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??? You are being sarcastic right???

Hey and isn't this the annoying dude that created a post about the fact that he hates being broke? Does this guy have a problem with his brain? Damn crack addicts.  

There's no need to talk people down for announcing their own personal discoveries. Trade can indeed be profitable if you choose routes wisely and use all the options at your disposal to amplify their income.

I've always been able to get it up to 700ish+ a turn. I don't know what others make but I don't consider that spare change.

Um trade is horrible on larger maps. PERIOD. (unless something has changed in 1.3)

I don't even bother with it anymore, it's far too much work for the little bit of money and diplomatic relations.

It definately wasn't play tested on larger maps. (who needs 750 to 1500 a turn in trade when you're making 20k+ a turn ?) For all the effort you'd have been better off just buying stock exchanges, and continued building your warships.)

Oh I supose if you don't know how to build a good economy, trade does rock.

Um trade is horrible on larger maps. PERIOD. (unless something has changed in 1.3)

Agree with your whole post 100%.

(who needs 750 to 1500 a turn in trade when you're making 20k+ a turn ?)

I say I would have to agree, but I do trade with my close neihgbors not for money, but to make the AI have good relations, wich in turn they will rely more on me on trade, even if they dont get much either, theyll be friendly. This I see as a good thing, since in almost all games I play, I like to have at least 1 freindly civ, and make them my ally for backup on wars, and to take them out of consideration for the time being,till I betray them later, or win through diplomacy, even if I didnt since all I did was have 1 ally and kill the rest, so it would be a conquest victory in reality.

Trade CAN be usefull, not just for the money...


Monc34

So how much friendliness does a trade route give?

+2 to +3 as I recall. Useful for buying off people you're pressuring with influence, but not much else. If I use it like that, I plan on going to war/finishing with what I'm doing quickly thereafterward.

Trade is a good way of reckoning your place in the galaxy. If most of the trade goes to you from the AI, then you're powerful, if not, you aren't. Of course, this falls prey to the AI not recognizing a MASSIVE tech advantage, but that horse is a skeleton.

@OP: I don't bother to much with trade on large maps and up. Sometimes not even on medium, depending on how well I'm doing. If I can get just a couple 10+ planets, I can really crank my economy past whatever the AI manages to scrounge up. On maps below medium, I'll grant that it can really help.

Hmmm, I only play gigantic maps, and I pretty much rely on trade. I generally get about 15% of my income from trade, which is to say that although it is greatly outweighed by my tax income, it is usually more than my net income for much of the game. So without trade, I wouldn't be able to have my spending on 100%. Playing the Thalans / Industrialist means that I need plenty of income to feed those production bonuses.

Um trade is horrible on larger maps. PERIOD. (unless something has changed in 1.3)

Really? I'm currently on a GIGANTIC map with trade maxed and my TRADE income alone is 1100-2900, depending on the week.

Trade is BETTER on larger maps because the longer the trade route, the more money it makes.

Gotta love "bashers" who don't know how to use certain aspects of the game.

Gotta love "bashers" who don't know how to use certain aspects of the game.

Indeed. The thing with the big maps is that you have to get trade fairly early and then really keep on it: have one planet (I usually choose my homeworld) keep pumping out the freighters until you have 15 or so. (Always good to have spares). You can easily get a trade income of 3000 or so with 9 good routes.

You can easily get a trade income of 3000 or so with 9 good routes.

Hmm, 3000 / 9 = ~333. I don't remember to have ever been close to that amount on the average.

In my opinion trade is nice on maps where your tax base isn't that large (small maps, maps with few planets in general), or when you want to improve relations to somebody (although a strong military is the first choice then - nobody attacks you when you have the strongest military rating). But I usually don't bother with it on large maps or in mid- or lategame when my tax income is very high anyway.

Suicidal, Gigantic map, rare habitable planets other galaxy options common -- got 16 planets for my civ -- 3400 tax income - 2100 expenses = +1300bc/turn on turn 5-8-2227 with no trade routes and only market centers and population is not built up yet.

Why would i want to spend the time to build freighters and all the econ starbases to get a good trade income? In another 6 months or so I'll prob have +3K to +4K income/turn unless I conquer a bunch of planets by then and have deficits on them.

I'm sure you can build up trade and it is probably great for influence but if your going to do a little conquering there are a lot better things to invest in than trade.

if your going to do a little conquering there are a lot better things to invest in than trade.

That's the spirit!

Trade is not worth the effort IMHO... I've tried, I really have, to make more than 10,000 per turn. I've had 100M planet in one corner maxed out distance to the opposite corner of the map, used all my bonuses etc on trade enhancers and routes, built starports boosting trade everywhere.

It takes too long, uses too many resources, is too fragile in times of war etc...

I can build a galaxy that has 40,000 bc income without any trade so why would I go anywhere near it. Those early turns (where it might have a use are far to precious to be building freighters or range enhancing constructors).

Trade is vital, I can't survive the middle bit of the game without trade. By that point my treasury is normally empty and I need any money I can get.

Trade is indeed awesome, Zman2100. For all of you traders out there, and perhaps especially for those that haven't yet discovered the advantages of trading; in DA trade routes become more valuable over time. MUCH more valuable. Find a few steady trading partners, and hold on to the routes, and you can become a very rich man. (or bug, or whatever) I have a question. Certain posters above have stated that trading is useless on gigantic maps. Since the value of a trade route is determined by distance, shouldn't the distances available on the larger maps mean even greater revenues? Or does it scale? In other words, is the value of a trade route to the far side of a medium galaxy the same, or less than the value of a trade route to the far side of a gigantic galaxy?

The only thing I use trade for is to improve relations and keep people from attacking me in early game. Agree with most of the above posters...trade should be FAR more profitable for all the effort it requires to set up, and all the limitations forced on it.

While I do agree that the distance relations between trade planets needs to be looked at and that trade is not a large part of my total income I disagree with alot of other statements. First of all, trade is quick to research on the tech tree and frieghters are cheap to build so trade is not very time consuming or expensive to start. It is also a very good way to boost relations without giving other civilizations something valuable to you in return. Just compare how much money you would have to give all your trading partners each turn to equal the diplomatic gain. If I get to trade before someone can declare war on me I 99% of the time will win the game. It is easy to pretend to be everyones friend with trade and then slaughter them.

While while usually gives me about 1K per turn and my economy is about 15K-60K+ per turn (Depending on the stage of the game), you have to look at it in terms of profit. Toward the middle of the game I am usually making about 1-2K profit per turn from economy, with trade routes it is about 1K per turn. That means it could be up to doubling my profit every turn. That is no small number. It also creates a greater profit buffer in case I need to go on a rampage and take over 20 worlds in 10 turns. On top of that all the economic star bases I build a usually near trade routes even though I build them for the research and production increase. So only takes me a few more constructors to make them help trade.

All in all I thing trade is worth it even on large maps (althought it might not work for some special cercumstances). I have only been playing the game for two months and I might still be considered NOOB. Although I am about to beat it on the OBSCENE difficulty with AI algorithums on, the second largest map setting, most elements common, with no minor races, and 5 computer major races.

Thats just my opinion

I haven't experimented much with trade, but am I correct in saying that in order for a trade route to be established from one of my planets, that the freighter must be constructed on that planet? I've tried building them on my industrial planet and sending them to another planet of mine and then onto another civ, but the tradeline is always established with the planet that built the freighter.

am I correct in saying that in order for a trade route to be established from one of my planets, that the freighter must be constructed on that planet?

Yes, jmatt, you are absolutely correct. Only those planets that can construct a freighter may trade.

not everyone uses the scoremonger settings.

trade is totally sweet.

the scoremonger settings

Please be more specific, and thanks for the neat word.

I'm trying my first Metaverse game right now, but I've done my share of scoffing interest in scores. My guess is you're talking about

OBSCENE difficulty with AI algorithums on, the second largest map setting, most elements common, with no minor races, and 5 computer major races

But that's a big chunk of settings. I like Gigantic maps with common or abundant real estate, plenty o' minors, and 9 rivals. But I really don't care about scores (yet? consciously?).

scoremonger settings would be something like:

gigantic
scattered systems
abundant habitables
abundant planets
abundant stars
very fast tech progression
any number of AI opponents (not sure if points are scored for forcing a civilization's retirement/deliverying the finishing attack, so it wouldn't matter if you did a 1v1 or a 1v9.)

techtrading 'on'
influence victory condition 'off'
allied victory condition 'off'
technologic victory condition 'off'

goal of the game is to conquer everything, max out population, win lots of fleet/ship battles, max out tech. all as quickly as possible for the best score (you can get) per 1 game.

much skill required, no doubting that. not my groove though

my settings:

doesn't matter as long as techtrading is off.

been experimenting with gigantic rare/rare/rare (basically makes every civilization a 'minor race'.