Where to put Starbases?

[Professor Von-Wulfen ]

Where to put Starbases?
I am still very early in my first game.
Should I build a starbase in every star system adjoining my home system in order to expand my system border?
(See Image below)
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1641929104

[Fartikus]

all you need is an outpost to assert system control.

[Tex]

You build outposts to expand your borders, you want to build them everywhere you want to control. Later on you want to control your trade.

Since you collect trade via starbases and then flow it to your capital planet you want to build starbases (upgraded outposts) where their collection range is.

So a starbase with a collection range of +1 should be built 2 systems away from the last one. However this can be expanded upon so you may find yourself dismatling redundant starbases.

Also the biggest starbases should be built at chokepoints to further protect your borders.

[Fartikus]

keep an eye on your Influence counter. Building outposts willy nilly will drain Influence down quick.

[Mythily]

Admin cap if you want to play tall. Only take systems that are worth taking and connect them. Your empire might turn out to be a snake but it's beneficial since you have almost (or none) penalties from admin cap.
I usually don't expand until I find a colonizable planet or another empire to block their expansion.

[Fartikus]

being a snake is hawt

[vkobe]

your richest planets or choke point or near a gateway

[Dr Zoidberg]

For Le Guin put a star base central to most trade resources. You can then put in a trading post and Off-World Trading company to make profitssss.

[Maht]

Having them with planets can be useful later in the game for deep space black sites, if you feel ethic divergence will be a problem for you.

[Danny]

Bastions on border systems (preferably chokepoints), shipyards behind your bastions (centralised if possible) and economic starbases around your main planets.

[Darkaiser]

Originally posted by Danny:

Bastions on border systems (preferably chokepoints), shipyards behind your bastions (centralised if possible) and economic starbases around your main planets.

This. Don't forget that going over your base cap is FAR worse than going over your fleet cap (a few ships over fleet cap = 10% upkeep penalty, ONE base over base cap = 25% penalty!).

You can skip the defense modules on the bases behind the 'front' and save money and minerals. Small bases (one level upgrade) and great for protecting Trade Routes. Don't be afraid to plunk down a big Trade base if your trade routes allow it, though.

[Hurkaleez]

Originally posted by Darkaiser:

You can skip the defense modules on the bases behind the 'front' and save money and minerals. Small bases (one level upgrade) and great for protecting Trade Routes. Don't be afraid to plunk down a big Trade base if your trade routes allow it, though.

So the systems 1 jump outside my home planet each have around 400 trade coming through them. I have hangars to protect from home system which offer ~44 so needless to say, piracy is high. Patrols I set over it also only offer 40 additional for a 4 corvette patrol.

How do people deal with trade chokepoints like this?

[Professor Von-Wulfen ]

Many thanks all. I understand a lot more now.
Choke points to protect my inner sphere. Build also in connecting star systems to link my routes.
Then only build in star systems that offer good resources or habitable planets.

[Professor Von-Wulfen ]

As a rule of thumb, if a system just has say 2 resources. Energy 2 minerals 2, both quite low.
Should I avoid building in these systems unless they are choke points or corridors between my main systems?
Do claimed star systems need to be linked?
For instance; Should I also claim Bammards star system even though there is not a lot there, to link both Sol and Sirius systems?
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1643121879

[Porco Malo]

the influence cost increases quite a lot if you leave gaps between.

[galadon3]

And gaps might create areas for pirates to attack your trade-routes if those need to go through the unclaimed systems.