Megacorp Branch office tweaks and additional civics

[Cry_Havok]

Magacorps currently are almost entirely parasitic, due to the most desirable branch offices for the megacorp granting the worst jobs (generally a few clerks) other than mercenary offices and basic resource jobs.

What I propose is that all specialist branch offices instead of providing clerks provide the corresponding specialist job. Alloys branch offices provide metalurgists, unity branch offices provide culture workers, etcetera. I also propose certain civics then buff branch office building outputs. Private Military Contractors get extra output from the alloys branch office, media company gets extra output from the unity branch offices, and so on.

Some suggested civics along that line include
Private Education Corporation (Megacorp Technocracy) - Requires some degree Materialist
Research branch offices provide 1EC and 5% diplomatic weight from technology
Technocracy job substitution
Privatization of education allowed this megacorp to master education. While overpriced it allows more access to education and private research contributions bolster the name and recogntion of the megacorp

Agribusiness
Framers and anglers provide +1 Trade Value
Fast Food Chains are replaced by Exotic Grocers which add +10% planetary trade value in addition to the farmer job
This megacorp makes all things related to farming. Heavy agriculture equipment and inport, export, and shipping of food all are under the umbrella of the wide ranging expertise of this business

Reactor Manufacturer
+1 energy per technician
Can build Reactor Services branch offices which provide energy and increase the output by tecnhicians on the planet and add a technician job
The privatization of this Megacorp's power grid made them masters of repair, upkeep, and efficiency.

Construction Company
+25% planetary build speed, +1 building slot
Can construct Skyscraper branch offices that provide +5 housing and +10% Build Speed and Trade Value
This Megacorp's Origins are in construction. Their skyscapers are a source of pride and advertise the Megacorp's services

Employee Owned Corporation
Requires: Egalitarian, Not Xenophobe. Does not have Criminal Heritage.
Enables the Shared Burdens Living Standard and prohibits the use of all other living standards but Utopian Abundance
Branch offices are 25% less effective, cost 50% less influence, and provide +25% egalitarian ethics atraction
Can not be the target of the Exporation war goal
Unlike a standard Megacorp's owner structure every employee is a partial owner, from the Clerks to the Executives. While less profitable than other megacorps their employees are more loyal and local ownership makes their branches incredibly reslilient.

 

[Abdulijubjub]

I'm a big fan of new unique branch office buildings, especially if they're replacements for existing buildings (like the Knights' fair grounds holding) to keep complexity down.

I also really like the idea of branch office buildings synergizing with designations, though for the reactor trader one, I'd recommend giving technicians on the planet a TV buff, so it's more thematic and gives both you and the host empire something valuable, instead of just boosting energy output (if that's what you had in mind)

However, I don't like these holdings providing random jobs (other than researcher). Right now, branch offices give clerks, merchants, and farmers/miners. The clerks are fine: you will already have some clerk jobs on the planet, so they'll already be closed if you don't want them. The merchants are generally good; even in a non-trade build, 12 trade value and 3 amenities is a pretty good job. The random farmer and miner, though, are really annoying. If it's a mining world, the miner is good. Otherwise, it's just a one-off waste of a pop (a miner on a random planet is less than half as effective as one on a mining planet with building/ring support) that you have to manually go in and close, individually, planet by planet, and only after the MC makes that particular building.

Imagine how annoying it would be, when your CGs are provided by trade, to have random artisans popping up on planets, eating a pop and 7.8 minerals for more CGs that you don't need. Or metallurgists, which make 12 alloys for 12 minerals on your forge worlds, popping up and eating 7.8 minerals for 4-5 alloys on some random planet that you don't care about.

Each of these jobs (other than researchers) will be making half, or less than half, of what they would on a dedicated planet with building/ring/designation support, so working these jobs would be effectively deleting half a pop (after the early game), in exchange for saving you half a district.

I like the idea of it (it seems cool, thematically), but actually thinking through the resulting empire management effects makes me cringe.

 

[zZander56]

I definitely agree with the thought that branch offices should be more beneficial to hosts.