What changed

Ports are now directional. Every port in the galaxy has a fixed role per commodity — it either buys from captains or sells to them, not both. Class 1 ports buy ore and organics and sell equipment. Class 2 ports buy ore and equipment and sell organics. Class 3 ports buy organics and equipment and sell ore. Melange remains a rare sell-only commodity.

The Market screen and Auto-Pilot route builder now understand this model. The Market shows only valid buy and sell actions for each commodity, with clear labels when a port isn’t buying or isn’t selling. The Auto-Pilot checks port direction before building routes and gives specific halt reasons if a port can’t complete a planned trade.

NPC traders, cargo theft, and new galaxy generation all respect the same rules.

Why it changed

The previous economy let ports buy and sell the same commodities, which created flat or punishing trade loops. Classic TradeWars ports are directional — profit comes from discovering which port pairs complement each other. This rebalance brings that discovery loop back to TW 3002.

What’s next

Scout the galaxy. Find your pairs. The Market screen will tell you what each port wants and what it’s offering. A Class 1 port full of equipment and hungry for ore? That’s a route waiting to happen.