This post is kind of long and rambles for a while, but it clears up the subject of "Bad things"
Okay, I did some more testing and this is how it works.
They will give their efficency bonus every single drop off they make. So with Full efficency the Wheat farmers will drop off 3 things of wheat every single time, instead of 2, and the bakers will drop off 12 loaves of bread, instead of 8, and the woodcutters will drop of 18, instead of 12.
However, Merepatra was on the right track dealing with small loads. Take pitch workers, for example, they will drop off 1 load of pitch on their first run, even at 150% efficency (that's 1.5 loads). Then, on their second load, instead of dropping off 1 more, they'll drop of 2, Making a total of 3 pitch in 2 runs (150% of normal). The proportions are adjusted directly by the efficency (for almost every single type of commodity... Some don't increase, like I don't think Mill-boys do, but it is alright, because you're already getting 225% of the normal amount of bread from wheat. (as shown below)
Normal : 2 wheat -> 2 flour --> 16 bread
150 % : 3 wheat -> 3 flour --> 36 breadThe game appears to keep track of fractional goods produced, and will make them up as soon as you get enough fractions to make a whole number (i.e 5 +20% runs will yield a bonus load)
So, except for the combat penalty, being mean is the best route to go, because you can step up rations to 1.5x (since you're already getting 1.5x the food, 2.25x if you're making bread), which cancels out 4 of the 5 penalty points for being maximally mean, and surely 1 point of popularity loss is worth all other industries producing much faster.
But.. to cancel out the Combat penalty, weapons are produced according to this, too. So with 2 drop-offs at 150% efficency, 3 weapons are produced..
Approaching it mathmatically, the extra weapons cancel out the negative penalty
2 troops at 100% damage each --> 200% damage of 1 standard troop3 troops at 75% damage each --> 225% damage of 1 standard troopSo you get slightly more damage dealt, with the ability to absorb slightly more, too (because 3 units have more health than 2)
Edit - added the weapons section
[This message has been edited by Durikkan (edited 12-07-2001 @ 08:35 PM).]