Question on Ports & Refineries

from Sins Forums
I LOVE this game. I played Beta 4 and was disapointed by the AI. Well, the final version is sure is a lot better. I started playing on Hard and got my ass kicked about three times now ;)

My question is on economics:

1. Does it make sence to build a space port (dock) on every planet/asteroid to increase $$$?

2. What does a white line mean when hower over the $$$ indicator on the top of the screen?

3. Does it make sence to build refineries in each planet/asteroid? Do they "work" together and between planets or is it a planet specific improvment?

I also noticed that when you reaserch "higher population dencity" for TEC, your planet size or population size do NOT increase.

Thank you all!!
14,289 views 6 replies
Reply #1 from Sins Forums Top
It is not efficient to have too many refineries, what that number would be I don't know. I have no idea about tradeports, and that TEC bug has been around for a long time now I believe, since the beta.
Reply #2 from Sins Forums Top
1) Trade ports are good. There's no real diminishing returns, the more you make the more ships you'll have trading. Refineries are slightly different: if you hover over a mine, it'll tell you how many refinery ships it can support and how many it has (like 0/3). So overflooding refineries is wasteful. Refinery ships do have a limited jump range, so they can help out mines on nearby planets, but it's only 1-2 jumps.

2) The white line is the most profitable (longest uniterrupted) trade route. Trade ships that are going this route are earning bonus income.

3) Kinda talked about it in 1) - they do have a limited jump range, except the Advent. The Advent doesn't have a separate refinery structure, instead their trade port can change modes to help boost mining amount within its grav well only.
Multiplicity - Control multiple PCs using one keyboard and mouse
Reply #3 from Sins Forums Top

1. Does it make sence to build a space port (dock) on every planet/asteroid to increase $$$?
End of quote


Trade ports, yes. Refineries yes... but refineries have diminishing returns.


2. What does a white line mean when hower over the $$$ indicator on the top of the screen?
End of quote


Thats the longest available trade route -- an unbroken chain of planets with trade centers. (Please note that uncolonizable systems don't break the chain, but any colonizable one, even a mere dead asteroid, will unless it has a trade center).

3. Does it make sence to build refineries in each planet/asteroid? Do they "work" together and between planets or is it a planet specific improvment?
End of quote


Yes build refineries. I believe asteroids give you a report on how many refineries they can support, and how many are being supported. Don't go over the support limit.

Refineries appear to support one jump "out" from them, so yes they are inter-planetary, but they don't work together like trade centers.
Reply #4 from Sins Forums Top
Is there a way to see what a Refinery is actually doing? I mean they sound good , so I build them, but how many minerals/crystals are they actaully contributing? How long does it take one to pay for itself?
Reply #5 from Sins Forums Top
yes you allow infocard for planets in the interface options and you will see how much crystal is being produced by sec by the givenn planet.
Reply #6 from Sins Forums Top
thank you all! great asnwers. I am using all this info tonight ;)