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--- programs:overdrive [2020/06/19 18:59] – turtlingherd
+++ programs:overdrive [2020/06/28 00:02] (current) – andrew
@@ Line 2: / Line 2: @@
 [{{ overdrive.png|Overdrive program icon}}]
-**Overdrive** is a passive [[utility|utility program]] which reduces the cooldowns of other programs by 2\ turns down to a minimum of 1\ turn, but increases their [[:PWR]] costs by 1. It has no effect on passive programs, and its benefit does not help programs with no cooldown, or programs with a cooldown of 1 turn. Overdrive can be bought from some [[:mainframe devices:Server Terminals]] for 700 [[:credits]].
+**Overdrive** is a passive [[utility|utility program]] which reduces the cooldowns of other programs by 2\ turns down to a minimum of 1\ turn, but increases their [[:PWR]] costs by 1. Program cooldowns of 1 turn (or 0 turns) are not reduced by Overdrive, but their PWR cost is still increased by 1. It has no effect on passive programs, except [[Emergency Reserve]]. Overdrive can be bought from some [[:mainframe devices:Server Terminals]] for 700 [[:credits]].
 Overdrive's effect always applies while it is installed, and cannot be enabled or disabled at will. Overdrive only reduces other programs' cooldowns at the time they are used, so if Overdrive is installed while another program is already on cooldown, it does not reduce that program's cooldown timer. If Overdrive is sold while another program is on cooldown, it also does not //increase// that program's cooldown timer.
+If Overdrive and [[Charge]] are both installed, their effects stack, so that other programs' PWR costs are reduced by 1 down to a minimum of 0, and their cooldowns are reduced by 1 turn down to a minimum of 1 turn. However, every active program will have a cooldown of at least 1 turn, even if it would normally have no cooldown.
 ===== Strategy =====
-Overdrive is not a common buy, and for good reason - not only does it take up a program slot and 700 credits for something that has no intrinsic benefit, it is actively harmful to any program that does not have a cooldown, making it cost 1 more [[:PWR]] which includes most breakers.
+Overdrive is a bad program, which hurts more often than it helps. For the cost of 700 credits and a program slot, it lets you use programs with longer cooldowns more often, but it is actively harmful to any program with no cooldown or a cooldown of 1 turn, as it increases their PWR costs by 1 with no upside. This includes most [[breakers]].
+The main problem with Overdrive is that reducing programs' cooldowns is only worthwhile if you can afford to use them more frequently; but the increased PWR costs make it less likely that you actually can. So Overdrive can only be worthwhile in specific combinations, and generally only works in builds which generate a lot of PWR.
+For many programs, Overdrive either has no benefit or makes them strictly worse:
+  * Any program with a cooldown of 1 turn, or no cooldown, is made strictly worse by the increased PWR cost.
+  * Overdrive has no effect on passive programs, except for [[Emergency Reserve]].
+  * [[Fusion]] with Overdrive becomes completely useless, because the reduced cooldown means it only generates PWR for 2 turns instead of 4, only generating enough to pay the 6\ PWR it now costs to use Fusion, with no net gain.
+There are a few specific programs which do synergize with Overdrive, all of which are [[generators]]:
-However, it does have synergy with most programs that have cooldowns:
+  * Overdrive reduces [[Burst]]'s cooldown to 1 turn, so the -3\ [[:AP]] penalty applies only on the next turn, and can be cancelled out by using Burst again. If used consistently, Burst with Overdrive generates a very efficient +2\ PWR per turn for the whole mission, and also gives +3\ [[:AP]] on the first turn of each mission with no net penalty on later turns, unless [[:daemons:Paradox]] or [[:daemons:Modulate]] prevent it from being used.
+  * Overdrive reduces the cooldown of [[Emergency Reserve]] to 1 turn, allowing it to be triggered every turn for +5\ PWR per turn in the best case.
+  * Overdrive reduces [[Root]]'s cooldown to 4 turns, so it generates a small net PWR gain, though it is still a poor program overall. The small gain is more than offset by the higher PWR cost of the programs you want to use Root's PWR for.
+  * If you are using [[Aces]] as a pseudo-[[generator]] with [[:agents:Central]]'s [[:augments:Antiviral Proxy]] augment, then Overdrive lets you use it every turn, for a net +2\ PWR per turn, compared to a net +1\ PWR per turn without Overdrive.
-  * [[:programs:Burst]] is now a [[:programs:Dynamo]] that also gives +3AP on the first turn, and can be "shut off" for a +3AP boost the following turn if necessary (though [[:daemons:Modulate]] would put a stop to it temporarily)
+Other programs with longer cooldowns become different when combined with Overdrive, but whether they are better or worse depends on your [[:loadout]] and strategy:
-  * [[:programs:Root]] is now slightly [[:PWR]]-positive even if it drains [[:PWR]] every turn (+1 for every 4 turns), though it's still weak overall, and strategies that are making use of Overdrive's benefit do not tend to be the sort that burst their hacking on a single turn.
-  * [[:programs:Hammer]] is now a 5 firewall for 6 [[:PWR]] breaker that can be used every turn. [[:programs:Dagger]] and [[:programs:Dagger 2.0]] also benefit but still can't be used every turn. [[:programs:Turing]] can be used every turn as well, but that's only available late on the [[:missions:Omni Mainframe]] mission when it isn't that useful.
-  * [[:programs:Ping]], [[:programs:Hunter]], [[:programs:Wings]], [[:programs:Daemon Sniffer]], [[:programs:Hunter]], [[:programs:Rogue]], [[:programs:Shade]] can now be used every turn, allowing for strategies that want to reliably use any of these each turn, if enough [[:PWR]] is available.
-It doesn't really work with [[:programs:Flare]] since raising the firewalls each turn has obvious issues. It will also completely shut down [[:programs:Fusion]], as it now costs 6 [[:PWR]] to be on cooldown for 2 turns, only generating the 6 [[:PWR]] it cost to run it.
+  * [[Dagger]] with Overdrive breaks 3 [[:firewalls]] for 2 PWR, with a 3 turn cooldown.
+  * [[Dagger 2.0]] with Overdrive breaks 5 [[:firewalls]] for 4 PWR, with a 2 turn cooldown.
+  * [[Flare]] can be used every turn for 1 PWR, though this is rarely sensible.
+  * [[Hammer]] with Overdrive breaks 5 [[:firewalls]] for 6 PWR, with a 1 turn cooldown.
+  * [[Turing]] can be used every turn for 6 PWR, although it's usually unnecessary to use Turing more than once or twice.
+  * [[Aces]], [[Daemon Sniffer]], [[Hunter]], [[Rogue]], [[Shade]] and [[Wings]] can be used every turn.
+  * [[:programs:Ping]] can be used every 2 turns.
-Overall, it's difficult to get this to work with a loadout because of the programs it needs to be paired with. The synergy with [[:programs:Burst]] is quite notable, potentially allowing enough [[:PWR]] generation to pay for the increased costs, but the breakers it wants to be paired with are usually not as strong early in a campaign because most devices have less than 3 firewalls. In endless, [[:daemons:Modulate 2.0]] looms over strategies that rely on the synergy with [[:programs:Burst]].
+Overall, the vast majority of [[:loadouts]] have at least one program harmed by Overdrive; there is almost always a better program you could install instead of Overdrive. It is very rarely worth 700 credits, and even if you find it for free in a [[:missions:Program Compile]] side-mission, an empty program slot is usually preferable (though you could install it just long enough to sell it for 350 credits).

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