Maintenance Tips?

from Stardock Forums
My biggest problem in this game seems to be keeping maintenance costs down low enough so that I can keep spending and income levels high. Aside from the obvious (Build 0 upkeep buildings, don't build high cost high upkeep buildings if there are lower cost/upkeep projects that give an equal or similar bonus), how should I manage social projects?

Also:
Starbases and Modules don't require upkeep, do they?
[Message Edited]
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Reply #1 from Stardock Forums Top
First off, never build an improvement that you don't need. For example, does your planet already have high morale? Don't build that costly morale improvement then.

In the newest versions, starbases now have no upkeep costs. To compensate however, you have to pay upfront to build them.
Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top
And trade, trade, and more trade!

Also, if you have to live without good trade, watch your worlds pops. They get very costly fast. Just load a bunch of those buggers onto colony ships, and send them on their way... That will reduce the cost of that world's maintenance. By being a population monitor, you can keep your decent PQ worlds at being profitable.
Galactic Civilizations IV
Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top
Just load a bunch of those buggers onto colony ships, and send them on their way
End of quote


You seem to think that population cost money. They don't. At 70% spending, they produce more taxes than they spend if you don't build all the manufacturing and research improvements.

You'd be surprized of how few buildings you need to build on a pq15-16 to reach 5 billion in population and 4xPQ in taxes at 50%, even without the help of economic or morale starbases.



~SDC~
Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top
When Earth is a PQ 27 world, and has 30 billion people, it's maintanence cost will be extreme. Off loading 15 billion of them will make the world "profitable" again. That can only happen because people cost money.

Until you reach the upper limit on taxes collected, you are okay with big pops. But once you cross that line, more people just cost you money.
Reply #5 from Stardock Forums Top
That can only happen because people cost money.
End of quote


Wrong again. Production and research cost money, not the people. On the other hand, taxes will never bring in much more than 4 times the pq so you can reach a point where most of your buildings generate 0 bonuses but still cost maintenance.

If you build a fusion plant, a manufacturing center, an anti-matter plant, a manufacturing capital and an hyperion center, your planet will always spend a lot more money than you can collect from taxes.

~SDC~