Can someone help this noob understand Approval?

from GalCiv2 Forums
Hi, I really want to play this game properly, without cheating lol, but I'm having trouble understanding approval rating.

I just started a new immense, tough game, with a custom race using Altarian tech tree with maxed morale and loyalty attributes. I have about 10 colonies right now and most are at 90-100 percent approval with maxed population and not much structures, just the basics. My homeworld however is at 40% and falling. the main difference between my HW and colonies is that I have the population cap upgraded to about 20b and most tiles filled, where as my colonies are all at the standard 8b cap. I have probably 1/4 of the tiles on my HW with morale boosting structres and still the approval rating is falling.

So my questions are; is it just overpopulation? What are the consiquences of a low approval rating, will colonies rebel? What kind of approval should I be aiming for with my colonies? Does a colony's approval go down as population grows?

I'm so confused.

EDIT: nevermind, wiki just answered my questions.

2,774 views 3 replies
Reply #1 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Just place your cursor over the approval line in the planetary screen and see how the approval rating of the planet is structured. Yes, it is overpopulation. The main negative factor of approval is population on the planet. More population = less approval.

In summary the whole morale shown at the bottom screen on your main map is the average of all planets you own. Positive factors that affect all planets are lowering taxes, getting morale techs, getting morale resource starbases. Buildings can affect morale on a planet locally. Population does negatively affect morale locally.

Edit: Damn, why did i have to read that edit last? ^^
Reply #2 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I believe I've seen others post that once your population gets above 18B, your approval drops steeply. That's been my experience also. If you can, grab approval resources (the yellow ones) and build them up, in addition to morale buildings and approval techs.
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Reply #3 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
What I do to counter the over-population is just build alot of transports and load them up on whatever planet has the over-population(usually the homeworld). It saves me alot of headaches.