Make Trading less 17th Century....simple, easy, small change

[Jeheil]

One day I would like the super sexy CNN/Bloomberg terminal interface in the DDR's.

But until then, just give us this...just this, its EASY, its not immersion breaking...and the older the data the higher the risk is to the trader. EASY.

Common FD guys you can do really fancy pancy graphics...just this :



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Image ended up being a bit smaller than I wanted, but just 1 extra column, with droplist of stations recently visited/purchased trade data. Then show the actual CR cost of each item at that station, indicating NO DEMAND, Cost (perhaps flagged as good or bad trade). Be even nicer if selecting the station in the droplist would then set that system as your nav target.

 

[Vex Ridius]

I want this...I'm buying trade data so GIVE ME TRADE DATA!!!
Also if I visit a station why can't I save the trade data in my ship computer for
reference later?
Nothing overpowered or immersion breaking about this.

Edit: This post should be in the Gameplay and Features sub though.

 

[RegisterMe]

I want this too. And I like the Bloomberg reference, the orange works .

 

[vonFelty]

My profile pic takes offense to you calling mining similar to what it was in the 17th century.

In the 17th century we had peasants do all the labor. It was automatic compared to Elite: Tedious mining simulator.

 

[Jeheil]

Yeh...sorry mod's feel free to move this to the correct forum....either gamma discussion or suggestions/gameplay...had a few tabs open posted on wrong one !!

 

[Zeeman]

Totally agree with this -having the prices from your previous visited stations (which clearly have the rates stuck at the level they were at when you visited) would be far better than, breaking out the pen and paper (talk about immersion breaking). Perhaps, this is a perfect job for the app? IE - You can navigate through your last (insert number here) visited stations trade data via the app...

I was also somewhat disappointed at what buying "trade data" actually meant... Having said that, I'm more of a smuggler, but sometimes, it's nice to dip one's toe into the water in the other pool...

Z...

 

[FX2K]

I want a little more than this to be honest.. I want to see the entire copy of the commodities screen for the stations I have recently been too (not purchased data) and not live data either, just a copy of what I last saw. They can expire to reduce the number of historical views, no problem. Being that its a snapshot and not live, it would potentially be unreliable, but would IMO improve the trading part of the game oh and would replace pen and paper.

I'm not asking for trading tools, they hold too many hands by telling you what to buy and sell from where... just a way to see what I have recently seen, what I can write on a piece of paper or take a screenshot of. Tabbed / Dropdown whatever.

I would also like to see the markets make sense too, but that has its own thread already.

Edit - And none of it is because I find trading difficult, I don't, it just makes no sense how its presented currently, its clearly lacking hence the number of tools already being made for it which I simply don't want to use.

 

[saviornt]

All they need to do is to make the right hand window show you the trade information from station/system you have selected. This would make greatest "sense" imo. Why do I need to know the buy/sell information from the same station when I can clearly see that information in the left "spreadsheet" window.

 

[FX2K]

All they need to do is to make the right hand window show you the trade information from station/system you have selected. This would make greatest "sense" imo. Why do I need to know the buy/sell information from the same station when I can clearly see that information in the left "spreadsheet" window.

I could live with that good idea.

 

[Hellhawk666]

Looks like a great idea - doesn't infringe on any of the existing game design or make things "too easy" (whatever that means) - just saves you having to take notes all the time.

Surprised it wasn't done like this in the first place. Have some rep, OP

EDIT - (drat - I've repped you too recently. Have some virtual rep)

 

[paauggie]

Excellent idea!

 

[obliterator]

I want a little more than this to be honest.. I want to see the entire copy of the commodities screen for the stations I have recently been too (not purchased data) and not live data either, just a copy of what I last saw. They can expire to reduce the number of historical views, no problem. Being that its a snapshot and not live, it would potentially be unreliable, but would IMO improve the trading part of the game oh and would replace pen and paper.

This. Don't change the system, just put on screen what we already do on paper!

 

[HaemoGoblin]

As a man who started playing in gamma and already has thousands of pieces of trade info in excel, I wholeheartedly support this idea. It's bad enough having to use the steam overlay/tablet/second monitor to break immersion so I feel like I'm actually doing something, not guessing and hoping.

 

[[VR]tailgunner30uk]

I am sorry, I do not agree with this idea. It defeats the whole concept of the game. It would take the risk out of trading, and result in players hanging around in a small area, trading goods that they know will bring them good profits.

I do not trade much as I mostly run missions, I would like the idea of a 'courier' role, after working up reputations with various factions, allowing access to high value sensitive deliveries. But that aside, the idea of simply presenting information to the player that entirely, or for the most part removes the risk of trading would be wrong.

I will however suggest a counter proposal, that would enhance the atmosphere of the game and make it feel more alive.

The trading screen would display a news ticker along the top of the screen, displaying brief summaries of events in systems local to the starport that the player is located at. These might go along the lines of "Eranin: War and food shortages has led to riots in the streets of the capitol", "Freeport: the discovery of new resources has lead to a 'gold rush' at the station", "Aulin: A major company releases a new product that revolutionises robotics" These sort of news items might lead the trader to consider moving food, personal and non-lethal weapons to Eranin. Mineral extractors and HE suits to Freeport and superconductors, polymers and metals to Aulin. This adds to the living galaxy without the hand-holding the the OP's idea provides.

If you want the tables, and spreadsheets, then by all means create them. I personally enjoy the challenge, surprise and frustration that trading provides, when I do it.

 

[nexxo]

News ticker is good. I like the news ticker idea.

 

[Jeheil]

I am sorry, I do not agree with this idea. It defeats the whole concept of the game. It would take the risk out of trading, and result in players hanging around in a small area, trading goods that they know will bring them good profits.

It changes nothing of the essence of risk at all, it simply remembers ONLY what you have seen or purchased trade data wise. The risk is still there if you rely on 24 hour old data.

 

[[VR]tailgunner30uk]

It changes nothing of the essence of risk at all, it simply remembers ONLY what you have seen or purchased trade data wise. The risk is still there if you rely on 24 hour old data.

The problem is that you will have information at your fingertips that removes a substantial amount of the risk in buying stock to sell elsewhere. The markets do not move much in a 24 hour period. The current model falls within the concept of the game, that trading information is closely guarded by the factions that control the markets.

As I said, you can create the tables yourself with a small input of effort, is your play not worth that little effort.

I like it the way it is, me a ship, a few credits and my wits.

 

[Barulf McBaren]

When the factions are so eagerly guarding their precious trading data, why do they have a market in the first place? If you don't wannt to sell your goods for low prices, raise the price instead of hiding the information!
This system is not only in contradiction with other technical systems within the universe, it also contradicts the very purpose of trading.

 

[Grimbil]

The problem is that you will have information at your fingertips that removes a substantial amount of the risk in buying stock to sell elsewhere. The markets do not move much in a 24 hour period. The current model falls within the concept of the game, that trading information is closely guarded by the factions that control the markets.

As I said, you can create the tables yourself with a small input of effort, is your play not worth that little effort.

I like it the way it is, me a ship, a few credits and my wits.

I can't believe you're honestly advocating for spending more time writing things down / typing them into Excel rather than actually playing the game. Having historical prices easily accessible for places you've already been is an absolute no brainer.

Prices change, you don't know it unless you visit to station. There's your risk. Don't see any good value trades? You better do some exploring to find better markets. Trading currently requires tedious non-game time where I have to move the HOTAS out of the way, scribble down a bunch of prices, then review those against the map to get an idea of time/distance vs price. Utterly ridiculous and will turn people off.

You might as well say looking up prices on a store's website ruins the excitement of walking into a store to see how much a shovel costs. This change needs to happen.

 

[avow555]

great idea OP, simple and effective