This post is to avoid further thread-jacking Sidemancer's post about whether to focus or diversify trade routes.

I'm still hoping to see more opinions from long-time players or an authoritative Stardock response (Kryo?) to the question about whether one player's econ bases add value to another player's trade routes in their area of effect.

In the other thread, I was skeptical about the idea of my econ bases helping an AI's trade route because of the UP vote event that can have bases aid allies. I've figured out one more reason for my hunch that econ bases are one-customer shops: factory modules. I have a *very* hard time believing that Smart Drones I built for one of my worlds will help factories on some trashy little colony my enemy foolishly planted in my heartland. Why would trade modules be different?