Trading and the background simulation Issues [ Backwards Trading ]

I'm still having this problem with trading being backwards. It makes trading a huge hassle where it really shouldn't be. I just want to add my voice to the thread to raise awareness that there's a problem.
 
This post hits the nail on the head for me.

Personally I think that the trading model should not make 100% sense - real life trading often doesn't make sense and having commodity prices, demand and supply all completely derivable will take a lot of risk - and therefore fun - out of trading.

I have no problem with a terminal with a large supply of Liquor still wishing to buy more. Maybe the system is planing a big party, maybe they produce a lot of "Brandy" but consume a lot of whisky that they can't make locally.

Despite the reported problems trading is by far the easiest way to make money in the game.

The Saudi example does make sense, it makes complete and perfect sense if you spend 5 minutes looking into why that is. This game has nothing complex going on. Nothing is simulated it isn't deep and it never will be. That isn't a problem of course as long as it functions but just stop with the "bugs look just like a real economy, let's keep them" nonsense. Earning credits isn't the issue. The issue is that code is going haywire. Your imagination doesn't fix my game.
 
Not sure how sophisticated the economics are in the game but a real life example that 'appears' absurd is Saudi Arabia, worlds largest oil reserves and exporter also imports a lot of oil, particularly Brent Crude from UK

Odd until you understand that the quality of Saudi crude is lower than Brent, and that Brent Crude is used to produce high grade industrial oils whilst saudi oil goes primarily to lower grade fuel supply

In Elite terms this would be represented as a high supply economy also importing the same commodity

True, but I doubt the UK sells that high quality brent to the saudis at a loss. ;)
 
This post hits the nail on the head for me.

Personally I think that the trading model should not make 100% sense - real life trading often doesn't make sense and having commodity prices, demand and supply all completely derivable will take a lot of risk - and therefore fun - out of trading.

I have no problem with a terminal with a large supply of Liquor still wishing to buy more. Maybe the system is planing a big party, maybe they produce a lot of "Brandy" but consume a lot of whisky that they can't make locally.

Despite the reported problems trading is by far the easiest way to make money in the game.

Look, sorry, no offense...but there's plenty of RP-ing to be had on GalNet already, could we try and keep it out of the economy, just this once ?

Great fact finding job there, FX2K... +1
 
We're looking into some issues with the trading AI.

Michael

I don't think the issue with 100% the AI. Even if the AI is going full blast and changing the markets that would be fine, so long as there's always a good profit to be made somewhere, somehow, and that the in-game information is 100% up to the second and accurate. If I purchase trade data for a system, it should include what good they want, and what price is being paid for them. Right now it seems like the galaxy map's data is total static, and buying trade data doesn't do anything but add information you can already get for free by looking at a system view to check imports/exports.

I'm trying to explain all this to my brother that just bought the game, and he's looking at me like I'm crazy. In the forums here we're all used to this nonsense, and used to the posters on the forums making up ridiculous reasons as to why it's fine that the data in the game isn't right, and that they just love taking tons of screenshots to try to find trade routes that go totally against what the game itself is saying, but to a new player this just looks broken and incomplete. He bought the trade data for a ton of systems around him yesterday, and then said on skype "how do I look at the data I bought, the prices" and I said "you can't see the prices, don't bother buying data it's never correct".
 
This post hits the nail on the head for me.

Personally I think that the trading model should not make 100% sense - real life trading often doesn't make sense and having commodity prices, demand and supply all completely derivable will take a lot of risk - and therefore fun - out of trading.

I have no problem with a terminal with a large supply of Liquor still wishing to buy more. Maybe the system is planing a big party, maybe they produce a lot of "Brandy" but consume a lot of whisky that they can't make locally.

Despite the reported problems trading is by far the easiest way to make money in the game.


It's not about the trading model making sense. It's about information accuracy. Go back and read the original post please.

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I don't think the issue with 100% the AI. Even if the AI is going full blast and changing the markets that would be fine, so long as there's always a good profit to be made somewhere, somehow, and that the in-game information is 100% up to the second and accurate. If I purchase trade data for a system, it should include what good they want, and what price is being paid for them. Right now it seems like the galaxy map's data is total static, and buying trade data doesn't do anything but add information you can already get for free by looking at a system view to check imports/exports.

I'm trying to explain all this to my brother that just bought the game, and he's looking at me like I'm crazy. In the forums here we're all used to this nonsense, and used to the posters on the forums making up ridiculous reasons as to why it's fine that the data in the game isn't right, and that they just love taking tons of screenshots to try to find trade routes that go totally against what the game itself is saying, but to a new player this just looks broken and incomplete. He bought the trade data for a ton of systems around him yesterday, and then said on skype "how do I look at the data I bought, the prices" and I said "you can't see the prices, don't bother buying data it's never correct".

Agree, Trading AI has almost nothing to do with it. Which is why Michael and the FD team have been loudly silent on this issue.
 
DYWUSi4.jpg


Cemiess has been like this for days now. Such high demand, Such little asking price.
 
Fresh example from Poqoman below. No one else has been in system, at least for 24 hours,

hCDUbrC.jpg

yet four imported commodities are available from station with high supply and have low (zero) demand.

7q2QTJh.jpg


/E
 

Michael Brookes

Game Director
Could you be so kind as to elaborate what do you consider "some issues" and how AI trading supposed to work.

There seems to be an issue with the AI trading in that in some circumstances it's over trading leading to producer economies becoming consumers for the same good, this has the knock on affect of reducing profit margins.

Michael
 
There seems to be an issue with the AI trading in that in some circumstances it's over trading leading to producer economies becoming consumers for the same good, this has the knock on affect of reducing profit margins.

Michael

Can you elaborate on how that's impacting incorrect trading indicators? We simply can't trust the interface.
 
It seems the problem is also the fact that stations data in the system map and stuff report the wrong demand and supply as well. Sometimes it the opposite of what its suppose to be. So it says its a demand station when really it isnt.
 
Can you elaborate on how that's impacting incorrect trading indicators? We simply can't trust the interface.
Over trading or trading at poor profit or loss.

this drains supply and causes stations to run out of something causing them to import to help restock supply....makes it more expensive to buy their goods.

it also wrecks demand where those goods are sold, dropping the price for selling to the station. It also causes those stations to want to sell their excess supply because they can'tcan't consume it fast enough
 
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It seems the problem is also the fact that stations data in the system map and stuff report the wrong demand and supply as well. Sometimes it the opposite of what its suppose to be. So it says its a demand station when really it isnt.

The data in the system map etc is usually fairly representative of the economy type, its the oversupply issue causing the market to appear as a supplier when they should remain as a consumer and refuse additional imports..

If this was allowed to continue and the trade data changed to reflect that it would also make no sense, unless the economy of the station also changed. An industrial economy (in my OP example) doesn't produce liquor and should never become a supplier whereas an Agri economy does and should remain so.
 
The data in the system map etc is usually fairly representative of the economy type, its the oversupply issue causing the market to appear as a supplier when they should remain as a consumer and refuse additional imports..

If this was allowed to continue and the trade data changed to reflect that it would also make no sense, unless the economy of the station also changed. An industrial economy (in my OP example) doesn't produce liquor and should never become a supplier whereas an Agri economy does and should remain so.

I see what you mean. It was a demander but then got so much supply it actually turned into a supplier because it got oversupplied. And that is whats causing the problems.
 
I see what you mean. It was a demander but then got so much supply it actually turned into a supplier. And that is whats causing the problems.

Yes ;)

You can actually see this behaviour in action if you can find a system with sufficiently low demand that you can easily fulfil (non lethal weapons is a good one)... by fulfilling the demand and oversupplying they will turn into a stockist of the item with zero demand. I posted it in #4 and another player confirmed in this thread too.

The station I did it with appeared to still be importing the item and the supply was increasing.. which meant the AI was disregarding the demand and just sending the goods anyway, something a player would lose money doing.
 
And look at the slaves. Medium demand, and they're buying 3 credits higher than the average. Three.

Heh, yeah, here are some systems and stations importing Imperial Slaves:

T1aaZmN.jpg

DyjddGe.jpg

jt02CMI.jpg

Again, minerals showing same issues.

Edit:
Also, as a side note, the hamster keeping track of the prohibited commodities seems to have some issues after 1.02 :cool:
HkGrMsp.jpg


/E
 
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Yea this was happening in gamma too. I have given up listening the map and commodities screen now, because Slopey's trade tool is far more accurate and useful :p
 
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Yeah the best way to get profits is to enter data into one of the third party tools and build a little trademap of your own before you start putting down serious money. I found the system maps trade routes less than helpful with me often losing money to the point that I started using third party tools. It's a bit of a pain if your in a fairly remote area. But you can take hauler and courier missions to get you around local systems and pay your way till you have filled in system data for enough systems to start mixing in trading with the above missions.

If your lucky, someone else might also be operating in your area making populating data a little easier. I quite like thrudds trading tool where you can input SC distance to station etc too. So you can weigh in the high cost of wear and tear that was introduced in 1.02.
 
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