How do you build a starbase without a resource?

"B" is the keyboard shortcut. Else look at the bottom near the ship data and you will find a button of a box with an arrow down. Click on that.

It's very good. It's excellent. The only thing y ou don't get is the resource...but you can culture bomb
directly in the same system as your target planet and
you can be sure trade ships go thru that starbase if you build it in a system where you have a planet trading from.

Hmmm, this changes my understanding of starbases quite a bit. They seem much more powerful now. With regard to the trading, as long as your little tiny freighter enters the sector with the starbase it will get the bonus? Or does it have to go through the exact spot where the starbase is?

The freighters just have to go through the sector. A common tactic is to build trade bases along every sector of the route in order to maximize the bonus. Another tactic is to make one planet the trade center and run all of your trade routes from it. Then build a couple of fully loaded bases there to really pump everything up with trade and factory modules.

It only has to go through the sector Drizzt.

A short cut I use to build a starbase is simply double click on the constuctor then hit build starbase on the popup menu.

Also, if you build one where planets are, you can build production boosters, you can build cultural boosters. And military boosters too. But be careful. Make sure building a starbase is truly worth your while. It usually is where planets are present. Where they are not.... eeeehhhhh mixed bag. They cost 5 maintenence per turn.

Be careful building a culture module on starbases where enemy planets are present in the sector. They will demand the starbase or declare war. Better to build it right next door and colonize a 14 there, and use your soil enhancement to put it up to 15.

If you haven't joined an empire yet but want to. G.R.O.S.S. is always accepting new marauders. Now show those aliens no mercy!!!!.

Just double-click the Constructor and click "Plant Starbase" on the left-hand side.

Doesn't matter where you build trade bases. Actually I'm wrong. It matters quite a deal. Mini-freighters on their way back produce much more revenue than on the way out.

Try building starbases on the return path and in the sectors that minifreighters spend a lot of time in. Your +50% will do hell of a lot more. No matter what the circumstances, you'll need quite a few freighters to be worth it.

Freighters travel in a parallelogram pattern. If you are in the north(up), it travels counter-clockwise. If you are in the south, it travels clockwise.

WOW, I didn't realize this. How then do you find the route the freighters are taking? When I look in the trade window I only see one line for the freighter, is this the route out, or the route in?

Mini-freighters ( a miniature version of the freighters move on the map ). On your trade screen they come out as blue triangles, and they also show you the direction they are moving. Try to generate the parallelogram trade route with your imagination. Best I can do.

My previous statement was from experiences. I have only paid attention so many times, and that's what seems to be the rule so far. Worked for all trade routes that have been primarily vertical and once for a primarily horizontal trade route (that I have seen of course).

Meant to add something in my last post, too. There are advanced trade maximizing tactics that demand all your trade enhancing starbases be in the same sector. They can be found in the unofficial strat guide. Even if you do not use these advance tactics, it may be in your best interest to build all your trade-enhancers in the same sector.

50% of 50 for 12 out of 70 turns is far better than 50% of 50 for 7 turns is far better than 50% of 34 for 7 turns. You get the idea.
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Ok back with a quick analysis of my old saved games.

It suggests that trade routes does seem to follow the said pattern as long as there are no obstacles in the way. Although your trade routes will seem to go through every obstacle in its path as if they were not there. No verdict on how trade routes behave with obstacles.

Hmmm. A lot to think about here. I must confess that I just assumed a straight line back and return, but in hindsight that does seem too simple, and I never even considered obstacles (why would a planet get in the way ). Off to play a game and see what I can see. I'll be back.
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OK, finished the game with a close eye on the trade screen.
I think I can visualize what is being suggested but then I wonder... does the mini-freighter ever have a return path which touches on different sectors than the outgoing path? If not, does any of this matter since the starbase effect is sector wide?

(Sorry Drizzt... I don't mean to hijack your thread, I'm just curious )

Yes, they often have different paths on the return trip. If the ends of the route are at, say, (1,1) and (5,2) then it will go one way in the 1st row and return in the 2nd.

So if you plan to use starbases to enhance trade then it is best to have vertical or horizontal trade routes.
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Not, so with speed modifiers you can make a diagonal trade route average far more than a pure horizontal/vertical. You'll start off slightly disadvantaged, but reap in the benefits later.

Good thread, and informative. Thanks everyone.

Still, I wish there were an easier way to find trade routes on the larger maps. That teeny little map on the Trade tab is no help at all. But if it can be shown on that map, why not on the tactical map (F9)? And by the way, why not put planet names on the tactical map, too, for those who want them?

Just sign me "wishful thinking!!!" :notsure:

yeah, it's really difficult on the larger maps.

I tend to use the ships listing to locate my mini-freighters on large or bigger maps. On gigantic. It's absolutely essential.

And I agree, the straight line trade path is really deceiving. Not only do the mini-freighters not follow the line, they don't travel by the same path to and from your trading partner.