Discussion: Are Material Traders really that stingy when trading one grade?

[VR andysonofbob]

Hi

I can't stand them. However I do understand the way they are.

I have used mats as a collective noun for materials / data etc.

When you collect/loot one material, you actually gain three individual mats.

Vanilla:

• trading up one grade costs 6 mats for 1 mat. Or in real gameplay terms, 2 collections for 1 mat.
• trading down one grade costs 1 mat for 3 mats. Or in real gameplay terms, 1 mat for 1 collection.

#1 Hypothetical
Halving the trade-up cost and doubling the trade-down gains:

• trading up one grade costs 3 mats for 1 mat. Or in real gameplay terms, 1 collection for 1 mat.
• trading down one grade costs 1 mat for 6 mats. Or in real gameplay terms, 1 mat for 2 collections.

#2 Hypothetical
Halving the trade-up cost only:

• trading up one grade costs 3 mats for 1 mat. Or in real gameplay terms, 1 collection for 1 mat.
• trading down one grade costs 1 mat for 3 mats. Or in real gameplay terms, 1 mat for 1 collection.

Bearing in mind that for most engineering upgrades you only need one of each material (ignoring the Specials), I think Hypothetical #1 could be exploited, with regard to real gameplay terms.

How would you [edit] adjust the exchange rate?

 

[Factabulous]

How would you do it?

Do what?

 

[viper666]

When material traders were first introduced, the exchange rates were far worse, I mean far far worse.
The new exchange rate kind of makes sense to me, as an example.
Data Mined Wake Exceptions. You can
(a) Sit outside a station with a wake scanner and go insane as you scan all the high wake signals.
(b) Get rid of a useless bunch of data you will never use, and trade them for data mined wake exceptions.

I've done both, and I will take option (b) every day of the week, and twice on Sunday.

 

[Old Duck]

I sometimes wonder if the non-Horizons players got the better deal. They don't need to worry about any of this nonsense

 

[Kenneth McGrew]

When material traders were first introduced, the exchange rates were far worse, I mean far far worse.
The new exchange rate kind of makes sense to me, as an example.
Data Mined Wake Exceptions. You can
(a) Sit outside a station with a wake scanner and go insane as you scan all the high wake signals.
(b) Get rid of a useless bunch of data you will never use, and trade them for data mined wake exceptions.

I've done both, and I will take option (b) every day of the week, and twice on Sunday.

its still the worst exchange rate ever and even a pocket full of low tier materials invariable will result in only 3xG5 ones, its not exactly quick to fill up on G1-3 either its just a bi product of 4 years of playing which doesn't help new players in the slightest

I sometimes wonder if the non-Horizons players got the better deal. They don't need to worry about any of this nonsense

Well the base game to horizon conversion rate sucked so maybe they're all still in vanilla laughing at us.

 

[Dillon Fallon]

When material traders were first introduced, the exchange rates were far worse, I mean far far worse.
The new exchange rate kind of makes sense to me, as an example.
Data Mined Wake Exceptions. You can
(a) Sit outside a station with a wake scanner and go insane as you scan all the high wake signals.
(b) Get rid of a useless bunch of data you will never use, and trade them for data mined wake exceptions.

I've done both, and I will take option (b) every day of the week, and twice on Sunday.

Option (a) is probably still better than hunting through HGEs when you're looking for manufactured materials. Seems strange that in terms of playing a game we keep talking about how to find the least worst option of doing something.

 

[-VR- Max Factor]

Hi

I can't stand them. However I do understand the way they are.

I have used mats as a collective noun for materials / data etc.

When you collect/loot one material, you actually gain three individual mats.

Vanilla:

• trading up one grade costs 6 mats for 1 mat. Or in real gameplay terms, 2 collections for 1 mat.
• trading down one grade costs 1 mat for 3 mats. Or in real gameplay terms, 1 mat for 1 collection.

#1 Hypothetical
Halving the trade-up cost and doubling the trade-down gains:

• trading up one grade costs 3 mats for 1 mat. Or in real gameplay terms, 1 collection for 1 mat.
• trading down one grade costs 1 mat for 6 mats. Or in real gameplay terms, 1 mat for 2 collections.

#2 Hypothetical
Halving the trade-up cost only:

• trading up one grade costs 3 mats for 1 mat. Or in real gameplay terms, 1 collection for 1 mat.
• trading down one grade costs 1 mat for 3 mats. Or in real gameplay terms, 1 mat for 1 collection.

Bearing in mind that for most engineering upgrades you only need one of each material (ignoring the Specials), I think Hypothetical #1 could be exploited, with regard to real gameplay terms.

How would you do it?

If it was made easier, it would become the default way to get the materials you want. I think it's fine as it is. It's use is for the odd time when you are struggling to find what you need. It's not meant to be the main way to get materials.

So I would keep it as it is.

 

[Kentai]

If it was made easier, it would become the default way to get the materials you want. I think it's fine as it is. It's use is for the odd time when you are struggling to find what you need. It's not meant to be the main way to get materials.

So I would keep it as it is.

It's definitely modified the way I go about collecting materials as-is. After learning about the material trader I only bother going after very rare and rare materials in a group as it's much quicker to trade down and get larger numbers of whatever I need. Not saying that frustrates me, just that it is shaping the way I play for better or worse.

 

[viper666]

FWIW I have a few methods of collection materials.
1: Res site scrap, I will collect ANYTHING that drops if I'm not really bothered about time. NPC Condas drops loads of good stuff.
2: Anarchy nav beacons, I will fit a collector limpet controller to the Krait MK2. Handy for heat vanes and mech comps from traders etc.

I don't do much HGE farming as I find super cruise tedious, especially if the HGE is 50Kls away.

 

[Dillon Fallon]

FWIW I have a few methods of collection materials.
1: Res site scrap, I will collect ANYTHING that drops if I'm not really bothered about time. NPC Condas drops loads of good stuff.
2: Anarchy nav beacons, I will fit a collector limpet controller to the Krait MK2. Handy for heat vanes and mech comps from traders etc.

I don't do much HGE farming as I find super cruise tedious, especially if the HGE is 50Kls away.

I tend to get good results from elite pirate lord assassination missions as well. The corvettes always seem to have at least one g5 in there.

 

[Jaggedmallard]

I sometimes wonder if the non-Horizons players got the better deal. They don't need to worry about any of this nonsense

They still have the miserable old jump ranges, but having never experienced engineered and guardian boosted FSD's, they probably don't care.

 

[KillZoneGB]

So Old School

#3 Hypothetical

Buy and sell with credits,
just like in the modern world,
none of this old fashion way of bartering for goods,
that's so 10,000yrs bc man :x j/k

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[Darty]

When they first came out I had a suggestion s on how to rebalance them so they weren't outright thieves. It was pretty simple: 3:1 up, 1:3 down for 1 grade, for two grades it would be 9:1 up and 1:9 down, ect. But if when you trade up there is a 20% tax on the entire transaction (rounded up), and when you trade across categories the prices are double.

This would still cost players for trading up and across, but it would make both of those types of trades much more viable. It would also make collecting low grade materials actually worth your time in some cases, which would be nice.

 

[Stealthie]

How would you [edit] adjust the exchange rate?

I'd exchange mat' traders for a crafting mechanic that works.

 

[Cmdr. Numa]

I'd look more at the cross trades. If I exchange a G5 material for another G5, the rate should be 2 -> 1 or at least 3 -> 1, especially with the HGE being as they are now.

 

[Old Duck]

They still have the miserable old jump ranges, but having never experienced engineered and guardian boosted FSD's, they probably don't care.

There's definitely something to that. One of my favorite early game memories was plotting a course from the starter systems to Sol in my new Sidewinder (before I knew it was permit locked). Back then Sol felt SO FAR AWAY.

These days I'll often give up shields before I give up my Guardian FSD booster, at least on my exploration ships. Man have I become spoiled!

 

[zipline]

I'd look more at the cross trades. If I exchange a G5 material for another G5, the rate should be 2 -> 1 or at least 3 -> 1, especially with the HGE being as they are now.

Agree. The cross trade rates are madness and so is the concept. It's like trading 6 silver bars for 1 gold bar, then a few seconds later, trading 6 gold bars for 1 silver bar. It's a nonsense.