[quote=Assallya]
Hate to break it to you but that's what cities are for... manufacturing. Always have been and always will. I mean, what's the point in having sciences labs if you can't build new things to put into the science labs? They need one another. Science advances technology, then technology enables those discoveries to build new devices and further science. After all, Janus designed and built a bunch of devices in his secret lab... a feat only possible if he had access to some sort of manufacturing processes. It wasn't like he could have smuggled such things through the Stargate after all. Otherwise, what's the point in a secret lab?As for making ZPM's it world require a significant energy source. It's hard to say how much since the ZPM's get less powerful with every appearance but no matter what it'd be fairly impressive. I could easily see the settlement at Taranis using geothermal energy to slowly craft a ZPM over many years. Other than that, a fusion reactor hanging over a gas giant might work, or a solar collection ring in close proximity to a star.As for armouries, why wouldn't the Ancients have access to small arms? It's only prudent. They had no security forces? Their puddle jumpers were armed, why not their people? I don't buy it.
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Yeah small arms, but they only had little stun blaster thingies.

Also the whole point in Atlantis was to get a new start. Yes they did science stuff but most this science stuff involved sensors so they only really had to manufacture little crystals. I don't see how Atlantis would be a valuable base to us. IF you want a valuable base get a siege station or shipyard from Homeworld. They'd be far more valuable than a pretty city doing science.