Using captured races for population

[Aussie Gamer]

One of these days MM will fix up that "required Pop per facilty" and this will totally screw up all those plans like moving the pop around.
Hope he does not do it while I am the middle of my multi-player as I am spread very thin on all my worlds.

[capnq]

Rather than trying to max out populations, I like to push as many planets as I can to the next bonus threshhold. I usually pull people off my most populous world to leave the largest base to replace them from. Once one colony has its first 100M, I start filling the next one. When the 100M colony is closing on 500M, I "top off" that one, etc.

------------------
Cap'n Q

[dogscoff]

Another good population increase tactic: Check out any moons around the planet. If they have better conditions that the planet, colonise it (even if it's not native breathing) and use it as a population farm - transferring pop between a planet and its moons is immediate and hassle free.

Of course this has the added advantage of extra cargo space, weapons platform site(s) and unit production - and space for another facility.

------------------
"Pinky, are you pondering what I'm pondering?"
"Uh, I think so Brain, but how are we gonna teach a goat to dance with flippers on? "

[DirectorTsaarx]

Not to mention that I=P*e^(rt) is the "continuous compounding" interest calculation, whereas the population growth is a periodic compounding (i.e., calculated at discrete time intervals).

I also have yet to see a 30% population growth factor on my worlds... highest I've seen so far is 18%... (but then, I don't think I have any Optimal worlds colonized).

[rdouglass]

As to population increases and percentages, I always use the 'rule of 72'. IIRC, you take a percentage and divide that whole number into 72. The resulting number will be the number of years it takes for your population to double.

For example; at 30% growth:

72 / 30 = 2.4

..so each 2.4 years the population doubles. ...at least that's pretty close when figuring investments, etc...

EDIT: Of course it does not apply to the low pop levels. It seems that if there is any growth at all, the game gives you at least 1M per turn. So at low pop it increases faster....

[This message has been edited by rdouglass (edited 08 May 2001).]