What do you think? Focus, Approval Rating, Trade Routes

Just a little "bump"

Successfully updated karma reason!

1) Can't coment. Never use it.

2) I will make sure I have at least 70% approval on all planets a few weeks before the election. I have squeeked by with upper 50's as a Republic ( during a war when I could not lower production) - would not want it to be that low as a Federation though. I will tax as high as I can the rest of the time and still keep my planets in the 40's - it's only when elections are near that I lower the taxes. Turn after I stick it to the people again. (This is perhaps an exploit that needs to be addressed.)

3) Yes they work. They only give the bonus when the Freighter is physically in the starbase's influence radius. (The little ships on the route.) If there is no little freighter in the radius, you will not get the bonus. I try to build as many as I can along the route and stll keep planets in the radius too for the production boost; ; it takes some planning.

Successfully updated karma reason!

1) Can't coment. Never use it.

2) I will make sure I have at least 70% approval on all planets a few weeks before the election. I have squeeked by with upper 50's as a Republic ( during a war when I could not lower production) - would not want it to be that low as a Federation though. I will tax as high as I can the rest of the time and still keep my planets in the 40's - it's only when elections are near that I lower the taxes. Turn after I stick it to the people again. (This is perhaps an exploit that needs to be addressed.)

3) Yes they work. They only give the bonus when the Freighter is physically in the starbase's influence radius. (The little ships on the route.) If there is no little freighter in the radius, you will not get the bonus. I try to build as many as I can along the route and stll keep planets in the radius too for the production boost; ; it takes some planning.

Thanks oldstatesman! You mentioned that you try and keep 70% for EACH planet. Is this what you mean or do you mean a 70% approval rating. For instance, sometimes even if I get 70% approval rating (total)...some of my planets are still 40%...however, I still win elections.

In regard to the trade route...would that mean that a trade module starbase would increase the trade value more at a spot furthest away from the home planet? eg. If I have a trade route from earth to Kona...and placed the starbase near Kona...would I get a higher value than if I had the starbase near earth? Since the trade route value increases the further the freighter is away from the home planet.

Successfully updated karma reason!

1) I use it on almost every planet! While the planet developes, i set it to SOCIAL, Later, if it's a ship-building planet, it gets switched to MILITARY and if it's a research planet it gets switched to RESEARCH. I cant believe people dont use it...it can make a difference between a ship being built in 18 weeks and 4 weeks (for example).

Anyone not using these is not getting NEARLY what they could out of their planets.

2) depends on situation.

3) YES! they work but you'll only see nthe effect while the "mini-freighter" icon in within the eco-bases' range. I have all my routes blanketed in my current game. The income will rise and fall as the ships travel along the route.

Successfully updated karma reason!

1) I use it on almost every planet! While the planet developes, i set it to SOCIAL, Later, if it's a ship-building planet, it gets switched to MILITARY and if it's a research planet it gets switched to RESEARCH. I cant believe people dont use it...it can make a difference between a ship being built in 18 weeks and 4 weeks (for example).

Yeah it is very useful. It would be great if you could tell what planet is focused on the type of production by the colony manager screen...since, with the exception of research planets, I tend to switch between social and military depending on the situation.

Successfully updated karma reason!

3) YES! they work but you'll only see nthe effect while the "mini-freighter" icon in within the eco-bases' range. I have all my routes blanketed in my current game. The income will rise and fall as the ships travel along the route.

So it is more productive to have an entire trade route through trade starbases then to just have one or two trade starbases along the route?

Successfully updated karma reason!