Can someone explain to me Decadent Lifestyle living standard?

[DmUa]

Because i clearly cant decipher what it meant to represent... On one hand it retains different consumption levels of standard "unequal" living standards but at the same time it does grant equal bonus to happiness while simultaneously lacking political power modifiers in the same vein as Utopian Abundance or Shared Burden. Its description states - We deserve only the best, they must serve, we must rejoice. Yet civics that give access to this living standard do not require either Authoritarian or Xenophobic ethics. Im officially completely baffled by this civic and living standard.

 

[Baron Jukaga]

What's to understand? You pay more CG's for more happiness across your pops. That's it.

 

[Ryika]

The theming of the Civic is indeed quite confusing, and, on the surface at least, seems to clash with the gameplay effect.

My best guess would be that it's a kind of "Idealized capitalistic Dystopia", where "opium for the masses" really keeps people in a state of happiness, instead of just keeping them in a state of drowsiness. Where people don't feel like they're in a disadvantaged position, even though they objectively are - or at least don't feel bad about being in that position.

Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but it's kind of like what I (being from Germany) understand the idealized version of the American Dream to be. Work hard, be proud of your work and don't stop, because if you try really, really hard, you might yet make it into a better life. So engage in Consumerism to fuel the economy, and let's better not look behind the courtain.

 

[HFY]

where "opium for the masses" really keeps people in a state of happiness

Chemical Bliss lifestyle feels left out.

 

[Mastikator]

It's a civic that lets you play utopian abundance but better.

 

[HFY]

It's a civic that lets you play utopian abundance but better.

With domestic servants! And blackjack dealers who give +1% pop growth speed!

 

[HugsAndSnuggles]

Chemical Bliss lifestyle feels left out.

It felt left out from the moment it was introduced: the only niche use for it was when you can't purge, don't want to bother with resettlement, yet also don't want those planets you snatched from monospecies empire (typically, FE or genocidals) to rebel because their ethos clashes with your empire's. I suppose, you can put traders/entertainers on it now, but upkeep eats away all benefits even then... not to mention, you have no real control over pop jobs.

 

[Lykus Cerebros]

With domestic servants! And blackjack dealers who give +1% pop growth speed!

I think we have different opinions about what entertainers represent in these empires...

 

[Fenris_SE]

I've been playing around with it by using residence as citizenship for all my non main species I take over and decadent lifestyle. They can't become leaders but still get an extra 10% happiness bonus. Then using masterful crafters for the extra CGs which helps to make up for the extra CGs being used up. Can't say this is the best way to use it, but it seems to work. Haven't gotten into late game with this yet, so don't how it'll work with hundreds of pops, but is fun so far.

 

[HFY]

It felt left out from the moment it was introduced: the only niche use for it was when you can't purge, don't want to bother with resettlement, yet also don't want those planets you snatched from monospecies empire (typically, FE or genocidals) to rebel because their ethos clashes with your empire's. I suppose, you can put traders/entertainers on it now, but upkeep eats away all benefits even then... not to mention, you have no real control over pop jobs.

I remember reading about someone who used Chemical Bliss on a Thrifty species stuck in Trade Habitats, using the lifestyle TV and happiness bonus to +% TV to get something apparently decent.

But the reason I remember it isn't the +% TV, but rather because it's Literally High Finance.

I think we have different opinions about what entertainers represent in these empires...

Entertainers can't meaningfully contribute to pop growth and to continuous Amenities production by getting pregnant. Doing so would mean they don't work as Entertainers for most months of most years. So it can't be the most obvious thing.

 

[Mastikator]

Entertainers can't meaningfully contribute to pop growth and to continuous Amenities production by getting pregnant. Doing so would mean they don't work as Entertainers for most months of most years. So it can't be the most obvious thing.

Obviously they're orgy party organizers.

 

[Calvax]

It certainly feels inconsistent. The flavour text implies that one group is enjoying life at the behest of the other, and given that it was a humanoid update it's pretty clearly a play on the "decadent space elves" trope. Yet at the same time it doesn't play like that.

Personally I feel it should be locked to authoritarian, and that the decadent gene trait should be removed so that it's bonus can become part of the civic. The idea of a genetic predisposition towards wanting slaves feels a bit weird anyho (especially as you can have the trait and also have a fanatic egalitarian culture). It would be better to roll the two ideas together.

 

[HFY]

Obviously they're orgy party organizers.

So they're not merely blackjack dealers, but strip blackjack dealers, which sounds like quite a game.

Fair enough.

 

[TrotBot]

Personally I feel it should be locked to authoritarian

Noooooooooooooooooooo!

I have been using pleasure seekers without decadent lifestyle. I go fanatic egalitarian pleasure seekers with utopian abundance and it's so much fun. What I want is for them to do the opposite, make the civic entirely ethics neutral and the lifestyle be the part that's restricted to authoritarians.

 

[Calvax]

Noooooooooooooooooooo!

I have been using pleasure seekers without decadent lifestyle. I go fanatic egalitarian pleasure seekers with utopian abundance and it's so much fun. What I want is for them to do the opposite, make the civic entirely ethics neutral and the lifestyle be the part that's restricted to authoritarians.

Which sounds like you don't really want decadent life style (the key part of the civic), and that the civic is (as I said) tonally confused as to what it wants to be.

 

[HFY]

Which sounds like you don't really want decadent life style (the key part of the civic), and that the civic is (as I said) tonally confused as to what it wants to be.

Honestly the lifestyle is a bad mechanic.

They should re-work the civic to be compatible with the existing lifestyles, and to boost some of the less-powerful ones (like Utopian Abundance and Chemical Bliss).

 

[Nevars]

Do you know a scifi book named Brave New World? I think it's that kind of trope that it try to represent.

 

[Cat_Fuzz]

Honestly the lifestyle is a bad mechanic.

They should re-work the civic to be compatible with the existing lifestyles, and to boost some of the less-powerful ones (like Utopian Abundance and Chemical Bliss).

I agree - I would maybe change chemical bliss to give you the bonuses of the decadent lifestyle living standard (maybe with a huge negative to unemployed pops), then let this civic make you start with chemical bliss and keep its other bonuses.

 

[Echo Candor One]

I think we have different opinions about what entertainers represent in these empires...

Mix it with Warrior Culture and suddenly you've got a very interesting situation with duelists.

 

[TrotBot]

Mix it with Warrior Culture and suddenly you've got a very interesting situation with duelists.

it specifically bans you from mixing it with warrior culture, probably because crossing swords is a natural form of birth control.