Help diagnosing financial woes and population control

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All Forums >> [New Releases from Matrix Games] >> Shadow Empire >> Help diagnosing financial woes and population control

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Help diagnosing financial woes and population control - 5/13/2021 2:47:09 PM

laagamer

Posts: 50
Joined: 4/22/2021
Status: offline

Hey! New player and loving the game! But, I'm having some trouble figuring out what's happening. Sorry, but I was wondering if anyone would be willing to help diagnose my game problems. First, here's a drive copy of my save file if anyone is willing.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qWgMMRs6VhhbKio56gBmMb6xXTGJFDzI/view?usp=sharing

This is a low population world, virtually zero free folk, and an almost empty map. My population and worker numbers keep fluctuating, and my production fluctuates between 40%-60%, which I'm sure is due to not having enough bodies to go around.

But, my revenue keeps fluctuating as well! I have 100% income tax, and %40 sales tax, as I recall. I'll make 800 credits one turn, with a 400 expenditure.

Then, the next turn, I'll only make 400 credits, with an 800 expenditure.

Then, the turn after than, I'll make 600 credits, with a 500 expenditure.

I can't figure out exactly what contributes to my income in the treasury screen, so I can't figure it out. It's driving me crazy. Why can't I see exactly where my money is coming from?

And because there's so few factions, only 5 on the map with 2 minors and 3 majors including me, the market doesn't sell for very much. Not that I have the worker points to mine a bunch of rare mental anyways.

Couple that with trying to solve logistical issues, and I'm in a bit of a bind. I have colonist recruitment set to zero, but I seem to keep recruiting them. Hopefully, it's not from my worker population.

Either way, if anyone is willing to help, I appreciate it! Getting a tad bit frustrated.

Post #: 1

RE: Help diagnosing financial woes and population control - 5/13/2021 3:16:26 PM

redrum68

Posts: 1202
Joined: 11/26/2017
Status: offline

The short answer is your worker salary is pretty high at .011 credits which is what is primarily causing you to be losing credits for the current turn of the save game. I would lower it to something like .005.

Longer answer to fluctuating income is it depends but most likely caused by your private market selling resources or tariffs happening some turns but not others. Selling resources also is a pretty common way to make money especially things like rare metal. You have plenty of high tech parts which you could sell as needed to ensure you don't run out of money.

(in reply to laagamer)

Post #: 2

RE: Help diagnosing financial woes and population control - 5/13/2021 6:34:20 PM

Peresvet

Posts: 38
Joined: 5/4/2021
Status: offline

Actually Treasury Cashflow Overview gives a reasonable breakdown of your revenues and expenses. Is there anything in the report that is not clear to you?

(in reply to redrum68)

Post #: 3

RE: Help diagnosing financial woes and population control - 5/14/2021 4:14:51 AM

laagamer

Posts: 50
Joined: 4/22/2021
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: redrum68

The short answer is your worker salary is pretty high at .011 credits which is what is primarily causing you to be losing credits for the current turn of the save game. I would lower it to something like .005.

Longer answer to fluctuating income is it depends but most likely caused by your private market selling resources or tariffs happening some turns but not others. Selling resources also is a pretty common way to make money especially things like rare metal. You have plenty of high tech parts which you could sell as needed to ensure you don't run out of money.

Thanks for the advice!

So, I took your advice and used both in one swoop. I grabbed some quick FP's and used it to get a 5 FP Hi-Tech vault!

Gave me a bunch more goodies. I then lowered the workers' salaries to .06, like a complete asshole.

Obviously, they are now a bit unhappy, even plummeting to zero in my capitol. But, I sold of my new gotten goods to pay for some strategums to improve worker happiness.

It's not perfect, but they haven't openly revolted. And I'm making money!

Thanks!

< Message edited by laagamer -- 5/14/2021 4:15:22 AM >

(in reply to redrum68)

Post #: 4

RE: Help diagnosing financial woes and population control - 5/14/2021 4:26:06 AM

laagamer

Posts: 50
Joined: 4/22/2021
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: Peresvet

Actually Treasury Cashflow Overview gives a reasonable breakdown of your revenues and expenses. Is there anything in the report that is not clear to you?

Well, outside of forced sale income, which the manual doesn't seem to explain, I don't see where I'm making money.

Taxes bring home X revenue.

Forced Sales bring home Y revenue.

X + Y does NOT equal my total revenue for the term. And that's the only revenue visible on my treasury screen. So, obviously, something isn't shown.

EDIT: My revenue is higher. There's revenue coming from somewhere, I suspect the private economy maybe? This where I was hoping for help on that, specifically. Maybe I'm missing something?

< Message edited by laagamer -- 5/14/2021 4:27:21 AM >

(in reply to Peresvet)

Post #: 5

RE: Help diagnosing financial woes and population control - 5/14/2021 7:04:11 AM

Peresvet

Posts: 38
Joined: 5/4/2021
Status: offline

quote:

Well, outside of forced sale income, which the manual doesn't seem to explain

Forced sale happens when you don't have enough storage to keep some resource (e.g. fuel) and your SHQ commander is forced either to sell it or throw away.

quote:

X + Y does NOT equal my total revenue for the term. And that's the only revenue visible on my treasury screen. So, obviously, something isn't shown.

Cashflow overview is structured in a bit weird way, honestly. Incomes and Expenses are intermixed and it's easy to miss some helpful entries in the overview. Beyond taxes and forced sales, there may be also income from tariffs (shown between worker and soldier salaries), regime feat and hex perk incomes (shown before forced sale). Cashflow report is not very user friendly, but I've never noticed that anything is missing from it.

(in reply to laagamer)

Post #: 6

RE: Help diagnosing financial woes and population control - 5/14/2021 12:02:16 PM

KingHalford

Posts: 488
Joined: 8/18/2016
Status: offline

100% income tax is crazy, I'm pretty certain that's going to have consequences far beyond what little you're going to gain for it. I try not to surpass 40% if I can help it.

_____________________________

Ben "BATTLEMODE"
www.eXplorminate.co

(in reply to Peresvet)

Post #: 7

RE: Help diagnosing financial woes and population control - 5/14/2021 12:15:52 PM

zgrssd

Posts: 3385
Joined: 6/9/2020
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: KingHalford

100% income tax is crazy, I'm pretty certain that's going to have consequences far beyond what little you're going to gain for it. I try not to surpass 40% if I can help it.

Wait, he did what?

100% income tax means they will value all payment has ~0 Credits. Because that is what you are paying them effectively - nothing.
I agree on the limit being 30, maybe 40%.

(in reply to KingHalford)

Post #: 8

RE: Help diagnosing financial woes and population control - 5/14/2021 12:39:57 PM

Maerchen

Posts: 348
Joined: 6/16/2020
From: Germany
Status: offline

Income tax ratio penalties are depending on difficulty settings, IIRC. At hard difficulty and the appropriate regime feats, I can get away with 50% tax.

As OP mentioned, he is a beginner, so he may get away with super high taxes at lower diff settings.

_____________________________

The logistics hell this game is IS the fun part! - Maerchen, 2020

The good thing is, we have all the information in the reports. The bad thing is, we have all the information. Maerchen, 2020

Came for SE. Will stay for SE.

(in reply to zgrssd)

Post #: 9

RE: Help diagnosing financial woes and population control - 5/14/2021 12:51:18 PM

zgrssd

Posts: 3385
Joined: 6/9/2020
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: Maerchen

Income tax ratio penalties are depending on difficulty settings, IIRC. At hard difficulty and the appropriate regime feats, I can get away with 50% tax.

As OP mentioned, he is a beginner, so he may get away with super high taxes at lower diff settings.

Even if the people will not outright rebel, this will strangle the Private Economy.

(in reply to Maerchen)

Post #: 10

RE: Help diagnosing financial woes and population control - 5/14/2021 4:24:43 PM

redrum68

Posts: 1202
Joined: 11/26/2017
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: zgrssd
Even if the people will not outright rebel, this will strangle the Private Economy.

Probably true but Private Economy doesn't really matter. As long as you have a private farm to feed people, the rest of the private buildings aren't really important.

(in reply to zgrssd)

Post #: 11

RE: Help diagnosing financial woes and population control - 5/14/2021 4:59:38 PM

laagamer

Posts: 50
Joined: 4/22/2021
Status: offline

Interesting! Thank all very much for your input.

I'm slowly learning.

I've dug up a bit more info online about taxes, and poked around in the old manual.

I think what's is missing is the 20% income I'm receiving production and the Hidden Economy! That would make sense, according to my treasury screen!

EDIT: And to clarify, I'm at 40% Income Tax, and 100% Sales Tax.

Should that be changed? I am on Beginner. Didn't see anything in the manual about it, other than Beginner starts with 20% Income Tax, as opposed to zero.

< Message edited by laagamer -- 5/14/2021 5:06:14 PM >

(in reply to redrum68)

Post #: 12

RE: Help diagnosing financial woes and population control - 5/14/2021 5:46:20 PM

laagamer

Posts: 50
Joined: 4/22/2021
Status: offline

On a second note, I just built a terrible rocket launcher platform with an underpowered engine.

But, it's pretty ****ing cool to create a mobile rocket platform.

It's got -60% mobility modifier thingy because of the engine, but it can surprisingly still cover a lot of ground!

(in reply to laagamer)

Post #: 13

RE: Help diagnosing financial woes and population control - 5/14/2021 6:14:40 PM

zgrssd

Posts: 3385
Joined: 6/9/2020
Status: offline

quote:

EDIT: And to clarify, I'm at 40% Income Tax, and 100% Sales Tax.

Should that be changed? I am on Beginner. Didn't see anything in the manual about it, other than Beginner starts with 20% Income Tax, as opposed to zero.

40% Income is a lot more sensible.

Regarding the sales tax:
This applies if the Private Economy buys something from the traders.
Aside from Food, what the Private Economy buys most is "Luxury Goods and Services", a major part of them gaining happiness.

quote:

ORIGINAL: laagamer

On a second note, I just built a terrible rocket launcher platform with an underpowered engine.

But, it's pretty ****ing cool to create a mobile rocket platform.

It's got -60% mobility modifier thingy because of the engine, but it can surprisingly still cover a lot of ground!

If you only move them on roads, no strong engine is needed. Just be carefull not to make them so weak, they become immobile - then you can only strategic redeploy them.

Regarding Fuel consumption:
- the speed is heavily influenced by Design Roll/Effective engine power, but consumption is the same
- the Fuel consumption is 90% weight
- the stated Engine Fuel consumption is a miniscule addition
- however double and tripple engines double and tripple the weight based Fuel consumption

(in reply to laagamer)

Post #: 14