Managing a large empire... Help!

from Stardock Forums
I played my first Huge game, and am still playing it, but am having a nasty problem. First, I have the largest empire in the game - but the problem is this, even with 20% taxes, the morale sucks - it's like 30-50% - and I can't put anymore than 15% or so into government spending. This has caused my empire to fall WAY behind in tech and military force.

Here's my current expense breakdown:

Mil: 364
Social: 78
Research: 148
Maint: 346
Destabilization: 319
Total: 1300

Tax and spending are:
20% at 832
15% at 1305

I have 6 trade routes (max) between 50-65bc.

So where did I go wrong, and is there any way to get my government spending back up? Did I just build too many useless things on my planets that take maint. cost?

How come my people are so low on morale with only 20% tax and the major plenets at 100% for propoganda?

Oh, one last thing - is there a chart of technologies anywhere?

Thanks!
384 views 10 replies
Reply #1 from Stardock Forums Top
Oh, the destabilization is towards the one sub-empire that's at war with me - surprisingly the most powerful empire in the game with only 7-8 planets (one has almost 70000 ppl!!! hehe)

Even if I get rid of destabilization, that 319 is eaten up in less than 5% of spending if I recall...
Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top
Maybe you're being destabilized? Also, there's a UP issue about a celebration, and you vote on how much money each empire should donate. Donating nothing causes morale to drop.

If the morale's around 50%, you're fine. And a tech chart is on JavaScout's fansite.
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Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top
Well, I can't put anything more than 15-20% into my government spending with 18 star systems and 350 billion ppl. Doesn't seem to make sense to me...

I never saw a UP resolution about celebration.

JavaScout's fansite? You have a link? Thanks!
Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top
if possible, start trading techs and trading goods. go to half of the known races (make sure not to give too much to races you soon plan to conquer and races you don't want to beef up too much) and get the max amount of BC you can, for the most amount of months. aslo, plan it to where you will have some more goods to trade once your 'tribute' period expires.

once your tribute session is half-way done with the first group of races, go to the races you originally did not trade with, and give them everything you gave the first group for tribute as long as possible.
once that tribute session is half way done, go to the first group and give them another portion of stuff.....you get the picture.

i did this even playing the role as a military aggressor, and was still able to maintain awesome income, generate a good military, went out to conquer which means more planets and a higher morale rate.

another great way to generate a 'ton of tribute' is if there is a race out there that is inferior to you, ask an opposing race to pay you tribute to go to war with them. topple the infedels capital or take a number of their planets then (this works so well if they are ahead in terms of economy) demand tribute to end their destruction. I have gotten up to some 5000 BC for 20 months to end the torment on the Arceans. oh yeah!, you can do this several times to! wait about 10 turns, demand some tribute for war, then demand tribute from whoever your at war with again, to end it.

this should help beef up your income so you can keep up your techs and military at least.... long enough to where you can take some planets. i have found that the more i am colonizing the more the overall morale rises. could be wrong though. hope it helps!! ;p
Reply #5 from Stardock Forums Top
oh yeah, you probably already know this but you don't mention anything about tribute in your original post, and that's why i'm emphasizing on this!...

if you are trading something with someone, or demanding tribute, don't forget to ask for influence after you max your cash. there are times a race may not have the money to pay you as 'completely' as they would like too, but sometimes, you can squeeze out that extra little bit of influence bonus for the votes. late!!!
Reply #6 from Stardock Forums Top
How can you determine the max/best amount you can get from a tech? Do you just have to try again and again and again?

Also, how can I keep my morale 50%+ and still be able to raise my taxes >20%?
Reply #7 from Stardock Forums Top
Supply side economics does not work in GalCiv ;)

Depending on the number of morale resources you control, up your tax rate into the 60-100% range. Your tax income will rise considerably at the cost of some production capacity, but that capacity is obviously something you could not have afforded. Since you have already spoiled your people however, you must ramp up your tax rate slowly to bleed off the extra population without risking a revolt. With proper supplements from trade and tribute, a dominant empire on a huge map should be able to produce at least 3,000 BC a turn without running a deficit.
Reply #8 from Stardock Forums Top
Missed your request for tech info...

Javascout's GalCiv DB:
http://webpages.charter.net/trevorpowdrell/

My Tech Tree:
http://galciv.bsd.st/zai_h/
Reply #9 from Stardock Forums Top
The game strategy as far a colony management goes is a viscious circle... Money is production. Morale is money as it directly affects reporting taxpayers, population. Culture can greatly affect morale as can improving the planet class. If the planet exists in a sector with little or no cultural influence, you can build moral modifiers until your blue and it won't do much... try build an influence modifier. A monster important thing to do is to not allow colony ships to take very large numbers of people to new worlds... you'll probably have the world revolt before you can get it stable.

I've got a game going with over 100 worlds and am having no problems economically... I'm making over 11000 per turn and most of my planets have morale things still in the queue.... I am a cultural force with a fair sized military and trade routes that go a very long ways through my territory. I've never moved the tax collection off of 33.... However, i believe i took naturally content as a race trait.
Reply #10 from Stardock Forums Top
How on earth does the I-League have planets with 66000 ppl and 100 morale and pumping out money like mad?

If I raise my taxes, many of my planets morale falls into the 30's...