Trade Value

RTFM Just kidding!

Value is determined by distance between the planets AND population of those planets. The income varies as the freighter moves between the planets. When the freighter is close to YOUR planet the income is less.

Hope that helps.

Skyjack is correct, one additional thing is to build starbases along trade routes (or vise versa)
for an extra BONUS !!!
I seem to always make better trade routes than the AI.

to clear up what byram said, build economic starbases and add the trade modules so that route in the aoe get bonuses

Do the trade bonuses really work ? I've had a hard time getting worth while trade routes. Even with the bazaar on my economic capitol, i don't really see any improvement. (i know the starbases bonuses work)

It may just be me but the way that the game economy works now, trade income is fine to maximize income but it's diplomatic value is probably greater than the money you make. I have never had a game in the latest releases where trade income was critical to my financial health.

I am usually making so much money by midgame I am scarcely motivated to build economy starbases at all. Now, the econ mines are another story.

the NPV would probably have a routine value of

NPV = X * ((Ia)n + v^n*(Da)n) / i(effective rate of interest for a period of 2n)

where n is the time your trade vessel need to go from your planet to your target's (or the other way around?)

and X is the # of money increasing each turn, or decreasing when the ship comes back

Ia means increasing annuity
Da means decreasing annuity

now, we just have to fix the expected interest rate we usually have! (btw, did anyone ever cared to calculate the rate of interest when we buy at credit during the game?)

if speed is important then trade vessals should be upgradable after they are on the route

Hi!

When the freighter is close to YOUR planet the income is less.

A small correction: when the trade route starts, is the income from it low. The longer is the trade ship en-route, the more money you receive from. The most you get when it is at the end of the route - returning to a planet from where it started. When the route is closed (freighter returned to your planet) it will start again with low value. The consequence of that is: if you've started lots of trade routes in a short time, your economy will go down, because you'll receive less money.
Also note the player on the other end of the trade route will receive the same amount of money from route you do. Trading has hence quite a big impact on diplomatic relations with that race.

BR, Iztok