I just have 2 systems, and decided to build xenotourisme agency early to test if it makes a difference. I never looked at it before. Now I got it on both planets and it doesn't seem to make any difference. No additional dust seems to come and my total deficit is about the same than in the previous turn when they weren't there. I have 2 planets colonized, both jungle so I should get a significant boost from those improvements; Quite disappointing, is it a bug or I am missing something?



Playing Hissos in Disharmony, I saved the turn so can post more info if required

Is that system an outpost? All outposts that are not covered with your influence area suffer a -50% penalty to science and dust production, so such buildings as Xenotourism Agencies and Public-Private Partnerships are not worth building there.

Vicarious wrote:
Is that system an outpost? All outposts that are not covered with your influence area suffer a -50% penalty to science and dust production, so such buildings as Xenotourism Agencies and Public-Private Partnerships are not worth building there.

indeed outposts outside the area of influence of another colony get this "distance from empire" penalty. It may or may not be worth depending on the planets in your system. Sometimes I prefer to build something even marginaly useful, especially if its dust balance is positive and will improve later, rather than wasting 66% of resources when I have nothing better than converting them to science or dust. Although valid, that's beyond the point here.



I have done more testing and finally understood what I was looking for: the improvement works indeed, only the benefit of this improvement appears on the planet FIDS first, and it works perfectly no matter if a colony or outpost etc. A jungle with 7opulation: will get the 14 and add 8 from the xenotourism agency for a total of 22. If it's a remote outpost, then the penalty will be "-11 from distance from empire" and add/substract other penalties and bonus. So I get only 4 from it, minus its cost, 2. Barely positive but... positive. On very small planets (like 3opulation: max) with little potential for more, it will result negative so not worth it indeed.

Thanks for checking into that, YucaFrita. I was getting concerned with xenotourism since I use it in the early game. It becomes obsolete later, but extra dust in the beginning can be a big help.

YucaFrita wrote:
indeed outposts outside the area of influence of another colony get this "distance from empire" penalty. It may or may not be worth depending on the planets in your system. Sometimes I prefer to build something even marginaly useful, especially if its dust balance is positive and will improve later, rather than wasting 66% of resources when I have nothing better than converting them to science or dust. Although valid, that's beyond the point here.



I have done more testing and finally understood what I was looking for: the improvement works indeed, only the benefit of this improvement appears on the planet FIDS first, and it works perfectly no matter if a colony or outpost etc. A jungle with 7opulation: will get the 14 and add 8 from the xenotourism agency for a total of 22. If it's a remote outpost, then the penalty will be "-11 from distance from empire" and add/substract other penalties and bonus. So I get only 4 from it, minus its cost, 2. Barely positive but... positive. On very small planets (like 3opulation: max) with little potential for more, it will result negative so not worth it indeed.

My experience has been that the fixed cost of a building is applied before all the various maluses

so it is actually 22-2 = 20, then -10 from remote, -60% from taxes (if tax rate is 40%), etc.

taltamir wrote:
My experience has been that the fixed cost of a building is applied before all the various maluses

so it is actually 22-2 = 20, then -10 from remote, -60% from taxes (if tax rate is 40%), etc.

I think that is correct if you are talking system level. I was only looking at the effect of this improvement at planet level (planet FIDS). Of course all the other costs and conditions a system level (system FIDS) come on top of all that.