How does trade work?

[dlgsharp]

I absolutely love trade in this game. I like that the number of trade routes is bounded by technology. I like that we have to build freighters and send them out, but then the trade route is automated. I love that I can see the little delivery trucks racing all over the map. Most of all, I love the cash that it creates!

One thing tho... I don't understand how the amount of money from trade is generated. Also, is there any benefit to upgrading freighters?

[Hansolo88]

I love trade too! I've said it before, it is one of my favorite parts of this game. Very few strategy games that include trade actually physically represent it on the game map like GalCiv 2 does.

I can't give you an exact formula (maybe someone else can? I would love to see it), but I know the longer the route between the planets and the larger the population of the planets, the larger the base amount of cash generated by that route will be. After that, the cash generated by that route will go up as the baby freighter crawls closer and closer to the destination planet until it reaches a peak, when the process starts over again. Each turn this amount is modified by the presence of starbase trading modules along the route and by your racial and political trade bonuses (if any).

To my knowledge, you cannot upgrade the baby freighters that are part of an established route, and there is no need to since they all move at 1 space per turn along the route automatically.

As you research technologies you can of course build more modern freighters that have faster engines, more life support, etc, but once the route is established its mission its accomplished and it is removed from the game.

[bonscott]

And when at war blow up the baby freighters of your enemy and cripple his ecomony.