Trade prices without landing?

The Hunter

The Hunter
Do I remember correctly. In the previous version of Elite you could check market prices without having to land at a terminal, you just had to be in the system to get the info required. Can you do that in ED? I can't seem to find a way. If you can't would it be possible to add this feature?

Thanks

TH
 
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Tiamat

Tiamat
You can't at present but I don't know if that will change or not. Personally I am not too bothered if it doesn't as you have to dock to check bulletin board missions and look for module upgrades anyway. There are several websites such as http://www.elitetradingtool.co.uk where players add prices which are useful even if the data is a day or so out of date. How useful such things will be in the final game isn't yet know but given the time needed to crowdfund the systems these may die off.
 

Monk

Monk
Yeah, not in game as The Hunter says. However, I think this would be a worthwhile addition. When I'm trading, that is all I'm doing...I'm on a mission to find the best buyer. This is where I think there could be some use gained out of the Nav Beacon. Treat it as a communication point for passing ships to get information on the stations in the system from prohibited items, available ships, outfitting options and market conditions.

Would only be accessible when not in SC so that gives the player a gut decision to risk being pirated or caught smuggling b/c you wanted to check out info at the less secure nav beacon....dunno just a thought.
 

foxpur

foxpur
I would think you could get from SAME FACTION locations if you have been there once to get the frequency
 

excalibus

excalibus
in the original game and the follow ons I think it was either part of the docking computer or was another addon but you could contact the station once you were in the system and get their current commodoties pricelist, you still had to dock to trade though. It was not part of the standard equipment if i recall correctly. I think such a utilitiy item would be beneficial for sure.
I also really miss part of the old BBS missions system - the part where you can negotiate price and payment terms of the mission based on your rep and also be able to ask questions on missions like passenger transport and assassinations... such as how much trouble, what kind of trouble etc. also I liked the military spy missions :D I hope they make a return :)
 

CapnSnuggie

CapnSnuggie
Then why not just be able to buy and sell from your ship, without ever leaving your system?!?

There has to be some motivating factor to get you into a station, the ship is how you get there, the in game map tells you where, and your need to succeed tells you why.

Too many tools turn this into a different kind of game.

Enjoy the experience, spend fuel, time, and risk... That's why we're here.
 

The Hunter

The Hunter
CapnSnuggie said:
Then why not just be able to buy and sell from your ship, without ever leaving your system?!?

There has to be some motivating factor to get you into a station, the ship is how you get there, the in game map tells you where, and your need to succeed tells you why.

Too many tools turn this into a different kind of game.

Enjoy the experience, spend fuel, time, and risk... That's why we're here.
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The technology to call ahead to check the price and availability of items has been about since the invention of the telephone, the technology to transport items through time and space has yet to be invented! Being able to check prices and availability without docking isn't a new tool, it is restoring an old default one. The ability to forego the docking sequence just to check on the current market situation would not distract from the games appeal at all, if anything it would enhance it by removing repetitive scenarios.
 

Pilot in red shirt

Pilot in red shirt
The Hunter said:
The technology to call ahead to check the price and availability of items has been about since the invention of the telephone, the technology to transport items through time and space has yet to be invented! Being able to check prices and availability without docking isn't a new tool, it is restoring an old default one. The ability to forego the docking sequence just to check on the current market situation would not distract from the games appeal at all, if anything it would enhance it by removing repetitive scenarios.
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Yeah but a) It's a game, not a reality simulator. It has deliberate built in restrictions to make the game harder to play and more interesting to play, and b) I do acknowledge that one person's interesting can be another person's repetitive.
.
I've been grinding a lot of trade recently and you start to get sloppy on docking, forgetting to ask for permission, suddenly realising you going to be going through the slot at over 100 m/s - that all makes it interesting!
.
If you take the time to note down the full goods availability/price for the different types of systems, industrial, high tech, extraction etc. I find they are pretty much standard on most of the systems I visit. It's dull and painful to set up (Excel and two monitors make it a lot easier) but once you have a "database" of sample systems you can make a good judgement on what you are going to find and life gets a lot easier.
 

thenickmove

thenickmove
Pilot in red shirt said:
Yeah but a) It's a game, not a reality simulator. It has deliberate built in restrictions to make the game harder to play and more interesting to play, and b) I do acknowledge that one person's interesting can be another person's repetitive.
.
I've been grinding a lot of trade recently and you start to get sloppy on docking, forgetting to ask for permission, suddenly realising you going to be going through the slot at over 100 m/s - that all makes it interesting!
.
If you take the time to note down the full goods availability/price for the different types of systems, industrial, high tech, extraction etc. I find they are pretty much standard on most of the systems I visit. It's dull and painful to set up (Excel and two monitors make it a lot easier) but once you have a "database" of sample systems you can make a good judgement on what you are going to find and life gets a lot easier.
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I have to respectfully disagree (purely on opinion).
I do not agree that constantly docking to check prices makes the game more interesting or harder, just more tedious. To me, flying to within 10km or so, asking the pricelist, checking it, and then deciding whether to dock or not would be much less tedious.
(this doesn't mean that I think you're wrong, I just have a different opinion, and I like discussing :) )
 

Lost Cipher

L
It was possible in the previous games, it should be in this game. You should never have to use a 3rd party application to be efficient in any game mechanic. It can be bound to an advanced docking computer or what not, but the ability to see the prices in the system without docking would be greatly appreciated. And in no way does it make the game easier, simply more efficient.

People should not be penalized for wanting to play effectively. If you could learn the system prices in your old Iron Ass in 1984, which chronologically takes place before Elite Dangerous, you should be able to do it today. Its a good mechanic that encourages exploration and market manipulation.
 

Colonel Kenney

Colonel Kenney
If you get to within 20kms you should be able to uplink with the station to download system prices.. check to see if anything is cheap and wortwhile and if not you move on.
 

Uridium

Uridium
The Hunter said:
The technology to call ahead to check the price and availability of items has been about since the invention of the telephone, the technology to transport items through time and space has yet to be invented! Being able to check prices and availability without docking isn't a new tool, it is restoring an old default one. The ability to forego the docking sequence just to check on the current market situation would not distract from the games appeal at all, if anything it would enhance it by removing repetitive scenarios.
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I guess I can agree with receiving the info from outside the station - given that you have standing with the station.

However.... NOT from anywhere in the system.
For example it takes about 8m20sec for the light from our Sun to reach Earth. So probably a lot longer to send a data packet containing information.

The whole point of the game is to have us flying through a system, from Warpin to a Station, and then on to the next system. The interactions during that flight are the core of the game. Being able to simply warp to a system, get prices and warp to next system if you are not happy with them is circumventing a huge section of gameplay.
 

TheFlatline

T
I don't think anyone is arguing that you should be able to get station information at the nav buoy. I'd say if you're in range to request docking you should be able to look at least at the commodity list. I'd love to see upgrade modules (even just the categories: so before docking you know if they have any engine upgrades for example) but could live without that. Bulletin boards? I have no problem docking to see that.
 

The Hunter

The Hunter
TheFlatline said:
I'd say if you're in range to request docking you should be able to look at least at the commodity list.
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That's a great idea, if you can communicate with the station to request docking then receiving the Market stats should also be possible. I agree that the Bulletin Board shouldn't be available, anyway I like doing that sort of business over a pie and a pint in the bar (who remembers the good old days :)) Checking if there are any ship upgrades available would be no different as asking for an AutoTrader mag online!
 
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