Trading (Aftermath)

Trading is a core element of Aftermath. Using trade you can gain an additional credit income on top of your taxes. Trading can be the core element of your economy, but don't rely on your economy too much, as pirates can raid trade routes as well. The shorter the trade routes between planets, the better.

Income
The amount of credits you make of a trade route is entirely dependent on how many planets are part of the trade route, and how many of these are owned by the player. For instance, there are three planets in the trade route, owning two of them earns you 2,000 credits every year. If all three planets are owned, you earn 4,000 a year. On the other hand, if you own one planet in the trade route, you will not make any credits of this trade route.

Trade routes
If there are four planets in the trade route, and you own two of those, while an ally owns the other two, you and your ally both earn 4,000 credits, that is if a trade treaty has been signed. If you own one planet while your ally owns three, you still make 2,000 credits of that, while your ally makes 6,000.

There is a difference between trade routes and trade junctions. A trade route is where the planets only share a trade route with only one other planet, while a trade junction means that all planets have a trade route with eachother. Trade junctions earn more, but are also easier to raid because of the constant trading between planets.

Trade junctions
Trade junctions are likewise dependent on the amount of planets in the junction. However, also dependent on the amount of trade routes one planet has. If there is one planet with three trade routes to different planets, all of which the planet on the other end is owned, that planet alone earns 6,000 credits. If one such end is connected to the other two ends, that planet makes another 4,000. This however takes away the worth of the other two ends, unless they're connected to a trade route, which is known as a junction run.

Junction run
Junction runs are less common than trade junctions and trade routes. A junction run means that a planet in a junction is also part of a trade route. These are to be seen as separate incomes however, and don't earn you any additional credits on top of the already-existing trading.

There are rare cases where planets have multiple trade routes. In such case, the owner of the planet profits from both trade routes, under the assumption that they own atleast one more planet in the trade route.