Board Thread:Questions and Answers/@comment-6016076-20140720081239/@comment-24497113-20140728230441

While I do love the fact I inspired someone so, some of your calculations are off... by a lot. For the sake of bettering your investment skills, allow me to correct these. I'll try and follow your model, including the summary at the bottom, and I will be using your assumption for the rate and capacity of an Advisory, as it logically fits.

Upgrade Combination

In BTD5, More Bananas and Banana Plantation add $40 and $180 to the amount the Bank generated, respectively. Since each banana counts are worth $20 in BTD5, these number actually correlate to the number of additional bananas the would have generated if it were still a farm. This is actually easily proven by taking a0/3 Monkey Bank and a 2/3 Monkey Bank, and comparing the money they generated at the end of a wave.

By dividing their balance by 1.1 (to counteract the interest), we can see that the 2/3 Bank does, in fact, generate $270 more than the 0/3 Bank. This changes a lot in the calculations, as the interest builds up over time. For example, a 2/3 Bank actually reaches its threshold during round 6. [Also, I detect a bit of a typo at the end of that section that had me extremely confused at first.]

Early Collection

Very rarely will you ever want your Bank or Advisory to reach its threshold, as early collection helps keep them efficient. If you collect the balance of a 0/3 Bank on the 8th round, the over all efficiency of that Bank is $937.5/round. Collect the balance on the 7th round at $7040, however, and the efficiency becomes ~$1005.7/round. This difference is significantly lessened with a 2/3 Bank, with the threshold at $1250/round with early collection at $1268.6/round (that roughly $19/round difference you were talking about), but the Plantation does earn $244/round over the 0/3 Bank (if not more), breaking even after the 7th round.

Also, Early Collection does, in fact, work with an Advisory. Not collecting early on a 2/4 Advisory results in a loss of ~$168.4/round, and the loss on a 0/4 Advisory is ~$378.5/round.

Tier 3, Path 1 vs 2; Banana Republic vs Monkey Bank

The Banana Republic at 3/0 generates $750 every round; this consistent flow and it's relatively low price are its only strong suits. The rate of a 0/3 Bank, however, was $937.5/round (you may recall from before). That is a loss of $187.5/round for keeping a Banana Republic over a Monkey Bank. (Note: it is fine to keep an already established Banana Republic while you upgrade your Farms and Plantations to Banks.) Sure this difference is diminished when comparing a 3/2 to a 2/3 (shrinking to a loss of $125/round, again in favor of the Bank), but with a difference of $1000, there is no need to pick the Republic over the Bank... except...!

Tier 4, Path 1 vs 2; Banana Research Facility vs Banana Investment Advisory

With it's cheaper price and its newly increased threshold, the Advisory seems like a pretty obvious choice, with a rate of $3711.9/round at 0/4, and an ever-so-slightly more impressive rate of ~3918.4/round at 2/4. However, after the 7 rounds it takes for to reach maximum efficiency, you should collect that and immediately start shifting gears towards a Research Facility. While the Advisory does initially beat out the Facility's measly $3000/round (well, measle for the league we're playing in), the Valuable Bananas upgrade beefs that rate up to a MANLY $4500/round. (Again, it should be noted thatit is still an excellent idea to keep your advisory while you still have Plantations out, as its rate is nothing to sneeze at. Switch it to a Research Facility when there are no better options.)

Summary


 * Path 1 upgrades still boost the rate of Banks, so feel free to use a 2/3 or 2/4 if and when you can.


 * Get an Advisory first to save you the hassle of having to save up $14000, but if you do have access to Reseach Facilities, switch to them after the first Advisory.


 * Banana Republic is still inferior to the Monkey Bank; however, just like with the Advisory, it is okay to start with one at 3/0 as it is cheaper, and does expidite the process a little.


 * You may sell your 2/0 to purchase a 0/3 instead of upgrading to a 2/3 only if your financial situation will not allow you to directly upgrade as a 0/3 does still make more money.


 * Honestly, I'm not sure what isn't clicking, but I don't understand this bullet. It clashes with my data thoroughly. You may want to check your data, but don't hesitate to correct me if I'm wrong.


 * *Bottom Line for Monkey Banks* Monkey Banks are a decent stepping stone at best. If you do not have access to either Tier 4 upgrades, these buildings are the way to go. Otherwise, there is no reason to have more than 1 at a time.


 * *Bottom Line for Invesment Advisories* Without access to the Facility, this is your goal, as it makes pretty decent cash for its price. However, with access to the Facility, it is highly recommended to stop at 1, as the Facility is much more profitable.

Thanks for reading through my long winded response. I have been doing some research of my own for the contested territory, and the information here has definitely given me some ideas. Feel free to correct anything you think I may have miscalculated or clarify anything that you feel needs it.