wesirby4

Join Date 03/2010

Manufacturing Centers and Research Acadmies, The Sweet Spot

My general approach is to keep the production slider on 100% and keep all planets working. I'll take care of the money somehow.

In my current game (Drath, immense, crippling, TA 2.02) that strategy failed me. One of my problems was that I didn't know about the financial windfall the Drath gain from other civ's wars. I didn't start the fighting nearly early enough.

At one point I could build both Industrial Sectors and Discovery Spheres, and I did, every chance Igot. Soon My enormous treasury was plummeting. I was running a deficit of nearly 3000BC per week. I could see financial ruin in my near future.

The only solution seemed to be to back off on my 100% production slider. But that seemed wrong, The reduced production and research weren't so bad but reducing production did nothing to reduce maintenance. I needed a way to reduce both output and maintenance. The answer was Research Academies and Manufacturing Centers.

An Industrial Sector (IS) produces 12 mu at a cost of 10BC. A Manufacturing Center (MC) produces 10 at a cost of 6. So if I was going to reduce my production to 83%, I could instead build MCs to replace the ISs. I would save the same thing on production but save an additional 40% on maintenance. Same for Discovery Spheres (DS) and Research Academies (RA). The DS get 16 tp for 12BC vs. the RA with 12 tp for 8BC. That cuts back 25% on output and 33% on maintenance cost. Planetary tiles with bonuses would get/keep the IS and DS.

I soon had my deficit cured and as my planetary populations moved into the 18b to 20b range, the economic woes were behind me, but I stayed with MCs and RAs and a 100% production slider.

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Certainly late game woes can be triggered by expensive structures. More often its triggerred by war, transports depleting populations, costs of building on captured planets. Also, when an economic boon event goes away, watch out. Consider converting planets to all economy, its very easy to do. The starport can be idle, or slowly make transports.

I also make some large fast transports, sometimes with huge hulls (weapons free = maintenance free). I then set several "refill points" next to planet clusters. These ships can rapidly transport citizens to the newly captured colonies. I don't use them in combat (unless its game over time). Its a bit of micro-management, but really helps keep your economy from tanking during war.

Of course, I try to have a spin control center so that I control the wars, not the AI. Premaking tons of tiny transports can avoid the entire problem in the first place.

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Quoting Bentley241,

reply 1

What do you mean, all economy? Are you overbuilding structures or just halting production? What's the difference in setting the military and social spending to zero and simply building nothing on each planet?

Quoting Bentley241,

reply 1

I think If I could stand the micro-management I would build a new transport on each planet that is at it's max population and then send those citizens to newer planets or just store them for a rainy day as you suggest. If I'm in a slow moving war I will dump all extra troops at the new planet and send the transports back to mature planets for new troops.

Quoting Bentley241,

reply 1

Of course, I try to have a spin control center so that I control the wars, not the AI. Premaking tons of tiny transports can avoid the entire problem in the first place.

I may have misunderstood the Spin Control Center. I thought from the text, it only applied to one planet. Your comment makes it sound as though it applies to all planets.

There are several improvements where it is difficult to tell whether they apply to all planets or just the one they are built on. Is there a good reference for that?

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In DA, I never research IS. SImilarly, I rarely research advanced farms. (I also do not research research bldgs in most games because I use All Fac and focus).

In late game, as you begin to place spies and/or invade, you might want to take a few minutes and go around your colonies and turn off the auto-upgrade feature.

It realllly sucks to "gain" Industrial Sector and find all your colonies auto-upgrading and axing your treasury in the process. Then, you have to go around and kill each upgrade and kill each upgrade queue. Same for farms.

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By all economy on a planet, I simply mean a planet with just farms, stock markets (etc), morale structures, possibly making tiny constructors.

I agree about the micromanagement - it depends upon how close the game is - if its almost over - I dont' bother.

You are right about SCC, it only applies to ships orbiting the one planet. It multiplies the military factor on that ship by something like 10, further enhanced by any military starbases in the area, and of course by military resources and techs. It makes a huge difference. The only downside is that non-allied civilizations will no longer trade weapons/soldiering techs with you. (you can move the fleet out for a turn or two)

I think it is good to have the Industrial Sector tech for star bases (mining/economic bases) and captured planets. (if its not in your tech tree, those industrial sectors are destroyed) Turn the upgrade feature off as you capture each planet via the governor.

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An Industrial Sector (IS) produces 12 mu at a cost of 10BC. A Manufacturing Center (MC) produces 10 at a cost of 6

The time taken to build them (= time to upgrade from MC) is a similar scale; also for quantum power plants over anti-matter power plants. However, I find that maintenace costs are small compared with worker costs (my early-game money troubles).

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If I have Industrial Sectors, I will build them on tiles with large manufacturing bonuses (>100%), or even 100% tiles if my economics are good enough to stand it. They usually are, by the time I get IS. This presupposes the eco to support the mfg. costs.

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