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Some other threads discuss spaceports as though they are a burden. Spaceports are your CASH COW! They are the only way to get money out of the civilian economy besides taxes. I tax low so that my civilians have LOTS of money to buy ships. They generally run out of money before they run out of spaceports to build ships at. So if you are looking at the civilian balance sheet with envy, and wishing that you could tax your citizens more, slack off! Spend your tax pittance to buy spaceports with extra yards and suck that money right out of the civilian's pockets... Oh yeah, I just remembered, civilians also pay for mines completed by your constructors, but that barely pays maintenance for the constructors...

Lonnie Courtney Clay

All for spaceport love.

I don't understand why you would not build at least a minimal spaceport (=weaponless/defenseless medical and recreational centre) at every colony. I think that maybe the spaceport deniers try to build death stars fit for wiping out an enemy fleet!

I'm not sure if I have this right but I thought that you (=empire) paid for mines and then were reimbursed by the private sector? I've never checked it to be sure but it seemed to explain some/most of the bounces in cash reserves (money being subtracted at start of the construction and repaid at the end?).

Spaceports also, and importantly, reduce the travel time for freighters who will often take goods from mining bases to the nearest spaceport.

Yap, all valid points but I don't know of anyone that considers them a burden.

Everyone said you do not need big spaceports everwhere. Nobody said anything against a colony spaceport with two yards and one plant of everything as well as medicine and recreation with commerce and cargo bay. That is fine! But as you pay for a spaceport and the colony is not grown up yet it will eat away your income by not beeing profitable. Do not build big super heavy armored spaceports at outer rim colonies.
 
Furthermore your mines are always paid for by the private sector. Therefore think twice what these ships really need. Don't blow them up by putting in dozens of extractors. Your industrie can't eat that much without beeing overblown itself, draining the private sector and therefore your colony revenue. And yes you pay for the build up of a mining station or extractor and the privates are using it, financing you by bying your ships in return.

[Deleted by Admins]

If you create Research via individual research stations (you should), watch your research caps. Once you are a little above the caps (which should happen right away as this is a number one priority), mod your Spaceport designs by Removing the Research labs. It makes the SPs cheaper and less maintenance. Heck, offset this cost savings by tossing in an Ion Cannon and Ion Protection!