How to space trade ports?

from Sins Forums

Please tell me if I have this right.  I've always heard something about "trade ports make money based on the longest trade route."  Now, who the heck knows how to interpret this, but I always figured I should make the distance between trade ports as long as possible.  To do this, I select the two (and only 2) planets in my empire that are furthest from each other in terms of phase jumps, and pack them with as many trade ports as I can (usually 2 or 3 on both planets).  I put no trade ports at any other planets, because I figure that's "shortening the trade route," and I want to keep the longest trade route possible, right?

However, I'm not sure I understand this correctly.  I play people online who seem to spam trade ports willy nilly at many planets.  At first I'd chuckle to myself, thinking they didn't understand trade ports.  However, perhaps I don't understand them?

Is my understanding correct or incorrect?  Do you make more money by spamming trade ports everywhere, or should you just pick two worlds distant from each other, and stick trade ports on those?

Thanks.

4,703 views 6 replies
Reply #1 from Sins Forums Top

Its the longest chain of trade ports.

Reply #2 from Sins Forums Top

Put them on all the worlds inbetween. If there's a colonizable planet in between, the route won't be complete.

Star Control: Origins
Reply #3 from Sins Forums Top

As I understand you don't quite have it right

 First the longest trade route is essentially made up of the longest contiguous path of systems that have trade ports. Intervening spots like wormholes, storms, etc are skipped over and are included in the path length. I do not know what the exact modifier is or how it is calculated, it is however used to increase the trade for all trade ports you own whether they are on the path or not. For example, I seen multiple systems on and off the path with one trade port each and the generated income for each planet has the same value.

The next thing that you can count on running into is that the path is at least not always displayed properly. If you position the cursor over the top of your income display the current longest path will be displayed as a white line. I have encountered many times where the last planet in the chain has a trade port, it is listed in the income info display and the white line is not drawn to it. My guess is that it is not considered part of the path and therefore doesn’t contribute to the multiplier, although that’s a guess.

I have set up trade paths that are long enough that the generated income exceeds 50-60 units. Others may use this differently; I use trade income to limit my fleet upgrades. In other words I continue to increase my fleet capacity based on the trade income, that way I continue to have resources to do research and upgrade planets and use the trade income to pay for fleet maintenance.

 

Reply #4 from Sins Forums Top

So should you just build as many trade ports as you can everywhere, paying no attention to "longest path?"  The computer will then determine your longest path automatically and give you income based on it?

Reply #5 from Sins Forums Top

I suggest (if you could afford them) build trade ports on all of your planets, it doesn't matter if it becomes a chain or not, it will still generate income for you.

Quoting Tom, reply 3
As I understand you don't quite have it right

 First the longest trade route is essentially made up of the longest contiguous path of systems that have trade ports. Intervening spots like wormholes, storms, etc are skipped over and are included in the path length. I do not know what the exact modifier is or how it is calculated, it is however used to increase the trade for all trade ports you own whether they are on the path or not. For example, I seen multiple systems on and off the path with one trade port each and the generated income for each planet has the same value.

The next thing that you can count on running into is that the path is at least not always displayed properly. If you position the cursor over the top of your income display the current longest path will be displayed as a white line. I have encountered many times where the last planet in the chain has a trade port, it is listed in the income info display and the white line is not drawn to it. My guess is that it is not considered part of the path and therefore doesn’t contribute to the multiplier, although that’s a guess.

I have set up trade paths that are long enough that the generated income exceeds 50-60 units. Others may use this differently; I use trade income to limit my fleet upgrades. In other words I continue to increase my fleet capacity based on the trade income, that way I continue to have resources to do research and upgrade planets and use the trade income to pay for fleet maintenance.

 
End of Tom's quote

50 - 60 credits / sec from trades ports? i usually make over 200+ credits / sec (total) from trade ports alone?! but then I build like 4+ trade ports per planet, 8 on like desert ones lol

how many planets does can you hold your trade route? is it only me but the most I have seen was like 5 planets, longer if going thru different stars but generally 5 -6 planets most

Reply #6 from Sins Forums Top

If you are not very advanced and don't play competitively, then don't even worry about lognest chain.  But it is possible to maximize your income by planning out the lognest path possible, and not putting tradeports in places where it would shorten the path.