Are there any drawbacks to having a negative cash balance?

[PJL1973]

Apart from the obvious when it does go negative of not being able to build anything? I mean does things like research and building infrastructure stop like in Gal Civ 2, ehen it turns negative? Or are there other things like decreasing popularity etc?

On a side note, the manual seems a bit skimpy on details on a lot of things, like no ship and colony building descriptions / powers / efffects etc.

[Aroddo]

No. You just can't buy anything.

[PJL1973]

ORIGINAL: Aroddo

No. You just can't buy anything.

So I can run up a massive debt without any other consequences whatsoever? Current builds are not affected and research can carry on, and you aren't even forced to sell any buildings. It doesn't sound like a very effective deterrant.

[killroyishere]

Wow good find that could be a gamebreaker or at the very least an exploit. I like the way Making History allows that but public opinion and other things are certainly influenced by a national deficit.

[Aroddo]

Well, there's a drawback: You're going to die.

You can't build ships to replace your losses, you can't build structures to improve system economics, you can't step up research to get the REALLY expensive tech ...

I wondered about the lack of consequences, too, but while playing I found that having no money to spend is screwing your chances of victory quite royally.

It's like you failing to pay your mortgage but instead of getting kicked out of your house which ain't worth even half it's mortgage anyway, the bank let's you stay at home but arranges for having all your credit cards frozen. At 0% interest.

You'll survive for a time but you're bloody well motivated to get some cash.

[Erik Rutins]

As Aroddo said, you really do not want to go into negatve income. You will fall behind the other players and you will not be able to replace losses or react to new threats. It doesn't need other drawbacks, to be honest. The first time I mismanaged my economy, I learned that lesson and tried hard not to repeat it thereafter.

[Salamandra]

well it doesnt make sense that a whole empire falls in ruin after one turn because some cash is missing.
if you miss cash you go get it from the people, plunder a bit here and there... this isn't modelled ingame, but just imagine... [;)]

ORIGINAL: PJL

ORIGINAL: Aroddo

No. You just can't buy anything.

So I can run up a massive debt without any other consequences whatsoever? Current builds are not affected and research can carry on, and you aren't even forced to sell any buildings. It doesn't sound like a very effective deterrant.

[Iceman]

It's not like a country today cannot live in deficit... [;)]

[Aroddo]

rumor has it that some countries have massive debts to china and still maintain a large military. Yes, unbelievable, I know.
But at least they got rid of most of their cost generating production facilities to reduce maintenance. [:D]

[Salamandra]

it is all about outsourcing