What am I missing they don't provide anything anymore?
My merchant ships just travel around with zero impact on the economy.
They're a different mechanic. You want to import things to terran planets from other worlds to make money. Pay attention to the icons when you mouse over the build trade port button. The symbols of the resources are how many slots they'll give you, and the cubes are the number of trade points you can allocate in those slots. It lets you customize what resources you're getting.
Ya I see that but there is nothing to click or anything?
There's a new menu page to the right of the resources beside the market. That's where you can edit point allocations.
I noticed the same thing. If you build trade ports you get boxes to use in the trade window (F8). If you do not allocate them to "boosting" your exports of a particular resource then the boxes seem to stay in the "import" area up the top. However nowhere does it say what importing does for you or what it imports.
As soon as you allocate an import box to an export slot you get trade income showing in the exact amount allocated by the box in the appropriate credit/resource summary.
Essentially if not using the boxes to export goods what are they doing in the import area? Importing what? Do they give you some trade market bonus when "importing/buying" resources?
The other question is one of why putting a box in the "credits export" area then brings in credit income? So is my faction selling credits and somehow making credits from the sale? Apparently exporting metal produces more metal for my faction without any loss due to the export? Same for crystal, trading my crystal via export somehow actually increases my production of crystal via trade ships?
Export credits should = metal or crystal income
Export metal should = credit or crystal income
Export crystal should = credit or metal income
Import credits should = loss of crystal or metal income
Import metal should = loss of credits or crystal
Import crystal should = loss of credits or metal
Another thing this brings into question is when trading with trade posts and ships internally, we are relying on the internal empires economy to generate profit of something during the exchanges as a trade ship arrives at it's destination. So a private deal that concludes between two citizens or companies that upon arrival an agreed amount of money should be exchanges for goods or services. I liked when distance counted as time was then taken into account, but also it would be nice to know what each trade ship was carrying and to where and at what profit of what good?? This would make raiding more interesting. As I understand it at the moment trade is probably a simple top level number that would be reduced by a set percentage each time a trade ship is destroyed?
P.S. Is there a way to physically determine trade routes? I know a major trade lane in sins1 was white?
Very interesting thanks for the responses!
I was in that area and saw all of the boxes but didn't see anything for import or export. Just grayed out boxes.
Thanks for understanding. If you are exporting crystal and getting a mix of credits/spice or other raw materials I'd want to know what I was getting in return. As it is I am just assuming I am getting credits for crystal and metal and getting metal and crystal for credits trade. I am assuming that because it's the way currency works today. i.e. as a medium of exchange.
If there is some sort of lore to the market with regard to galactic commerce I guess that should be clarified. Otherwise it's just confusing for the player.
Thanks for reading anyways gents. It must seem like I am badgering.. that is not my intent.
I read these posts, but I am SO lost about trade ports. In Sins, I made trade ports at every planet and let the trade ships run and make me money. In Sins2, I only get 1 trade credit regardless of how many ports I build. I only have one import point I guess?-- How do I fix that. How do I get these crazy thing to do anything at all?
You need to build more around terrans or deserts. They're the ones that give the most import points. You can also build an Akkan and level up its trade port ability or build starbases with the trade port upgrade.
My question is what happens when the trade ships are intercepted? Do you then bring in less of that resource? I'd have to test it. As long as trade ships can be destroyed and have an effect on the economy that is the physical rather than abstracted kind of mechanic I like.
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