[EL] Trouble Interpreting Trade Information

marlowe221 · Post by **marlowe221** » Sun Jan 31, 2016 5:35 pm

Folks,

I am finding that the trade information provided in game is... mystifying and somewhat difficult to parse.

For example: the colored bars in the Nav Map view that is related to commodities - what do they mean? Why is there a skinny bar and a fat bar? I assume that red means a low price and green means a high price... is that correct?

Then there are some numbers that I don't know how to interpret. For instance, there might be a commodity that is listed as "Metal 257/317." What does that mean?

Also, have the Constructor stations from EM been replaced by the lab or they still out there?

Any information on this would be greatly appreciated. The trade information seems more extensive than in EM but if there is any documentation of how to read it, I can't find it anywhere.

Thanks!

Edit: There is a thread asking these kinds of questions on the Steam forums as well so if anyone knows the answers and wanted to pop in over there, I'm sure those folks would appreciate it too.

[Edited on 1-31-2016 by marlowe221]

Post by **Marvin** » Sun Jan 31, 2016 5:39 pm

Constructor stations still exist. The build constructors require metal and, for the most part, are used in building station and city modules ... the one-piece trade station has been replaced with numerous modules, including defensive weapons. The deploy constructors also require metal but, for the most part, otherwise work as before. Except for the refueling station ... that one must be deployed very near a star.

Rubber Chicken · Post by **Rubber Chicken** » Sun Jan 31, 2016 6:46 pm

So... the "take-25-metal-to-the-boat anchor icon-on-the-nav map" style constructors still exist in Legacy? If so, I'll have to keep an eye out.

The new engineering lab is great, but I'd like to see the ability to turn raw mined metals into basic components such as RadioT's and Solar cells - unless I missed that part.

Back on topic:
I could use a little help with understanding the local/regional commodities bar-chart that pops up to the left of the quadrant map as well.

[Edited on 1-31-2016 by Rubber Chicken]

Flashman014 · Post by **Flashman014** » Sun Jan 31, 2016 7:33 pm

On the little bars, I've so far surmised that green means the price is higher. It seems like the little bar is the price of the item in the system you're in, while the bigger bar is the price in the system you're pointing at on the map. I could be entirely wrong about this, but I've managed to make some money trading based on this.

My biggest reason for putting this (very possibly wrong) information here is because I'm hoping to be corrected by someone who knows what they're talking about. Frankly, the trade information seems detailed, if I knew what it meant.

Post by **DaveK** » Sun Jan 31, 2016 8:26 pm

From post: 183944, Topic: tid=12344, author=Marvin wrote:The deploy constructors also require metal but, for the most part, otherwise work as before. Except for the refueling station ... that one must be deployed very near a star.

Or in a nebula cloud - so plan long off route journeys carefully or carry a Build Constructor

marlowe221 · Post by **marlowe221** » Sun Jan 31, 2016 11:30 pm

From post: 183951, Topic: tid=12344, author=Flashman014 wrote:On the little bars, I've so far surmised that green means the price is higher. It seems like the little bar is the price of the item in the system you're in, while the bigger bar is the price in the system you're pointing at on the map. I could be entirely wrong about this, but I've managed to make some money trading based on this.

My biggest reason for putting this (very possibly wrong) information here is because I'm hoping to be corrected by someone who knows what they're talking about. Frankly, the trade information seems detailed, if I knew what it meant.

That's what I thought too but, like you, really wasn't sure if I was reading things correctly. Thought I would post it and see what the consensus was on the subject.

As to the numbers, where you see something like "Metal 267/374", my guess is that one number is the standard base price and the other is the current price. But which is which?

[Edited on 1-31-2016 by marlowe221]

Post by **Marvin** » Mon Feb 01, 2016 1:05 am

Which is which? I don't worry about that ... I head for any system where the second number is a lot bigger than the first. Seems to work, so far.

Flashman014 · Post by **Flashman014** » Mon Feb 01, 2016 2:12 am

From post: 183980, Topic: tid=12344, author=Marvin wrote:Which is which? I don't worry about that ... I head for any system where the second number is a lot bigger than the first. Seems to work, so far.

That indicates to me that the second number is the current market value in the system you're in. So, unless we're all totally mistaken, the first number is the base value and the second number is current market value. Naturally, you'd want to sell in a place where the market value is higher.

Sinbad · Post by **Sinbad** » Mon Feb 01, 2016 3:01 am

I'm pretty sure that's the case. You'll see that when it's red the right number is lower than the left number. WHen it's green the right number is higher. When it's yellow they're the same.

Post by **Marvin** » Mon Feb 01, 2016 4:59 am

Not the system you're in ... it indicates the value for the system you've highlighted with your cursor.

marlowe221 · Post by **marlowe221** » Mon Feb 01, 2016 1:09 pm

This helps a lot guys - thanks.

That's more or less how I figured things worked but it's nice to confirm. I really like all the new trade information that is available in EL - it would be tough to go back to EM after this!

marlowe221 · Post by **marlowe221** » Mon Feb 01, 2016 4:49 pm

The trade info screens in the Nav console do not give any indication as to the cost of ship components or weapons do they?

I would assume that the standard rules apply - high tech sectors have better ship components/weapons with things tending to be somewhat less expensive on tech planets/stations?

Flashman014 · Post by **Flashman014** » Mon Feb 01, 2016 7:17 pm

From post: 184049, Topic: tid=12344, author=marlowe221 wrote:The trade info screens in the Nav console do not give any indication as to the cost of ship components or weapons do they?

I would assume that the standard rules apply - high tech sectors have better ship components/weapons with things tending to be somewhat less expensive on tech planets/stations?

Component and weapon prices, as well as ship frame prices are only found at an actual base, as far as I know. While it would be nice to know ahead of time that the part you want to buy is way cheaper two systems over, not every part is carried everywhere all the time. Plus, I think that might be way too much information on the little Nav screen. At that point, it might call for a whole separate Market tab in the Nav screen. Hmm... maybe I'll request that feature...