Anyone else sell planets to Minors very early?

from Stardock Forums
Lately I have been trying an "expand like hell" early game strategy and sell anything to finance this expansion and subsequent basic development of my colonies. I find I can get up to 3100bc selling a system to a minor (who will then try to colonise the rest of that sector giving the added bonus of depriving the other majors of expansion opportunities). I want/need money right now to keep spending on an overextended empire at 100% so I can get those soil enrichment and banking centres in ASAP so my empire can then pay its way. I also want/need strong minors who can fend off the other majors without too much help from me AND I want their money before the Drengin or Altarians can extort it from them. I have very little tech to sell at this stage and I really don't want to sell anything that gets the AI closer to building diplomatic translators which I can not yet build because I my spending is at 75% military and 25% science until I have every system I can get then I can build social and TGs.

Does anyone else sell planets early on to finance growth?
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Reply #1 from Stardock Forums Top
I sell planets to minors late, especially if I want to establish a nice trade route.

Also, if a minor shares a system with a major, and I defeat the major, I may give the system to the minor if I don't want the minor to be eliminated.
Ashes of the Singularity II
Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top
I will often give or sell a system to a minor that's about to be wiped out. It's very useful in smaller galaxies when you have a lack of trade routes. I usually choose a planet in a corner away from major races (maximise trade route length, minimise danger).

paul.

~SDC~
Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top
It's a good idea, but I haven't tried it. I would give them a planet in the interior of my territory. Border planets are important for range. The problem with larger maps is that I rarely find minors until I am way up the tech tree and already going into social development.
Reply #5 from Stardock Forums Top
I like to give or sell a system right in inside my territory so I can set up multiple starbase enhanced trade routes. Umh, all of my trade routes going from my juiciest system to that one system with lots of trade enhancing starbase modules along the way means plenty of money. These are very short but very rich trade routes which are easy to defend and sometimes not likely to be attacked much. They are particularly defensible if both systems are in the same sector which is what I often do. :)

I find long trade routes get interrupted too much and pay less because they are can't be enhanced along the entire tade route. I can't see that the diplomatic benefits of trading with other majors is worth the reduction in trade revenues. (Being able to support an extra twenty battleships is more of a diplomatic bonus than a trade route).

Reply #6 from Stardock Forums Top
For longer trade routes, use speed enhancement starbases in non-trade-enhanced sectors. One speed enhancement starbases with two +1 speed modules cuts down travel time in sectors by to 1/3.

Works wonders. I find 4-8 length ones work best and can average up to 350 bc per turn per freighter.

~SDC~