Economics Issues

[Cralis]

I'm sure someone has already asked this question, but a brief search didn't find it.

Why does your empire sometimes lose 8-15k out of your treasury every game year, even if you have a positive income? Mine has a +9k (est) and I get up to about 6000 credits and then at the end of the year drop to about -8000. In prior years it was dropping from 2k down to -6k, and now it is going that far.

I have cleaned out troops, agents, and reduced high maintenance ships. I simply cannot find what is going on.

Further, this leads me to suggest that the game needs a SUPER DETAILED breakdown of the economy "screen" where I can see much more about how my income is coming in, and where it is going out.

Any ideas?

[forsaken1111]

Are you paying any alliance payments to pirates?

[Cralis]

didn't think of that, but no. I've blown up all the bases I can find.

[Starfry]

If you are expanding pretty quickly, your private economy tanks as needed freight ships and passenger liners are redirected to support those colonies.   This is what I figure since when I expand too quickly, the private fleets can not meet the demands and the economy goes down. Once I stopped and the required freight ships are built, the economy went back up.

[ASHBERY76]

How the hell are people struggling with the economy now.The economy is so bloated in 1.3 and needs a huge nerf.

[Webbco]

Ashbery, you've been part of the DW forum since pretty much the beginning right? You've discovered how the game mechanics work piece by piece as more and more questions are answered.

There are people who have literally just bought the game and haven't explored it fully yet. Stuff that you think is obvious might not the case with newcomers.

I know what you mean though, the economy issue has been discussed countless times before but I guess some people don't have the time to browse the entire forum looking for previous threads on the topic.

[Erik Rutins]

Yes, it's a good thing that there is a continuing influx of new players, but it can be easy to forget that not everyone has been here from the beginning. Please be patient folks, we really appreciate any help the experienced players can give to new ones, it's a big help!

Cralis, changes in private sector ship orders can cause pretty big fluctuations, as can temporary resource shortages or new building/refitting programs. How much do you have automated and how much is under your control? If a lot is automated, you may not realize some of what is going on. Check your construction yards and your expansion planner for resource supply/demand as well as the empire summary for your income/expense details.

[BlackAlpha]

ORIGINAL: Cralis

I'm sure someone has already asked this question, but a brief search didn't find it.

Why does your empire sometimes lose 8-15k out of your treasury every game year, even if you have a positive income? Mine has a +9k (est) and I get up to about 6000 credits and then at the end of the year drop to about -8000. In prior years it was dropping from 2k down to -6k, and now it is going that far.

I have cleaned out troops, agents, and reduced high maintenance ships. I simply cannot find what is going on.

Further, this leads me to suggest that the game needs a SUPER DETAILED breakdown of the economy "screen" where I can see much more about how my income is coming in, and where it is going out.

Any ideas?

I'm guessing its either the AI buying things or the positive and negative incomes are added/substracted one by one. So first it adds 6k credits and later on it removes 4k. On top of that, the AI might be buying things, which decreases your credit even further.

[BigWolfChris]

Could you post a screenshot your finance screen please?

Once you realize how the economy works, it's far too easy to make money
To me, it sounds like you expanded way too fast in either military hardware or with number of colonies

Also, have you got the AI building bases and ships, or are you handling this yourself?
Also, how often are you retrofitting?  Are these being handled by the AI, or by you?

[Fishman]

My guess is that the money is being deducted in auto-shipbuilding payments. Construction ships left to their own devices like to build bases, often those STUPID ENERGY RESEARCH STATIONS, the ones you DON'T EVEN HAVE A DESIGN FOR, that serve absolutely NO USEFUL PURPOSE because your research is already capped out.

[Cralis]

I'm doing everything myself. After a LONG time (couple hours of gameplay) it stopped doing it. Actually, right after some more pirates tried to ransom me.

If it happens again I'll take screenshots. As for the questions: I turn off all automation. It is annoying. Even so, the little bits that remain is annoying...such as ships automatically going on automatic when built. Who wants their new battle fleet to go patrol the four-corners of the universe when you need it HERE right NOW to go kill something?

[sbach2o]

Early game certain resource shortages can lead to the cost of shipbuilding and maintenance to skyrocket and fluctuate wildly. I've seen this with steel or polymere, which are used by lots of components. This can quickly push you into the red.
 
To find these cases, look out for any strategic resource having a price of more than 1 per unit and at least some demand by your empire. This info can be accessed in Expansion Planner. To help overcome such shortages, make it a priority to send your constructors build the corresponding Mining Stations.
 
You may also have a shortage of transport capacity in the private sector. Do not clog up all your construction yards with military projects to let the private sector expand.
 
In a slightly more advanced game (for my last one it was probably three years in), these problems usually resolve themselves with more and more Mining Stations producing enough raw materials to keep the cost of all strategic resources very low. Then it turns into a seemingly eternal economic boom.

[BigWolfChris]

ORIGINAL: sbach2o

To find these cases, look out for any strategic resource having a price of more than 1 per unit and at least some demand by your empire. This info can be accessed in Expansion Planner. To help overcome such shortages, make it a priority to send your constructors build the corresponding Mining Stations.

Do remember, even the empires you haven't met affect the prices on your resources
So sometimes there is nothing you can do but wait for those empires to sort themselves out (which they will do)