Improvement Swapping vs. Infra in the bag

[James I]

So when is it no longer worth it to improvement swap over a 6-day period? Is it more profitable to buy infra every 1 or 2 days, so you have that infra in your nation to generate extra income?

Obviously, it depends on your nation..but is there a rule of thumb?

[iMatt]

I believe it's always worth it to improvement swap, only until you are able to buy all improvements at once, and then all you have to do is swap in labor camps (always worth it)

[Thorr]

The higher your infra the more it is beneficial to improvement swap. Especially Labor Camps and even guerrilla camps now at my amount of soldiers saves me money doing a swap with them.

Edited June 28, 2008 by Thorr

[wakka wakka]

Yes is is definitely always worth swapping labour camps, i save millions over a 5 day period

[Zangmonkey]

In my situation, It pays off to switch labor camps every day.

[Lavo]

In my situation, It pays off to switch labor camps every day.

Same here. I do swaps though, as that is even more profitable.

[SunnyInc]

I buy 1000 levels of infra up at a time so while I'm saving the cash I cycle labour camps & churches (I'm currently on 3999.99).

[James I]

I buy 1000 levels of infra up at a time so while I'm saving the cash I cycle labour camps & churches (I'm currently on 3999.99).

For an extra $7,500, swap intelligence agencies!

[enderland]

For an extra $7,500, swap intelligence agencies!

Unless you have spies

[Hob Dobson]

Unless you have spies

I don't know... There might be folk who would enjoy being spied to DEFCON 1, Threat level Severe on the last day of a collection cycle.

[enderland]

Well, if you have max spies then you are unable to destroy intel agencies.

but that would be funny actually, see someone 19 days inactive and spy them from defcon 5 to 1 and make their threat level severe XD

[Carbon Footprint]

At what population level is it beneficial to start improvement swapping

[Ch33kY]

I buy infra as I go without improvement swapping. I do this because I like to be ready for war and not appear inactive. There are more factors than simply what makes you the largest amount of money.

[James I]

At what population level is it beneficial to start improvement swapping

Around 2.5k infra.

[+Zeke+]

At what population level is it beneficial to start improvement swapping

Get your basic 16 Improvements first (5 Banks, 5 Factories, Harbor, 5 Stadiums) and then get 5 free slots to begin swapping. I recommend IAs because they are cheap and it is doubtful you have spies that low. Then save up for your first swap.

This is about the earliest a nation should do it, but you should be doing it at this point as waiting is only costing you inmcreased income.

[enderland]

I buy infra as I go without improvement swapping. I do this because I like to be ready for war and not appear inactive. There are more factors than simply what makes you the largest amount of money.

Appearing inactive is one of the ADVANTAGES of improvement swapping for active nations

[Voxamerica]

but that would be funny actually, see someone 19 days inactive and spy them from defcon 5 to 1 and make their threat level severe XD

That is downright evil.

[XRCatD]

Get your basic 16 Improvements first (5 Banks, 5 Factories, Harbor, 5 Stadiums) and then get 5 free slots to begin swapping. I recommend IAs because they are cheap and it is doubtful you have spies that low. Then save up for your first swap.

This is about the earliest a nation should do it, but you should be doing it at this point as waiting is only costing you inmcreased income.

Police HQ = more happiness than IA.

[Myalam]

If you are waiting for 15 days or so at 2k+ infra then swapping LCs for Factories, buying infra then swapping Factories for other economic improvements can also be a valid option.

[zzzptm]

I never did do improvement swapping. I just kept buying infra every day. I think there's something about compounding growth each day as opposed to saving up and then buying... unless one has a hardcore growth strategy that involves guaranteed inflows of aid.

[Gebiv]

I'm doing cycles of 10 days. 500+ infra per cycle. Which is more than the 30 a day I could get without swapping. My current cycle is taking a little longer because of the fact that there's a jump right after it.

[Haflinger]

Get your basic 16 Improvements first (5 Banks, 5 Factories, Harbor, 5 Stadiums) and then get 5 free slots to begin swapping. I recommend IAs because they are cheap and it is doubtful you have spies that low. Then save up for your first swap.

This is about the earliest a nation should do it, but you should be doing it at this point as waiting is only costing you inmcreased income.

I actually swapped a couple banks at the beginning of my swapping.

I started swapping after I had banks/factories/harbor/stadiums/FM/schools/unis/clinics/hospital built out.

Banks were the cheapest improvement I had that didn't affect improvement slots, so I was swapping them for camps at the beginning.

Nowadays of course I just delete camps to collect and then rebuy.