The RTSC Guide to Startopia
Part 13Sleep & Accommodation

Sleep

All Peeps need to sleep, and there's a full range of accommodation catering for all walks of life. At its most spartan, Sleeper Berths (pictured right) provide bus station style facilities for your residents and less discriminating visitors, such as Salt Hogs, Greys and Targ. Berths are fun for Station Administrators: you can arrange them in all sorts of interesting ways - from straight pack-'em-in sardine tins to large, spacious rooms with lots of nice pot plants and lava lamps. They replenish about 50 Sleep points a second, as well as slowly dry out a drunken Peep. Even Nourishment tickles up a little as those tired Peeps get some rest after a long flight.

However, from many Peeps' perspectives Berths aren't that crash hot. Salt Hogs are the only species that actually gets a kick out of sleeping in one while everyone else finds the idea of being stuffed into a yellow coffin a little uncomfortable. This facility is really for the cheap end of town. Kasvagorians have trouble fitting inside them; Karmaramans would probably rather be outside; Sirens prefer more luxurious surrounds; Turrakken scientists get depressed; and Gem Slugs wouldn't be caught dead in one - or at least, I've yet to ever see one use a Sleeping Berth. Zedem Monks and Greys aren't fussed, but they're more likely to gravitate towards any hotels in the vicinity. You will almost certainly need to build proper accommodation at some point, and its not unusual to find Berths empty during the latter stages of a long game.

Nevertheless, Sleep Berths are like couches to crash on for your staff, especially hard working Salt Hogs and Targ. Keeping them near industrial facilities or next to a Port is a good move as they are magnets for weary travelers and hard working factory Hogs. They are, after all, the cheapest accommodation on the Station.

Accommodation

Sleeping Berths are useful but they pale by comparison to a proper hotel. Hotels can do all kinds of things, since they're actually proper rooms with bed, breakfast and washing up facilities. Hotels are a Sleeper Berth, Dine-O-Mat and Lavatron all rolled into one, offering a nicer view and less chance of upsetting or frustrating customers. Like the Berths, Peeps can sleep off the excesses of a drinking binge and dry out a bit.

Hotels come in three major classes, effectively catering for economic Lows, Middles and Uppers. Mind you, before we get carried away pigeon holing people, there's considerable overlap in Peep preferences. Most walks of Peep will be perfectly happy in most hotels. Elite Residents may want to use more expensive accommodation; but richer clients can sometimes be seen using basic facilities too.