Terran vs. other material flows - practical effects (beginner question)

[RayRite]

Being completely new to X4, I read about how Terran material flow and production cycles are different from those in other parts of the galaxy. What are the practical effects on building stations as a Terran in different places?

Did I understand these points right:

1. When I build stations as a character of any race in Terran sectors, I better build them based on the Terran material flow and production cycles. Reasoning: If I built stations using the production cycles of other races in Terran sectors, my stations and trader / transport fleets could not interact optimally with the Terran NPC stations and traders.

2. The other side of the coin: When I build stations as a character of any race in non-Terran sectors, I better build them based on the local material flow and production cycles. Reasoning: If I built stations using the production cycles of Terra in non-Terran sectors, my stations and trader / transport fleets could not interact optimally with the non-Terran NPC stations and traders.

3. An additional reason to place stations based on the Terran material flow and production cycles in Terran sectors as a Terran: I will likely have access to Terran blueprints a lot earlier.

4. This means that when starting as a Terran (in start Project Genesis), not having any experience with the game, I would build my first station in my home turf based on the Terran material flow and production cycles.

5. If I later (after starting as a Terran in start Project Genesis) expand to any non-Terran sectors and build stations there (e.g. Bosa Ta's PHQ), these stations would be better built based on the local material flow and production cycles - unless I would build a self-sufficient station or station system. Plus, I need non-Terran materials for Bosa Ta's research anyway.

Did I understand these points right, or did I miss something obvious? Or less obvious?

[Feloidea]

The important part is that the two economies are unlinked. You can build Commonwealth stations, etc. with Terran materials and vice versa, but you'll never have a market for Commonwealth goods in Terran space or for Terran resources in Commonwealth economies (besides the demand you create via your own stations obviously).

[RayRite]

The important part is that the two economies are unlinked. You can build Commonwealth stations, etc. with Terran materials and vice versa, but you'll never have a market for Commonwealth goods in Terran space or for Terran resources in Commonwealth economies (besides the demand you create via your own stations obviously).

Understood, thanks!

[Nanook]

Also, not all Commonwealth economies are universal. For example, Teladi use Teladianium instead of Refined Metals, both of which are created from Ore. And the various races all have different food productions.

[RayRite]

Also, not all Commonwealth economies are universal.

Thanks, that helps.

[CulunTse]

And, apart from aesthetics, there is no reason you can't mix and match your station.

I have a big complex in Segaris, built primarily with commonwealth (Argon) connectors, Argon, Split, Teladi and Paranid housing (for the faster workforce growth, since each race grows in parallel), but Terran production (silicon carbide, microlattice, Computronic Substrate).

I built as much as possible with Commonwealth materials, because I already produced those myself (so effectively free).

This was my "selfmade Terran materials bootstrap station", so I wanted to minimise the amount of expensive Terran stuff I needed to purchase. So, the Terran production modules are, for example, fitted with commonwealth turrets and shields.

Another note is that the resource balancing is very different.
Terran has few steps, but gigantic mining requirements.
Commonwealth has many steps, but that makes it efficient in a "ore to finished ship" perspective.
(especially if you have full workforce, since the productivity bonus exponentially stacks. So more steps mean more exponential multiplication)

There was also a deep analysis about the ore-vs-energy balance of teladianium vs refined metals somewhere (either reddit or these forums).

[RayRite]

Another note is that the resource balancing is very different.
Terran has few steps, but gigantic mining requirements.
Commonwealth has many steps, but that makes it efficient in a "ore to finished ship" perspective.

Thanks, I had not realized this.