I am a GalCiv1 vet and therefore was fairly familiar with the value of Trade. It improved relationships tremendously in the early game and generated more money than most other methods.
When I started GalCivII I obviously prioritised it as I had in the past. Now that I’ve played dozens of games I’ve got to the stage of ignoring it completely. The game seems to give much more value on military might in the early stages. Therefore whereas I used to rush freighters to get on good terms I now rush a few defenders. On the finance side, Stock Exchanges are so good I rush to research them and then I can always run a high moral, high income economy which generates more money than I can spend.
I must admit to only playing with conquest victory enabled. Therefore I spend most of my time at war rather than diplomacy (and I can see the value of trade in a peaceful Universe). However for me I do not spend my time establishing and protecting trade. What is everyone else doing?
Please don't take this as a dig at the game. Merely a query about how others viewed the relative balance of the elements within a great game.