Feature request: Market the News of foreign parts

[Cordeval]

Whilst adventuring hither and yon, I realized I placed a very high value on that most rare and perishable commodity...political and market News at other places.
Where there is value there is another way for players to make and spend credits.

To really turn a profit and not just break even on fuel, missiles, and repairs, I need to know that RIGHT NOW a commodity is selling for outrageous sums at Station A compared to its neighbor next door, Station B.

I'd gladly pay credits to a station, planet, or ship for the News of foreign parts.
I'd expect to be paid for the News I carry if I made the effort to bundle it up for resale.

Factors related to what I'd pay include:
- Difficulty in finding out the information myself in distance (time & fuel) and effort (combat costs if they don't like my reputation).
- My ability to pay
- Age of the News to indicate how likely I'd get its prices.
- Profit potential indicated by the differential between cost of commodities near me and the selling price indicated in the News.
Heck, I'd even pay for old News just to see what political and markets conditions are typical.

Operationally, I'd be happy with a static one-time screenshot of the News.
Storywise, say the download of market conditions takes up a whole database (thus only one per ship, but many possibly available at a station) and access is eyes-only (thus no copying for sale farther on).

If I could also carry that information on a military ship, it'd be a neat and story-appropriate way to make credits some other way than blowing stuff up.

What'd be way cool is if the delivery of a News packet by player or AI affected both local and foreign markets with ship traffic responding to market conditions.

A new mission type could be protecting multi-ship caravans from raiders and pirates with the contract paid out according to the commodity value and the percentage of caravan ships that make it through.
Contrary-wise, a new mission type could be raiding caravans to steal the cargo.

[Ravenfeeder]

Military ships don't have cargo bays, so, a waste of time looking at prices, or raiding for cargo.

I do like the idea of an escort job for a convoy, especially if it could be made a multi-waypoint one, going through gates etc - mind, you'd need a good sized crew with you to do such a contract.

As for a report on market prices. Those would only be applicable insystem as the inter system distances are do great that anything could have happened to prices between you reading, and arriving at your destination.

You'll find that prices are more or less fixed at a certain level for different stations/planets on certain commodities. You might like to look at the price differentials on FT torpedos, missiles, cannon/beam weapons, fuel converters

If you want to make dosh, here's an idea. Take your civvy ship into a war zone where others are doing contracts, and ask if they mind you picking up the excess cargo that is littering the place. It would also be an opportunity for you to see the WZ contracts in action, plus, you'd be picking up the money, and ranking, for the missions accomplished. Mind and ask first though!

[Edited on 14-12-2009 by Ravenfeeder]

[Cordeval]

Originally posted by Ravenfeeder
If you want to make dosh, here's an idea. Take your civvy ship into a war zone where others are doing contracts, and ask if they mind you picking up the excess cargo that is littering the place. It would also be an opportunity for you to see the WZ contracts in action, plus, you'd be picking up the money, and ranking, for the missions accomplished. Mind and ask first though!

Thanks RF, that's an interesting idea on playing the looting lurker within some MP warzone areas...complete with hazard of the soldiers becoming disgusted and taking potshots.

[Cordeval]

Originally posted by Eclipse
Unfortunately I think the UI would need a major overhaul to present this information.
I can think of ways to implement such a system, however I can't figure out a good way to display the information with the current UI structure.

What I think RF has brought out in his reply elsewhere is that the markets are very quick to return to their base-level after a commodity flooding. Perhaps it should lag longer?
Regardless of the speed at which they return to base-levels, I'd really like to be aware there is such a large difference between what Earth and Mars will pay for platinum.

From Eclipse's and Ravenfeeder's replies regarding limitations of military ships on cargo and in staying within the UI of the existing software, here is a revision to my idea:
"Market Report" takes a cargo slot, or perhaps a weapons mount point in order to let military ships also carry them for sale.
UI changes
1 - instead of commodity name (i.e. "Plat"), show "Mkt Rpt".
2 - When right click the commodity, show only name of report's system/station, the age of the report, and the cost to purchase or sell.
3 - When left click report and not owner, purchase the report.
4 - When left click report and it's in your cargo, you get the News screen current at the time the report was originally produced...when "Close News" clicked, the report is jettisoned and permanently lost.

Regardless, though, contracts to escort large caravans might still be a neat new mission type for military ship players.

[Marvin]

The problem is probably with trying to create a "dynamic" report. It would be easy enough to add "news stands" ... just use message beacons. But the messages wouldn't change. Sooooo, you might want to spend more time reading what's reported in the News Console and how your reputation can affect prices.

[Ravenfeeder]

There's one big problem with your market report request; hardly anyone bothers with trading items, aside from very high value ones, once they are more familiar with the game.

If you've been to the Sol system, which I take it you have from your report, then you missed the top trading opportunity in the game - one in which you could have been making up to 50m a run!

Here's a tip: SPOILER: Whilst you don't have that much money, under a couple of billion, buy station licences at Mars, and Jupiter - never buy a station licence at Earth station.

When you have a station licence you can buy/sell at a discount!

[Maarschalk]

Eclipse and Ravenfeeder gave very good tips and Ideas here.

[warsign]

Good idea, dynamic report idea is very good!

[Marvin]

Originally posted by warsign

Good idea, dynamic report idea is very good!

No, it isn't. I've already changed the Foundation mod's data files half a dozen times. At this rate, I'll need an entire 2" binder just to keep track of the changes I've made to the default game's changes.

[Maarschalk]

LOL ...! :P:P:P:P

[TGS]

Honestly I would love to see a more... dynamic system put into play. There is an old browser based game I use to play that could house thousands of people. The whole game had a very intelligent and interesting trading system where they actually had tiered progression goods. And bases on the planets and ports. And basically it all fit into a sort of realistic market. Where if you wanted a planet to produce certain goods you could actually provide x number of goods that were used in the production. This allowed players to actually build their planet's market around what they wanted to see.

Granted that might be a bit too... intricate for this game. But it would be a great concept to look into. Especially in a long term "persistant" server. Where there could actually be an in-game economy.

I'll shut up now cause I've gone a tad offtopic and into a rant. But yeah think about it

[warsign]

Ahh, I forgot this Marvin, sorry

[Marvin]

NP. At the rate I'm going, it won't matter anyway.