I want to be the John Henry of Trailblazers (advice welcome).

Mersozz · May 15, 2025

Like the song, I want to be a steel driving man.

The plan was to put a Coriolis over this planet, and then pop down at least 2 refineries on the surface.

The Coriolis is planned to be the commercial/colony type.

Do I also need to put down a surface port, or will the refineries create strong links to the Coriolis and give me a decent steel market?

SteveWW57 · May 15, 2025

Put down the port, then the refineries will connect to it and the port will connect to the Coriolis. Here is mine, not shown are the two refineries.

Finn McShane · May 15, 2025

Mersozz said:
Like the song, I want to be a steel driving man.

The plan was to put a Coriolis over this planet, and then pop down at least 2 refineries on the surface.

The Coriolis is planned to be the commercial/colony type.

Do I also need to put down a surface port, or will the refineries create strong links to the Coriolis and give me a decent steel market?

View attachment 429642

The refineries will create strong links directly to the Coriolis -- no need for a surface port (at least that's how it worked out for me).

Greasetrap42 · May 15, 2025

You might want the T1 surface port for CMM Composite with large pad access.

Cmdr Kitmao · May 16, 2025

If you put down a tier 1 port, it probably won't have a commodity market because your tier 2 star port has it already. If you put down a tier 3 port, that will be the one with the commodity market. The refineries would be enough. If you want to produce a high number, get the population in your system up.

Ned Flandalorian · May 16, 2025

This would work a lot better if you built above a rocky body rather than high metal content. You wouldn't even strictly need a refinery, one would certainly be enough.

Mersozz · May 16, 2025

Cmdr Kitmao said:
If you put down a tier 1 port, it probably won't have a commodity market because your tier 2 star port has it already. If you put down a tier 3 port, that will be the one with the commodity market. The refineries would be enough. If you want to produce a high number, get the population in your system up.

I was wondering about that. I would imagine if I placed the tier 1 surface port down on a different planet (I have a few HMCs), then that would likely be better.

Mersozz · May 16, 2025

Ned Flandalorian said:
This would work a lot better if you built above a rocky body rather than high metal content. You wouldn't even strictly need a refinery, one would certainly be enough.

Yeah, this is the "flag" planet and so I figured since it is a 0/3 HMC I should put down a Coriolis for starters.

Greasetrap42 · May 16, 2025

Cmdr Kitmao said:
If you put down a tier 1 port, it probably won't have a commodity market because your tier 2 star port has it already. If you put down a tier 3 port, that will be the one with the commodity market. The refineries would be enough. If you want to produce a high number, get the population in your system up.

This is not correct.
A higher tier orbital port does not suck the surface port dry.
I have seen many examples of a T1 surface port with a T2 or T3 orbital port. And the T1 surface port has a good market.

I am currently docked at refinery T1 surface port with T3 orbital over the planet. I am loading up CMM composite right now. Both have gigantic refinery supplies in their markets. This system has two refinery focused planets, each with a T1 surface port and T3 orbital above. An impressive Megarifinery system.

Lupus Dark Region B Sector FG-Y d35 1 b
Blackiron Composites - Surface Port
Blackiron Megarefinery - Orbital