Ok got a question about how autonomous investment has changed.

[neason080]

I've just come back to the game with the new changes to autonomous investment. I'm playing a developing nation Argentina. It's 1844 still very early and I have an investment pool of 2.94 million with about 9k coming in monthly. Something seems a bit off, I don't really mind the AI building but that's a really large amount of cash to have and I can't see where there's anything I can do with it except watch it grow.

This just doesn't make any sense unless I'm just totally mismanaging things with the changes since around v1.4 or so. I'd just like to know if I'm missing something important about how this system works now that's preventing me from building up at a faster pace, or if there's some other use for this pile of cash that I've yet to discover that would be of benefit. There is the possibility that the system change is unfinished or just broken as well. Still I've been out of the game for awhile so I'm assuming I'm missing something important.
Help or advise would be appreciated.

[vortex_13]

Do you have construction sectors built? The private sector can't build if you don't have any.

[Tasteless]

Depending on your economy law, the private sector takes a certain percentage of your construction. Its suppose to build things that are in demand. You may have that much in your investment pool because you are a state run and haven't allow privatization. There is also a toggle to privatize the industry from state run.

[neason080]

Yes I do have a couple of construction sectors built. So yes the AI is building things just not nearly as quickly as the pool grows. Assets are a bit low and I may need to get a bit deeper into trade to get govt income increase to support more construction. Still private investment is per month is outpacing tax income by a considerable amount. I do have an economy that allows for private building, interventionism I believe. I am getting the idea that there's not much of a way to utilize the private funds other than to allow the AI to build more. which I can figure out how to make that work I think. Also seems I'm going to need to look more into trade and perhaps reconsider construction priorities to increase govt. capital to attempt to keep pace and allow it to build without just going broke. I did see you can nationalize a building for 100k so there is some method of getting rid of inconvenient buildings like the dye farm in a very low infrastructure area that happens to need it for an iron mine. At least until I get railroads going. Argentina is somewhat more challenging to build up in the first place. The changes mean the old method just doesn't work so well, and I need to adapt. I'm just trying to find that best path and make sure I'm not miss understanding how these new mechanics work, or missing some important feature about them. Still I'm thinking that the growth of the private investment will increase with any changes meaning that it will always greatly outpace the govt. Leaving a huge surplus of cash just laying about. For a larger or more developed country like the USA, or Russia that might not be the case. They have a certain head start on industrializing. For a county like Argentina thinks seem to be a bit out of balance. Which is why I was assuming first that it was my mistake or misunderstanding, if not well there will be more patches.

[vortex_13]

Originally posted by neason080:

Yes I do have a couple of construction sectors built. So yes the AI is building things just not nearly as quickly as the pool grows. Assets are a bit low and I may need to get a bit deeper into trade to get govt income increase to support more construction. Still private investment is per month is outpacing tax income by a considerable amount. I do have an economy that allows for private building, interventionism I believe. I am getting the idea that there's not much of a way to utilize the private funds other than to allow the AI to build more. which I can figure out how to make that work I think. Also seems I'm going to need to look more into trade and perhaps reconsider construction priorities to increase govt. capital to attempt to keep pace and allow it to build without just going broke. I did see you can nationalize a building for 100k so there is some method of getting rid of inconvenient buildings like the dye farm in a very low infrastructure area that happens to need it for an iron mine. At least until I get railroads going. Argentina is somewhat more challenging to build up in the first place. The changes mean the old method just doesn't work so well, and I need to adapt. I'm just trying to find that best path and make sure I'm not miss understanding how these new mechanics work, or missing some important feature about them. Still I'm thinking that the growth of the private investment will increase with any changes meaning that it will always greatly outpace the govt. Leaving a huge surplus of cash just laying about. For a larger or more developed country like the USA, or Russia that might not be the case. They have a certain head start on industrializing. For a county like Argentina thinks seem to be a bit out of balance. Which is why I was assuming first that it was my mistake or misunderstanding, if not well there will be more patches.

The private sector only builds with a percentage of your construction. sounds like you just don't have enough construction.

[neason080]

I think I've found something I didn't know. Without a construction sector you have 10 points to work with. However if you build a construction sector you split the total number of points with private construction. 6 and 6 so you lose construction points. You need to build at least 2 sectors upgraded to use iron to keep the same 10 points you had before. So your construction on individual projects slows but you can now have 2 projects one chosen by you one by the AI. Ok that is cool something to consider when choosing to build them nothing more.

Here's the thing though you as the government wind up paying for the full price of the construction sector still. So you build one sector using just wood and cloth. 12 points total. The private sector gets 1 of the 2 points generated and half the free ones, but has to pay for none of the goods utilized by the sector. If it costs 2.2k to maintain the construction sector goods and employees the government foots the full bill, verified that in the last play through. Seems a bit off, so I let Donald Trump buy the land but then I pay for the men and material to build his buildings and he get's all the profit aside from tax and full control. Seems wrong, however I don't know if that was done for some sort of balancing and hesitate to be overly critical.

I will say that it seems a double whammy on undeveloped countries like Argentina, probably goes unnoticed in larger nations. It therefore becomes "better" in the early game to simply use your 10 points until your economy is built up to the place where you can absorb the cost of at least 2 sectors able to build with iron.

That of course is a very simple point of view and doesn't include many other factors found in game which will alter things from that basic line. Still the general aim of attempting to slow development for smaller economies appears intended. Perhaps the thought was the AI building as well would actually offset this. However I haven't found that to be generally true in practice. It can be but again its the other factors of how a game progresses that makes it either become a benefit or hindrance. It will definitely be a consideration going forward. When to start growing the construction sector becomes a choice to be considered. Unless paradox finds that passing the private sectors construction costs to the government to make as little sense as I do. I suppose we will see.

[neason080]

Watched a few tutorials on econ mechanics as well as trade and tried again. This time I paid more attention to certain things I hadn't. Did thinks a bit differently because things played out so perfectly I went with the flow. Went after Uruguay within 10 weeks of game start. During the time waiting for the diplo play to finish out the Marpauhe or however it's spelled event popped. So far this start has caused this event to pop reliably. Not sure if it's a timer of some kind but this has worked 3 times in a row. So annexed them immediately after finishing the war and taking Uruguay. During the annexation noticed that Chile had started a play on Bolivia with support from Brazil. Finished up just in time and since I could joined the party, got the Juluy in the deal and broke north and south Peru from the confederation. Not great but not bad, fairly historical. After finishing that had to wait for the truce timer until Dec. 42. Finished breaking the confederation a few months after the truce.

So now I'm just about where I wanted to be for a successful start. I'm getting things in order nicely have some construction sectors, AI does the occasional weird thing but is overall helpful. Got some incite into how to help guide it. I've basically achieved my goals for a successful starting play through. Gonna run it out see how it goes and maybe go back and see if what I learn will let me make a united south america. Guess we'll see thank you to those who helped.