SMAX Drone Anamoly?

[Krysia's Krusader]

I've just recently started participating in SMAX PBEM.

Besides the funny thing that looks like a chicken's gizard and shoots at me, I've come across a little problem...

I'm very proud of my ability at keeping unhappy citizens (drones) quelched. I'm in quite a few games (for me anyways), and have only had an "unassumed" drone riot once ( I captured some enemy bases and they rioted on me the turn after).

Anyways in SMAX, in the base control screen, there are two screens that I verify to see how the populace feels: 1) The PSYCH MFD; and 2) The POPULATION BAR.

The Problem:

Sometimes, but not always, the PSYCH MFD indicates that everything is cool (everybody's happy under my enlightenment), but the POPULATION BAR says otherwise (some malcontents are brewing up a riot).
In other words... No drones or a few of them in #1. Drones or a few more in #2.

Which is accurate?


So far I haven't taken any chances, and have assumed that the worst indicator to be the correct one.

Anybody else notice this? Or point me to the correct thread if there's one...

[Mongoose]

It's a display error on the main base screen. The PSYCH panel will correctly show the drone situation. F4/Citizens is also accurate.

[johndmuller]

I've noticed some other anomalies which are seemingly more subtle. For example, as the Hive, with the HGP and a somewhat, but not excessively large number of bases, a base might start out with a talent as Citizen #1, giving you the idea that Citizen #2 would not cause a drone riot. I might decide to build a recycler instead of a rec common, or not bother to rush the rec common when #2 is almost there. Unfortunately, when #2 does come along, it might restate Citizen #1 as a regular worker and #2 a drone, leading to unexpected riots. Often, when the rec common is built and maybe another pop unit or 2 has been added, the drone situation would be re-restated so that it looks like you wouldn't have really needed the rec common so soon after all.

This can also happen with the PK and their free talents; in fact it happened to me in the HQ base just recently right after the 1st B-warning and IIRC some heavy analysis that Ned performed on the B-drone thing at poly a while ago, the HQ base is not supposed to be an early victim of B-drones. I suppose it probably has something to do with B-drones nevertheless, and may be predictable, but the only way I know how to avoid the riots is to assume that there might be an unpleasant surprise at every growth point, which tends to waste some output that might have otherwise been safe.

BTW, I am aware of the false signals on the main screen mentioned above, this is based on info from the psych view.