Size. You have tons and tons of planets and that small surplus adds up.
And yes, I think the fact that I aggressively trade with my neighbours (my average trade fleet is 50 merchantmen) plays a part. Since I have pretty much reached the maximum possible expansion I can get without either a) going to war or b) sendind a colony fleet far, far away, I have to make do with whatever I have.
Since I can't put more time into the game, I've decided that this is the game I'm now trying to play - I want to have an empire with all planets maxed out. Something even a powerful player thinks twice about entering because EVERY planet is inside a dozen overlapping PDs and I can throw up a defensive fleet practically everywhere instead of having to keep them around. With enough resources stockpiled, that should frighten even the big guys. Sure you have 5000 planets and I have 500. But every single one of mine can throw up a 100 superbattleship fleet immediately. Maybe you can also come up with 50,000 SBS - but how long does it take them to reach me?
At least that's the plan. Plan B is to go pirate. Anyone got experience with that? Does it actually generate a profit or does it just destroy enemy ships?
Hieruf is doing the PD thing, it is VERY scary to be honest looking over his empire. Pirates give me messages that they have captured goods, but I have never figured out where they go. Then again I've not actually tried to figure it our, so perhaps my pirate fleets are full of goodies. My pirate plan is pretty simple, get someone to ally the target, and then have them guide me to their main trading lines.
