Trade-value and alloys in space

[Kayden_II]

Situation:
Altough trade-value is a very abstracted / obscure thing in general, but mainly generated on colonies (I will call this colony-trade-value) and alloys are refined minerals; they're also collectable in space via (better) starbases (I will call this space-trade-value) and mining-stations ...

Positive thoughts:
01. What I like is, that you're able to place (better) starbases in colonized as well as in un-colonized star-systems in order to change the actual route(s) of your trade-route(s) ...
02. What I like is, that actually, you have to build up colonies in order to get refined resources like alloys (and consumer goods) ...

Problems:
01. I can't be the only one, who thinks, that it's a pretty annoying and rather un-necessary task to figure out how to place my (better) starbases (and how to build them up via trade-hub(s)) in order to collect as much space-trade-value as possible ...
02. It's simply a contradiction, that there're already refined alloys in space ...

Solutions:
01. Erase the space-trade-value. Keep the ability to place (better) starbases in colonized as well as in un-colonized star-systems in order to change the actual route(s) of the trade-route(s). If a (better) starbase is placed in a colonized star-system then the trade-hub-module could boost the colony-/colonies-trade-value instead ...
02. Erase alloys in space. It's even not that dramatic since (as far as I know) there're only a few cases anyway ...

Possible performance-problem in regards to the calculation of trade-routes:
By the way, I've observed, that every (better) starbase calculates the entire trade-route towards its capital, which could cause a performance-problem ? What I mean is the following: Example: Star-system A (capital) leads to star-system B with a (better) starbase and B leads to C with a (better) starbase, too. Instead to just calculate a trade-route between C - B and an other one between B - A, the game calculates the entire trade-route between C - B - A (aka the one from C to A) and an other one between B - A (aka the one from B to A). To get an Impression, what I'm actually meaning: You have to extend this example to a galaxy with up to 1000 star-systems and the max-amount of (better) starbases.

 

[Vielmann]

1: I usually ignore those deposits of space trade. I tend to get most of them simply by getting the value of my Planet.

2: The space alloys are partly generated by an anomaly where you finde some broken ships so those are safe. And for the rest I'd guess it's something like gold which are already pure.

You can reroute trade to a starbase different from the capital but I'd guess still a problem for the AI.

 

[Dargaron]

2: The space alloys are partly generated by an anomaly where you finde some broken ships so those are safe. And for the rest I'd guess it's something like gold which are already pure.

There are also random 1 Alloy deposits occasionally spawned during surveying. As far as I can tell, they're restricted to Molten Planets only, which makes sense: you're basically exploiting the space equivalent of Noric Steel (a series of natural high-carbon iron deposits that Classical peoples exploited in the eastern Alps).

 

[Kayden_II]

1: I usually ignore those deposits of space trade.

That's why I want to make the next logical step: Termination^^ ! The other option would be to make space-trade-value more important, but you would still have to struggle with this:

01. I can't be the only one, who thinks, that it's a pretty annoying and rather un-necessary task to figure out how to place my (better) starbases (and how to build them up via trade-hub(s)) in order to collect as much space-trade-value as possible ...

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2: The space alloys are partly generated by an anomaly where you finde some broken ships so those are safe.

I guess, that in these cases, you get an one-time-gift of alloys, but that's not what I'm referring to since what I actually mean, are alloy-deposits (mostly from asteroids), which are exploitable via mining-stations ...

And for the rest I'd guess it's something like gold which are already pure.

I haven't really figured out how the game defines "minerals", "alloys" and strategic resources (like "living metal" or "rare crystals" in this context). After V2.2.X, I would expect something along the line, that a mineral-deposit is actually an ore-deposit and the mining-station extracts ore and is somewhat capable to refine it into pure metals aka "minerals" (including "living metal" and "rare crystals" in this context). "Alloys" are actually combinations of at least 2 refined / pure metals / "minerals" and this process is that difficult, that the different versions of alloy-factories are needed in regards to this. That's why I'm struggling with the situation, that there're alloy-deposits, too ...

Possible performance-problem in regards to the calculation of trade-routes:
By the way, I've observed, that every (better) starbase calculates the entire trade-route towards its capital, which could cause a performance-problem ? What I mean is the following: Example: Star-system A (capital) leads to star-system B with a (better) starbase and B leads to C with a (better) starbase, too. Instead to just calculate a trade-route between C - B and an other one between B - A, the game calculates the entire trade-route between C - B - A (aka the one from C to A) and an other one between B - A (aka the one from B to A). To get an Impression, what I'm actually meaning: You have to extend this example to a galaxy with up to 1000 star-systems and the max-amount of (better) starbases.

You can reroute trade to a starbase different from the capital but I'd guess still a problem for the AI.

It was rather a hint / speculation by me, that this may cause the major performance-issues in the current game-version.