I don't understand credits and food

[WhiteCat]

I'm just learning to play the game, so can someone explain to me exactly what the credits you get per turn is based on? I know your ship maintenance costs are deducted from it, but is the initial amount based on each system's population, or its industry rating, or a combination of the above, or something else entirely? (I noticed at one point that taking workers out of the industry production bar reduced that system's credit output, but not by very much.)

On a similar note, what determines population growth? One of the guides I read said that was "System total growth rate / 100 * number of excess food", but another one said that it was based on the system's maximum population size. Does anyone know for sure?

I'd like to see the exact formulas for these calculations, but any insight at all would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[ketteringdave]

Your credits per turn should be the total from individual systems (including trade goods from industry, both based on population) and trade routes (also dependent on population). Your ship maintenance costs are not deducted until you surpass the free support determined by (surprise!) your empire's total population, so you won't lose credits early in the game.

For population growth (from this thread):

1.4 The Growth Formula

The (exact) population increase of a system with a food output equal to or greater than its current population is given by

[population increase] = 0.5 * [growth rate] * ( [current population] + [effective food output] )

"Growth rate" is the system's "growth" value listed on the F1 screen. For example, if the screen displays "1.3%", then the growth rate is 0.013 (which is the same value, but without using the % sign).
However, if the growth rate is less than 0.01 (= 1%), then it is treated as 0.01 (= 1%).

But the result is most likely not an integer. If it's smaller than 1, then the system's population grows by one point. But if not, then the game has to decide whether it's "rounded" up or down. This leads to...

[WhiteCat]

Thanks, that growth link is very helpful. To confirm: when he says "food output" he means total food output, not surplus food output, right?

I still don't understand the credit calculation, though. Is it something similar to this: System credits = population + industry output + trade goods (albeit with modifiers)?

[Spocks-cuddly-tribble]

1. Yes, total food output (or current max pop ->1.3 The Effective Food Output)

2. For credit output see the Announcement in the modding section.

-> first two links in "general game mechanics" (each towards the end of the first post)

[WhiteCat]

Great, thanks. So to get more cash, you need more population, more morale, more trade routes, more bonus buildings, and more Ferengi.