Trade hubs

[Charlemagne]

Strategic considerations aside, that is, looking only at the trade value, about how much is worth making a starbase with a trade hub? For example if I have two stars with a combined TV of 5, is it a good investment to build the hub or not? Is there a rule of thumb for this?
Is it a good idea to always (if you can) build a starbase/hub in a planet with a colony, since colonies always generate trade and furthermore this will increase as the planet develops? Even if no other planet with trade is near?
BTW could someone explain trade itself? I know it's good but I don't know what it does exactly. Supposedly it is converted to something else (money, food etc.), but how do I know into what?

[Ryika]

A good rule of thumb is to ignore trade value unless you have decently sized planet in range to collect from.

Trade is explained in detail here:
https://stellaris.paradoxwikis.com/Trade

[Warspawn]

I had some of the same questions, but finally getting a handle on it. Trade hubs work great, especially when paired with an offworld trading company built at the station. Also, you can generate different resources with the trade value; it starts off with energy credits, and goes from there as you unlock the merchant tree.

Make sure you're linking your trade routes though your most protected route; I was getting eaten up by pirate activity and juggling patrol fleets, but then started routing through bases with protected routes via hangar modules, and that really freed up ships and time spent managing it.

I've gone ahead and built hubs and trading companies wherever I can benefit from it; each hub pulls from any sector adjacent to it, and the trading company increases all the hub values from where the station reaches. String along your hubs so you can maximize this.

o7

~War~

The spice must flow!!

[Charlemagne]

Oh I wasn't aware of the pirates and trade routes thing. One more complication and additional micromanagement chore. So when pirates appear it's because you have unprotected routes? I thought it was just a random event.

[Danny]

Capital system is the ONLY full tradestation in my games.

Then use strategic placement of starbases for major pockets and late game gateways to collect the rest

[Charlemagne]

About the trade hubs: It says that each such increases the range in one. Right now I have two hubs on two different starbases, and there's a trade resource two jumps from my capital that became connected after I built the seconf starbase+hub.

Does this mean that every hub in your empire (even if not on the same station) increases +1 the range of every other starbase you have? In the example, both my starbases would now have +2 range?

This would have the implication that it isn't necessary to create little networks near to every trade resource, by making starbases wherever you want (for example chokepoints) and giving them a trade hub, even if no trade resources are near, this would increase the range of other starbases that do have some trade resources within 2 or 3 jumps. Is this reasoning correct?

[teron]

Trade flows from any starbase that is collecting towards the capital system and only counts if it can reach the capital. Note that a starbase with 0 trade hubs will still collect within its system.

Max collection range would be 7 where you have a starbase with using 6 trade hubs + a Hyperlane Registrar. You also likely want a Offworld Trading Company for the extra trade from the hubs.

Also note that going that collection goes though gateways/wormholes. So making a gateway in your home system is a good idea, since it allows trade to flow to it.

[Charlemagne]

OK thanks I think I'm starting to get it.
Trade hubs increase the range of their own starbase collecting trade sources. The trade hubs need to be in the starbase itself to increase the range. Multiple hubs in the base=More range for that starbase.
The base then sends the trade along a route to the capital. How long can this route be? And I take it, it is this route that needs to be protected from pirates. Or, do the spokes radiating from the collecting starbase to the trade sources also need to be protected?
This still doesn't explain why I have a trade source two jumps away from my capital in green (being collected). Only one trade hub in the capital starbase.

[Warspawn]

Originally posted by Charlemagne:

OK thanks I think I'm starting to get it.

This still doesn't explain why I have a trade source two jumps away from my capital in green (being collected). Only one trade hub in the capital starbase.

Having a star base in the system will collect it and allow you to set a route down to the next station, and then towards the capital, even if you don't have a hub there, it will collect the trade revenue from the system it's in.

If you have that trade hub, the range gets up by +1, so all adjacent systems that have trade value get collected. If you have the offworld trading company in such a system, then every hub it connects to generates a +2 trade from each hub. Yummy stuff!

o7

~War~

[AurumHawke]

Originally posted by Charlemagne:

How long can this route be? And I take it, it is this route that needs to be protected from pirates. Or, do the spokes radiating from the collecting starbase to the trade sources also need to be protected?
This still doesn't explain why I have a trade source two jumps away from my capital in green (being collected). Only one trade hub in the capital starbase.

Infinite length, but will auto-select the shortest route (including open wormholes and gateways).
Only issue there is how many systems are vulnerable to piracy, and how much they lose if piracy isn't sufficiently managed.
You can redirect trade routes between starbases using the trade view by selecting the collecting base and right-clicking which waypoint base it should go to next - in case there's a smarter path.

Mercantile tree has a +1 to Trade Collection Range as the adoption perk, in case you have that - letting you cap out at 8 range.
It does mess up planning for non-adjacent starbases because they still get the +1 range and you may not need/want the insultingly low trade value.

[ScreamCon]

Trade value gets superseded late game by energy districts reducing the perceived desire relative to what you have to do to collect it. But it can get you an extra few energy to help you save up slightly faster for the next leader or terraform. Or provide the much needed some extra goods converted.

Using fleets is easy and probably most efficient way to collect it long distance. Until the gates that is. Your navy separates into two classes, the patrol fleets, and the fighting ones. One thing should be on your mind if you wish to become a trade mongering superpower. Do you have the fleet capacity? To acquire the fleet capacity 2-3 strongholds will be wanted per world.

Naming the patrol fleets will help you more easily identify them. Every 10-15 star systems I recommend having a port to holding ships for fighting endgame crisis in that region of the galaxy should it appear. The fleet stays stationary both to scare ai but also as backup reserve. The front line of your empire is where most of the non patrol ship movement is.

Things like warrior culture, citizen service, and naval contractors for megacorp all boost the fleet capacity to elevate this strategy. Megacorp can have the trading posts civic for additional starbase capacity. Very useful as now starbase is more limited in number.

[R131]

Originally posted by Charlemagne:

Strategic considerations aside, that is, looking only at the trade value, about how much is worth making a starbase with a trade hub?

Its completely worthless, unless like you said it is for a reason, such as trade league requirements or to support trade to another source, upto 7 jumps away with a hyperlane registrar+6 trade hubs. It is just easier and safer to construct starbase+gateway to capture trade though so in most scenarios they are worthless.