How to use freighters?

[enpi1234]

I am confused about use of freighters. How do I use them after I build them? Do I have to have peace treaty with aliens to use them? Do I have to go first over on of my planets or stabases and then over one of their planets? Or how is this done? Do I trade my ressources? Or money or population or technologies. As far as I found out I can trade techs with aliens without sending freighters to their planets.

I cannot find a description about freighters or tourism work, which is bad if one consider that these are quite complex concepts.

[Mansen]

A freighter creates a permanent (unless you chose to remove it later) trade route between an origin planet and a destination.

The origin planet is decided when it's finished building (Any planet within... 6? tiles are a valid choice - can't be changed after that unfortunately) and the destination planet is where you decide to fly it to.

It's essentially just free money - You're not losing resources, tech or anything.

Trade routes persist through war I believe - but I can't comment on how much they're worth during it if any.

[Jono]

You should just need to send the freighter to the planet you want to trade with. The freighters are just income boosters. You are limited by tech to how many trade routes you can have going at once, unlocking more as you go.

As for tourism, they explained this in a dev stream so I hope I get this right. You first need to unlock it with a tech. There is a set amount galactically and you get a percentage based on how much of the map is within your influence borders, so the larger your influence the more income you'll get from tourism. You can further boost this with planetary improvements.

[Mansen]

To add to what Jono says, Imagine there's a set amount of tourists on the map, based on its size. Let's say... a billion tourists.

The more of the map your influence controls, the more of those billion tourists will visit any of your worlds - free money. The planet improvements doesn't add more tourists - It just lets them spend more money on your worlds. More free money!

So in less words - Planetary improvements don't replace influence spread. Get out there spacefarer!

[enpi1234]

thanks alot guys for the info. very valuable. I would wish that would have been in the manual.

[BigBadB]

My understanding (haven't done a lot of trading yet, this is mainly from reading the official forums) is that the value of trade routes is affected by the wealth of the 'source' world and the destination world, and the distance between them.

Having active trade also helps with diplomacy between you and your trade partner.

[runifoc]

Trade routes give you a diplomacy boost with the partners you're trading with. However, you wait a long time for the freighters to reach their destinations and the trade income is relatively small.

I prefer Tourism because the money starts rolling in the turn after you complete the research and, as your empire gains in size and influence, the income can become quite significant.

[Lyle]

Does a trade route benefit both partners or just the player sending the freighter?

[henhen]

Originally posted by Dino swe:

Does a trade route benefit both partners or just the player sending the freighter?

I believe both benefit, but the one initiating the route gets the most money.

[Mansen]

Originally posted by henhen:

Originally posted by Dino swe:

Does a trade route benefit both partners or just the player sending the freighter?

I believe both benefit, but the one initiating the route gets the most money.

The initiator is also the one bearing the cost of one of their trade routes - Just because someone opens a trade route with you, doesn't mean you lose one of your slots. :)

[Dark Neuron]

Originally posted by BigBadB:

My understanding (haven't done a lot of trading yet, this is mainly from reading the official forums) is that the value of trade routes is affected by the wealth of the 'source' world and the destination world, and the distance between them.

Having active trade also helps with diplomacy between you and your trade partner.

How is "wealth" defined?

[Mansen]

Mouse over the cash production of a planet, Neuron. :)

[Dark Neuron]

Originally posted by Mansen:

Mouse over the cash production of a planet, Neuron. :)

Ok, will do

[Jeckenn]

So if I have a trade route set up with the Drengin and then they attack me and we go to war the trade route still pulls in credits for me?

[Mansen]

Originally posted by Jeckenn:

So if I have a trade route set up with the Drengin and then they attack me and we go to war the trade route still pulls in credits for me?

Try? There's a trade overview screen. I do know that it stays around at least.