Can trade routes be bent?

AI doesn't set routes through my starbase AoEs with same tile distance.

from GalCiv2 Forums
I think everyone's gotten frustrated when a freighter doesn't set a trade route that optimally uses the already built economic starbases.

Lets say Planet Alpha and Planet Beta are 20 spaces apart, 15 diagonal spaces and 5 vertical spaces, and that a starbase covers 8 spots in this route. Sometimes, the AI will design the route so the freighter turns early or late, preventing it from using as much of the AoE as possible. For every time the frieghter turns too early or too late, it'll miss about 2 spots per run (a big difference starting at 5 weeks). Is there a click and drag function or something of the sorts that lets you adjust or bend trade routes?
2,536 views 5 replies
Reply #1 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
No, all you can do is set the destination.

Perhaps you should not build econ bases before you set up your trade routes.
Then you can build the bases directly on the trade routes for maximum effect.

And econ bases with the trade modules only require 4 constructors, so it should be an easy matter to add them where you want on newer routes.
Reply #2 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
s there a click and drag function or something of the sorts that lets you adjust or bend trade routes?


No, trade routes are fixed based on the standard pathfinding system.
DeskScapes - Bring your desktop background to life.
Reply #3 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Usually I like to build my bases after manually tracing the lines to planets I want to trade with. The problem comes up when I discover a new planet and already have trade operations underway with a well planted starbase. If Starbases could have their radii extended through research, then I'd have less of a complaint, but still, it would help. It also would help if an opponent destroyed an existing starbase and I had others which could cover the trade routes being augmented.

Also, it would help if I could click and drag routes onto other planets with the same or less distance. The range by which I could adjust it could be increase through research so I couldn't just pick up and establish a trade route 180 degrees in the opposite direction from my home planet.
Reply #4 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
You don't need to trade with the new planet. Just trade with the one you're already trading with.
Reply #5 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
a good trick i like to do is to give away a planet so that i can form a trade route directly through the heart of my empire. Even if i have to give away an influence starbase or two so they don't defect, it is well worth doing.

the big advantage being that eventually you can add factory modules to your economy starbases to boost all your main nearby planets.