Orion,

I will always use those food-tiles, because I´ll go for 18b-20b people on each planet. The only thing you should never do is to cross the 20b line, because moral will fall increasingly - thus never place the +7b ppl end-farm on a 300% food-bonus tile. Instead, build an older version on it - using this, you'll be able to reach your desired population using only one farm - and also you'll have a cheaper building with a lower maint.

If you have issues with moral & popgrow simply lower taxes until your pop is maxed out. Then shift to maximal taxes 79%, with some civ-wide bonuses on moral as certain techs or Mines you shoudl be able to keep all planets above 20%. But even if single planets are below 20% - don't care at all as they pop will fall until they'll have 20%, too.

You are very right on that some planetary improvements are entirely pointless....

The only Superproject you can built which takes a tile-bonus in is the 'Political Capital' - built it either on a Moral- or a Influence-tile.

The other only multiply your "base" planetary output, and it is therefore necessary to built these on HighPQ planets where they can multiply alot labs/facs.

Further, because of the way taxes are created (by the square-root of the pop of a planet) also mid-pop planets will give contribute a fair amount of taxes (e.g. a 20b planet will "only" contribute 40% more taxes than a 10b planet). And as you only need 4 tiles to max a planets population you can fairly well turn any mid-Q planet into a bank or you leave them at 13bil ppl and built 2 additional Stocks.

However, buildings as the Research Coordination Center or the Omega Research Center or PowerPlants only justify themselves on specialized HighPQ planets.

Hope I could be of help.

The trade good buildings are definitely empire-wide. Morale trade goods are the same way. I will need to check on Omega, I don't remember one way or the other (read that to mean by the time I get it, I don't need it).

As to the food distribution center, it can have some situational uses. The percent it gives (20 or 25%, whatever) is invariably lower than adding an additional high-end farm onto a planet. This allows you to bump the population of a capitol planet from 16 to 19-20 billion (depends on whether it's 20% or 25% bonus) when adding a conventional high end farm would propell you to 22-23 billion. Or use it on a regular planet with one additional farm, to go from 15 to 19 billion, when a second farm woulb put you at 22 billion. Economically, it's not really worth using on a regular planet with no farms, as going from 8 to 9-10 billion isn't worth giving up a stock market for.

As mentioned above, for farm/manufacturing/research tiles, only buildigs that produce a defined number of output will get the bonus; anything with a % in it will not (unless it's something like the Torian farm structure in TA which adds both a fixed amount *and* a %, in which case the fixed amount is boosted and the % is not).

For morale/influence structures, no defined units are used, so most things with a % will be boosted, even things that are not primarily morale/influence like stock markets and counter espionage.

Any structure that provides an empire-wide boost will not use bonus tiles. This applies mostly to trade goods, super projects, and galactic achievements.

There's too many things here and there where descriptions don't match results.  Unfortunately, the only way to become aware of them is just by experience.  I made a post a very long time ago about the Omega Research Center stating it should be civ wide as indicated by the description or the description should be changed.  Once you've done any modding, you find how simple and quick it is to correct something like this.  AFAIC, a mistake in the description is just as bad as a bug in the item's code.  I feel it's sloppy to let so many minor contradictions go uncorrected the way they have.  I don't think they pay enough attention to detail.  Though, I shouldn't critisize Stardock, they're still way better than any of the other game makers out there. 

You can use default, it's what I use for "casual" mods.  Just make sure the path is correct and mods are enabled from the main options menu.  You can also check the entry in prefs.ini.  One thing though, there's a mods folder for each version of the game, for example, if you want to change something for Twilight,  you need to put files under the Twilight mods folder.  In the mods section of the main game option menu, if you select Change then click default, you'll see the path you should be using.

Alot of these descriptions are either vague or sometimes also wrong. If you are not sure about something give it a search in the forums here, almost everything has been covered already.

I've never come across any "patch" - but there are some posts concerning these subjects (mostly on the MCC et al) that come off with an easy solution to correct that. It might work - but any game won't be MV legal anymore.

Pobably they did to prevent confusion and loose "power" upon game's updates. Indeed, it is very strange that they never cared to fix those little, big things!

But now that you have spoiled me some hint, I must admit that I really don't understand the logic of Embassies and tiles with influence bonus. If both of them use percentage values, then those tiles are basically useless, aren't they?

If you´ll ever encounter in one of your games that an AI has low pop planet besides one of yours who has an Influence-tile upon - give it a try and built the Polit Cap on this. Most likely you'll see the AI´s planet culture-flipping.

Can you still use the metaverse if you make corrections to files like this?

You can easily step into any governmental form and still reside with a high pop and generally unhappy population. The day elections happens simply drop taxes until an approval rate of, at least, 57% is reached, and you'll win the election. Afterwards shift to maximum taxes back. And if one forgets to lower taxes, simply load the autosave, you'll get another chance just then.

The civ-wide economic bonuses are not to underestimate, esp. when playing a larger map. 30% is almost a full economic resource; and these techs carry also an influence and diplomacy bonus. Up to Star Democracy is easily researched, and building the PolitCap on a moral-tile will get you a 100% approval rate there most of the game, such a planet can be used as a Troops-breeder to prepare an invasion. Or you place it on an influental-tile on a planet near to weaker enemy-planets or foreign mined asteroids, and see them flip soon.

Sorry to get back on topic...

Morale resources can be your friend. Get as many as you can, then load them up with all 7 mining modules.

And still, try to keep populations below 20B unless it is a very high PQ planet. You will need at least 5 VR Centers and several more Stock Market's to keep them happy enough.

Wow I read these posts obviously I'm not an expert. I read the descriptions and use them. I've considered using high population planets, and rejected that idea. Because I fought the Iconians in the dread lords expansion of the dark avatar game. All I can say it took me three days to win. I've never had a better space battle. I always use industry above population. Thats my rule of thumb. Maybe I'll try something different. I've never noticed the problems above 20 billion. Maybe your doing something wrong. Still concentrate on morale. Are random events maxed out. They will save you. Try a immense map. You don't care about your population growth. I'm confused. What I'm talking about is approval. A low approval means a low population. Low income. You probable mean in the late game, but you need to specify. Are you playing Dark Avatar. If you are you need a harder game like dread lords os twilight of the arnow. Influence I wouldn't worry about to much. It does affect your voting and culture assimilation. I honestly say that civilization 4 Beyond the sword gives this game a run for thier money. The modding is really iritating. Don't promise something and don't fall thru. I'm interested in modding solutions. I would like to see the example mod upgraded for galactic civilization 3. The editor needs to be better. A good example is civilization 3