you add more workers, and where is the point where it is better to expand than to increase saturation?

Case A, expanding:
A = 45*x-350

Case B, saturating:
B = 22.5*x

Where is A = B?Where 45*x-350=22.5*x, thus 22.5x=350, thus x = 350/22.5, thus 15.555 (...). So, in other words, it coincidentally happens to be so that saturating is always more mineralefficient until you oversaturate, which might be good to keep in mind. However, the larvae cost is not accounted for, so it is gamewise unrealistic. You'd have to balance the equation up somehow, valuing larvae in minerals, but I won't attempt to do that.

As a rule of thumb: Mineralwise, the largest economic boost per worker is achieved between 0-16 workers per base, and mineralwise, the net gain is larger from saturating than getting an extra base.

There're alot of factors to factor in though: Larvae access, defendability, gas, future saturation, etc. etc.

If you keep the numbers 16 and 24 in mind you'll have come a long way by the way.

Extra note: If someone likes Google Translate (or speaks swedish), I wrote a guide about mineral saturation on our Team Property forums [G & D] Mineral Saturation etc.. If there's interest, I can translate it and update it. It has pictures and gametested facts, such as node-differentiation incomewise.