Is Buying Trade Data Broken?

spd1975

spd1975
I know there are plenty of threads already speculating on what the 'Buy Trade Data' system feature does on the galaxy map.

However, I have not seen a definitive answer? Is it broken?

I assume right now buying trade data does not influence anything seen on the commodities screen. I also assume that when you filter on that screen you see a list of systems within jump range that import from or export to the system you are viewing commodities for.

I have noticed, on the galaxy map, that the coloured trade lines between systems changes when you buy trade data. What is this showing me? I had an agricultural system that had yellow food trade lines running to an industrial system. When I bought trade data for the industrial system the yellow food trade lines disappeared?!

Any clarity on what this feature really does or not by the devs would be most welcome to end my frustration.

Thanks :)
 

Zvanya

Z
spd1975 said:
I know there are plenty of threads already speculating on what the 'Buy Trade Data' system feature does on the galaxy map.

However, I have not seen a definitive answer? Is it broken?

I assume right now buying trade data does not influence anything seen on the commodities screen. I also assume that when you filter on that screen you see a list of systems within jump range that import from or export to the system you are viewing commodities for.

I have noticed, on the galaxy map, that the coloured trade lines between systems changes when you buy trade data. What is this showing me? I had an agricultural system that had yellow food trade lines running to an industrial system. When I bought trade data for the industrial system the yellow food trade lines disappeared?!

Any clarity on what this feature really does or not by the devs would be most welcome to end my frustration.

Thanks :)
Click to expand...

As far as I can determine at this time those features do not appear to be working properly. I don't use them at all.
 

ciger

Banned
ciger
From my experience it is somewhat useful when searching for a specific commodity, but it looks to be bugged; galaxy map does not always provide me with an option to buy trade data or system data. Sometimes the filter is there other times it is not. Maybe it has something to do with the recent patch notes " - Add more telemetry to continue investigation on why some resourses don't load on some machines"

So most of the time I refer to Thrudds site and update systems which are not updated to save time flying around looking for personal weapons and stuff.
 

Arda

Arda
If you filter it in the commodities screen it will show you what goods they will accept and their demands.
I.E - you are in system A and buy trade data for system B. You filter the commodities screen in system A to show demands for System B.
 

spd1975

spd1975
Arda said:
If you filter it in the commodities screen it will show you what goods they will accept and their demands.
I.E - you are in system A and buy trade data for system B. You filter the commodities screen in system A to show demands for System B.
Click to expand...

I get a long list of systems already in the filter drop down (without buying trade data). I had assumed these were systems within my jump range - but just double checked and I have Sol in the list some 80 light years away! Never been there.
 
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Witzo

Witzo
spd1975 said:
I know there are plenty of threads already speculating on what the 'Buy Trade Data' system feature does on the galaxy map.

However, I have not seen a definitive answer? Is it broken?
Click to expand...
I use it in the 'map' setting of the navigation screen to retrieve information what products are going into and out of a system, by looking at the coloured pulsey lines that touch the star I bought trade data for.
 

spd1975

spd1975
Witzo said:
I use it in the 'map' setting of the navigation screen to retrieve information what products are going into and out of a system, by looking at the coloured pulsey lines that touch the star I bought trade data for.
Click to expand...

I had an agricultural system that had yellow food trade lines running to an industrial system. When I bought trade data for the industrial system the yellow food trade lines disappeared?!
 

Exard3k

Exard3k
trade data is useful when you don't want "galactic average" column to see import/export from the selected system. If you buy trade data, you can select that system in the last column.
 

CMDR Crumble

C
spd1975 said:
I had an agricultural system that had yellow food trade lines running to an industrial system. When I bought trade data for the industrial system the yellow food trade lines disappeared?!
Click to expand...

I think it will only show so many coloured lines, probably for space reasons. If you're looking for a particular kind of resource, try unselecting some of the ones you're not interested in.
 

Lobstris

Lobstris
NB: I'm speculating here, but...
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I think the purchase of trade data updates the information with trades made in the last day(?) or so, based on player and NPC activity. If you don't update, you're dealing with old/older or default info. Hence lines can disappear when you update.
.
Also, don't forget that, whilst a system may be listed as agricultural, individual stations can have their own economies, that aren't the same as the 'dominant' one on the galaxy map. Industrial/Extraction, Industrial/Refining and Industrial/Agricultural seem to be especially common 'gotchyas' if you don't land at the right station. This leads to...
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I have a feeling that a lot of people who say things are 'broken' are caught up in a self-fulfilling prophecy. Someone makes a bad trade, this still gets listed as an import/export on the trade data, leading other players following the data to make the same bad trade, which leads too... etc... etc... My reasoning for this is, until I go into highly populated areas, the trade data I receive makes sense to me, and I've rarely made a loss. Get nearer populated areas and weird things happen to the trade lines. When you are really out in the sticks you can actually see some of the player trades (e.g. rare items I was carrying, being listed as imports in a nowhere station, out on the fringes of space).
.
And yes, I'm not denying that bugs and non-correctly functioning features do compound the above issues.
 

Odin Wyrmbane

O
spd1975 said:
I had an agricultural system that had yellow food trade lines running to an industrial system. When I bought trade data for the industrial system the yellow food trade lines disappeared?!
Click to expand...

Easy to explain. The industrial system has simply stopped importing food from you agricultural system. Maybe the demand was low because they had plenty of supplies, or perhaps they are receiving a lot of food from players. When you purchased the trade data you updated the galaxy map to show the fresh data you just got.
 

spd1975

spd1975
Lobstris said:
I have a feeling that a lot of people who say things are 'broken' are caught up in a self-fulfilling prophecy. Someone makes a bad trade, this still gets listed as an import/export on the trade data, leading other players following the data to make the same bad trade, which leads too... etc... etc... My reasoning for this is, until I go into highly populated areas, the trade data I receive makes sense to me, and I've rarely made a loss. Get nearer populated areas and weird things happen to the trade lines. When you are really out in the sticks you can actually see some of the player trades (e.g. rare items I was carrying, being listed as imports in a nowhere station, out on the fringes of space).
Click to expand...

This could explain what I am seeing but without confirmation from FD we don't know if this is the behaviour or it is broken.

- - - - - Additional Content Posted / Auto Merge - - - - -

Odin Wyrmbane said:
Easy to explain. The industrial system has simply stopped importing food from you agricultural system. Maybe the demand was low because they had plenty of supplies, or perhaps they are receiving a lot of food from players. When you purchased the trade data you updated the galaxy map to show the fresh data you just got.
Click to expand...

Again without confirmation from FD we don't know if this is the behaviour or it is broken.
 
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