Speed of the Freighters

Hi Guys
Thanks for a great game that is getting beter with every patch. Just a question on the speed of the freighters once they have established a trade route with a planet. Will the little freighter travel at the same speed as the one you have built to travel to the planet or is it a constant set speed?
9,335 views 7 replies
Reply #1 Top
It's a constant speed of one, I believe - but since you get income every turn anyway, it's not a big deal IMO.
Reply #2 Top
That sounds logical, so why do the other factions go for your little freighter once you have established a trade route that happens to run through enemy territory?
Reply #3 Top
So what your saying is that once the route is established, the ship is no longer neccessary? Boy. That was a big concept to miss. I build a ship for every trade route, and leave it on the route... one ship per route.

So I can build just one freighter and send it a bunch of different planets to establish trade routes?

So what happens if you but a trade base on a route AFTER the little ship picture is off doing something else? Does the starbase bonus depend on the ship, or the faint colored line that represents the trade route?

Is there a penalty on multiple, identical routes to the same planet? If not, how can you get twoor more routes to the same planet with one ship? I'm guessing you'de need two ships to pull it off.

Boy.. .this begs all kinds of questions, but this will do for now. Thanks all.
Reply #4 Top
If they kill the freighter too many times the trade route will be cancled due to too many losses.
Reply #5 Top
No the freighter is used once you make a trade route. Want 7 routes, build 7 freighters.

You can have only one trade route to one planet.

here are some stardock answers:

Trade route income is effected by....
-length of the route
-your base Trade ability
-how far the ship is from it's homeplanet (more money as you get closer to the destination)
-if there are Starbases with Trade modules on them along the route
Reply #6 Top
So what your saying is that once the route is established, the ship is no longer neccessary? Boy. That was a big concept to miss. I build a ship for every trade route, and leave it on the route... one ship per route.

So I can build just one freighter and send it a bunch of different planets to establish trade routes?


No, no. The establishment of a trade route (ie. sending it to a planet owned by another race) eats the controllable ship. In turn, you get a trade route, which is represented by the colored line and the tiny trade ship traveling back forth. There is no more controllable freighter after it goes into the race's planet.

So what happens if you but a trade base on a route AFTER the little ship picture is off doing something else? Does the starbase bonus depend on the ship, or the faint colored line that represents the trade route?


Starbases increase income from trade routes traveling through their sphere of influence. The trade route is represented by the colored line. So, you can build as many trade starbases on the colored line as space and logistics allow. The tiny ships that travel back and forth are just there for your enemies to attack to destroy the trade route.

Is there a penalty on multiple, identical routes to the same planet?


I'm not sure if there are diminishing returns for multiple trade routes to the same planet, but you can definitely have multiples ones with one planet. You just send more new frieghters to the desired planet. You still gain more income from trade.

I hope I answered your questions!
Reply #7 Top
Thanks the responces, accually answered another Q I was going to ask as well as the origional

Observation; I am impressed on how the game has been developed and the backup it enjoys in the forums, I had never heard of GalCiv and found it by mistake, so glad I purchased this one.