Sectors, how do you use them?

[Zeqs]

In my previous game, I ran deficit on my Energy and Mineral production, despite a lot of Planets in Sector (settings: Research focus, yes Enslave, yes Colonize, yes Military station, yes Robot, yes Redevelopment, no Respect Tile Resource, no Purge). Then I took a glance, and realized the planets were woefully underdeveloped.

So I started a new game, and this time I decided to develop the planets themselves with multiple queued build orders before sending them off to Sector (settings: Research focus, no Enslave, no Colonize, no Military Station, yes Robot, no Redevelopment, yes Respect Tile Resource, no Purge). However, I felt it a bit too slow, because I need to wait for 5 Populations (building Robots can only help so much, and Resettlement will cost a bit of Influence which takes time) so I can upgrade into Administration and build the Power Hub and Mineral Plant. And despite this, the Sector AI doesn't seem to build any Synths to fill the empty spaces.

So how do you manage your sectors? Which Sector focus /setting is recommended? My primary worry is that forbidding Redevelopment might get me excessive Farmlands, but if I allow Redevelopment they would build excessive labs and causing a drop in Credit production.

 

[prismaticmarcus]

IMHO the settings don't matter as much as handing fully developed planets off to sectors.

 

[AmpsterMan]

I make homogenous sectors usually of about 4 planets. I tax at max rate, enable all building, and balanced focus. The only think lg I use federal funds for is to build up their spaceports so I get more naval capacity. Beyond that, I'm yet to notice any crumpling deficiencies in the set up.

 

[Alblaka]

I keep 1-2 core systems (approximately 3 planets), and use the rest of my slots for founding and building colonies. Once the colony has grown to 10 pops, I focus building the planetary capital, then queue up 40ish building upgrades and hand off the planet to a sector in the assured knowledge that the ai (with redevelopement turned off) can't screw over that planet anymore.

Sometimes.

But then I see a planet with 18 labs running 100% slaves and wonder whether that will become any more viable in 1.5

 

[Zeqs]

Yeah.... I'm exactly worried about that the Sector derping up, so it's best to hand over developed planets and forbid the Sector from Redevelopment. It just takes a bit longer to set up :x

 

[hagen_hase]

Im not a fan of how the sector system works atm. you have to hand over fully developed planets to make them work well. and you will have all sectors sit at max energie after some time.
maybe there should be a frontier sector, a sector where you can build yourself, but cant get taxes. ohh and the sectors should send you their energie credits if they are capped.

 

[Dauth]

I'm less worried about min-maxing my sectors. I've started a house rule with my friends that sectors can only contain as many systems (not planets) as you can directly control. This means my sectors tend to be smaller and I have to plan ahead for uplifted species or future colonisation. I do put my sectors on research focus and build up the spaceport to my specifications while leaving the AI to deal with the rest of it. I'm currently running a high ethics convergence playthrough though I would like to be able to state to the sectors always build building X if tile suitable, mainly for the symbol of unity.