I berated colonies for being a sucky part of the game and to cartoon like for me to waste my time on.
Having seen the pop increase benefits for a small amount of effort I thought I would give them another go and guess what..... I'm kinda addicted to them now.
Once you get used to how they operate, they are quick, fun, more stimulating and interactive than a normal adv where you just follow a guide. Plus the opportunity to get vast amounts of titanium ore - 5k a day is easily achievable (more with some effort) and is very enticing.