Starbases in sectors without planets

from Stardock Forums
My first post here. First, let me say this game is GREAT!

Now on to my question - I always see strategic resources seeding in sectors that have no planets or, in some cases suns. The AI always sends constructors to built bases on the resources but as I understand it the bases only effect planets in their sector. If there are no planets in the sector is there any point in building a base on a strategic resource there?
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Reply #1 from Stardock Forums Top
Strategic resources are empire wide, not sector wide so you should put a starbase there whether or not there is a planet. Most of the upgrades are only applicable to the planets in that sector so you just would skip the ones that don't apply (of course beefing up the starbase defense would be a high priority).

~SDC~
Galactic Civilizations III
Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top
Two more reasons:
1) If you have a trade route through that sector you can build up trade modules to increase the value of the trade route.
2) You can build culture star bases to put pressure on surrounding systems. I've only played easy AI games, but I would guess that the AI doesn't mind bases in those sectors as much as you putting them in sectors with its planets.

These apply even if there isn't a trade good in the sector.
Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top
Also Starbases extend your range as if they were an owned system so in the larger galaxy placing a starbase at the edge of your current reach can help you get to far away stars.

~SDC~
Reply #5 from Stardock Forums Top
I tried to use them to increase my range and it did nothing. I put one in the furthest square I could travel without getting the "can't go there" message and after the starbase was built it still wouldn't let me go there. Do I need a special upgrade?

Also, does the culture bonus do anything in a sector without a planet? I thought it magnified the culture from planets not sectors.

~SDC~
Reply #6 from Stardock Forums Top
KiloOhm,

For some reason range extension by star bases or colonizing planets takes a turn to take affect (not sure why, but it may be some rationalization of having to build up the new planet/star base's supplies). So the question becomes, do you see this lack of range extention only during the current turn? Or does it fail to extend the range for the next turn as well (another problem I have seen is an apparent lack of range extension for the first ship moved during the next turn).

~SDC~
Reply #7 from Stardock Forums Top
I'll remember that in my next game. Not sure exactly when I tried to use the range extention.

Thanks!

~SDC~
Reply #8 from Stardock Forums Top
I'm quite sure that the Culture updates in your starbase also increase ur influence in that (and surrounding) sector(s) even if there no planets.

~SDC~
Reply #9 from Stardock Forums Top
They certainly do. In fact, if you have all the culture modules up to Party Palace, you won't be able to stem the rush of defecting systems. :)

~SDC~
Reply #10 from Stardock Forums Top
I assume that it takes a turn for starbases to increase your range because of the ay the game calculates movement. It seems like everything (speed, range, etc.) is calculated before the turn, so bonuses do not apply until the next turn. Good examples of this are the starbase and colony range extensions and also the speed bonuses from the starbase modules. You'll notice that you don't get the speed advantage unless that ship begins the turn in the sector with the speed bonus bases. Even ships that are built and launched into that sector do not immediately get the bonus.

-Dave

~SDC~