Population modifier idea -- penalty for low population

[Baron Munchausen]

A simpler solution is to just reduce the basic planetary spaceyard rate. It's in the SETTINGS.TXT file. There are three seperate settings for a planet just as for a component spaceyard.

Empire Base Planet Mineral Usage Rate := 2000
Empire Base Planet Organic Usage Rate := 2000
Empire Base Planet Radioactive Usage Rate := 2000

Just set these to 1000 and then adjust your bonuses accordingly. Just be aware that this will have a SERIOUS affect on the construction of new spaceyards -- the default build time would go from 5 turns to 10 - and htis might hurt the AI considrably if it is not smart enough to dump extra population on new colonies very quickly.

[Q]

Sinapus I like your idea and think it will be very nice for a game with human players only. However Baron has made an important point: the AI will have a major problem with it, as the population minister is not very efficient.

[JenMax]

I like the idea, too. In other threads people have written about how thay dislike a tiny population being able to operate 30 facilities on a planet. Perhaps taking your idea a step further: we don't seem to be able to get a min pop to operate facility to work in se4. So make the builds slower. Reduce the producction bonuses all the way up to, say 200 million, etc. You ge the idea. One may be able to operate many fac with a tiny pop, buty you wont be able to build many with out a large pop. What do you think?

[Sinapus]

quote:

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Originally posted by Q:
Sinapus I like your idea and think it will be very nice for a game with human players only. However Baron has made an important point: the AI will have a major problem with it, as the population minister is not very efficient.

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Actually, since the AI usually puts a cargo module on each colony ship, it won't be as affected. It will only suffer at 70% on the first turn, then go up to 80% on the next turn and steadily grow for awhile.

If you mean bombardments or that annoying cosmic firestorm that hits from time to time, you are probably right. As it is, in a game I'm playing all the AIs seem to be doing fine so far in a High Difficulty, no bonus game.


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[Trachmyr]

One BIG problem with using "negative" modifiers for low population: The modifiers for happiness and racial traits are cummalitive! That means if you have only a 10% production rate, and are sufferring -20% due to unhappiness and another -10% due to racial traits... you'll be producing at -20%, that means the more facilities you have the greater it will COST you. I tried this, but had to alter the values to make sure that the combintaion of lowest Population modifer + worst happiness penalty + lowest Racial trait = 0%