AI War:Zenith Trade Ship
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These neutral (and invulnerable) traders are happy to trade with humans or AIs, although they charge quite a lot in return -- and their wares are a bit different for AIs versus humans. The trade ship travels slowly around the galaxy, and when it has supply from your team, your entire team can use it to build very expensive and powerful ships that you can't directly build any other way. |
The Zenith Trade Ship qualifies as a Minor Faction on its own and is enabled/disabled via the Zenith Trader option under Game Options during game setup. It is only available on maps with at least 30 planets.
Human Trades
The Zenith Trade Ship randomly roam the galaxy; the game displays a message when it is in a player controlled planet. When in supply range, a player can select it and build structures listed above on the planet the trader currently is. As with regularly built structures, the energy cost is immediate, but the metal cost is linear over time, so expensive structures like superfortresses can be built even if the player cannot afford their massive price. As usual, constructions can be paused or accelerated with engineers.
Inventory Available To Humans:
- Ion Cannons, ranging from Mk I (Cap of 3), Mk II (Cap of 2), up to Mk V (Cap of 1 Each)
- SuperFortress (Cap of 1)
- Orbital Mass Driver (Cap of 2)
- Counterspy (Cap of 3)
- Black Hole Machine (Cap of 2)
- Zenith Power Generator (Cap of 1)
- Planetary Shield Booster and Inhibitors (Cap of 2 Each)
- Radar Jammers Mark I and II (Caps of 4 and 2 Respectively)
AI Trades
The AI does not build the way that the player does, but will sometimes purchase upgrades or additional structures for existing AI planets as the Trader leaves that planet.
Inventory Available To AIs:
- Ion Cannons Mark I and II
- Warp Gate
- Special Forces Command Post
- Gravitational Turret Mark III
- Core AI Force Field
- Astro Train Station
- Black Hole Machine
- Orbital Mass Driver
- Core Warhead Interceptor
