Trading Guide

Trading Guide

Master the economy and build your fortune in Terminal Velocity.

Quick Reference

5 Profitable Trade Routes

1. Basic Food Loop (Low Risk, 50-100% ROI)

   • Buy: Food/Water at agricultural worlds (tech 1-2)
   • Sell: High-tech industrial worlds (tech 6+)
   • Profit: 20-30 cr/unit

2. Tech Equipment (Medium Risk, 80-150% ROI)

   • Buy: Computers/Electronics at high-tech worlds (tech 7+)
   • Sell: Mid-tech worlds (tech 3-5)
   • Profit: 100-150 cr/unit

3. Luxury Goods (High Capital, 100-200% ROI)

   • Buy: Art/Jewelry at wealthy systems
   • Sell: Independent wealthy systems
   • Profit: 200-400 cr/unit

4. Medical Emergency (Event-Based, 150-300% ROI)

   • Buy: Medicine/Vaccines
   • Sell: Crisis zones
   • Profit: 200-500 cr/unit

5. Contraband (Very High Risk, 80-150% ROI)

   • Buy: Narcotics/Stolen Goods at pirate bases
   • Sell: Systems where legal
   • Profit: 300-600 cr/unit

Commodity Categories

Category	Examples	Tech Level	Risk	Margin
Food	Food, Water	1	Low	20-40%
Electronics	Computers, AI Cores	4-9	Low	50-100%
Weapons	Weapons, Ammo	2-6	Medium	40-80%
Medical	Medicine, Vaccines	5-7	Low	50-100%
Luxury	Art, Jewelry	4-6	Low	100-200%
Industrial	Machinery	2-5	Low	30-60%
Ore	Crystals, Precious Metals	2-5	Low	40-80%
Contraband	Narcotics, Slaves	Varies	Very High	80-150%

Trading Mechanics

Price Calculation

Base Price × Tech Modifier × Supply/Demand Modifier = Final Price

Tech Level Modifiers:

• Selling high-tech to low-tech: +15% per level difference
• Buying high-tech from high-tech: -7% per level match
• Example: AI Core (tech 9) sells for 2-3x on tech 3 planet

Supply/Demand:

• Oversupply (stock > demand): -40% (floor: 30% base price)
• Undersupply (demand > stock): +80% (cap: 250% base price)
• No stock + high demand: +200%+

Buy/Sell Spread:

• Planets buy from you at 60-80% of their sell price
• Always factor this into profit calculations

Market Analysis

When visiting a market, check:

1. Tech Level: Higher tech = different prices
2. Stock Levels: Low stock = opportunity to sell
3. Demand: High demand = better prices
4. Illegal Goods: What's banned here?
5. Population: Affects demand volume

Beginner Strategies

Your First 5 Trades

Starting Capital: 10,000 cr Starting Ship: Shuttle (20 cargo)

Trade 1: Learn the Basics

• Buy 15 Food @ 50 cr = 750 cr
• Jump to nearby high-tech system (500 cr fuel)
• Sell Food @ 100 cr = 1,500 cr
• Profit: 250 cr (25% ROI)

Trade 2-5: Build Capital

• Repeat similar routes
• Increase cargo investment
• Try different commodities
• Learn price patterns

After 5 trades, you should have: ~15,000-20,000 cr

Intermediate Strategies

Capital: 20,000-100,000 cr Ship: Courier (40 cargo) or Hauler (100 cargo)

Strategy 1: Volume Trading

• Fill entire cargo hold
• Lower margin but higher volume
• Focus on reliable routes
• Build steady income

Strategy 2: Tech Arbitrage

• Buy high-tech goods from core systems
• Sell to frontier/independent systems
• Higher margins than food
• Requires more capital

Strategy 3: Specialized Runs

• Focus on one category (e.g., Electronics)
• Learn the best routes
• Build efficiency
• Scale up quickly

Advanced Strategies

High-Value Trading

Capital: 100,000+ cr Ship: Hauler, Bulk Freighter, or armed Gunship

Luxury Goods Circuit:

• High-tech wealthy → Independent wealthy
• 100-200% ROI per trip
• Requires significant capital
• Low risk, high reward

Medical Supplies:

• Watch for disease outbreaks (news system)
• Stock up on medicine/vaccines
• Sell to affected systems
• Can net 150-300% profit

Contraband Trading

Capital: 50,000+ cr Ship: Armed ship (Gunship+) recommended Risk: Very High

How Contraband Works:

• Legal in some systems, illegal in others
• 20-50% higher base prices
• Confiscation possible (future feature)
• Reputation impact

Contraband Items:

• Narcotics: Illegal in UEF, ROM, Corporate systems
• Slaves: Illegal in most civilized systems
• Stolen Goods: Illegal in UEF, ROM, Corporate
• Alien Artifacts: Illegal in UEF systems
• Military Intel: Illegal almost everywhere

Contraband Strategy:

• Buy from pirate/independent systems
• Sell to systems where legal (check market)
• Higher reward justifies risk
• Keep reputation in mind

Multi-Leg Routes

Plan 3-4 system circuits:

Example Circuit:

1. System A (Tech 10): Buy AI Cores, Computers
2. System B (Tech 3): Sell tech goods, buy Food, Ore
3. System C (Tech 7): Sell raw materials, buy Medical
4. System D (Independent): Sell Medical, buy Luxury
5. Return to System A: Sell Luxury goods

Each leg earns profit, maximizing efficiency!

Ship Progression for Traders

Entry Level (10K-50K credits)

Ship: Shuttle → Courier

• Focus: Learn mechanics
• Strategy: Small, safe trades
• Income: 500-2,000 cr/trip

Intermediate (50K-300K credits)

Ship: Courier → Hauler

• Focus: Volume trading
• Strategy: Full cargo loads
• Income: 2,000-15,000 cr/trip

Advanced (300K-1M credits)

Ship: Hauler → Bulk Freighter

• Focus: Major trade runs
• Strategy: High-value goods
• Income: 15,000-50,000 cr/trip

Expert (1M+ credits)

Ship: Bulk Freighter → Cruiser (armed trader)

• Focus: Rare goods, contraband
• Strategy: High-risk/reward
• Income: 50,000-200,000 cr/trip

Pro Tips

Efficiency

• Plan Routes: Multi-hop routes are more profitable
• Minimize Jumps: Fuel costs add up
• Track Prices: Remember good deals
• Time Markets: Buy during oversupply, sell during shortage

Risk Management

• Diversify: Don't put all credits in one commodity
• Keep Reserve: Always have 1,000-2,000 cr for fuel/repairs
• Insurance: Consider keeping 20% capital as safety net
• Start Small: Scale up as you learn

Market Timing

• Supply Shocks: Random events crash prices (buy!)
• Demand Surges: Events spike prices (sell!)
• Player Activity: Multiplayer affects markets
• News System: Watch for economic news

Advanced Techniques

• Cargo Optimization: Mix commodities for best profit/ton
• Tech Level Math: Learn exact multipliers
• Route Mapping: Document your best routes
• Market Prediction: Understand regeneration (5%/hour)

Common Mistakes

Don't:

• ❌ Invest all capital in one trade
• ❌ Forget to keep fuel money
• ❌ Ignore tech level differences
• ❌ Buy expensive goods without research
• ❌ Trade contraband without understanding risk
• ❌ Upgrade ship before you can afford it

Do:

• ✅ Start with small, safe trades
• ✅ Learn price patterns
• ✅ Plan multi-leg routes
• ✅ Keep reserve capital
• ✅ Scale up gradually
• ✅ Track your best routes

Trading Checklist

Before Each Trade:

• Check market prices
• Calculate profit margin
• Verify cargo space available
• Ensure sufficient credits
• Plan destination system
• Check fuel for journey
• Consider tech level differences
• Check for illegal goods

After Each Trade:

• Track profit made
• Note good deals
• Update route knowledge
• Refuel if needed
• Check for better opportunities

Economic Events

Watch for these on the news system:

• Supply Shortage: Prices spike (sell opportunity!)
• Oversupply Crash: Prices drop (buy opportunity!)
• Trade Competition Event: Bonus rewards for trading
• Economic Festival: Multipliers active
• Faction Conflict: Trade disruption (volatility)

Multiplayer Trading

Player-to-Player Trading

• Direct trades: Exchange goods with other players
• Escrow system: Secure transactions
• Build reputation: Regular partners
• Market manipulation: Coordinate with faction

Faction Benefits

• Shared intelligence: Members share routes
• Coordinated trading: Volume discounts (future)
• Protected routes: Faction territory safer
• Treasury support: Faction loans (future)

Reference Tables

ROI by Experience Level

Level	Profit/Trip	Investment	ROI	Ship
Beginner	500-1,000	1,000-2,000	50-100%	Shuttle
Intermediate	2,000-5,000	5,000-10,000	40-80%	Courier
Advanced	15,000-30,000	30,000-50,000	50-60%	Hauler
Expert	50,000-200,000	100,000-500,000	50-100%	Bulk Freighter

Time to Ship Upgrades

Ship	Target Credits	Typical Time
Shuttle → Courier	50K	1-2 hours
Courier → Hauler	150K	2-4 hours
Hauler → Bulk Freighter	300K	3-6 hours
Bulk Freighter → Cruiser	1.5M	10-20 hours

---

Master the economy and the galaxy is yours!

Next: Combat Guide - Learn to fight