Trading
Trade drives the galactic economy. Buy low, sell high, build your fortune.
Commodities
| Commodity | Base Price | Volatility | Best Strategy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ore | ~100 | Low | Steady, reliable profits |
| Organics | ~50 | Medium | Good for quick flips |
| Equipment | ~200 | High | High risk, high reward |
| Melange | ~5,000 | Extreme | Rare, found in dangerous sectors. Class 1 ports buy it; Classes 2 and 3 sell it |
Port Classes & Directional Trade
Ports specialize — each class has a fixed buy/sell role per commodity. A port that sells a commodity won’t buy it back, and vice versa. Profitable trade comes from pairing complementary ports.
| Port Class | Sells (you buy here) | Buys (you sell here) |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | Equipment | Ore, Organics |
| Class 2 | Organics | Ore, Equipment |
| Class 3 | Ore | Organics, Equipment |
| Class 1 | — | Melange |
| Class 2 / 3 | Melange | — |
The Market screen shows what each port offers and wants — only valid trades appear in the buy/sell columns. If a port isn’t selling something you need or isn’t buying what’s in your hold, the Market will tell you.
Auto-Pilot & Route Scanner
Once you’ve found a complementary port pair, you can automate the trip:
- Open the Auto-Pilot panel from the sector view
- The Route Scanner immediately shows the most profitable connected port pairs — ranked by estimated credit return
- Click Use on any route to pre-fill the Auto-Pilot form with the best commodity pair
- Run a Dry Run to check the estimate, then hit Engage to execute
The scanner respects directional port rules and factors in current supply, demand, and port class pricing. It checks both directions (buy here → sell there, and buy there → sell back here), ranking routes by total maximum profit.
You can still configure routes manually — set start and end ports, pick commodities, and adjust quantities. The Dry Run shows you profit estimates, turns needed, and any blockers before you commit.
How to Trade
- Land in a sector with a port (shown in sector info)
- Press M to open the Market — it shows which commodities the port buys and sells, with current prices
- Use the Route Scanner (in the Auto-Pilot panel) to find the most profitable connected port pairs
- Select a commodity and press B to buy or S to sell
- Enter quantity and confirm
Pro tip: Port prices change based on supply and demand. A port low on something it buys will pay more; a port low on something it sells will charge more. The Route Scanner factors all of this into its rankings — rescan after trades to get fresh estimates.
How Port Supply Works
Every port commodity has a mode — it’s either selling (you buy from the port) or buying (you sell to the port). Each mode has a supply level that shifts with player activity and regenerates over time.
Buy vs. Sell Mode
| Sell Mode | Buy Mode | |
|---|---|---|
| What you do | Buy from the port | Sell to the port |
| Supply means | How much the port has left to sell | How much the port has already bought |
| Supply goes up when | Port restocks (every 15 min) | Players sell to it |
| Supply goes down when | Players buy from it | Port depletes (every 15 min) |
The 15-Minute Economy Tick
A background tick runs every 15 minutes (alongside NPC movement) that gradually moves port supplies toward their natural state:
- Sell-mode ports restock — supply rises toward the port’s capacity. If a port has been bought out, it refills over time.
- Buy-mode ports deplete — supply falls toward zero. If a port is full from player sales, it gradually sells off its inventory and makes room.
The rate depends on port class: Class 1 moves 50 units/tick, Class 2 moves 30, Class 3 moves 15.
Why You Sometimes Can’t Sell
If a buy-mode port’s supply is at or near capacity, it won’t accept more cargo — you’ll see “Port not buying.” This happens when players have sold heavily to that port. Give it time (or find a hungrier port) — buy-mode ports deplete by 15–50 units every 15 minutes until they have room again.
Price Effects
Supply directly impacts prices on both sides:
- Sell mode: Lower supply → higher buy price (port is running low, charges more). Higher supply → lower buy price (port is overstocked, offers deals).
- Buy mode: Lower supply → higher sell price (port is starving, pays a premium). Higher supply → lower sell price (port is full, offers bottom dollar).
The Route Scanner factors all of this into its profit estimates. Re-scan after trades to get fresh numbers — port conditions change every tick.
Cargo Capacity
Your ship has a maximum cargo hold. If you try to buy beyond capacity, the trade is rejected.