Seemly random daily individual income tax drop

[HHAYD]

Today, I received an event that was "Recently a cure for the flu has been found within your nation. There is a limited amount of vaccinations to go around."

Option 1: Deliver the cure to the world health organization. You will lose all vaccinations but will receive worldwide recognition. Population happiness +2.

Option 2: Keep the cure secret and only vaccinate your citizens. Citizen count +1.5%.


I calculated to see which one would benefit my country more. My country's stats before picking an option: 102,115 working citizens, 69.32 population happiness, environment score is 3.5 and the GRL is 2.5.

$122.16 * 1.01500 = $123.9924 (option 2)

$122.16+(30% tax*2 Pop happiness) = $122.16+(.3*$4) = $123.36 (option 1)

I picked option 2, and when I went back to check my country for the heck of it, I noticed something unusual. The population happiness dropped down to 68.35, bringing the tax income per citizen down to $120.91 instead of increasing it to $123.99. Nothing else had changed other than the increased population and increased population density. Currently my country's population per mile is 55.77.

Edited January 19, 2011 by HHAYD

[Captain Nathan Brittles]

Well, for starters, Option 2 doesn't increase income; it increases citizen count.

You also miscalculated the effects for Option 1. A happiness point is worth $2 at base which is modified by economic improvements. With all the economic improvements that happiness point is worth $4.15 meaning Option 1 increased gross income by $8.30 not $4 as you used. So tax income is increased by $2.49 to $124.65.

[HHAYD]

[quote name='Captain Nathan Brittles' timestamp='1295411527' post='2582750']
Well, for starters, Option 2 doesn't increase income; it increases citizen count.
[/quote]
But by increasing the citizen count, it increases the amount of tax payment. It still shouldn't reduce the population happiness.

[Vladisvok Destino]

[quote name='HHAYD' timestamp='1295409189' post='2582652']
Nothing else had changed other than the increased population and increased population density. Currently my country's population per mile is 55.77.
[/quote]

Not 100% sure, but since lower pop density increases happiness, is it possible that with your density increasing that would explain the loss of income?

[HHAYD]

[quote name='Vladisvok Destino' timestamp='1295478564' post='2584393']
Not 100% sure, but since lower pop density increases happiness, is it possible that with your density increasing that would explain the loss of income?
[/quote]
I have Water as one of my resources, which increases the population density up to 110 before the negative happiness effect kicks in.

[Gopherbashi]

I believe there is a decrease in the "positive happiness" bonus for a low density somewhere around 50. Is it possible you crossed that?

[HHAYD]

[quote name='Gopherbashi' timestamp='1295484594' post='2584580']
I believe there is a decrease in the "positive happiness" bonus for a low density somewhere around 50. Is it possible you crossed that?
[/quote]
I bought enough land to lower my population per mile to 48.83, the population happiness still stayed the same.

[Captain Nathan Brittles]

[quote name='HHAYD' timestamp='1295476012' post='2584334']
But by increasing the citizen count, it increases the amount of tax payment. It still shouldn't reduce the population happiness.
[/quote]

I agree it shouldn't, however you indicated two problems in your OP. One, you didn't receive the income boost you expected for selecting Option 2. Two, based on your data, your happiness in fact dropped over what it was prior to selecting an option. I didn't comment on problem two, I commented on problem one which based on the information you provided was based on a faulty premise that your individual income tax would rise from $122.16 to $123.99 when Option 2 has nothing to do with individual income taxes it only affects the number of citizens paying the income tax.

At the time I didn't have any idea what may have caused the drop in happiness from where you started. I now have a possible solution. You gave the starting happiness and what you finished with, however you didn't note under what cconditions those numbers were achieved. Were they with or without labor camps? What about the No Response from your event? If the starting happiness was viewed after receiving the event, then it has to include the No Reponse value from the event which is typically -4 Happiness. Added to the one you seem to actually be short is 5 since you would have gotten the No Reponse value back after selecting Option 2. Five looks suspiciously like a labor camp issue. If the 68.35 you have now includes having labor camps it all fits since 68.35 plus 5 for the labor camps minus 4 for as the No Reponse value does give you the 69.32 (assuming the starting happiness was what you would collect with).

[HHAYD]

I think the event gave my country 1+ happiness before I picked an option.