Trade Ports

Well I have spent over 2 hours of my life searching the forums about trade ports and I still don't understand...

A: where to put them? Only on asteroids? Ice? where?

B: what are they good for?  I am guessing they will make me gold...but is there a down side?

C: how many to build? Like one on every planet?

D: how soon do I need one?  Do I need one at all?

E: Is there a manual I am missing some place?

Someone need to make an FAQ in here that would be cool.

7,215 views 8 replies
Reply #1 Top
You can put them on any planet after you research them. Each one gives a bonus to the credit income of that planet. Sadly, you can put as many as will fit around a planet (my last MP opponent put up to 5 around most of his planets, now THAT'S an exciting space battle tactic :NOTSURE:). The longest "string" of planets that have at least one Trade Port will get a bonus (hover your mouse over the Credits counter at the top of the screen, and it will show a white line of the most profitable routes), and will also show a list of what Trade Ports are giving you credit-wise. Gravity wells that can't be colinzied don't count in figureing the best trade route.

There is no deminishing return on Trade Ports, so, again sadly, spamming as many as you can around planets is a good tactic. But, they do cost quite an investment at first. And you could be attacked with few defences if you spend all that money on Trade Ports (early game).



Reply #2 Top
Awesome thx

Sounds like a waste of space to spam them.
Reply #3 Top
you could have just played the logistics tutorial which explains all your questions in about 5 minutes.
Reply #4 Top
It's not entirely illogical that spamming Tradeports has no deminishing returns. Who's there to decide that having 3 space ports isn't good and could actually increase income per Treace port.

Simon
Reply #5 Top
Of course vasari never needs trade ports since tec already is making the money and will soon be buying resources vasari sells on the black market. It is a win win situation for vasari.

t's not entirely illogical that spamming Tradeports has no deminishing returns. Who's there to decide that having 3 space ports isn't good and could actually increase income per Treace port.
End of quote


I heard somewhere that every trade port increases total income from each trade port by .1 and it was like that when I used to play TEC and thought they were unbeatable and unbalanced due to trade ports lol. I used to put like 10 trade ports on a desert planet and would get 11.2 income from trade ports from that planet alone.

Reply #6 Top
Trade ports are awsome! They are vital to getting a strong economy running and work especially well on large maps where long trade routes can be established.

I've played many games where the amount of income generated by my trade ports has been triple the amount that my planets where bring in and this is with vesari (tec are even stronger).

The best way of doing this is spamming ports around your more remote planets. On planets away from the front line I'll often aim to have 4-5 trade centers up and running and use them as economy hubs. On any planet that you have spare logistic slots you should aim to fill them up with trade ports.

Basically, the more you have the better. You can use the gold you get from trade to buy metal and crystal when needed.

Reply #7 Top
I heard somewhere that every trade port increases total income from each trade port by .1 and it was like that when I used to play TEC and thought they were unbeatable and unbalanced due to trade ports lol. I used to put like 10 trade ports on a desert planet and would get 11.2 income from trade ports from that planet alone.
End of quote


Your tradeports each produce 0.1 cr/s more for each link in your longest trade route. So one planet with 5 tradeports is nice...but a trade route 5 planets in length with 1 tradeport each will produce 0.4 additional for each tradeport because of the 4 additional planets in your "longest trade route". And of course, a 5 link trade route with multiple tradeports is even better...but it is the length of the route that determines the additional trade income. I think the base for one planet is 1.2 cr/s ?

Anyhow, the good news is, you don't really have to sweat it too much...build them all over the place, more is better, and spend your energy in figuring out how to kill the other guy.
Reply #8 Top
Basically, the more you have the better. You can use the gold you get from trade to buy metal and crystal when needed.
End of quote


Yea and if another race such as vasari that does not have trade ports but has lots of resources and needs credits, they (I) will put up the resources on the black market for sale and you buy from them giving them all your money you make from trade ports for resources they don't need. (They make 100% profit if no one else is selling on black market.)