War and conquest in 2.2?

[MaP_Prime]

Looks like I'm having a harder time getting used to 2.2 then I thought. I'm still struggling with the economy a bit, in my latest game I thought I was doing a good job managing pop growth and construction, but it felt like the more I built the further into the red I went. But the area I'm having the hardest time understanding is how to properly wage war and conquer planets in the new expansion. If it wasn't for the resource based edicts I would be in the red for everything all the time.

I usually prefer to play an expansionist human empire and once I can no longer explore and colonize I turn to war and conquest. However, I've been finding that the conquest part is more complicated then I thought since now you have to integrate conquered planets into your economy. Not only that, but the AI seems to be doing a real poor job of managing its planets (surprise!). Whenever I conquer a new planet it is always full of city districts and the trade complex buildings with a scattering of other districts and buildings. Not to mention that no matter what the population remains angry with low stability and high crime even after the penalties to conquering a new population have worn off. It never seems like the populations on these planets settle down and are resentful always and crime keeps spiraling out of control no matter what I do. Additionally I have no idea what to do with newly conquered planets. Do I just start knocking down buildings and restructuring them into something that makes sense? Leave them alone? In my most recent game I got so frustrated whenever I conquered a new planet I just started expelling populations, which takes forever because it will only decline on pop at a time, and when you have doezens of pops that is going to take an eternity.

So I'm really stumped on how to wage war. Should I just be taking little bites of territory to minimize the damage to my economy? Or am I just doing it all wrong?

 

[Molikroth]

I can't speak for anyone else, but I've had luck taking a handful of planets each time, it makes it easier to change those planets into productive for my economy instead of the AIs (which seems to prioritize trade value over other buildings). I drop into the red for a bit while I retool the planets and get them productive for my economy, and during that time I tend to be pretty reliant on the market. I'll usually sell something I have a lot of to keep me solvent while I digest my new planets. I don't play on the super higher difficulties though, so take anything I say with a grain of salt.

 

[Jotoco]

I think you either purge (or displace, or eat, or assimilate) population or vassalize the captured planets.

Even if you're fanatic xenophile you should vassalize first and then integrate. It is FAR less damaging to your economy.

Just imagine if South Korean suddenly annexed North Korea. The South would take a major hit to it's economy, even if the entire world started sending supplies and help.

Now imagine if South Korea freed North Korea and installed a freer, more capitalistic and democratic regime and helped it along for a couple decades for a smoother transition and then annexed it.

That is the equivalent you're looking at.

 

[Galactic_Economist]

Take the raiding bombardment and just steal pop to populate your own planets and habitats. Then makes tributaries / subsidiaries.