Can you have identical trade routes?

I don't believe so, but I've never explicitly tried...

- Ash

~SDC~

yes.

cheers

h

I didn't think this was possible until I did it by accident. Personally I don't think this should be allowed or if it is, it should reduce the value of both routes.

"You can have as many trade routes from the same two planets as you want."

Yup. I see no problem with multiple routes between the same sources...except that it can be dangerous. If something (war, conquering, etc) happens you can lose a huge chunk of income if you only have one trade partner.

I agree with vogar. Nothing wrong with multiple trade routes and it is really more risky than anything anyway.

~SDC~

There is a limited market in any place. Once you've used all the trading potential, nothing else is left for another trade route... A trade route in my mind is all the trading made between two planets, some kind of bilateral agreement of free exchange with all the organization it demands.

The question is if you have one route that is worth, say 10, Shoud another route to the same planet be worth the same amount? If the route can support more trade there should be more demand and hence a higher value. By having another route supply has increased and value shold drop. I think currently the value of the route is purely based on distance. I don't think this is a big deal, or that it even detracts from gameplay, it is just my opinion. It makes more sense to me this way.

Thanks for the replies.

I tend to think that having all your trade routes between the same 2 planets is a little unbalancing, simply because it makes it much easier to maximize your income by building all your trade improving starbases along the same route. I suppose it is more risky, but I'm not sure how much of a practical consideration that is.

Well you also have to consider that on tiny maps there may not be enough planets for you to trade with if you have a limit of one route per planet. Going to war with just one empire could cripple your economy.

~SDC~

IMHO, this should be ok, as the destination planet becomes the clearinghouse for all of that culture's products throughout the empire. If my only trading contact with the Arceans is through one planet, then the market there is essentially limitless as the Arceans will send my products from there throughout their empire.

M