Trade Convoys

Trade Infrastructure

Trade Convoys are automatic merchant fleets with real positions on the map. They turn strong endpoints into periodic credit deliveries and market capacity—but wages, supply, travel time, and interception create risk.

Automatic domestic service

Galactic routes require a Trade agreement

Galactic arrivals pay 1.6×

How it works

A newly completed convoy enters domestic service on the next tick. Assign a desired number to galactic service at the bottom of the Economy tab; the rest remain domestic.
Domestic convoys choose different owned systems with a weighted bias toward the capital, population, market and diplomatic trade capacity, and credit-producing buildings. Galactic outbound legs visit a trade partner's capital, then return to a weighted owned system.
Convoys dock for two to four ticks between legs. Credits are paid on arrival from the geometric balance of both endpoints' population and commercial strength; a weak endpoint limits the route. Galactic arrivals earn a 1.6× risk premium.
Each funded point of convoy trade adds market recovery and 24 maximum market volume. Supply readiness scales both the benefit and movement speed.

Command advice

Build domestic routes first between several developed systems. A rich capital cannot fully compensate for a weak destination.
Shift convoys to galactic routes when the 60% arrival premium justifies longer exposure and you can defend the corridor.
Convoys are normal fleets: wartime enemies can intercept them. Patrol likely approaches, avoid unsafe agreements, and replace losses before market liquidity contracts.
Scale Starports before convoy queues. Every completed or queued convoy needs one completed Starport somewhere in the empire.