Long running pet peeve

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Long running pet peeve - 2/24/2015 3:50:23 AM

CyclopsSlayer

Posts: 583
Joined: 2/11/2012
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Is there a way to hack or mod the Cash flow indicator so that it actually means something?

Admittedly I was playing an intentionally economically crippled start. I wanted to build the Bakuras yards for the colony development bonus. A mere 50K Credits... Cash Flow was petty stable at +12K then 15K when I added in my still growing colonies, it was early enough that civilian building projects kept bonus income in the positive, if barely for most of the cycle.

I had 20K in my wallet when the tech was developed, 3 captured colonies (1.2B, 2B and 800M populations) All troops but 1 Garrisoned unit per planet disbanded. Tax Rates set to the maximum supportable without unrest as I wanted the cash now.
It took 5 years and 7 months of game time, the last 3 years or so without my touching the controls to hit the 50K, only to have the yards built by one of the NPC's... sigh. (35K > 18K > 33K > 19K > 28K > 21K > 33K > 26K > 37K > 21K were the number swings I recorded, Cash Flow was shown at 15K and Bonus 200 to 2200, during this sequence. NO upgrade requests. No troop builds. Declined pirate and smuggling requests)

edit:
Later the same game. Cash Flow at +3600, bonus at +2100. Wallet increments went like this; 170K > 210K > 235K > 268K > 287K > 312K > 349K

< Message edited by CyclopsSlayer -- 2/24/2015 6:01:55 AM >

Post #: 1

RE: Long running pet peeve - 2/24/2015 3:40:24 PM

Bingeling

Posts: 5186
Joined: 8/12/2010
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Lots of retrofits draining cash? Crazy AI diplomacy guy sending gifts?

Bonus income is one thing, but I would think cashflow should not be that misleading. Then there is of course the extra expenditure like the two above. As for the later game experience, I believe the bonus income indicator is rather useless, as it accumulates through the year or something, so it goes up and down a lot.

(in reply to CyclopsSlayer)

Post #: 2

RE: Long running pet peeve - 2/26/2015 11:38:31 PM

Shark7

Posts: 7937
Joined: 7/24/2007
From: The Big Nowhere
Status: offline

Yeah, manage your refits manually, and the diplomacy manually, and you'll definitely see more money in the bank.

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Distant Worlds Fan

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(in reply to Bingeling)

Post #: 3

RE: Long running pet peeve - 2/26/2015 11:58:12 PM

Max 86

Posts: 699
Joined: 11/6/2007
Status: offline

I believe building resort bases will increase your bonus income. As soon as my resource situation is stable I start building resorts within or near my area. It really improves the cash situation. What all goes into bonus income is a mystery though. Cash flow is broken down in the Economy screen.

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Post #: 4

RE: Long running pet peeve - 3/2/2015 2:42:15 PM

CyclopsSlayer

Posts: 583
Joined: 2/11/2012
Status: offline

Sorry for the late reply, RL rearing it's ugly head.

The confusion for me is that my refits, gifts, all expected costs were handled manually. I could see no real reason for the wild fluctuations. No pirate raids, one of the first things I looked for, no corruption, no gifting, maintenance seemed at expected levels.

BUT! I think I may have failed to account for the effects of smuggling missions, which I know of no way to handle manually. I really have no good feel for, or tracking of, the costs of the ores I was importing. I do know there were 4-5 strategic I was lacking or short on, and a real shortage of luxuries.
I am now guessing that these imports are the source of a fair portion of the costs.

(in reply to Max 86)

Post #: 5

RE: Long running pet peeve - 3/2/2015 8:01:42 PM

Aeson

Posts: 784
Joined: 8/30/2013
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quote:

BUT! I think I may have failed to account for the effects of smuggling missions, which I know of no way to handle manually. I really have no good feel for, or tracking of, the costs of the ores I was importing. I do know there were 4-5 strategic I was lacking or short on, and a real shortage of luxuries.
I am now guessing that these imports are the source of a fair portion of the costs.

Smuggling bonuses are paid by the private sector, not by the state, same as all other resource purchases from foreign entities. The only way that smuggling expenses will hurt the state's wallet is if they cut so far into the private sector's wallet that the private sector stops spending in ways that create bonus income for the state, and even then it's not directly taking money out of the state treasury, just not adding to it. There's a policy option that allows you to put smuggling missions on 'suggest' or 'control manually' rather than automatic.

Did you take a look at fuel costs? That's the most variable expense (and biggest variable expense outside of ship, base, and facility construction) the state has that I can think of. An active navy which patrols systems, hunts pirates, etc will burn more fuel and thus cost the state more money than an inactive navy which simply sits in orbit of planets or stars.

< Message edited by Aeson -- 3/2/2015 9:03:11 PM >

(in reply to CyclopsSlayer)

Post #: 6

RE: Long running pet peeve - 3/4/2015 6:02:31 AM

CyclopsSlayer

Posts: 583
Joined: 2/11/2012
Status: offline

Hmm, no I hadn't accounted for fuel. I was producing what I had thought was sufficient quantities of Caslon. I had scrapped all my original anti-pirate fleet once all the local bases were gone. So my only state units were two Transports and the three Frigates that accompanied them. Had scrapped the troops mostly once the conquered worlds had settled down.

(in reply to Aeson)

Post #: 7

RE: Long running pet peeve - 3/12/2015 3:04:24 PM

NephilimNexus

Posts: 194
Joined: 9/2/2014
Status: offline

You haven't seen incomprehensible cash flow roller coaster action until you've played as a pirate. Their economic model is so borked I can't even begin to describe it.

(in reply to CyclopsSlayer)

Post #: 8

RE: Long running pet peeve - 3/12/2015 6:05:40 PM

Shark7

Posts: 7937
Joined: 7/24/2007
From: The Big Nowhere
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: CyclopsSlayer

Sorry for the late reply, RL rearing it's ugly head.

The confusion for me is that my refits, gifts, all expected costs were handled manually. I could see no real reason for the wild fluctuations. No pirate raids, one of the first things I looked for, no corruption, no gifting, maintenance seemed at expected levels.

BUT! I think I may have failed to account for the effects of smuggling missions, which I know of no way to handle manually. I really have no good feel for, or tracking of, the costs of the ores I was importing. I do know there were 4-5 strategic I was lacking or short on, and a real shortage of luxuries.
I am now guessing that these imports are the source of a fair portion of the costs.

In that case check for resource availability. Strategic resources have an effect on maintenance costs. Also, having shortages of luxury resources will cause planet income and tax levels to vary.

The two major resources to build from the game start are caslon and hydrogen. These are not only fuel for ships, but are required in vast quantities for colony growth. Make sure you have a minimum of 5 each of those two before worrying about others.

To simplify it for you: Go under the expansion planner and on the top section click the first instance where it says 'Unfulfilled". These are the resources you are short of. I personally sort by 'resources by galaxy priority' and distance, then set construction ships to build mining stations there by selecting the planet and clicking queue nearest construction ship. You can repeat this step as the construction ships will add it to there queue's and get to it as they finish other projects.

I've provided a screenshot with the unfulfilled box you need to be looking through circled in yellow. You may have to click it twice to get to where it shows the highest unfulfilled levels.

Attachment (1)

< Message edited by Shark7 -- 3/12/2015 7:06:02 PM >

_____________________________

Distant Worlds Fan

'When in doubt...attack!'

(in reply to CyclopsSlayer)

Post #: 9

RE: Long running pet peeve - 3/12/2015 11:01:24 PM

CyclopsSlayer

Posts: 583
Joined: 2/11/2012
Status: offline

Ah damn, I hadn't realized that that affected pricings, but given 20/20 hindsight I see why it would.

Still, it would be nice if the displayed cash flow could be broken out to see the actual values, or just remove it as a less than useful UI feature.

(in reply to Shark7)

Post #: 10

RE: Long running pet peeve - 3/19/2015 3:51:32 PM

mordachai