Criminal Heritage Megacorp Problem

[TriscuitBiscuit003]

So I've been placing branch offices on nation planets and it was working great, their crime was roughly 50%-80% and the trade value was earning ~50. But then I noticed that one of the worlds had 100% crime, and the trade value plummeted to ~19 due to so many pops working criminal jobs...

soooo I'm supposed to increase crime to gain the benefits, but not too much that the criminals take all my benefits? This feels wonky. And theres no building that decreases the criminal workers as a crime syndicate. All the buildings I have access to increase crime...

I would think a better work around would be, the host planet loses energy/trade value or something, but as the criminal corp I don't get penalized for crime that I'm trying to create to build my crime empire. Idk...

 

[Bezborg]

They should add a "underworld trade value" to the game haha... It would be 1:1 to normal trade value, only useable to the criminal megacorp

 

[TriscuitBiscuit003]

They should add a "underworld trade value" to the game haha... It would be 1:1 to normal trade value, only useable to the criminal megacorp

That would be dope! I like the idea of really messing up someone elses economy through crime but also making it worthwhile via a black-market tv.

 

[Bezborg]

That would be dope! I like the idea of really messing up someone elses economy through crime but also making it worthwhile via a black-market tv.

Yeah, as it stands now...by destroying the normal economy of a planet, you're hurting yourself too. It's a conceptual paradox within the civic itself.

But this is what you get when they tack-on stuff without proper testing, a sore wound in the development of this game since the beginning, sadly. Especially since Megacorp.

Let's hope the Custodians get the time to reach this issue as well.

 

[TriscuitBiscuit003]

Yeah, as it stands now...by destroying the normal economy of a planet, you're hurting yourself too. It's a conceptual paradox within the civic itself.

But this is what you get when they tack-on stuff without proper testing, a sore wound in the development of this game since the beginning, sadly. Especially since Megacorp.

Let's hope the Custodians get the time to reach this issue as well.

Yeah...

Here's something else you might be able to help me understand.

When I hover over criminal jobs, the modifier says that it's producing -45 TV due to 9 criminals, BUT, it also says +45 TV from branch office. So is it canceling itself out? if so, im not sure why this planet is producing -25 tv then....

 

[TrotBot]

i would want a buff like this, so that it can get a nerf against utopians. if you're getting everything for free, there's no demand for a black market. would be like buying pirated dvds in a back alley when torrent sites exist. makes no sense that my 100 amenity worlds with utopian abundance and holo theatres require a fully upgraded precinct. and in my current game, i have like 3 criminal syndicates in the galaxy, one of which is pacifist because i am, and my fanatic egalitarian pacifist ally keeps inviting them to the fed!

 

[Bezborg]

Yeah...

Here's something else you might be able to help me understand.

When I hover over criminal jobs, the modifier says that it's producing -45 TV due to 9 criminals, BUT, it also says +45 TV from branch office. So is it canceling itself out? if so, im not sure why this planet is producing -25 tv then....

I'm not sure on that one mate... can screenshot the tooltip explaining the TV on the planet?

 

[TriscuitBiscuit003]

I'm not sure on that one mate... can screenshot the tooltip explaining the TV on the planet?

 

[Bezborg]

Well, 20 - 45 = -25

So the planet produces no trade value by itself. Your branch office produces 20 trade value (I'm guessing it rounds off from 19.6)

Then, the criminals have a flat TV penalty that applies to the planet.

So the planet has -25 trade value, which is a calculation of all flat production and all flat penalties

Now, your trade branch office has some bonuses and multipliers on trade value... but the only explanation is that these bonuses exists separate from the planet, and apply only to your empire's gains, not the planet itself.

Not sure how else to explain it.

So if this is true, you can theoretically make trade value with your bonuses and multipliers, at the same time the planet is losing trade value.

The whole thing seems weird and disjointed

 

[TriscuitBiscuit003]

Well, 20 - 45 = -25

So the planet produces no trade value by itself. Your branch office produces 20 trade value (I'm guessing it rounds off from 19.6)

Then, the criminals have a flat TV penalty that applies to the planet.

So the planet has -25 trade value, which is a calculation of all flat production and all flat penalties

Now, your trade branch office has some bonuses and multipliers on trade value... but the only explanation is that these bonuses exists separate from the planet, and apply only to your empire's gains, not the planet itself.

Not sure how else to explain it.

So if this is true, you can theoretically make trade value with your bonuses and multipliers, at the same time the planet is losing trade value.

The whole thing seems weird and disjointed

huh... I think im slowly figuring this out. It's confusing as all hell.

Especially since there is SOME tv being produced according to the jobs, but it also says they aren't producing any... Or maybe just not enough to offset the # of criminals.

I also noticed another empire had reached 100% crime but they are still producing me ~50 tv so idk. I'm just not going to worry too much about it I guess.

Thanks for the help!

 

[Bezborg]

huh... I think im slowly figuring this out. It's confusing as all hell.

Especially since there is SOME tv being produced according to the jobs, but it also says they aren't producing any... Or maybe just not enough to offset the # of criminals.

I also noticed another empire had reached 100% crime but they are still producing me ~50 tv so idk. I'm just not going to worry too much about it I guess.

Thanks for the help!

my pleasure

Just hold out till distant worlds 2 comes out in 2 months

 

[nfmarque]

Imo criminal syndicate civic should work in another way.
The criminal wants crime but not too high so to get the authorities attention, and this would be a balancing act on the criminal empire. buildings that generate crime and buildings that mask those operations lowering it, money laundering like a car wash , bribe officials, public relations offices, "charity" operations and front organisation like los pollos hermanos

 

[A2ch0n]

I really hope we get a rework with the situation system / internal politics addon. I really like the idea behind criminal syndicates and i want them to be good. The focus on espionage that they have is a good start but i would like to see some improvements.
My idea in case of crime would be that criminal BO's aren't visible to the target empire, maybe a second branch office tab thats hidden until you get enough intel on that syndicate. A part of the generated trade value of that planet is shifted directly to the syndicate and some criminal jobs are generated like it actual is. The higher your infiltration level and the better your BO cloak is (some buildings for that) the better is your income. Maybe an efficient way would be two crime buildings and two cloaking ones. The crime on that planet doesn't explode but you income isn't lowered that way and you BO can't be shut down becouse they even don't know that it exists.
This could again be tied into the situation system. If you can manage to stay undetected you could maybe even get influence on the government / bribe officials and allow you to play directly into that puppetier playstyle many players want to have for espionage as well. Maybe something like a forced subsidary could be the final stage starting with resource steal and so on.