I'm new to this game and I have question : Where should I build my starbase with trading improvement? Should I build them in all the sector that my trade route cross or only near the star where the trade route originate? I know that the bonus from starbase improvement stack but does It worth constructing many starbase considering the maintenance cost for all of them?
Sorry for my bad english, its not my first language.
When you start your trade route your big freighter becomes a tiny little freighter that shuttles between the freighter's original planet and the trading partner. You want your trade boosting starbases in the sector where the tiny freigher spends the most time.
I try to build freighters from my wealthiest planet and send it to wealthy planets of AIs that are least threatening especially minors. I hate to make my major opponents rich by trading with them but opinion varies on that.
There are some nice strategies at the Orion guide here Link
One time I built hundreds of trade boosting starbases in three sectors along a trade route just to see what it could do to trades. There were so many starbases, I had to leave a little path so other trading partners could get to my planets. Each sector was more starbase than empty places. .
The starbases can really bump trade but the constructor micromanagement can get a little old. Now I usually just send a freighter from my richest planet to the minors or a major in a bad situation. Then if I add two or three starbases in my home sector to add factories, I also build trade center modules in the home sector. It is easy to go overboard on constructor management so just have fun.
Str777, you might want to back down on the difficulty setting a little. It's nice to see that you like Masochistic settings, but you will understand the game better if you win a few at lower difficulty levels first.
Now see, with trade SBs, I read it differently. I try to build them opposite of the originating planet. meaning, if I build the freighter, my trade SB will get the best return in the sector owned by the AI where I send it to. If the AI is sending you freighters, then you want to build them in you sector that is recieving them.
At least that was the impression of how best to place the initial ones.
of course, you have to apply some logic here, if the AI planet is right on the border of a sector, then the sector of the one next to it would be the target.