The math does not say otherwise when you factor in all of the variables.
Set up your empire so that you can build monoliths in just 3 turns at planets with a SY, and that break even point comes much sooner.
Add a value improvement plant and the break even point comes sooner.
Long term planning is the way to win a game, not short sighted planning. Games are not won in 30 turns in most cases, you know.
That, and I have created much more powerful economies with monoliths than those players with sometimes larger empires using normal miners in many, many PBW games.
[ May 30, 2003, 19:33: Message edited by: Imperator Fyron ]