The planet upkeep curve shipped last week was far too aggressive for large empires. At very high planet counts the daily drain scaled without limit — a ~100-planet holding could lose over half its colonists and full stockpiles every single cycle, which made it impossible to keep a Q-cannon armed or bank product toward a citadel. That was not the intent, and it is corrected.

The new curve. Upkeep still starts at your fourth planet, but each extra planet now adds only up to 0.1% of colonists and 0.2% of each stockpile per day, and the drain caps at 10 extra planets — so even the largest empires lose no more than roughly 1% of colonists / 2% of stockpiles per day. The heaviest absolute cost still lands on the biggest holders, but upkeep can no longer spiral into a population die-off or drain a planet’s defenses dry.

Automation still helps. Auto-Sell and Auto-Patrol each cut a planet’s drain by ~40% (up to 60% combined), so automated worlds barely feel it.

Restoration. For captains whose worlds were drained by the old curve: every affected planet in The Void and The Abyss has been restored to its pre-upkeep population, and stockpiles have been refilled. If any world still looks short, say so and it will be topped up.