Duplicate Stellaris - Pop Migration and Growth Workaround Issues Dick v3.0.2 (91c1)

[Lidhuin]

Description
Pop Migration and Growth Workaround Issues Dick v3.0.2 (91c1)

Game Version
Dick v3.0.2 (91c1)

What version do you use?
Steam

What expansions do you have installed?
Synthetic Dawn, Utopia, Leviathans Story Pack, Apocalypse, Megacorp, Distant Stars, Ancient Relics, Lithoids, Federations, Nemesis

Do you have mods enabled?
No

Please explain your issue is in as much detail as possible.
There is an unintended consequence of the new pop growth and migration system. Through the cunning use of auto-migration, habitats and colony ships, it is possible (albeit tedious) to grow far more pops than the system intends (or than was probably even possible pre version 3)

Steps to reproduce the issue.
Colonize Planet/Habitat and gain 2 pops (with tradition)

Immediately make new pops unemployed (bonus if unemployed are on utopian abundance)

Wait until they abandon colony for free (15% chance per month if democracy)

Have a colony ship parked over the planet while you wait

Re-colonize the now abandoned planet/habitat and obtain 2 pops much faster (2 pop every 2-3 years, possibly faster with the right micro) than 1 pop (1 pop every 100+ months) would grow in the mid-/late-game, at a fraction of the cost of upkeep in the same time period

Do this with 20+ habitats and basically get an average of 2-4 pops per month instead of maybe 1 every 5 months (a 10x increase in the number of pops!)

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[Lidhuin]

I ran some numbers using a makeshift series, and this strategy works exceptionally well with democracies. The average time to reach a 95% chance of both pops having abandoned the habitat for non-democracies at base 10% chance to migrate per month is 35 months. The same 95% chance for a democracy at 15% chance to migrate per month is 23 months. Habitats also have a 200%(base)+25%(tradition) development speed, so colony development (with a colony ship in orbit ready to go) goes from 5 years to 18-19 months. So every 41-42 months, you get 2 pops, compared to the 1 pop every 34 months with regular growth rate (no bonuses and penalties) and no added empire-wide growth penalty (which at just 150 pops empire-wide is now 1 pop every 60 months). So it's even worthwhile for non-democracies.

Basically, pop growth penalties are so severe no matter how low you set the threshold that auto-migrate means it's always worthwhile to make your pops unemployed on habitats and just resettle it - it won't take long for your pops to produce the resources it cost you to build the colony ship.

 

[Feedback_Drone [Qloc]]

Hello!

Thank you for the report!
We are aware of the issue, it has already been added to our bug database.

 

[Lidhuin]

Dick v3.0.3 it's still an issue.

As soon as the five years is up, it's immediately more worthwhile to auto-resettle pops than leaving them in the habitat. There's no reason to particularly develop the habitat in the interim, as it might have 3-4 pops by the end of the five years.