Lore reason for there not being trade data available outside systems

[Top Cat]

Being an 84'r I decided to dig out my old cassette version of Elite and read the Dark Wheel.

And on page 31 it says:

"There is no way of knowing trade prices at other systems. Each planetary state jealously guards its stock market information, and there are heavy penalties for Faxing the market prices of any item beyond orbit space"

Now whether this is in the story to reflect the games limitations, or whatever other reason, it possibly the reason the decision was made to stick with the idea in Dangerous.

Or maybe not, its just a thought...

 

[Amaze]

yep and the stations wipe you ships computer logs too, so you can remember what trade prices were after you leave. : P

 

[Kayweg]

yep and the stations wipe you ships computer logs too, so you can remember what trade prices were after you leave. : P

Must be 1984 ship computers too then
Even those would be capable to do the job though.

 

[Jack Shaftoe]

I too have read The Dark Wheel, and understand that this was part of the lore that was decided upon long ago. I don't know how feasible that is in the real world, however...the idea of stock markets (and trade in general) is to eke out a profit from buying and selling what is needed. Keeping each market separate would just fly in the face of what drives the market. Even if local governments had strict laws in place, there would be a lot of pressure from businesses to overturn those laws. As in real-world politics, money drives many decisions.

I fully understand that having commodity data freely available across the whole galaxy would create a totally different market dynamic, and that FD have decided against that (at least for the time being). I just don't know how feasible the explanation is, besides "that's just how it is".

 

[GrimThara]

Interesting. Not sure how feasible it would be to enforce something like that in real life, but, interesting.


So here's a gameplay idea... give us the option to install some less-than-legal modules to preserve this data on our ship to enable selling the info to others or to keep it for our own profit.

 

[LCplCombat]

What if we use methods other than Fax to distribute Trade Market Data?

 

[GeoffWatson]

I fully understand that having commodity data freely available across the whole galaxy would create a totally different market dynamic, and that FD have decided against that (at least for the time being). I just don't know how feasible the explanation is, besides "that's just how it is".

It's completely unfeasable.
Just there to make the game harder.
Merchants should WANT customers.

OK, maybe not galaxy-wide, but some data on nearby systems should be available.

Geoff.

 

[SnuggleViking]

What if we use methods other than Fax to distribute Trade Market Data?

LUNACY!

No, literally, that's the new method -- we etch prices on local moons.

(But no, for real, that is a pretty hilarious anachronism. Far as I can tell, there's no paper in the future.)

 

[Antenociti]

Being an 84'r I decided to dig out my old cassette version of Elite and read the Dark Wheel.

And on page 31 it says:

"There is no way of knowing trade prices at other systems. Each planetary state jealously guards its stock market information, and there are heavy penalties for Faxing the market prices of any item beyond orbit space"

Now whether this is in the story to reflect the games limitations, or whatever other reason, it possibly the reason the decision was made to stick with the idea in Dangerous.

Or maybe not, its just a thought...

Faxing - teehee How quaint.

So, in this system, do they also ban bits of paper and not let you take your head with you when you leave?

OElite was a product of its time, ED should be also.

And they already have instantaneous communication through GalNet and the KWS system, so the "Lore reason" has been debunked already in ED by its own Lore system.

 

[SnuggleViking]

It's completely unfeasable.
Just there to make the game harder.
Merchants should WANT customers.

OK, maybe not galaxy-wide, but some data on nearby systems should be available.

Geoff.

I doubt that it's there just to make things more difficult, or to add frustration. There might be some real hurdles that FD doesn't care to discuss. Maybe.

 

[Red Fox Four]

So THATS the reason why I dont get remote market data!

My Cobra doesn't have a fax-machine installed!

*facepalm* So obvious!

 

[Sallen]

So THATS the reason why I dont get remote market data!

My Cobra doesn't have a fax-machine installed!

*facepalm* So obvious!

Fax machines have been extinct since the early 22th century despite of the efforts of the Endangered Faxing Machines Society (EFMS for short). Good luck finding one!