Branch Offices should prove benefits for host.

[Zenopath]

So far as I can tell, a branch office is a parasite growing on your planets, providing no benefit to you.

Most times you will at least be able to choose who is gaining free energy and benefits, entering into a trade agreement with a megacorp does at least seem to make them very unlikely to turn and stab you in the back. Unless you have a crime lord megacorp, which can just put down branch offices so long as you are not actively at war with them. if i understand that mechanic correctly....

Now, I get that, branch offices don't actually hurt you any, again with exception of crime lords, but, if your rival is getting stronger you are comparatively weaker. It makes it disadvantages to have megacorps in your game unless you are running as megacorp yourself. It sort of makes me want to have a map creation option to disable megacorps in a particular playthrough.

My solution to this would be a game balance fix: make branch offices provide a small benefit to the host. Maybe 1/4th of the bonus. This would mean that while, yes, mega corps benefit a lot from branch offices, its not fully one sided. This would be a downside to you, when playing as a megacorp, but would be a reasonable downside. I mean, in the real world, no government would accept letting corporations operate freely on their soil, without taxing them *or at least getting revenue by taxing their employees*. Why would an FTL civilization be any different?

(edit) people have explained that you get some job slots from a corperate office. This feels lobsided to me, I mean if a mega corp is getting 40+ energy and 6 consumer goods or 3 alloys per month, 2 clerk jobs in return is a bit underwhelming. If nothing else, you should get 1/4 their base energy gain with no buildings, right now, you do get nothing if they decide not to build any buildings.

 

[PhroX]

They do benefit the host in the form of extra job slots.

 

[grandad1982]

They do benefit the host....

 

[Matoro_TBS]

As others have said, Branch Offices jobs give resources to the host. You can check the bonuses there https://stellaris.paradoxwikis.com/Buildings#Corporate_2
"Planet bonus" is basically what the planet owner gets.

 

[DrFranknfurter]

I would like the UI to be clearer about it (I feel like I complain about the UI every other day). A break between the different bonuses with a clear, unambiguous title for both. e.g.

Fast Food Chain
Local/Host [insert name of empire] benefit:
+1 farmer jobs
Corporation [insert name of empire] benefit:
+10 food
-2 energy

The OP is evidence that not everyone can parse the description and get useful information out of it at the moment. It's also bad UI if you wanted to add a building that the host paid upkeep for, or one that gave the corporation extra jobs. I'll give you an example, imagine a new Embassy building that gives both the host planet and the corporation's capital a diplomat job, as well as a bonus to migration between the two races, but costs the host energy and the corporation influence per turn. I'd have it represented as follows:

Embassy
Host Puny Humans benefit:
-2 energy
+1 Diplomat
+50% migration speed with Space Apple
Corporation Space Apple benefit:
-0.25 influence
+1 Diplomat on capital planet
+50% migration speed with Puny Humans

Currently it'd probably show like this:
Embassy
-0.25 influence
+1 Diplomat
+50% migration speed
-2 energy
+1 Diplomat
+50% migration speed

And it's more trial and error or looking up the wiki to work out what's actually happening.

Don't feel bad OP!

 

[Aotrs Commander]

I must admit, I had to come and ask here fr a clarification about branch offices as a megacorp myself; it definitely needs some work on the UI.

 

[Ryika]

I'll give you an example, imagine a new Embassy building that gives both the host planet and the corporation's capital a diplomat job, as well as a bonus to migration between the two races, but costs the host energy and the corporation influence per turn.

I might be incorrect here, but I think such a building cannot even be implemented, at least not in a way that would actually show up in the tooltip. That's because the way Branch Offices work: All resource-related stuff is always paid or gained by the owner of the building, while all "jobs" are, obviously, added to the planet.

That's also how one can make sense of the tooltips, the rule here is pretty easy one you've figured out how it works.

I do however agree that the tooltips can be very confusing for people who haven't (yet) looked into the system, and that there must surely be a better way to represent the information.

 

[DrFranknfurter]

@Ryika I was creating a hypothetical new building with new effects where the current UI would fail even more. I wasn't expecting to be able to easily mod it in.

I've edited my post and posted a version of it on the suggestions forum. Amusingly I had most confusion personally with the super-buildings. I assumed at first they may be super 1-per empire and increase things like trade value for your empire (+5% trade +10% amenities) but then I had a moment of pause where I just wasn't sure who was getting what benefit as both are normally local planetary resources. The same issue would occur if it showed 2 (different) jobs where one was given to the corporation (hence my diplomat example). A better example would probably be if I'd had the two jobs and two bonuses being slightly different, picture reading the following description and trying to parse it e.g.

Dark Matter Research Lab:
-5 energy
-1 Dark matter
+1 science director job
+10% physics output for research jobs
+2 researcher jobs
+5% research job output
(Science Director and Empire wide +10% physics to corporation, +2 researcher jobs and +5% researcher output local to the planet)

[edit: added the new example]

 

[Slynx]

branch offices already provide jobs for the host with most of their buildings. in addition it allows you to spy on your enemy by letting you know what's on the planet\system. you can even see his ship designs if you want.
I think if they'll be buffed a little - they'll be too OP and people will complain that there is no point in playing anything but megacorp.

ps: also I think it would've been great if Megacorp could establish offices on it's own planets (that'll make Gospel of the Masses actually useful and very attractive perk, instead of just flavor)

 

[Zenopath]

I would like the UI to be clearer about it (I feel like I complain about the UI every other day). A break between the different bonuses with a clear, unambiguous title for both. e.g.

Fast Food Chain
Local/Host [insert name of empire] benefit:
+1 farmer jobs
Corporation [insert name of empire] benefit:
+10 food
-2 energy

The OP is evidence that not everyone can parse the description and get useful information out of it at the moment. It's also bad UI if you wanted to add a building that the host paid upkeep for, or one that gave the corporation extra jobs. I'll give you an example, imagine a new Embassy building that gives both the host planet and the corporation's capital a diplomat job, as well as a bonus to migration between the two races, but costs the host energy and the corporation influence per turn. I'd have it represented as follows:

Embassy
Host Puny Humans benefit:
-2 energy
+1 Diplomat
+50% migration speed with Space Apple
Corporation Space Apple benefit:
-0.25 influence
+1 Diplomat on capital planet
+50% migration speed with Puny Humans

Currently it'd probably show like this:
Embassy
-0.25 influence
+1 Diplomat
+50% migration speed
-2 energy
+1 Diplomat
+50% migration speed

And it's more trial and error or looking up the wiki to work out what's actually happening.

Don't feel bad OP!

Well, live and learn, I honestly had no idea.

Though if the megacorp is getting some 40 energy per month off my planet plus some other resource, like alloys or cg, feels like just getting 2 clerk jobs in return is a bit lopsided.

 

[DrFranknfurter]

@Zenopath I like to think of it as your suggestions have been retroactively implemented into the game. Also a good example of the importance of good user interfaces, or the confusion you get with an imperfect presentation of data. (You could always add in an edit on the first line to show the issue was resolved so new people aren't accidentally convinced corporation buildings do nothing for the host).

We all get confused from time to time. I get most confused (there is a lot of competition here) in Stellaris when the tooltips start throwing lots of NOT statements at me, all must be false, one must be true, ticks and crosses all over the place and multiple branches of programmer logic. I remember once counting something like 14 ticks and crosses in a tooltip and having no idea what the end result was for an embarrassingly long amount of time... I can't remember what it was for, it could have been something as simple as a Civic choice I don't remember, once you understand what the civic/building does you no longer need the tooltips and so can easily forget how bad some of them are. I get even more confused when I'm trying to mod things myself even if I appreciate the potential in the system. I don't know how to best simplify that sort of thing but I'd love it if it was presented in a friendlier manner.

Even outside Stellaris the confusing logic/programmer UI follows me, like when checking the interactive Tech Tree to see why gateway tech isn't showing up in my game. "x0.0 -->All must be false --> one must be true --> has encountered gateway..." etc.
(If you have encountered a gateway it's true, so not all are false, so you don't get the bonus of multiplied by zero... surely there's a better way of presenting that)

 

[Zenopath]

@Zenopath I like to think of it as your suggestions have been retroactively implemented into the game. Also a good example of the importance of good user interfaces, or the confusion you get with an imperfect presentation of data. (You could always add in an edit on the first line to show the issue was resolved so new people aren't accidentally convinced corporation buildings do nothing for the host).

We all get confused from time to time. I get most confused (there is a lot of competition here) in Stellaris when the tooltips start throwing lots of NOT statements at me, all must be false, one must be true, ticks and crosses all over the place and multiple branches of programmer logic. I remember once counting something like 14 ticks and crosses in a tooltip and having no idea what the end result was for an embarrassingly long amount of time... I can't remember what it was for, it could have been something as simple as a Civic choice I don't remember, once you understand what the civic/building does you no longer need the tooltips and so can easily forget how bad some of them are. I get even more confused when I'm trying to mod things myself even if I appreciate the potential in the system. I don't know how to best simplify that sort of thing but I'd love it if it was presented in a friendlier manner.

Even outside Stellaris the confusing logic/programmer UI follows me, like when checking the interactive Tech Tree to see why gateway tech isn't showing up in my game. "x0.0 -->All must be false --> one must be true --> has encountered gateway..." etc.
(If you have encountered a gateway it's true, so not all are false, so you don't get the bonus of multiplied by zero... surely there's a better way of presenting that)

I did add an edit to the OP, pointing out that yes, you do get some jobs from buildings. It stll feels underwhelming, but i did acknowledge my mistake.

 

[Playwars]

While I aggree that branch offices bonuses for hosts can sometime feel underwhelming, it's still supposed to give a much bigger advantage to the megacorp than to you, hence ensuring that only your allied megacorp get commercial pacts with you. Some form of exclusivity if you will.

If the devs wanted however they could push it further and make a form of symbiosis between megacorps and normal empires, by adding megacorp buildings costing rare resources but giving large buffs to the planet (and by that I mean something more than +5% trade value than executive retreat and the like), giving the megacorp the option of strengthening it's clients and acting in symbiosis, as they indirectly profit from their own help.

 

[Ryika]

It stll feels underwhelming

But then you also have to take into account that you don't have to do or give anything, other than to enter a commercial pact, and give access to the "Branch Office Slot" which has no value for you as a non-Megacorp.

The Megacorp on the other hand has to establish the branch office which costs at least 1000 Energy and 200(?) Influence upfront, more if you're not their direct neighbor. Then they have to construct the buildings which are on the expensive side, and the Megacorp also gets +2 Empire Sprawl from the Branch Office. And then it basically prevents them from going to war with you in the future, unless they want to lose their investment.

So it's a deal where one side gets a little bit of free stuff just for existing, while the other side has to commit and invest a lot to get a positive return in the future.

I think all things considered, the implementation is fine in terms of balance. I'll agree that it feels a bit underwhelming to be the empire that grants access to its worlds, but in the end its a mechanic that mostly exists for the Megacorp, not for the other empires. If it gave strong bonuses, then having a Megacorp around would just be a significant power boost without any real investment costs.

 

[Chthon]

When I play a megacorp with other players, they thank me for building branches at their world, and I actively encourage them to help me decide what buildings to place on their planets when a new slot is available.

They WANT the jobs. More Clerk slots please! I'll take a Merchant! I need more naval capacity so give me a few soldiers!

 

[DrFranknfurter]

I wonder if you could do something to make the exchange a little more symbiotic? Give the host more ways of interacting with the system - funding buildings, upgrading buildings, boycotts etc.

Fund a building,
pay minerals to reduce the price for the megacorp for that building, on that branch office. To hopefully encouraging them to build it at some point just because it's cheaper or free. It'd be mostly useful when interacting with an AI, humans you can just trade minerals with and talk to... but doing it via the corporate tab would be easier there too.

Upgrade a building,
Have an extra upgrade tier to corporate buildings paid for by the host if you want to squeeze out some extra bonuses e.g. fast food tier 2 gives extra farmer jobs and a small amount of extra food for the megacorp

Boycott megacorp building,
Pay a cost (500 credits, 360 days - done by AI at low relations levels) to remove the benefit to your empire of a branch office building and reduce the benefit to the megacorp, encourages them to build a different building, especially when another building is already funded by the host. You'd have to pay the boycott cost a second time for the new building - criminal buildings could then have higher crime levels and greater effects, but the criminal empire would have an incentive to regularly switch illegal operations for max crime.

 

[Slynx]

but criminal empires are your friends too. (and they also give you jobs)
after all it's natural for all planets to reach 100% crime (+a deal with a crime lord for free stability). or you're doing something wrong and wasting slots on precinct houses

 

[BarbeQ]

Fund a building,
pay minerals to reduce the price for the megacorp for that building, on that branch office. To hopefully encouraging them to build it at some point just because it's cheaper or free. It'd be mostly useful when interacting with an AI, humans you can just trade minerals with and talk to... but doing it via the corporate tab would be easier there too.

Upgrade a building,
Have an extra upgrade tier to corporate buildings paid for by the host if you want to squeeze out some extra bonuses e.g. fast food tier 2 gives extra farmer jobs and a small amount of extra food for the megacorp

I really like these two. The boycott could be a bit too harsh for an expanding MC, at least in the early days.

 

[Chthon]

If there was a boycott, it'd have to reduce stability of the planet. Some real cost to it, rather than just a one time fee.

 

[SpectralShade]

I tried playing as a criminal syndicate while playing a multiplayer game with one of my friends who bought the DLC.
My experience is that it's a waste of resources to try and build branches as criminal syndicate. The investment cost means it's always a hefty loss in resources before the branch has been closed down. Even my friend decided to close down my branch when I tried to set up shop on his capital, because it started triggering negative events for him.

So playing as criminals ends up feeling like you get all the negative aspects of being a syndicate, with none of the positive aspects.

And that's even not even counting the amount of times I run into another empire and discover I simply can't set up shop with them, even if I had the resources, because of their empire style.