In that case there are 5-7 automatons to speak of (just resource point of view). However, the limited resource nodes (wall drill, steel and coal mines) change this drastically. Mathematically you need to have 100/5=20 active automatons to come out ahead in net efficiency. Long enough time being based around the fact that you are essentially giving up one automaton so that the rest can be 5% more efficient. That is on the hefty end of things for an arguably minor gain, but if you have a long enough time left of the scenario, absolutely worth getting. The overall cost is 170 wood and 110 steel and 1 steam core for the 5%. Wow ty! I really appreciate your comment :). Thank you for bringing this to our attention. You've done the community a great service. You've made a discovery that will change the way people play this game. I'd always thought the Steam Core gift was never worth it, as it only ever saved on Wood and Steel, but with this discovery of Outcome #4, the Steam Core is definitely worth it to give if you have the two med techs done already. WORTH IT! The text changes too! See the screenshot above.) (Result: Wood/Steal savings AND a 5% bonus boost. Automatons become 5% cheaper to make Automatons gain another +5% Efficiency. Outcome 4) You do give a Steam Core and have Medical Automatons and Automaton Integration researched already. (Result: You save Wood/Steal in exchange for a Steam Core. Automatons become 5% Cheaper to make 'Medical Automaton Integration' is Researched for Free. Outcome 3) You do give a Steam Core and have Medical Automatons researched already. Automatons become 5% Cheaper to make 'Medical Automatons' is Researched for Free. Part 2) Automaton takes 24 hours off duty to be examined.ДЄutomatons gain +5% efficiency at this point in the quest, regardless of whatever your next choices are. Part 1) Engineer takes 24 hours off duty to look at Automaton. So, apparently this quest has 4 outcomes. Easily done, however, if u only have 1 maybe 2 automatons for a while, while you have time to catch up on the relevant tech.

On the whole, this is not really possible to accomplish if you get automatons early and trigger the automaton quest b4 you have the capacity to research those 2 techs in time. So then i had this idea, what if i have both of those researched b4 the final quest reward? Turns out in that particular scenario instead of getting any bonus tech auto researched, you are provided with an additional 5% efficiency bonus to your beloved automatons (along with the 5% cost reduction), which brings it up to 100% with all the relevant tech researched.

Then recently i noticed that if u have the first tier of medical automatons researched (one that allows you to use automatons at medical posts and infirmaries), the automaton project quest will provide you the second tier research (which increases automaton efficiency at said structures by 20%). I had this occur while back in a playthrough, had no clue at the time how it happened, chalked it up as a sort of glitch.

Frostpunk automaton