[zzzptm]

So, what should you get for your $20 on behalf of a player who's got way more infrastructure than you do?

$6 million?

Think again...

Now, if you're in an alliance and donating for another guy in your group, you already get benefits of protection, coordination, camaraderie, etc. But is that enough to take up the slack for the value you purchased for a higher up? You can judge for yourself with the chart below. I start it at 400 infra and show the cost to buy 200 infra at each 100 infra thereafter. You'll be able to calculate the value of the 200 infra you could have bought for yourself vs. the value for the guy you're buying it for.

For the sake of argument, I'm assuming monarchy and five factories. Adjust these values accordingly for your resources. I'm not gonna do more math, though. Anyway... for the values...

EXAMPLE: A player at 400 infra can buy 200 infra for $1.8 million. Not bad. But if he sells his donation for $6 million, he could get nearly 600 levels of infra. Schweet. But let's say there are two guys who would like him to do a donation deal, one with 2000 infra and one with 9000 infra. Mr. 2000 saves only $800K with the deal, but Mr. 9000 saves $69 million. Clearly, this donation means MUCH more to Mr. 9000, and Mr. 400 should be ready to ask for more than $6 million for that donation deal. He can decide what works for him. I've suggested 25% among friends or keeping track of BIG favors, but you're free to decide for yourself.

Remember, you don't get what you deserve: you get what you negotiate.


infra i+500 cost to buy 10 cost to buy 200
400 900 102600 1,835,400.00
410 910 103740
420 920 104880
430 930 106020
440 940 107160
450 950 108300
460 960 109440
470 970 110580
480 980 111720
490 990 112860
500 1000 114000 2,063,400.00
510 1010 115140
520 1020 116280
530 1030 117420
540 1040 118560
550 1050 119700
560 1060 120840
570 1070 121980
580 1080 123120
590 1090 124260
600 1100 125400 2,291,400.00
610 1110 126540
620 1120 127680
630 1130 128820
640 1140 129960
650 1150 131100
660 1160 132240
670 1170 133380
680 1180 134520
690 1190 135660
700 1200 136800 2,519,400.00
710 1210 137940
720 1220 139080
730 1230 140220
740 1240 141360
750 1250 142500
760 1260 143640
770 1270 144780
780 1280 145920
790 1290 147060
800 1300 148200 2,747,400.00
810 1310 149340
820 1320 150480
830 1330 151620
840 1340 152760
850 1350 153900
860 1360 155040
870 1370 156180
880 1380 157320
890 1390 158460
900 1400 159600 2,975,400.00
910 1410 160740
920 1420 161880
930 1430 163020
940 1440 164160
950 1450 165300
960 1460 166440
970 1470 167580
980 1480 168720
990 1490 169860
1000 1500 171000 3,203,400.00
1010 1510 215175
1020 1520 216600
1030 1530 218025
1040 1540 219450
1050 1550 220875
1060 1560 222300
1070 1570 223725
1080 1580 225150
1090 1590 226575
1100 1600 228000 3,874,575.00
1110 1610 229425
1120 1620 230850
1130 1630 232275
1140 1640 233700
1150 1650 235125
1160 1660 236550
1170 1670 237975
1180 1680 239400
1190 1690 240825
1200 1700 242250 4,574,250.00
1210 1710 243675
1220 1720 245100
1230 1730 246525
1240 1740 247950
1250 1750 249375
1260 1760 250800
1270 1770 252225
1280 1780 253650
1290 1790 255075
1300 1800 256500 4,859,250.00
1310 1810 257925
1320 1820 259350
1330 1830 260775
1340 1840 262200
1350 1850 263625
1360 1860 265050
1370 1870 266475
1380 1880 267900
1390 1890 269325
1400 1900 270750 5,144,250.00
1410 1910 272175
1420 1920 273600
1430 1930 275025
1440 1940 276450
1450 1950 277875
1460 1960 279300
1470 1970 280725
1480 1980 282150
1490 1990 283575
1500 2000 285000 5,429,250.00
1510 2010 286425
1520 2020 287850
1530 2030 289275
1540 2040 290700
1550 2050 292125
1560 2060 293550
1570 2070 294975
1580 2080 296400
1590 2090 297825
1600 2100 299250 5,714,250.00
1610 2110 300675
1620 2120 302100
1630 2130 303525
1640 2140 304950
1650 2150 306375
1660 2160 307800
1670 2170 309225
1680 2180 310650
1690 2190 312075
1700 2200 313500 5,999,250.00
1710 2210 314925
1720 2220 316350
1730 2230 317775
1740 2240 319200
1750 2250 320625
1760 2260 322050
1770 2270 323475
1780 2280 324900
1790 2290 326325
1800 2300 327750 6,284,250.00
1810 2310 329175
1820 2320 330600
1830 2330 332025
1840 2340 333450
1850 2350 334875
1860 2360 336300
1870 2370 337725
1880 2380 339150
1890 2390 340575
1900 2400 342000 6,569,250.00
1910 2410 343425
1920 2420 344850
1930 2430 346275
1940 2440 347700
1950 2450 349125
1960 2460 350550
1970 2470 351975
1980 2480 353400
1990 2490 354825
2000 2500 356250 6,854,250.00
2010 2510 357675
2020 2520 359100
2030 2530 360525
2040 2540 361950
2050 2550 363375
2060 2560 364800
2070 2570 366225
2080 2580 367650
2090 2590 369075
2100 2600 370500 7,139,250.00
2110 2610 371925
2120 2620 373350
2130 2630 374775
2140 2640 376200
2150 2650 377625
2160 2660 379050
2170 2670 380475
2180 2680 381900
2190 2690 383325
2200 2700 384750 7,424,250.00
2210 2710 386175
2220 2720 387600
2230 2730 389025
2240 2740 390450
2250 2750 391875
2260 2760 393300
2270 2770 394725
2280 2780 396150
2290 2790 397575
2300 2800 399000 7,709,250.00
2310 2810 400425
2320 2820 401850
2330 2830 403275
2340 2840 404700
2350 2850 406125
2360 2860 407550
2370 2870 408975
2380 2880 410400
2390 2890 411825
2400 2900 413250 7,994,250.00
2410 2910 414675
2420 2920 416100
2430 2930 417525
2440 2940 418950
2450 2950 420375
2460 2960 421800
2470 2970 423225
2480 2980 424650
2490 2990 426075
2500 3000 427500 8,279,250.00
2510 3010 428925
2520 3020 430350
2530 3030 431775
2540 3040 433200
2550 3050 434625
2560 3060 436050
2570 3070 437475
2580 3080 438900
2590 3090 440325
2600 3100 441750 8,564,250.00
2610 3110 443175
2620 3120 444600
2630 3130 446025
2640 3140 447450
2650 3150 448875
2660 3160 450300
2670 3170 451725
2680 3180 453150
2690 3190 454575
2700 3200 456000 8,849,250.00
2710 3210 457425
2720 3220 458850
2730 3230 460275
2740 3240 461700
2750 3250 463125
2760 3260 464550
2770 3270 465975
2780 3280 467400
2790 3290 468825
2800 3300 470250 9,134,250.00
2810 3310 471675
2820 3320 473100
2830 3330 474525
2840 3340 475950
2850 3350 477375
2860 3360 478800
2870 3370 480225
2880 3380 481650
2890 3390 483075
2900 3400 484500 9,419,250.00
2910 3410 485925
2920 3420 487350
2930 3430 488775
2940 3440 490200
2950 3450 491625
2960 3460 493050
2970 3470 494475
2980 3480 495900
2990 3490 497325
3000 3500 498750 9,704,250.00
3010 3510 600210
3020 3520 601920
3030 3530 603630
3040 3540 605340
3050 3550 607050
3060 3560 608760
3070 3570 610470
3080 3580 612180
3090 3590 613890
3100 3600 615600 11,002,425.00
3110 3610 617310
3120 3620 619020
3130 3630 620730
3140 3640 622440
3150 3650 624150
3160 3660 625860
3170 3670 627570
3180 3680 629280
3190 3690 630990
3200 3700 632700 12,329,100.00
3210 3710 634410
3220 3720 636120
3230 3730 637830
3240 3740 639540
3250 3750 641250
3260 3760 642960
3270 3770 644670
3280 3780 646380
3290 3790 648090
3300 3800 649800 12,671,100.00
3310 3810 651510
3320 3820 653220
3330 3830 654930
3340 3840 656640
3350 3850 658350
3360 3860 660060
3370 3870 661770
3380 3880 663480
3390 3890 665190
3400 3900 666900 13,013,100.00
3410 3910 668610
3420 3920 670320
3430 3930 672030
3440 3940 673740
3450 3950 675450
3460 3960 677160
3470 3970 678870
3480 3980 680580
3490 3990 682290
3500 4000 684000 13,355,100.00
3510 4010 685710
3520 4020 687420
3530 4030 689130
3540 4040 690840
3550 4050 692550
3560 4060 694260
3570 4070 695970
3580 4080 697680
3590 4090 699390
3600 4100 701100 13,697,100.00
3610 4110 702810
3620 4120 704520
3630 4130 706230
3640 4140 707940
3650 4150 709650
3660 4160 711360
3670 4170 713070
3680 4180 714780
3690 4190 716490
3700 4200 718200 14,039,100.00
3710 4210 719910
3720 4220 721620
3730 4230 723330
3740 4240 725040
3750 4250 726750
3760 4260 728460
3770 4270 730170
3780 4280 731880
3790 4290 733590
3800 4300 735300 14,381,100.00
3810 4310 737010
3820 4320 738720
3830 4330 740430
3840 4340 742140
3850 4350 743850
3860 4360 745560
3870 4370 747270
3880 4380 748980
3890 4390 750690
3900 4400 752400 14,723,100.00
3910 4410 754110
3920 4420 755820
3930 4430 757530
3940 4440 759240
3950 4450 760950
3960 4460 762660
3970 4470 764370
3980 4480 766080
3990 4490 767790
4000 4500 769500 15,065,100.00
4010 4510 1028280
4020 4520 1030560
4030 4530 1032840
4040 4540 1035120
4050 4550 1037400
4060 4560 1039680
4070 4570 1041960
4080 4580 1044240
4090 4590 1046520
4100 4600 1048800 18,003,450.00
4110 4610 1051080
4120 4620 1053360
4130 4630 1055640
4140 4640 1057920
4150 4650 1060200
4160 4660 1062480
4170 4670 1064760
4180 4680 1067040
4190 4690 1069320
4200 4700 1071600 20,998,800.00
4210 4710 1073880
4220 4720 1076160
4230 4730 1078440
4240 4740 1080720
4250 4750 1083000
4260 4760 1085280
4270 4770 1087560
4280 4780 1089840
4290 4790 1092120
4300 4800 1094400 21,454,800.00
4310 4810 1096680
4320 4820 1098960
4330 4830 1101240
4340 4840 1103520
4350 4850 1105800
4360 4860 1108080
4370 4870 1110360
4380 4880 1112640
4390 4890 1114920
4400 4900 1117200 21,910,800.00
4410 4910 1119480
4420 4920 1121760
4430 4930 1124040
4440 4940 1126320
4450 4950 1128600
4460 4960 1130880
4470 4970 1133160
4480 4980 1135440
4490 4990 1137720
4500 5000 1140000 22,366,800.00
4510 5010 1142280
4520 5020 1144560
4530 5030 1146840
4540 5040 1149120
4550 5050 1151400
4560 5060 1153680
4570 5070 1155960
4580 5080 1158240
4590 5090 1160520
4600 5100 1162800 22,822,800.00
4610 5110 1165080
4620 5120 1167360
4630 5130 1169640
4640 5140 1171920
4650 5150 1174200
4660 5160 1176480
4670 5170 1178760
4680 5180 1181040
4690 5190 1183320
4700 5200 1185600 23,278,800.00
4710 5210 1187880
4720 5220 1190160
4730 5230 1192440
4740 5240 1194720
4750 5250 1197000
4760 5260 1199280
4770 5270 1201560
4780 5280 1203840
4790 5290 1206120
4800 5300 1208400 23,734,800.00
4810 5310 1210680
4820 5320 1212960
4830 5330 1215240
4840 5340 1217520
4850 5350 1219800
4860 5360 1222080
4870 5370 1224360
4880 5380 1226640
4890 5390 1228920
4900 5400 1231200 24,190,800.00
4910 5410 1233480
4920 5420 1235760
4930 5430 1238040
4940 5440 1240320
4950 5450 1242600
4960 5460 1244880
4970 5470 1247160
4980 5480 1249440
4990 5490 1251720
5000 5500 1254000 24,646,800.00
5010 5510 1884420
5020 5520 1887840
5030 5530 1891260
5040 5540 1894680
5050 5550 1898100
5060 5560 1901520
5070 5570 1904940
5080 5580 1908360
5090 5590 1911780
5100 5600 1915200 31,435,500.00
5110 5610 1918620
5120 5620 1922040
5130 5630 1925460
5140 5640 1928880
5150 5650 1932300
5160 5660 1935720
5170 5670 1939140
5180 5680 1942560
5190 5690 1945980
5200 5700 1949400 38,338,200.00
5210 5710 1952820
5220 5720 1956240
5230 5730 1959660
5240 5740 1963080
5250 5750 1966500
5260 5760 1969920
5270 5770 1973340
5280 5780 1976760
5290 5790 1980180
5300 5800 1983600 39,022,200.00
5310 5810 1987020
5320 5820 1990440
5330 5830 1993860
5340 5840 1997280
5350 5850 2000700
5360 5860 2004120
5370 5870 2007540
5380 5880 2010960
5390 5890 2014380
5400 5900 2017800 39,706,200.00
5410 5910 2021220
5420 5920 2024640
5430 5930 2028060
5440 5940 2031480
5450 5950 2034900
5460 5960 2038320
5470 5970 2041740
5480 5980 2045160
5490 5990 2048580
5500 6000 2052000 40,390,200.00
5510 6010 2055420
5520 6020 2058840
5530 6030 2062260
5540 6040 2065680
5550 6050 2069100
5560 6060 2072520
5570 6070 2075940
5580 6080 2079360
5590 6090 2082780
5600 6100 2086200 41,074,200.00
5610 6110 2089620
5620 6120 2093040
5630 6130 2096460
5640 6140 2099880
5650 6150 2103300
5660 6160 2106720
5670 6170 2110140
5680 6180 2113560
5690 6190 2116980
5700 6200 2120400 41,758,200.00
5710 6210 2123820
5720 6220 2127240
5730 6230 2130660
5740 6240 2134080
5750 6250 2137500
5760 6260 2140920
5770 6270 2144340
5780 6280 2147760
5790 6290 2151180
5800 6300 2154600 42,442,200.00
5810 6310 2158020
5820 6320 2161440
5830 6330 2164860
5840 6340 2168280
5850 6350 2171700
5860 6360 2175120
5870 6370 2178540
5880 6380 2181960
5890 6390 2185380
5900 6400 2188800 43,126,200.00
5910 6410 2192220
5920 6420 2195640
5930 6430 2199060
5940 6440 2202480
5950 6450 2205900
5960 6460 2209320
5970 6470 2212740
5980 6480 2216160
5990 6490 2219580
6000 6500 2223000 43,810,200.00
6010 6510 2226420
6020 6520 2229840
6030 6530 2233260
6040 6540 2236680
6050 6550 2240100
6060 6560 2243520
6070 6570 2246940
6080 6580 2250360
6090 6590 2253780
6100 6600 2257200 44,494,200.00
6110 6610 2260620
6120 6620 2264040
6130 6630 2267460
6140 6640 2270880
6150 6650 2274300
6160 6660 2277720
6170 6670 2281140
6180 6680 2284560
6190 6690 2287980
6200 6700 2291400 45,178,200.00
6210 6710 2294820
6220 6720 2298240
6230 6730 2301660
6240 6740 2305080
6250 6750 2308500
6260 6760 2311920
6270 6770 2315340
6280 6780 2318760
6290 6790 2322180
6300 6800 2325600 45,862,200.00
6310 6810 2329020
6320 6820 2332440
6330 6830 2335860
6340 6840 2339280
6350 6850 2342700
6360 6860 2346120
6370 6870 2349540
6380 6880 2352960
6390 6890 2356380
6400 6900 2359800 46,546,200.00
6410 6910 2363220
6420 6920 2366640
6430 6930 2370060
6440 6940 2373480
6450 6950 2376900
6460 6960 2380320
6470 6970 2383740
6480 6980 2387160
6490 6990 2390580
6500 7000 2394000 47,230,200.00
6510 7010 2397420
6520 7020 2400840
6530 7030 2404260
6540 7040 2407680
6550 7050 2411100
6560 7060 2414520
6570 7070 2417940
6580 7080 2421360
6590 7090 2424780
6600 7100 2428200 47,914,200.00
6610 7110 2431620
6620 7120 2435040
6630 7130 2438460
6640 7140 2441880
6650 7150 2445300
6660 7160 2448720
6670 7170 2452140
6680 7180 2455560
6690 7190 2458980
6700 7200 2462400 48,598,200.00
6710 7210 2465820
6720 7220 2469240
6730 7230 2472660
6740 7240 2476080
6750 7250 2479500
6760 7260 2482920
6770 7270 2486340
6780 7280 2489760
6790 7290 2493180
6800 7300 2496600 49,282,200.00
6810 7310 2500020
6820 7320 2503440
6830 7330 2506860
6840 7340 2510280
6850 7350 2513700
6860 7360 2517120
6870 7370 2520540
6880 7380 2523960
6890 7390 2527380
6900 7400 2530800 49,966,200.00
6910 7410 2534220
6920 7420 2537640
6930 7430 2541060
6940 7440 2544480
6950 7450 2547900
6960 7460 2551320
6970 7470 2554740
6980 7480 2558160
6990 7490 2561580
7000 7500 2565000 50,650,200.00
7010 7510 2568420
7020 7520 2571840
7030 7530 2575260
7040 7540 2578680
7050 7550 2582100
7060 7560 2585520
7070 7570 2588940
7080 7580 2592360
7090 7590 2595780
7100 7600 2599200 51,334,200.00
7110 7610 2602620
7120 7620 2606040
7130 7630 2609460
7140 7640 2612880
7150 7650 2616300
7160 7660 2619720
7170 7670 2623140
7180 7680 2626560
7190 7690 2629980
7200 7700 2633400 52,018,200.00
7210 7710 2636820
7220 7720 2640240
7230 7730 2643660
7240 7740 2647080
7250 7750 2650500
7260 7760 2653920
7270 7770 2657340
7280 7780 2660760
7290 7790 2664180
7300 7800 2667600 52,702,200.00
7310 7810 2671020
7320 7820 2674440
7330 7830 2677860
7340 7840 2681280
7350 7850 2684700
7360 7860 2688120
7370 7870 2691540
7380 7880 2694960
7390 7890 2698380
7400 7900 2701800 53,386,200.00
7410 7910 2705220
7420 7920 2708640
7430 7930 2712060
7440 7940 2715480
7450 7950 2718900
7460 7960 2722320
7470 7970 2725740
7480 7980 2729160
7490 7990 2732580
7500 8000 2736000 54,070,200.00
7510 8010 2739420
7520 8020 2742840
7530 8030 2746260
7540 8040 2749680
7550 8050 2753100
7560 8060 2756520
7570 8070 2759940
7580 8080 2763360
7590 8090 2766780
7600 8100 2770200 54,754,200.00
7610 8110 2773620
7620 8120 2777040
7630 8130 2780460
7640 8140 2783880
7650 8150 2787300
7660 8160 2790720
7670 8170 2794140
7680 8180 2797560
7690 8190 2800980
7700 8200 2804400 55,438,200.00
7710 8210 2807820
7720 8220 2811240
7730 8230 2814660
7740 8240 2818080
7750 8250 2821500
7760 8260 2824920
7770 8270 2828340
7780 8280 2831760
7790 8290 2835180
7800 8300 2838600 56,122,200.00
7810 8310 2842020
7820 8320 2845440
7830 8330 2848860
7840 8340 2852280
7850 8350 2855700
7860 8360 2859120
7870 8370 2862540
7880 8380 2865960
7890 8390 2869380
7900 8400 2872800 56,806,200.00
7910 8410 2876220
7920 8420 2879640
7930 8430 2883060
7940 8440 2886480
7950 8450 2889900
7960 8460 2893320
7970 8470 2896740
7980 8480 2900160
7990 8490 2903580
8000 8500 2907000 57,490,200.00
8010 8510 3395490
8020 8520 3399480
8030 8530 3403470
8040 8540 3407460
8050 8550 3411450
8060 8560 3415440
8070 8570 3419430
8080 8580 3423420
8090 8590 3427410
8100 8600 3431400 63,050,550.00
8110 8610 3435390
8120 8620 3439380
8130 8630 3443370
8140 8640 3447360
8150 8650 3451350
8160 8660 3455340
8170 8670 3459330
8180 8680 3463320
8190 8690 3467310
8200 8700 3471300 68,667,900.00
8210 8710 3475290
8220 8720 3479280
8230 8730 3483270
8240 8740 3487260
8250 8750 3491250
8260 8760 3495240
8270 8770 3499230
8280 8780 3503220
8290 8790 3507210
8300 8800 3511200 69,465,900.00
8310 8810 3515190
8320 8820 3519180
8330 8830 3523170
8340 8840 3527160
8350 8850 3531150
8360 8860 3535140
8370 8870 3539130
8380 8880 3543120
8390 8890 3547110
8400 8900 3551100 70,263,900.00
8410 8910 3555090
8420 8920 3559080
8430 8930 3563070
8440 8940 3567060
8450 8950 3571050
8460 8960 3575040
8470 8970 3579030
8480 8980 3583020
8490 8990 3587010
8500 9000 3591000 71,061,900.00
8510 9010 3594990
8520 9020 3598980
8530 9030 3602970
8540 9040 3606960
8550 9050 3610950
8560 9060 3614940
8570 9070 3618930
8580 9080 3622920
8590 9090 3626910
8600 9100 3630900 71,859,900.00
8610 9110 3634890
8620 9120 3638880
8630 9130 3642870
8640 9140 3646860
8650 9150 3650850
8660 9160 3654840
8670 9170 3658830
8680 9180 3662820
8690 9190 3666810
8700 9200 3670800 72,657,900.00
8710 9210 3674790
8720 9220 3678780
8730 9230 3682770
8740 9240 3686760
8750 9250 3690750
8760 9260 3694740
8770 9270 3698730
8780 9280 3702720
8790 9290 3706710
8800 9300 3710700 73,455,900.00
8810 9310 3714690
8820 9320 3718680
8830 9330 3722670
8840 9340 3726660
8850 9350 3730650
8860 9360 3734640
8870 9370 3738630
8880 9380 3742620
8890 9390 3746610
8900 9400 3750600 74,253,900.00
8910 9410 3754590
8920 9420 3758580
8930 9430 3762570
8940 9440 3766560
8950 9450 3770550
8960 9460 3774540
8970 9470 3778530
8980 9480 3782520
8990 9490 3786510
9000 9500 3790500 75,051,900.00

[zzzptm]

Yes, that's a long list, but it's pretty comprehensive. The formula used is the one from the nation building thread, which is why I have an infra+500 column.

[Mogar]

how might you manage to get 75 million for just one donation? that'd be 2 months worth of aid slots.

[shopt]

Yeah, there comes a point that it just takes too many aid slots to pay for it, even with middle men. But a nice table. This is useful for donation buyers too.

[Pimpmobile]

That's just retarded. For example, I wouldn't pay 10-15 million for a donation... I'd simply go to someone who'd be willing to get six million and fifty tech.

What you're trying to suggest is extortion on a game. Rofls.

[King of Sparta]

I'm selling one for exactly that Jiraya. You need one for September?

[Israfeel]

I am at 3300 infra, I pay more around 300ks for 10 infra. Not what you have listed.

[Wurzak]

You forgot the laws of supply and demand... and all possible modifiers.

At around 8830 infra, 10 units cost me 2.3M. That's 1.4M less than in your table.

[htl2001]

tech deals (from what I've seen) don't do this, why should donation deals?

[lastr0ce]

I've NEVER paid over 3mil and 20tech for a donation.
The purpose of donations is the get ifnra WAY cheaper.

I laugh at those new nations who come scream:"here here, I sell donation for 12mil".

[Fonzoland]

You forget that although the cost of infra increases with size, the benefits of infra decrease sharply. People in the top 100 buy infra because they have nothing better to due with their money, not because it will improve their nation significantly. Explain how someone would pay, say, 30M (and fill their aid slots for months) for a benefit of 50K a day, instead of using the aid for tech deals/alliance aid.

[zzzptm]

For those checking my maths: I'm just using the formula from the nation building page. YMMV if you have more cool resources for minimizing infra costs. And, yes, locking up aid slots for a year to get 200 more infra isn't what buyers are willing to pay. If they can find people who don't know how much more the infra costs at a higher level, then they get the 200 for $6 million. If not, then the sellers and buyers have to find a price.

Non-monetary considerations can always be part of the deal: adding tech means sending more stuff per aid slot to maximize those channels. Given that the $20 also buys 40 tech, a big boy can afford to ship off, say 50 tech with $3,000,000 per installment.

Also, if one is in an alliance, one has to weigh the benefits of soaking the leaders for more cash vs. having the leaders help newbie nations, as Fonzoland points out.

For the large nation to be willing to buy, he'd have to get the infra for much less than purchasing it himself. For a small nation to be willing to sell, he should seek the best price possible. If he can hold out for $9 million and 150 tech, there are players who might deem that affordable - for whatever reason.

But this *is* for $20 in real money. I made two donations because I felt this game was as fun as anything else I'd plunk $40 on at a computer store and I'm loving it. But large nations are also capable of spending their *own* money, at no cost to their nation in CN terms. Getting small nations to pay $20 on their behalf is potentially exploitative from a RL perspective. Doing a tech deal for barely any profit is one thing, but getting a rough deal on $20 of real money is something that has a bit more pain to it.

Even if my math is off - and I know it fails to reflect resource and bonus combos - it's off by a few degrees, not a whole lot. When your infra is very high, the benefit of the donation is quite high.

The other side of this is to show when it's beneficial to start dropping that $20 on yourself. If all a big nation offers to a 1700-2300 infra nation is $6 million, that nation is better served by spending the donation on itself. The higher the infra, the truer this is. $3 million + 50 tech ceases to be a good deal around 900-1500 infra.

For a very young nation, $6 million is amazing stuff, no question about it. But $9 million is even more amazing, and if that very young nation can get it, good for that nation!