Copyright Frontier Developments Ltd
Trading is a simple process thanks to an agreement between the Empire and the Federation that allows free trade within all systems via the stockmarkets. After all, the cold war has to be supplied and fuelled by something. There are also private markets which may be more lucrative, but are sometimes risky. Each will be explained in turn.
You need to go to a city or space station in order to trade on the stock market.You cannot trade in flight but at least you will be safe whilst trading.
1.Select the Communication icon (F4) at the bottom of your console, and a list of
options will appear.
2.Select "Stockmarket" from the menu, and you will be presented with a selection of items. Click on the down "more" arrow and any remainder of the list will be given.
3.The screen displays buy and sell
buttons, price per tonne, stock on the
market and the amount of cargo (in tonnes) that you have at present in your
hold.
Before trading read the information on the items below. Note that only legal items will be listed. For illegal goods you will have to use the private market (see section on the Bulletin Board on page +) .
1.To buy one tonne of a chosen item, activate the button corresponding to the item of your choice in the "buy" column. Your console will show the item you have selected. One click will auto-load one tonne into your hold. Holding down the button will buy multiple tonnes at an accelerating rate.
2.If you want to revise your transaction, the "sell" button will subtract from your stock. There is no charge for changing your mind during trade but you must make a decision reasonably quickly.
You will be unsuccessful if :
a) Your cargo hold is full ( indicated at the bottom left of the screen under "cabins"). See also section on Ship's Inventory below.
b)You have insufficient money (indicated at the bottom left of the screen under "cash").
c)The stock is not available.
Information on all situations will be displayed on your console.
1. This is a similar operation to buying, but using the "sell" button. Your stock level will be automatically decreased as you sell. A mistake can be changed using the "buy" button, for which there is no charge but if you delay too long, someone else may buy first.
2.You will be unsuccessful if your own stock runs out, which will be shown on your console. See also the section on Ship's Inventory below.
The stock level indicated on the console is that on the stockmarket, not the private market which has its own separate holding. Prices are brought to you by Zebulon Intergalactic Trading Corporation (ZITCO), and are updated each midnight Galactic Mean Time (GMT). Galactic time was adopted after the signing of the treaty between the Empire and the Federation. Hostilities between them cannot be conducted if one party does not turn up because they have calculated the time incorrectly. If the stock level falls due to demand, the local price may rise. If a ship arrives with a large cargo of grain, say, when it sells this onto the market, the price of grain may fall at the next midnight price adjustment.
Prices are changed every midnight which may
be a bit frustrating if you are in a hurry. Use of the Time Control icons activates the Stardreamer which will appear
to speed up time. There is a description of this device in the Navigation and
Flight section on page +. Remember that your enemies are also going to be sped
up so only use this when it is safe to do so, though even on an open-air
station, you will be protected by the stations own defences. Remember also that
the station makes a small charge every midnight for your stay.
Systems all have their own production and consumption, imports and exports.Generally the price of imports will be higher than the Galactic average and that of exports lower than average. For example a farming area will have cheap grain, so it will be a good place to buy in order to sell to an area that has no grain production.
A listing of imports and exports for a given system can be found in the System Data and Economy section (see Navigation and Flight page + ). Information on illegal goods will also be found there.
The Galactic Map (Galactic Map icon (F2) )shows a number of recommended trade routes
(lined in pink) updated by ZITCO in 3195. Faulcon De Lacey take no
responsibility for any inaccuracies for this reason. A map with the trade
routes has also been supplied with this manual.
It is always worth looking at the political and economical details of a system before possibly wasting fuel (see the Navigation and Flight section on page +). Items that are in abundance in a star system will be relatively cheap to buy. Conversely, items that are in short supply will be more expensive and worth selling there.
Your funds are indicated under "cash" at the bottom left of the screen. They are safe if your ship is destroyed thanks to an automatic banking system. If you run out of cash you could sell your ship for a smaller one or sell off a piece of equipment. It may be worth looking for offers of insurance from the Bulletin Board.
This is an illegal practice but is occasionally necessary. Certain goods are damaged by this act and this needs to be taken into consideration when salvaging such cargo.
The following changes will occur:
Live animals will become animal meat.
Slaves die and are officially used as fertilizer but rumour has it that the bodies are finding their way onto the animal meat market.
Liquor, luxury goods, grain, fruit and vegetables are all turned into rubbish.
Sometimes containers will explode
unpredictably when released due to irregularities introduced during their
manufacture.
1. Select the Inventory icon (F3) and cycle to the cargo inventory section,
which displays jettison buttons. Activate the button next to the goods which
will be ditched one tonne at a
time.
You cannot salvage jettisoned goods unless you have bought a Fuel Scoop and a Cargo Scoop Conversion. If you have such equipment, you merely skim over the top of the drifting cargo which is automatically scooped up.
The following is a list of trade items,
which are always sold in units of one tonne.
Water - H2O, usually needed by small, industrial settlements and those with no
natural water supply.
Liquid Oxygen
- Needed mainly by settlements on airless worlds for life support systems.
Grain - One of the only
foodstuffs that is both traditionally grown and not too expensive.
Fruit
and Vegetables - This can seem like a loose term
looking at some of the produce that comes under this classification. One could
be forgiven for taking up a shovel and disinfectant when faced for the first
time with the Oosli from the Fomalhaut system.
Animal Meat - Real meat from an animal. A delicacy, but the market
for this is growing as a revolt against synthetic meat. People have become
unsettled by the thought of their food growing in vats of seething, viscous
fluid, the stench of which is indescribable. The idea that real animal meat
once felt the sun on its back and frolicked in a meadow feels more wholesome
and natural and such meat is claimed by many to taste better. Given that the
amount of meadow available is far exceeded by the hooves to roam it and that
factory farming is unfashionable, the meat is rare and widely sought after.
Trading in animal meat is illegal in some places.
Synthetic Meat - This is the most common form of protein to be found, so it is relatively cheap. Grown in vats, this meat is in no way derived from animals, though most would agree that it tastes exactly the same as real meat. It is sold in one flavour, called Original, which is fairly bland and unexciting. Individual flavours are added by the user, for example Earth beef, Lava hog from Biggs Colony or Brog buck from Homeland around Beta Hydri (for those who like their meat to bite back).
Liquor - Covers all intoxicating drinks from interesting local hooches
such as the Bourbon from the system of Epsilon Indi to unexciting brews made by
large industrial companies. An example is Splag, which is akin to watery Old
Nova, but some have been less generous in their appraisal.
Narcotics - The most common is Lyrae
weed. Narcotics are readily available on some large corporate manufacturing
complexes to induce a sense of well-being in such appalling conditions.
Occasionally a few workers are killed due to insensibility or hallucinations,
but it is considered that they are better off that way and there are plenty
more where they came from. Illegal in many places.
Medicines - Drugs are, as always, big business as people would
rather be reassured by a drop of something that tastes foul, rather than
examine their way of life that more often than not causes the ill health.
However, the most healthy person can still fall foul of bugs such as black hole fever (well known but
seldom talked about,except in jest with references to escape velocity usually
being made).
Fertilizer -
Fertilizers are usually manufactured in vast chemical plants, but organic waste
is often used to supplement this.
Animal
Skins - This covers the skins of all sorts of animals and parts of them. It
seems that the more that go into a garment, the more prized it is. A ridiculous
extreme is a coat woven from eyelashes of the Sweetums Scroblet, an ugly animal
with a bad temperament and no endearing qualities other than colourful,
luminescent eyelashes.
Live
Animals - Used for meat, exhibition or recreation or just companionship.
Your hold must have a life support facility to carry them.
Slaves - Consider carefully where you
are going to trade because slave trading is illegal in many systems, where it
is seen as unacceptable. Life support needed.
Luxury Goods - Many items are classed as luxury goods, for example
perfumes, jewellery, artefacts and fabrics. The most treasured are generally
produced on esteemed worlds like Earth.
Heavy Plastics - Have a variety of uses especially in high
temperature environments, like rocket engines. Manufactured in large industrial
complexes.
Metal Alloys - They
have hundreds of uses, one example is the production of foam metal, valued for
its lightness and use as electromagnetic shielding.
Precious Metals - Mainly used for adornment and trying to
maintain stability in unstable financial systems. Generally cheaper in the
outer systems, where precious metals have not yet been mined out.
Gem Stones - They come in all
colours and different levels of sparkle. Fashions come and go, but the current
gem to be seen wearing is the Zublic, a colourless stone that is totally
reflective. It is very easily mimicked but only the real stone is non-irritant
to body, so those who are status conscious have them sewn into their skin.
Minerals -There is little to say
about minerals. Mined on rocky planets by machinery except on planet Major (van
Maanen's star) where the Guardians of the Free Spirit exhume it with only a
hammer and chisel. They believe in severe hardship and live underground. It is
thought that money (left over after buying necessities like oxygen) is burned
in ceremonies intended to purify the soul. The worshippers think of all the
luxuries, such as a salve for their bleeding hands, that the money could have
bought, causing great anguish which is thought to be cleansing.
Hydrogen Fuel - The normal four
star fuel for spacecraft. All the waste products are used as reaction mass in
the thrusters. It can also be obtained by scooping it from stars and gas giants
(see Fuel Scoops in the Shipyard section page +).
Military Fuel - Very high energy per unit weight. It is
manufactured and consists of an engineered molecule with anti-matter atoms
suspended in it. It is not always available and is expensive. You need to weigh
up the advantages of greater range and
speed with the fact that it is converted to radioactives when consumed.
Hand Weapons - Firearms. Many cultures
regard them as a necessary accessory and feel 'naked' without one. Illegal in
many systems.
Battle Weapons -
These are the heavy weapons used on the battlefield and are usually illegal.
Nerve Gas - Expect the police
in most places to take up a chase if you trade in this.
Industrial Parts - Everything from fusion motors to nuts and bolts.
Computers
- Mostly used for administration and as components
for automated machines like space craft, though some advanced cultures use them
a great deal for interactive entertainment systems.
Air Processors - Devices used in life support systems to
remove unwanted gasses from the air. These are vital to many mining
establishments, keeping the air in the huge underground complexes
breathable.
Farm Machinery - Machinery
used to, erm...farm.
Robots -
This covers a whole range of automata. Generally they are intricate machines
used to do everything from serving canapes to use as assault troops . They are
illegal in a few cultures, mainly because of the violation of their work ethic,
but also the extreme techno-fear some people experience.
Radioactives - Radioactive materials for example Plutonium
and Tritium. Note that this item has a negative trade value, in other words,
you have to pay for someone to take it off your hands. Some make a living out
of being paid to take this waste away and deliver it to reprocessing plants
(i.e.anywhere that has Radioactives as a major import). More unscrupulous and
irresponsible characters will prefer to jettison it instead, risking
prosecution. This is a highly illegal practice and locals are usually
vehemently opposed to this act. Police often don't bother with questions but
deal with you there and then, as this not only saves on police time but court
fees as well.
Rubbish - Again, this has a negative price, so you must pay to dispose of
it. Some cargo items when decompressed (by being jettisoned) will turn into
rubbish.
SHIP'S
INVENTORY
This gives a more detailed account of your
cargo and passengers, and is obtained by using the Inventory icon (F3) .
Clicking on this icon cycles through six pages of information for your perusal
including:
Ship equipment status - Lists weapons and equipment currently fitted to the ship. See
Shipyard section on page + for details of individual items.
Commander profile
- Lists awards and grading. See section on Combat on page +.
Crew roster - Lists
any crew members (on larger ships only). See the Shipyard section on page +.
Cargo inventory -
Your cargo is listed if you have any. Jettison one tonne of any item by
clicking on the relevant button.
Passenger and small items - This lists the names of your passengers or clients, the number of
persons on board, any small packages and the destination and how much money you
are still owed from the deal.
Mining
Installations - Lists the locations of all active mining installations
owned.
Note: The pages will not be shown if there is nothing on them.
This is a collection of small
advertisements for trading, services and requests for passage, amongst other
things. You will find other types of advertisements so it is worth a browse.
Some individuals trade on the Bulletin Board in preference to the Stockmarket, and taking a risk with them may benefit you. There may be ads for specific items which a person needs urgently that cannot be bought on the stockmarket, so they are prepared to pay over the odds for them. You may earn more money this way than simply selling directly on to the stockmarket.
1.Select the Communications icon (F4) .
2.Select "Bulletin Board" and look for advertisements stating, "Wanted."
Of course being a law abiding citizen you will not be engaging in this, but in order to understand the criminal mind better you ought to know the typical procedure.
1.Select the Communication icon (F4) .
2.Select "Bulletin Board" and look for advertisements stating,"Goods bought and sold". Though there may not be any in a particular place or that day. The "more" arrows will allow viewing of the ads which on a given day don't fit on the screen.
3.Click on the button for the "Goods bought and sold" ad you are interested in and a list will appear of all the illegal goods available.
4. Trade in a similar way to the stockmarket.
The police, although aware of this practice, will not shut it down. Not only do they take a cut in profits but they often use it to their advantage. Traps are laid in the form of advertisements and the astute criminal will get to know their characteristics. Once successful trading has taken place, there is always the threat of customs officials, not that you will ever have anything to hide of course.
People may place ads asking for passage for themselves or a group to a stated destination. If you want to do this, you need sufficient cabin space on your ship, which may mean extra outlay for you. See the section on Shipyard on page +, where upgrading your ship is explained.
Taking
up a request
1.On the bulletin board via the Communication icon (F4) ,
look for the appropriate advert and select it.
2.Choose one of the responses presented to you, for example one response might ask why they are prepared to pay so much.
3.The answer comes up on the console at the bottom.
4.If you want to make a deal, click on "O.K. agreed" at the top of the list of responses.
5.The passengers will appear on your passenger list.
Payment is normally made on arrival at your clients' destination, although some will pay half up front or even all!
To act as a courier, negotiate in the same way as for passengers after finding adverts for transporting packages. A package is deemed to take up negligible space in your cargo hold and of course does not need a life support system.
If you ever buy a larger ship, it may require extra crew which are also obtained through the Bulletin Board small advertisements. More details about your contract with them can be found under New and Reconditioned Ships in the Shipyard section on page +.
Information can be obtained about the ships
currently in dock, except those ships in dry dock and, for security reasons,
military or police ships. This information may help you to decide what sort of
trade to conduct and what destination to choose. Use the Communication icon (F4) and select "Traffic Control and
Services," followed by "Ships
in Dock."
You can also find out what scheduled flights are due in the next week, by selecting the Communication icon, "Traffic Control Services," then "Information on Scheduled Services."
You may wish to fly with a large ship, for protection, so it may be worth waiting for a scheduled service to leave. They do however, rarely feel duty bound to protect a small trader, but may come to your rescue if your ship is crippled.