*Please note in all examples I use Crystal, however this is interchangeable with Metal, and sometimes Credits.
Ok, my play style in RTS games has always been "Econ Boomer" as they say... I like to put myself, and maneuver my enemies, into a position where they simply cannot afford to beat me. Mostly because I hate micro-managing abilities, I like to be able to wage a war of attrition that I cannot lose because I can afford to replace more ships than my opponent (I like the TEC).
So, given the above, I'm wondering how the inner workings of the Economy and Markets actually work in this game...
1) Are my resources and credits directly impacted by the Markets? In other words, if I have an abundance of Credits and I just can't seem to make enough Crystal, can I jack up my Crystal sale price on the Black Market? If my resources and the markets are directly related, this ~should~ effectively price me out of the Market. I'm not selling any of the Crystal I produce so my available Crystal should increase... however any credits I would normally earn selling Crystal would no longer be available as income. As yet, I haven't seen this effect in-game. However I'm usually to stressed dealing with combat situations to make close inspections on these things.
Also, fringe benefit, removing myself from the Market, as above, should make Crystal more scarce driving up the price... making it harder for my enemies to buy Crystal when they need it.
2) How do Trade Port placement and routes influence my income? Are these impacted by the population base of the world the Trade Port orbits? I would assume so. I would think a Trade port at a 4-Pop Terran planet would earn a lot more credits than a Port at a 1 Population asteroid. (Right now I don't bother building TPorts at Asteroids for this reason)
If the planet the Port orbits is high in Crystal does this increase the amount of Crystal I'm supplying to the Black Market?
3) Do Computer AIs make use of Markets?
4) If you continually raid Trade Ships of a particular opponent, do you increase the overall risk of Trading with them. In other words if you can make the Dark Green Advent's Trade routes unreliable and risky, can you reduce that opponents value as a trading partner with other players?
Example: Great... DarkGreenAdvent has 12 Trade ports around 8 planets... but 75% of goods traded with him never arrive at their destination. Other Players and AIs begin to avoid dealing with him on the Market and he loses long term income. So what if he has a lot of ports... no point making Trades with him if the goods don't make it.
Or is this a simple, Destroy a Trade Ship, get a Bounty (if available), he loses the value of that one ship... no other impact.
Thats all for now... anybody know the answers?
Funny fact: I work at the head office of a major Bank in real life.
Thanks
Snazzed
PS: Note on AI Diplomacy... I should be able to gain favour with a given faction by attacking that factions enemies even if they haven't given me a mission!
Why can't I dispense Missions to AIs? Why is it a one-way thing?
You should be able to get stats on a Factions recent trade or attack activity with/against other factions... plays into above point. You know who DarkGreenAdvent is attacking so you can attack that person as well, and gain DarkGreen's favour.
