Planet Colonization: Society Management Guide

In Planet Colonization the most important resource you have are the Colonists. Each of them has many attributes that impact where they work, live, study, whether they become private entrepreneurs, establish families, retire and so on. The strength and productivity of your colony are based on how strong your Colonists are in the tasks they perform.

A colonist can join the colony by two ways, either they are born in the Colony or they move to the Colony as a migrant. The colonist’s age is counted in days and one day equals one year in real life.

Population Panel

The Population Panel on the upper right corner shows the overlook of the Society. The age distribution is important, because colonists’ age affects their skills and capabilities. For example, colonists under 16 days old can’t go to work, older colonists have in general higher Knowledge and younger colonists tend to have stronger Practical Skill. Also, only the colonists in fertile age can reproduce.

The Population Panel can be opened or closed by pressing the button on the bottom bar:

Population
The number and age distribution of the colonists you have.

Unemployed
Unemployment has many negative consequences.

• The unemployed colonists don’t participate in generating income, but they still need to buy the Staples (Food, Water and Oxygen) from the market. This leads to declining of the Colony Value, because it’s the sum of the Private wealth and the Colony wealth.
• The Morale of the unemployed colonists decreases as long as they don’t find a workplace. Paying Unemployment Benefit reduces the declining, but it doesn’t stop it completely.
• As the Morale gets lower it’s more and more difficult for the colonist to find a new workplace, because the Morale is one of the four factors that are considered for suitability for the work.
• If a colonist loses all their wealth, they will go bankrupt and move away from the colony. High unemployment rate will mean decreasing population. This can be avoided by paying Unemployment Benefit.
• If you are paying Unemployment Benefit, the more there is unemployment, the more the colony’s cash decreases.

Workforce
The number of colonists working as ordinary Workers or Managers. The minimum wage is the cost of Staples (Food, Water and Oxygen). This means that a working colonist always gets enough income. However, if they have a family, the minimum income for one member is not enough to take care of all of the family members.

Entrepreneurs
The number of private business owners in the colony. An Entrepreneur can own one or more enterprises. Entrepreneurs are beneficial for society as they create workplaces and can pay high taxes (depending on your tax setting on the Budget Panel).

Mature Students
The number of grown-up colonists studying in Schools or Colleges. Studying can be very important for success of the society, because Knowledge and Practical Skill of the colonists improve significantly. Studying may be subject to a fee (depending on the settings on the Budget Panel) and thereby increase the colony’s cash.

Patients
The number of Patients in Hospitals. When an alien Fungus explodes nearby the colony buildings, some of the colonists usually get infected. If you don’t have a Hospital available, the health of the infected colonists will keep decreasing and they will eventually move away. Treatment may be subject to a fee (depending on the settings on the Budget Panel).

Adolescent/Child
The number of children and young people living with their parents. Minimum age to move away from parents is 16. If the young are studying in a School or College or are Unemployed, they may stay longer.

Morale Information Display
The Morale Information Display is shown when the mouse cursor is moved over the Morale Indicator on the top bar of the screen:

When the Morale Information Display is visible, it shows the current overall development of colonists’ Morale and the Morale bonus factors that are the result from the prevailing socioeconomic situation of the Colony.

These values show how much colonists’ Morale on average is changing in one day:
Prospering
The Morale of prospering colonists tends to rise.

Declining
The Morale of colonists whose wealth is decreasing tends to decline.

Unemployment
Unemployment has a negative effect on colonist’s Morale. (No effect if there are no unemployed colonists.)

Overcrowding
Overcrowding of the Apartment House where the Colonist lives has significant negative effect on Colonist’s Morale.

These values show how much the Colony’s socioeconomic status affect colonists’ Morale on average (stable effect):
Employment
Employed colonists get 20% bonus to their Morale value once they start working. This effect lasts as long they are employed.

Habitation Modules
The colonists living in Habitation Modules get 15% bonus to their Morale value once they move in. This effect lasts as long as they move away.

Distribution of Income
The distribution of income can have significant effect on colonists’ morale. This is the overall effect that results from the Wage and Unemployment Benefit settings on the Budget Panel in the current socioeconomic situation.

Energizing Red Crystals
If you have harvested Red Crystals, their effect on Morale is shown here. All the Colonists benefit from Red Crystals and each Red Crystal gives 1% bonus to their Morale.

Society Panel
The Society Panel can be opened by pressing the Society Panel Button on the upper left corner of the screen:

After the panel is opened, you can browse the panel by using the green arrows on the bottom of the panel and find details of every colonist in the Society.

Each of the colonists has the following characteristics.

Phenotype

The phenotype turns gradually from a baby to senior as the colonist ages.

Name
The colonist’s name.

Age

Wealth
The Wealth of the colonists affects the opportunities they have. If they have the financial resources, they can take care of more children, participate in education, move to a Habitation Module etc. They can also become private business owners. You can decide on most of the fees by adjusting them on the Budget Panel. You can also set the public sector wage levels on the Budget Panel. However, if you set the fees very low (or free), you need to make sure that the colony’s debt amount doesn’t get too high.

Title
The current occupation or position of the colonist. Can be for example ‘Child’, ‘Student’, ‘Entrepreneur’ or profession e.g. ‘Refinery Operator’.

Income
The Income of the colonist has of course direct effect on Wealth (see above). The Income also has significant impact on the colonist’s morale. If the net Income of a colonist is positive, their Morale tends to get better. In turn, if it is negative, their Morale tends to decline.

In addition Child Benefit can be paid to guardians for each child they have.
If Allowance is used, it is paid for all the colonists and no other benefits can be paid.

Degree
The colonists can improve their skills by attending first School and then College. The School Degree must be completed before the studies in College can be started.

Morale

The colonist’s Morale has significant impact on their productivity. It can vary from 0% to 100% and the more greener it is and more it points upwards the higher the morale is.

Businesses
A colonist can became a private business owner, if you accept their Building Request. A colonist can have one or more businesses.

Knowledge

The colonist’s Knowledge is important in all professions, but especially in those that require thinking. For example Professors, Doctors, Teachers and Managers need Knowledge to succeed well. The Knowledge of a colonist grows until they become middle-aged even if they don’t participate in education, but education gives significant increase to it. For exact skill relevance please refer to the BuildingTypes.xml file.

Practical Skill

The colonist’s Practical Skill is similarly important in all professions as Knowledge, but especially in those that require physical work. For example workers in Concrete Stations, Factories and Quarries need Practical Skill to succeed well. The Practical Skill of a colonist grows until they become 25 years old even if they don’t participate in education, but education gives significant increase to it. For exact skill relevance please refer to the BuildingTypes.xml file.

Health

By default the colonists are healthy. However, on the exoplanet there grows Fungus that may explode when it matures. If the Fungus Explosion happens near buildings, some of the colonists in those buildings probably get diseased. In this case the Health begins to decline. Luckily the disease can be cured in the Hospital.

Diseased

The Disease Status of the colonist. If the Colonist has not been infected or has been cured in the Hospital it’s a green negative sign. If the Colonist is infected, it’s red positive sign.

Family

The Colonist can be Single, Married, Married with Children or a Child in the Family. This determines to a large extent their position and responsibilities in the society. Usually single colonists and married colonists with no children have more to spend and they don’t need the benefits so often. On the other hand, without offspring the age distribution of the colony tends to get older and the productivity of the society will eventually suffer.

Home
The Colonist lives either in an Apartment House, which is the default housing. Or in a Habitation Module that you can build for them. Living in an Apartment House is free, while Rent can be charged for living in a Habitation Module.

Family View
The colonist’s Family View can be opened by pressing the Family View button on the right side of the Society Panel:

If the Family is prospering the button is green and if the wealth of the Family is declining it’s red.

The Family View shows in detail the income of the Colonist and the Family. It also shows the Family members.

The Civic buildings offer accommodation, education and health care for the colonists. By setting the fees you can adjust how much the colonists pay for these services. Finding the correct level of the cash flow from the individual colonists to the public funds is very important in the game. If you ask them too much, they can’t pay for the services, but if you don’t charge the fees you may be under the threat of declining colony cash reserves.

Apartment House

Offers basic accommodation for 85 colonists. No rent is charged for living in an Apartment House. You need to have enough living space for all the colonists, otherwise their Morale will begin to decline.

When there’s not enough space left for tolerable living, the Overcrowding symbol appears on the left side of the Apartment House and it’s strongly recommended that you build more accommodation.

Habitation Module

The colonists prefer to live in Habitation Modules. They are more comfortable and have more facilities than the Apartment House. You can adjust the rent that the colonists need to pay on the Budget Panel. The Morale of colonists living in Habitation Modules doesn’t decline for the reason that their wealth is decreasing.

School

The School offers basic education for the colonists. The education concentrates on their Practical Skill, but it also raises the Knowledge of the Pupils. The Morale of colonists studying in a School doesn’t decline for the reason that their wealth is decreasing.

The impact of a completed School Degree on abilities

A partially completed Degree gives a partial bonus to the abilities.

The final learning outcome depends on the Building Efficiency. It means that the more skilled the Headmaster and the Teachers are the more the pupils will learn. Please refer to the file BuildingTypes.xml for their skill relevance.

College

The College offers further education for the colonists. The education concentrates on their Knowledge, but it also raises the Practical Skill of the Students.The Morale of colonists studying in a College doesn’t decline for the reason that their wealth is decreasing.

The impact of a completed College Degree on abilities

A partially completed Degree gives a partial bonus to the abilities.

The final learning outcome depends on the Building Efficiency. It means that the more skilled the Principal and the Professors are the more the pupils will learn. Please refer to the file BuildingTypes.xml for their skill relevance.

Hospital

Patients that have become diseased because of a Fungus Explosion are treated in the Hospital. Starting treatment eliminates the disease immediately and the Health of the colonist stops declining. However, to recover completely a colonist needs to stay in Hospital until the full health (100%) is restored.

The speed of recovery depends on the Building Efficiency. It means that the more skilled the Hospital Manager and the Doctors are the faster the Patients will recover.

There are many kinds of favorable and unfavorable events that can happen to a colonist. You can follow these events in more detail on the Society Message Panel.

The panel can be opened and closed by pressing the Message Panel button on the Bottom Bar.

Abductions

When the colonists traveled through the depths of space they were spotted by aliens that we at the moment know only little about. They seem to be very interested about our species, because they are constantly trying to abduct the colonists for examination.

Rescues

A Hovercraft can rescue the colonists from the UFO wreck after it has been shot down.

To rescue colonists from a UFO wreck
1. Shoot the UFO down with any weapon available
2. You need to have a mobilized Hovercraft
2. Select the Hovercraft
3. Move the cursor over the UFO wreck and the Green Rescue Cylinder appears
4. Right click when the Green Cylinder is showing
5. The Hovercraft will move over the wreck and pull back the colonists.

Bankruptcies
If a Colonist or Family loses all of their funds, they go bankrupt and will move away. To avoid this you should primarily try to create workplaces that pay enough salary for all the colonists. However, in some economic situations that may not be possible. You can also pay benefits to make the colonists life easier.

• Child Benefit
  The family gets the value of Staples (Food, Water, Oxygen) for each child.
• Unemployment Benefit
  The unemployed colonist gets the value of Staples for free. This may have negative impact on working colonists’ Morale depending on how low their wage is.
• Allowance
  Every colonist gets the value of Staples for free. Does not affect the colonists’ Morale.

All the Benefits are set in the Budget Panel.

Births
You can grow the Population by raising new children. The following factors affect fertility:

• Fertility of the parents based on their age.
• Knowledge of the parents. Higher knowledge tends to lower the fertility.
• Health of the parents.
• Income of the parents. Higher income tends to lower the fertility.
• Previous children. The number of children reduces fertility.

Fungus Explosions

If a colonist is in a building that is in the area affected by a Fungus Explosion, there is 1/5 change that they get infected.

After the infection, the Health of the Colonist begins to decline. The disease can be cured in a Hospital.

Graduates
The colonists can attend education if you have a School or College available. They are very willing to study if they can, because it improves their skills and gives them much better possibilities to find well-paid work.

The colonists don’t need to complete the studies all at once and often the mature students study for some time and then return to work and then continue the studies again. Studying improves their skills even if the studies are only partially completed.

A colonist can’t go to College before completing the School Degree.

Leavers
Although the life on an exoplanet is fascinating, it’s also sometimes tough. The colonists may leave if they can’t afford their living anymore. If many are leaving, it’s a very unfavorable situation because the strength and success of your settlement depends mostly on the colonists.

Marriages
As the colonists’ life goes on, they are also looking for a spouse for themselves. When the two right ones meet, they may form a couple. The colonists consider following factors when getting married:

• They can’t be too closely related to each other.
• Amount of Wealth, equal is better than high wealth difference.
• Amount of Income, equal is better than high income difference.
• Suitable age of the spouse.
• The Morale level, equal is better than high difference.
• Knowledge, equal is better than high difference.
• Practical Skill, equal is better than high difference.

Retirements
Eventually even the strongests of colonists will become weaker and tired because of their age. The probability that they wish to retire raises after they turn 60 days old. After this the retirement probability increases more and more sharply until they decide to move away.

Also, when the colonists get diseased their Health gradually declines without treatment in an Hospital and they are eventually forced to retire despite of their age.

When the colonists leave or retire for whatever reason, they take their funds with them. However, when an entrepreneur leaves the Colony, they deactivate their enterprise buildings and leave them as they are. You can reclaim them for the Colony and continue their business in public form.

Support Requests
When a Colonist feels that the life is getting too tough, they may ask you to activate a benefit from the Budget Panel. In this case the Support Request Indicator is showing on the right side of the Society Buttton:

When the Support Request Indicator is pressed, the Support Request Panel is opened.

You can go to the Budget Panel and adjust the settings there by pressing the Budget button:

Or

Close the Panel and do nothing:

Having a pending Support Request is an unfavorable situation because there will be no Space Voyagers willing to join your colony while the Support Request Indicator is showing.

There’s a lot of traffic in space around the exoplanets nowadays and many times it happens that a group of Space Voyagers would be interested in joining your colony. The Voyagers are, however, needed by the rival colonies too and thereby they can choose the best offer and ask for a fee for joining.

When there are space travelers seeking for new challenges nearby, the Recruits Available Indicator appears on the right side of the Society Button:

Pressing the Indicator opens the Voyagers Recruiting panel:

You have three choices:

• If you press the Accept button, the Voyagers will join your Colony and each of them will be paid the fee they are asking for from the Colony funds.
  
• If you press the Decline button, the Voyagers will continue their journey and the same group will never return.
  
• If you just close the panel, the Voyagers will orbit the planet for some time and wait for your decision. They will, however, leave after a while, if you don’t recruit them.
  

The group must be approved or declined as such. You can’t pick individual colonists from the group.

To decide if the group is suitable in the current situation, you can consider for example following things:

• Are you looking for new colonists with already high skills?
• Which degrees have they completed? If they have no degrees, they may become new customers who pay for education.
• Are you looking for new colonists in fertile age?
• How much new wealth do they bring in by themselves?
• Are there wealthy enough colonists to became Private Business Owners?
• How much are they asking for joining the Colony?

By plcolonization