How the hell do finances work? + some other questions

[Szkeptik]

I just bought this game and I think it's nothing short of awesome, but I can't get my head around how the financial system works. I'll just post all my questions here and people pls answer what you can.

1. The money indicator on the top right corner. The second amount that's shown in brackets. What the hell is that? I thought it was the cashflow, but it isn't the same as the cashflow on the empire screen.

2. How do you get money out of mining? I keep building a lot of mines, but all they seem to do is cost me upkeep. How does a mine make me money? Do the private freighters that take the resources pay me money?

3. The resourse percentages indicated on planets. What do those mean?

4. Why am I required to have cargo bays and docking bays on starbases and research bases? What gets stored there? What docks there?

5. Can I somehow set a spacedock to not build private ships and not accept private freighters?

6. Is there a way to make systems or even sectors no-go areas? My expolrers keep wandering into enemy territory and private freighters keep getting killed as they try to dock at enemy ports. I know about trade sanctions, but I want an option to completely ban entry to all ships.

Those are the biggest question marks for me. Thanks for any help with it.

[gargoil]

1. The money indicator on the top right corner. The second amount that's shown in brackets. What the hell is that? I thought it was the cashflow, but it isn't the same as the cashflow on the empire screen. IT'S SOME KIND OF AVERAGE OVER TIME - EMPIRE SCREEN IS MORE USEFUL.

2. How do you get money out of mining? I keep building a lot of mines, but all they seem to do is cost me upkeep. How does a mine make me money? Do the private freighters that take the resources pay me money? MINING GETS YOU RESOURCES. STRATEGIC RESOURCES ARE NEEDED TO BUILD, AND ARE BOUGHT AND SOLD BY THE PRIVATE SECTOR. LUXURY RESOURCE DIRECTLY EFFECT COLONY HAPPINESS, ALLOWING HIGHER TAX RATES (OR COLONY GROWTH IF NOT TAXING).

3. The resourse percentages indicated on planets. What do those mean? 100% IS OPTIMUM OUTPUT RATE, MOST RESOURSE MINING IS SLOWED BY A NON-100% RATING.

4. Why am I required to have cargo bays and docking bays on starbases and research bases? What gets stored there? What docks there? STARBASES PRODUCE SHIPS, SHIPS NEED COMPONENTS, COMPONENTS NEED RESOURCES, RESOURSES NEED CARGO SPACE. YET I DON'T NO IF YOU NEED THEM AT A SPACEPORT (PLANET HOLDS CARGO) OR RESEARCH FACILTY (DOESN'T BUILD). I HAVE ALWAYS WONDERED ABOUT THAT.

5. Can I somehow set a spacedock to not build private ships and not accept private freighters? YOU CAN CANCEL PRIVATE BUILDS IF THEY ARE QUEUED. YOU CANNOT DISALLOW DOCKING.

6. Is there a way to make systems or even sectors no-go areas? My expolrers keep wandering into enemy territory and private freighters keep getting killed as they try to dock at enemy ports. I know about trade sanctions, but I want an option to completely ban entry to all ships. I BELEIVE THERE IS SOME COMMAND THAT STOPS EXPLORATION, BUT THAT'S IT.

[Astorax]

As for #4: Spaceports need only the 1 cargo hold to make it meet specs because it uses the planets cargo anyways. I also put only the one cargo bay on all other bases that require it and have never had a problem. The only base type I put extra cargo holds on are gas/mining bases.