How to manage trade route piracy ?

[Louella]

Not played in a long while, started a new game the other day. Lots of interesting things to investigate, quite enjoyable.

However, trade route piracy, and suppressing it, seems a bit on the fiddly micromanagement side.

I've got a bunch of 4-corvette patrol fleets moving back and forth along the trade routes to suppress the pirates, but... it feels a bit on the fiddly side, like maybe there's a better way that hasn't occurred to me yet.

Any suggestions ?

 

[Sirbab]

Not played in a long while, started a new game the other day. Lots of interesting things to investigate, quite enjoyable.

However, trade route piracy, and suppressing it, seems a bit on the fiddly micromanagement side.

I've got a bunch of 4-corvette patrol fleets moving back and forth along the trade routes to suppress the pirates, but... it feels a bit on the fiddly side, like maybe there's a better way that hasn't occurred to me yet.

Any suggestions ?

Starbases with defensive modules (kinetic, missile, hangers) give trade protection. While they don't actively reduce piracy, you can render the piracy null by having a large enough starbase. Those modules give both a protection range, and a protection value. If the system is in range of the starbase, and you have enough trade protection, then pirates will not do anything. Hangers give the most protection per slot (10 iirc). Mind you that you should check back now and again in the trade mapmode to see if there are any red skulls, which means you need more protection, or more fleets on patrol.

Of final note is that diplomacy gives a flat protection value (7?) in all systems,which is useful for a wide empire, or just for helping that little bit more for any empire.

 

[Louella]

Hmm, helpful.

Is it my imagination, or are habitable planets a lot rarer than they used to be ? (or maybe my settings for this game) In one of the areas that I am having issues with, it's 11 jumps between two habitable systems.

 

[Kaios26]

Also just having a Starbase in a system completely negates the piracy. Not cost effective at first, but then I had routes with 1000+ trade value, and that was basically my only option before I researched Gateway Tech to just jump it right to my capital.

 

[Kim Hanson]

Of final note is that diplomacy gives a flat protection value (7?) in all systems,which is useful for a wide empire, or just for helping that little bit more for any empire.

Sorry sir, but this just baffles me. I see no way at all to do this. Who shall I be diplomatic to?

 

[Sirbab]

Sorry sir, but this just baffles me. I see no way at all to do this. Who shall I be diplomatic to?

I'm afraid you've lost me.
Are you referring to why diplomacy protects trade, why you should take diplomacy, or the fact that some nations do not have access to diplomacy?

 

[Typee]

In my first 2.2 game I was lucky enough to have my planets close to each other, so I never used fleet patrols, just crossed coverage from multiple starbases. And in the end game I had the coordination center so I just plonked starbases on every node. And then I got gateways so it didn't matter anymore.
In my recent games they are not, which makes covering the trade lanes with starbases harder. In that case fleets work best.
The only issue being in the late game, where the fleet piracy suppression values needed start getting ridiculous. Especially since you start suffering piracy as soon as the piracy value goes over the current protection. So in the end game the piracy value will get over the measly 7 base protection long before your patrols come back to that system.

So yeah it is fiddly. I'd like to be able to assign ships for protection directly to a trade lane, in an abstracted manner. Just like in EU4, or HoI.

 

[Typee]

Sorry sir, but this just baffles me. I see no way at all to do this. Who shall I be diplomatic to?

He's talking about the diplomatic tradition tree.

 

[Slynx]

I think spending slots on hangars is a waste in my playstyle. so instead I usually make sure that my trade routes are fairly short. and then I place my shipyard-crew quarters starbase in the middle(preferably in the system with a red scull to reduce piracy in it) and just hold my fleets there.
also sometimes a cheap corvette fleet (lvl1 gear + autoburners and hyperlane3+) patrol or sit in problematic system(there is no difference what loadout you'll choose, it'll always be -10. so cheapest corvettes are the best)

 

[Typee]

I think spending slots on hangars is a waste in my playstyle. so instead I usually make sure that my trade routes are fairly short. and then I place my shipyard-crew quarters starbase in the middle(preferably in the system with a red scull to reduce piracy in it) and just hold my fleets there.
also sometimes a cheap corvette fleet (lvl1 gear + autoburners and hyperlane3+) patrol or sit in problematic system(there is no difference what loadout you'll choose, it'll always be -10. so cheapest corvettes are the best)

Yeah I've seen people mention that naked corvette strategy, but do you really don't mind wasting naval cap on corvettes that won't be of any use to you during a war?

 

[Slynx]

Yeah I've seen people mention that naked corvette strategy, but do you really don't mind wasting naval cap on corvettes that won't be of any use to you during a war?

will you waste it on a hangar instead?
cuz I see it this way - you can build a hangar. or you can build an anchorage and build 6 corvettes that'll reduce piracy for 60 (and will be mobile)

and since I use hotkeys to select fleets I see no problem in having dozens of flets(I will not see them anyway)

 

[Typee]

will you waste it on a hangar instead?
cuz I see it this way - you can build a hangar. or you can build an anchorage and build 6 corvettes that'll reduce piracy for 60 (and will be mobile)

Fair point.

 

[SpectralShade]

will you waste it on a hangar instead?
cuz I see it this way - you can build a hangar. or you can build an anchorage and build 6 corvettes that'll reduce piracy for 60 (and will be mobile)

and since I use hotkeys to select fleets I see no problem in having dozens of flets(I will not see them anyway)

which does say alot about lack of balance in the game. Maybe if they added a zero more to the piracy value would it start being useful in some cases (ie. one hangar added 100 piracy protection).

Anyone know about trade protection on trade routes that go through territory of other empires? I have 2 different trade routes where it goes through another empire because it's faster than if it should follow the snake around in my own territory, but I'm not seeing any skulls (white or red) at all in territory outside of my own.

 

[Slynx]

which does say alot about lack of balance in the game. Maybe if they added a zero more to the piracy value would it start being useful in some cases (ie. one hangar added 100 piracy protection).

maybe then they'll be useful.
though I will not build them anyway. even if they'll spawn it's easier for me to send a fleet there to deal with it(sometimes you even get a tech from it). unless i'm in a war. but repurposing a starbase slot just for a war looks like an overkill.

 

[Kim Hanson]

He's talking about the diplomatic tradition tree.

Ah! Thank you. Now it makes sense.