What is the use of soil enrichment, subtrain farm and weather controller?

[MoKuS]

I find them very expensive and useless. Most of the time my planet is near max when I can afford to build one of these facility. They make sense in MOO 2 though because of the way that food is distributed.

[numbnumbnewbie]

Large Gaia Planets to help max out the population

[Num7]

They make the most sense when considering a multi-planet system with Interplanetary Administration: You optimize one planet for food production, while the other planets are specialized in production.

I agree that they're not always all useful, especially when it comes to smaller planets.

[roland.johansen]

They all help speed up population growth. Soil enrichment can be used during the expansion phase of larger universes to create a few population producing planets. The other two are a bit late in the game. They could be used in a similar manner on a select few planets during late game expansion.

I've had some 5-planet star systems stably produce 5-6 population per turn late game.

[MoKuS]

Originally posted by Num7:

They make the most sense when considering a multi-planet system with Interplanetary Administration: You optimize one planet for food production, while the other planets are specialized in production.

I agree that they're not always all useful, especially when it comes to smaller planets.

I understand that but interplanetary administration can only be researched at the mid-end game so these facility are not useful until then.

[MoKuS]

Originally posted by roland.johansen:

They all help speed up population growth. Soil enrichment can be used during the expansion phase of larger universes to create a few population producing planets. The other two are a bit late in the game. They could be used in a similar manner on a select few planets during late game expansion.

I've had some 5-planet star systems stably produce 5-6 population per turn late game.

Yes, I agree with that they are useful in the end game when you want to transform barren, toxic and radiate planets at the end game using a one well developed planet.

[numbnumbnewbie]

Here's a PRO tip for newbies.
When playing with non lithovore races
Choose a planet that has a good biome, size, and mineral classification to build these types of buildings. Place the workers on the food tiles to maximize population growth.
Then send the population to other planets that need them.
Population train.

[Rubik]

Planets with good food production are also good for building colony ships. The colonists that leave with the ship are quickly replaced.