Some economic questions

I was wondering if some kind people could help answer a few questions I have. I'm playing Galactic Civilizations: Dread Lords version 1.4. By the way, in other forum posts people make comments about the game and I often have a hard time telling if they are referring to Dark Avatar or Dread Lords, so its hard to figure out from forum posts whether they are talking about my version of the game or not.

1. I notice several other civilizations have established trade routes to my planets, and that I get revenue from their trade route with me. If I were to build an economic starbase along one of the trade routes they established with me, would I be able to magnify the amount of revenue I receive from their trade route with me? What if a trade route I estabished with another civilization runs through another civilizations economic starbase? Will their starbase trade upgrades help to magnify my income?

2. Is the effect of several overlapping economic starbases cumulative? For example, a trade route passes through a patch of space covered by 2 economic starbases, both magnifying the trade at that point by 30%. Would the effect be to magnify the revenue by 60% at that point? I assume this is so, I'm just noty sure though.

3. Would building economic starbases closer to the destination planet result in higher income for me than if I were to build that same starbase closer to the start of the trade route (on my end)?

4. I understand that there is a limit of 4 starbases per sector, or something like that. Does that mean there can be no more than 4 starbases per sector regardless of civilization (1 Drengin, 1 Torian, 1 Altarian, and 1 Terran for example), or does it mean that any one civilization can't have more than 4 starbases in a given sector.

5. Once one of my freighters establishes a trade route, do I still continue to pay maintenance costs for that freighter?

6. When I upgrade a ship, is the maintenance cost for the upgraded ship based on the cost of the upgraded design, or the cost of the original ship prior to being upgraded?

7. Can I upgrade a freighter after it has already established a trade route? If I have made some very expensive, fast, long range freighters in order to quickly establish distant trade routes, I would rather "upgrade" it after the trade route is established to a much less expensive version, in order to save on maintenance costs.

8. Finally, do starbases have maintenance costs, and if so, are these maintenance costs increased by upgrading the base through added modules?

Thanks in advance for any help!
8,171 views 4 replies
Reply #1 Top
1) Yes. AFAIK No.

2) Yes. Yes.

3) No. But the more the path is in the influence area of the SB the greater the benefit. So in some sense the middle is a better place than either end.

4) Every civ can have 4 SB's in every sector and that doesn't count resource mining SB's.

5) Don't know.

6) Maintenance cost is based on upgraded design.

7) Don't know.

8) AFAIK no. Although some modules do have upgrade costs associated with them which are waived for evil civs (yet another reason to be evil).

BTW Trade can be a useful part of income in medium and below galaxies but is usually a waste of time in large and above galaxies (at least in Dread Lords). You're probably better off making your economic SB's boost research and production of a few selected planets and focusing the rest of your planets on income than worrying about trade on large galaxies and above. JMHO.
Reply #2 Top
you can have more than 4 bases in one secter if you buy the extra from other civs

don't know if you can up grade them
Reply #3 Top
Danielhost:

If I recall correctly from my last game, Dark Avatar checks how many starbases you have in the sector of the base you are trying to purchase, and prevents the trade if it would put you over the limit.
Reply #4 Top
Hi!
5. Once one of my freighters establishes a trade route, do I still continue to pay maintenance costs for that freighter?

AFAIK only armed ships require mainenance. Unarmed should have mainetenace costs of zero. I could be wrong though. Haven't played for quite some time.

BR, Iztok