Marketplace

Once docked at a planet, you can buy and sell commodities at the Marketplace. Prices and stock fluctuate depending on the economy of the planet and on item demand.

Agricultural items (Food, Textiles, Ore, Alcohol) are cheaper at an agricultural planet. Industrial items (Luxuries, Computers, Machinery, Alloys) are cheaper at an industrial planet. In order to generate income, it is best to find effective trade routes between these two types of planets.

Illegal Commodities

Most goods are legal to trade, however there are some items which are deemed illegal by the Confederate Police. These are Weapons, Furs, Slaves and Narcotics. Although these commodities can be extremely profitable, trading in them will affect your legal status, and police will be more likely to attack you.

Each purchase of a commodity takes up a space in your cargo hold. You cannot carry more cargo than your maximum cargo hold allows (at the start of the game this is 25 units). Your maximum cargo hold can be increased by purchasing add-ons from the Starport.


The table on the Marketplace screen lists the following:

Commodity

Lists the commodities as a series of buttons. To buy or sell the desired commodity, tap the button and you will be taken to the buy/sell screen, along with information on the commodity.

Price

Shows the planet's current price of the commodity. Prices fluctuate naturally and depend to a large extent on the planet's economy (see above).

Stock in Port

Displays how many of each commodity the planet has for sale. You will find illegal items are more plentiful in Multi-Government, Feudal, or Anarchist states, and quite rare in Corporate or Confederate states (see Government under Planet Info).

Cargo Hold

Displays how many of each item you have on board your ship. To sell items from your hold, select the appropriate commodity button.

Buy/Sell Screen

Tapping on a Commodity button will take you to the Buy/Sell screen. This screen displays the item type, description, price, and how much profit or loss you are expected to make if you sell your cargo here.

Profit is calculated based on your last purchase of the item. For example, if you bought Food at a previous planet for 3 credits, and you arrive at a planet whose price for Food is 5 credits, the screen will display a 2 credit profit (if you sell your Food at this port). If the price is greater than what you paid for it, the profit will show as a negative number (i.e. a loss).