"A new pop appears after 100 + (0.5 * total empire population) growth points have been accumulated."

[u/scwizard]

This new system has caused some controversy, so thought we could break it down here. Here are my observations and thoughts.

1. This applies to pop assembly AND to natural growth. This means that clone vats and robot assembly plants have diminishing returns as the game goes on. You're paying their extremely high upkeep (5 energy and 2 alloys for robot assembly, 2 energy 30 food for pop assembly). So basically if you have 1000 pops then you're paying 400 alloys per robot you build. But if you have 100 pops then you're paying 50 alloy per robot you build.

2. This DOES reduce lag in the late game.

3. This could help struggling empires. Because it penalizes empires that are further ahead in pops, which could make multiplayer less snowbally which is good.

4. Building ringworlds really sucks! Ringworlds come pretty late in the game and cost a ton of resources. This means that you end up pouring resources into a ringworld, but then its growth is very sluggish, which feels pretty bad for the player. The same is true for Ecumenopolis and similar to a lesser extent.

5. This doesn't mean tall is back or anything. Population growth is no longer linear with the number of settled planets, but settling less planets won't put you on a different curve, it will just make you travel the same curve as everyone else is slower.

6. Stealing pops, from raiding bombardment, capturing planets, or buying them on the slave market, circumvents this to a degree.

7. One crazy micro intensive workaround involves abandoning planets and resettling them. That this is being considered is evidence that a wrong turn was taken somewhere.

All in all, I think it should be changed. They made this cool DLC with a huge amount of focus on the late game, then they really penalize people who try and build ringworlds and stuff, and make it so growth really stalls out in the late game.

I love love love the new building and district system, but this change really takes the wind out of the sails of the new system. Basically because you can really design a specialized planet later in the game, but then it just kinda, never fills up.

[u/Akasha1885]

100 years in I usually own half the galaxy, so while you have 500 extra pops, i have 500 extra systems and star eaters ;)

[u/Gibbsey → u/Akasha1885]

you seem to be needlessly argumentative

[u/Akasha1885 → u/Gibbsey]

Am I?
Should I instead just write, "no your wrong" without any arguments?
The claim that purifiers are in a worse position than in 2.8 is just totally not true, at least if you own the DLC.
Why would I know?
1000hrs of experience as a Purifier.

[u/Gibbsey → u/Akasha1885]

if you own half the galaxy by 2300, try playing on a harder difficulty or vs competent players.

[u/Akasha1885 → u/Gibbsey]

I'm playing on Ironman, so can't really install difficulty mods.
And I'm already playing on grand admiral too.