What is Empire Approval?

It is not the same as System Approval, which is the happiness number you see when you look at your individual systems. System Approval gives + or - percent to Food and Influence. Empire Approval gives + and - to Dust Income and Science. It can be viewed by hitting F1 at the bottom left.

What is the problem?

Currently, Empire Approval does literally nothing. For any faction. This is a HUGE bug, considering an empire with 100% approval should be receiving a +30% bonus to both Dust and Science, and is currently getting nothing.

Where is the evidence of the bug?

The easiest way to replicate this is to create a new game as Sophons. Turn on the Super Tax Act. This will put the Dust Income at +14, and Science at +35, and System and Empire Happiness at 50% (Content).

Turn 1, Super Tax Act On

http://puu.sh/w0ez7/929fc1b520.jpg

http://puu.sh/w0eC8/f8ae2e53e4.jpg

Next, activate Toys for Boys. This costs 10% research, and bumps system and empire happiness up to 70% (15% bonus to Dust and Research). However, for Dust nothing happens, and for Research only the 90% reduction occurs, not the 15% increase. This is true even if you wait multiple turns for it to take affect.

Turn 1, 70% Happiness - Science down to 32, Dust Unchanged

http://puu.sh/w0eGr/3e8a64e7e8.jpg

http://puu.sh/w0eLu/8acbf99210.jpg

Turn 5, no change.

http://puu.sh/w0f4h/9baa10bf2a.jpg

http://puu.sh/w0f2a/2edebd574c.jpg

What does it all mean?

This HUGE game mechanic, which is clearly intended to function, is doing absolutely nothing. This can be EASILY replicated using my example, or if you just turn on and off Toys for Boys in literally any game you have saved, and check when it drops you from Ecstatic to Happy, or Happy to Content, or any variation.