Refactoring (was: Refactor preview)

[Reloria]

I can't be sure if this is related to the refactoring, but I'll mention it anyway: when browsing the analysis tab on my phone (iPhone 5S, iOS8, if that makes any difference), each time I try and press the 'go' button to load the next topic, the screen scrolls down and dumps me into the 'add nation' text box. It's not a big deal, as I can scroll back up again, but it is a little frustrating. Again, I can't be sure if this is relevant, but I have only noticed this since the refactoring happened. That could just as well be because going onto the analysis tab was my first thought after it went live, though!

This is on the mobile NS theme by the way. Does anybody else get this?

Good job on the refactoring, by the way. It's a great improvement!

[Athretvari]

I can't be sure if this is related to the refactoring, but I'll mention it anyway: when browsing the analysis tab on my phone (iPhone 5S, iOS8, if that makes any difference), each time I try and press the 'go' button to load the next topic, the screen scrolls down and dumps me into the 'add nation' text box. It's not a big deal, as I can scroll back up again, but it is a little frustrating. Again, I can't be sure if this is relevant, but I have only noticed this since the refactoring happened. That could just as well be because going onto the analysis tab was my first thought after it went live, though!

This is on the mobile NS theme by the way. Does anybody else get this?

Good job on the refactoring, by the way. It's a great improvement!

Ditto, and here I was thinking my fingers were getting fatter.

[Kaspera]

Was there an adjustment to Refactoring last night that would affect the "Most Pro-market" census? I'm tracking specific effects of issues on three of my nations and noticed I went up about 50-60 points on each nation (Ikonja, Cozala, and Kaspera). The issue Cozala faced last night shouldn't have had an effect on Commerce AFAIK, and Kaspera actually dismissed last night's issue. Ikonja had no change in actual government spending on commerce.

[Luna Amore]

Was there an adjustment to Refactoring last night that would affect the "Most Pro-market" census? I'm tracking specific effects of issues on three of my nations and noticed I went up about 50-60 points on each nation (Ikonja, Cozala, and Kaspera). The issue Cozala faced last night shouldn't have had an effect on Commerce AFAIK, and Kaspera actually dismissed last night's issue. Ikonja had no change in actual government spending on commerce.

The scale was changed from 0-20 to -100-100. See:

Still, Lawyer Suicide was scored pretty highly in "Analysis: Most Pro-Market." I have adjusted that scale so it now pays a lot of attention to whether the nation has outlawed free enterprise. It also goes from -100 to 100 now, instead of 0 to 20.

[Farrakhan]

This may be more complicated, but is there a way to figure out exchange rates? Or at least how strong my currency is VS....something?

I ask because my average income is 115k credits - which sounds pretty good. But I'm not sure if that's relative to US dollars or if I have a pretty weak currency.

Great question.

When comparing the overall size of two different economies from the outlook data, is each nation's default currency of equal value to one another (ie. Country XYZ default currency always equals Country ABC default currency)? Or is there some sort of floating exchange rate that makes for more complication than readily meets the eye?

[[violet]]

when it comes to issues on crime that require a response that would lower civil rights, I tend to dismiss. Would this not leave crime the same, rather than increase it?

Dismissing an issue will never affect your nation stats, correct.

[[violet]]

Thanks for the answer. So I need now a better economy to get more tourists? Because I have seen another nation with a slight less stunning environment still getting more than four times as many tourists.

You need to have not completely eliminated your tourism industry to get tourists now. If you have no industry, your environment can't produce tourists for you any more. If you do have a tourism industry, a good environment will help it.

This is actually something I'd like to know, too: My nation went from being a rather godless state to one that is even surpassing conservative nations in religiousness. And I have no problem with that at all, I'm just wondering, is it just because of some issue-specific effects, or affected by other stats, too?

It's because your nation spends 2 trillion a year on Spirituality, which is a lot. The reason that number is so high, if you are supposed to be a secular state, is almost certainly due to Known Issue #1 in the OP.

[[violet]]

I can't be sure if this is related to the refactoring, but I'll mention it anyway: when browsing the analysis tab on my phone (iPhone 5S, iOS8, if that makes any difference), each time I try and press the 'go' button to load the next topic, the screen scrolls down and dumps me into the 'add nation' text box.

Huh. I see what you mean. That's weird. It's because the Add Nation text box gets autofocus now, but Safari is being strange about it.

[[violet]]

When comparing the overall size of two different economies from the outlook data, is each nation's default currency of equal value to one another (ie. Country XYZ default currency always equals Country ABC default currency)? Or is there some sort of floating exchange rate that makes for more complication than readily meets the eye?

I'm trying to avoid re-answering questions that were already covered earlier in the thread, because I only have so much time, but this keeps coming up, so: There is no concept of exchange rates in NationStates at the moment. I don't know if we'll implement one in the future. In the meantime, you can assume that nation currencies are 1:1 with each other, and to US dollars, if you like.

[Jute]

Thanks for the answer. So I need now a better economy to get more tourists? Because I have seen another nation with a slight less stunning environment still getting more than four times as many tourists.

You need to have not completely eliminated your tourism industry to get tourists now. If you have no industry, your environment can't produce tourists for you any more. If you do have a tourism industry, a good environment will help it.

This is actually something I'd like to know, too: My nation went from being a rather godless state to one that is even surpassing conservative nations in religiousness. And I have no problem with that at all, I'm just wondering, is it just because of some issue-specific effects, or affected by other stats, too?

It's because your nation spends 2 trillion a year on Spirituality, which is a lot. The reason that number is so high, if you are supposed to be a secular state, is almost certainly due to Known Issue #1 in the OP.

Thanks. This includes general issues regarding industry, too, right? And actually it isn't supposed to be that atheist, I was just used to having high godlessness. The spirituality sector originally made up more than 10 %, but then over time went away completely. I guess it'll stay longer this time.

[[violet]]

Although I have an income tax of 0% I just received the "Taxpayers on Strike"-issue.
Shouldn't the refactoring avoid such cases?

You definitely shouldn't have received that issue. I actually can't figure out how you got it. It's coming up as invalid for your nation.

Should be fixed now.

[Zurkerx]

I have a quick question: "254 trillion Zurkxes • 6.8% of GDP".

Is this what my government spends because 143.51 trillion is a lot for defense (56.5 %)? Not complaining, just wondering.

[Infected Mushroom]

I don't really like the Inequality statistics that much.

For example, it says that in my country the wealthiest make 6.8 times as much as poorest...

just from a layman's point of view, its really hard to tell if that's a lot of inquality or not.

Also, is the ''average income'' currency-sensitive? Is 70,000 Currency X equal to 70,000 Currency Y for another nation or is there math for currency as well? If there is, then it can be really misleading (a page might say their average income is 80,000 X but because X is worth very little and is really de-valued, 40,000 Y is more, you can't tell). Or are they all like USD?

[Phydios]

Also, is the ''average income'' currency-sensitive? Is 70,000 Currency X equal to 70,000 Currency Y for another nation or is there math for currency as well? If there is, then it can be really misleading (a page might say their average income is 80,000 X but because X is worth very little and is really de-valued, 40,000 Y is more, you can't tell). Or are they all like USD?

This was just addressed (again) only a few posts above.

I'm trying to avoid re-answering questions that were already covered earlier in the thread, because I only have so much time, but this keeps coming up, so: There is no concept of exchange rates in NationStates at the moment. I don't know if we'll implement one in the future. In the meantime, you can assume that nation currencies are 1:1 with each other, and to US dollars, if you like.

I should reiterate, however, that that exchange rate doesn't actually exist. One currency has no value relative to another. If you have to have an exchange rate, assume all currencies are equal to each other and to USD, but that won't make sense in some (probably many) places.

[Bears Armed]

Okay, I can see why the calculator now assumes that the Bears’ general preference for minimal government over-rides their stated support for certain sectors (even though that isn’t how I RP them…), although I’m slightly irked that going from “no obvious [from income tax] central government spending on law-&-order, although it is one of the leader’s priorities” to simply “no obvious [from income tax] central government spending on law-&-order” because of this change has resulted in such an apparent increase in Crime: Then again, obviously neither the old calculations nor this re-calculation have ever considered the [next tier of government down] Clan governments’ spending on this topic, and the effects which that would have…
^_^

What I’m slightly confused about, though, is the amount of the Expenditure pie-chart that’s dedicated to ‘Industry’. Have I really chosen so many issue options that involve subsidies, relative to the number of issues that involved spending on other fields (such as Culture) instead, which I thought wasn’t the case… or was being strongly pro-Corporation & pro-Capitalism in the initial questionnaire and then maintaining a high level of Economic Freedom enough to make the calculator you’re now using assume that there would be subsidies even without me choosing many options that explicitly stated this?

[Infected Mushroom]

Also, is the ''average income'' currency-sensitive? Is 70,000 Currency X equal to 70,000 Currency Y for another nation or is there math for currency as well? If there is, then it can be really misleading (a page might say their average income is 80,000 X but because X is worth very little and is really de-valued, 40,000 Y is more, you can't tell). Or are they all like USD?

This was just addressed (again) only a few posts above.

I'm trying to avoid re-answering questions that were already covered earlier in the thread, because I only have so much time, but this keeps coming up, so: There is no concept of exchange rates in NationStates at the moment. I don't know if we'll implement one in the future. In the meantime, you can assume that nation currencies are 1:1 with each other, and to US dollars, if you like.

I should reiterate, however, that that exchange rate doesn't actually exist. One currency has no value relative to another. If you have to have an exchange rate, assume all currencies are equal to each other and to USD, but that won't make sense in some (probably many) places.

i see...

[Kelinfort]

I don't understand my nation at all. I have 4.2% progressive income tax, yet very low inequality. Very low public healthcare, yet high lifespan and higher health.

[Jute]

I don't understand my nation at all. I have 4.2% progressive income tax, yet very low inequality. Very low public healthcare, yet high lifespan and higher health.

If the people stay healthy and there aren't many born with or later developing chronic illnesses, there's no need for good healthcare to maintain a high lifespan, I guess? And lower taxes doesn't have to mean high inequality either.

[[violet]]

What I’m slightly confused about, though, is the amount of the Expenditure pie-chart that’s dedicated to ‘Industry’. Have I really chosen so many issue options that involve subsidies, relative to the number of issues that involved spending on other fields (such as Culture) instead, which I thought wasn’t the case… or was being strongly pro-Corporation & pro-Capitalism in the initial questionnaire and then maintaining a high level of Economic Freedom enough to make the calculator you’re now using assume that there would be subsidies even without me choosing many options that explicitly stated this?

It's difficult to answer this question definitively without sitting down with a glass of wine and several years' worth of server logs, but I would guess that yes, you really have favored government spending on business that much, relative to other areas. Bear in mind (ahahahaha) that your government is less than 1% of your economy, so its spending is a mere drop in the bucket. It's that tiny government and huge private sector that makes me think you've answered a lot of pro-industry issues, and the effects of these have leaked into your government.

Nothing you do on the initial nation questionnaire is permanent, and most of the effects can be reversed very quickly via issues.

[[violet]]

I don't understand my nation at all. I have 4.2% progressive income tax, yet very low inequality. Very low public healthcare, yet high lifespan and higher health.

What a lovely nation! Tell us your secrets.

[Indian Empire]

I'm glad they're using this because I got my taxes down to 66.5%!

[The Phone]

Once again I'd like to express my extreme dissatisfaction with the Refactoring.Again, I've worked for nearly ten years now to get my main nation right where I wanted it, and now it is slowly tanking despite the fact that I am continuing to answer issues the same way I have always done.

In fact, it's actually encouraging me to NOT play the game at all.

I again request that we be given the choice to opt in or out of having Refactoring applied to our nations.

[Leutria]

Once again I'd like to express my extreme dissatisfaction with the Refactoring.Again, I've worked for nearly ten years now to get my main nation right where I wanted it, and now it is slowly tanking despite the fact that I am continuing to answer issues the same way I have always done.

In fact, it's actually encouraging me to NOT play the game at all.

I again request that we be given the choice to opt in or out of having Refactoring applied to our nations.

And yet you continue to not even say what your main nation is, or exactly where things are wrong so they may be explained and looked at (with any bugs if present being fixed).

[Mostrov]

‎

[Kelinfort]

I don't understand my nation at all. I have 4.2% progressive income tax, yet very low inequality. Very low public healthcare, yet high lifespan and higher health.

What a lovely nation! Tell us your secrets.

Originally I had a 28% income tax before refactoring. That shrunk to 4.2% as of now. I basically lost my whole army (too small to save defence), welfare and healthcare shrunk, education grew to 47% of my budget, and my government shrunk to 11.3% of GDP.

Yet my crime is still (relatively) low, my health is 25, my inequality is oddly low, and I'm off the charts on gilded widgets (business subsidies). I find it odd so much has changed positive.

A little background: my nation was initially created as a dictatorship. Then, it became democratic, but because I repealed policies, my crime skyrocketed to high. So I increased the law and order budget. I would think that now it has declined by half, my crime would probably by moderate.

It just seems too go to be true.