Just note that building fancy stuff requires a lot of more basic stuff being built beneath it.
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Now what you might try for is dedicated assembly ships that produce ultra high-tech equipment, using local materials.
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Source
Very good points. Thank you for bringing them up.
One thing I noticed about the Succession Wars in general, was orbital stuff gets blown up, a lot. Basically just like it's easier to sink a ship than an island, it's easier to blow up an orbital factory than a planet.
And the orbital factory can't even sail somewhere else!
So it occurred to me, with the Supremacy helping the periphery states, especially the Rim Federation, but not wanting anyone too strong militarily, helping convert old warships into factory ships benefits both parties.
a) it gives the Federation a 'harder to catch' mobile factory. Rather than a factory that will get shot up, and lose all its production, the factory ship can run, both on standard engines and jump if given enough warning. The capital scale armor will also buy it some time. Sure, securing for a jump might ruin whatever's in construction. (I can't picture endo steel being formed reacts well to high G turns) but better that than the whole factory.
b) The Supremacy benefits from the FWL and LC having to guess where this factory might be to try to raid/capture/destroy it. This ties up more resources that won't be used against the Supremacy. Also they benefit because the resources the Federation spends in maintaining this 'warship-turned-factory' is less they can spend on their warships.
As to trade routes. I'd expect that the factory likely uses a mix of common jump points and prepared pirate points. the supplying (and delivering) dropships are waiting to deliver the raw materials/pick up the finished goods. Will need to put more thought into it.