Large Price Difference Between Import and Export?

[KillSmithID]

Buying and selling prices are wildly different on my import and export. For example, on my import area, I see that jewelry is selling for about $1k, but on the export area it actually sells for $200.

Whereas on my import area gems are being bought for $500, but on the export area it says they should only be $100.

So in either case, I should be making money, but instead I'm getting the lower price for selling and higher price for buying.

Do I need to verify my game cache or start a new game to fix this?

[foreigner FRANK]

in your research on the very bottom left of the tree is the merchant upgrade. 10% better prices per level ( its like you bartering skill ) Spend research points there and what ever you are producing there is a bonus production research option.

[KillSmithID]

Originally posted by Lord Goldcock:

in your research on the very bottom left of the tree is the merchant upgrade. 10% better prices per level ( its like you bartering skill ) Spend research points there and what ever you are producing there is a bonus production research option.

So that large price gap will shrink by 10% each time? Most things aren't worth selling at these prices, and I've had successful import and export in the past. Maybe this world generation was just off?

[foreigner FRANK]

Depends on the world gen I think. The economy seems to be dynamic. For example if you are in an area where there little to no opium then the price of opium will be very high. Another example... if you're in an area with only 1 or 2 other kingdoms then you will only be able to trade with 2 kingdoms. Where I am in my world eggs sell for 40 denari right from the beginning.. So my little pawns work many pastures.. ( im fairly new to the game so I don't know if what Im stating is fact... just my experience so far ) I've done about 5 or 6 different saves

[Alehkra]

Do you expect the merchants to sell low and buy high? They aren't running a charity to help get your industry started, they're trying to profit off of you.

[KillSmithID]

Originally posted by Alehkra:

Do you expect the merchants to sell low and buy high? They aren't running a charity to help get your industry started, they're trying to profit off of you.

I'm not mad about capitalism lmao. It's the fact that There are two different sets of numbers depending on whether you look at the export or import depot. Both have sell price and buy price, but they are two completely different numbers. Logically, either set should be standard across the board. Or they should remove buy price from export and sell price from import; but having both sets of numbers on both import and export depot with different values for both is weird.

[Alehkra]

Originally posted by KillSmithID:

Originally posted by Alehkra:

Do you expect the merchants to sell low and buy high? They aren't running a charity to help get your industry started, they're trying to profit off of you.

I'm not mad about capitalism lmao. It's the fact that There are two different sets of numbers depending on whether you look at the export or import depot. Both have sell price and buy price, but they are two completely different numbers. Logically, either set should be standard across the board. Or they should remove buy price from export and sell price from import; but having both sets of numbers on both import and export depot with different values for both is weird.

Ah okay I think I see where the issue is here. They don't both have sell price and buy price; as in, they don't both show the price at which merchants will buy from and sell to you. At an export depot the buy price is how much merchants are buying for, sell price is how much YOU are selling for. At an import depot it's the opposite, sell price is how much merchants are selling it for, buy is how much you are spending. So what you're seeing at the import depot is that merchants are offering to sell you jewelry for 1K, and at the export depot you're seeing that YOUR sale price to them (i.e. the price they will buy from you) is 200.

[KillSmithID]

Originally posted by Alehkra:

Originally posted by KillSmithID:

I'm not mad about capitalism lmao. It's the fact that There are two different sets of numbers depending on whether you look at the export or import depot. Both have sell price and buy price, but they are two completely different numbers. Logically, either set should be standard across the board. Or they should remove buy price from export and sell price from import; but having both sets of numbers on both import and export depot with different values for both is weird.

Ah okay I think I see where the issue is here. They don't both have sell price and buy price; as in, they don't both show the price at which merchants will buy from and sell to you. At an import depot the buy price is how much merchants are buying for, sell price is how much YOU are selling for. At an export depot it's the opposite, sell price is how much merchants are selling it for, buy is how much you are spending. So what you're seeing at the import depot is that merchants are offering to sell you jewelry for 1K, and at the export depot you're seeing that YOUR sale price to them (i.e. the price they will buy from you) is 200.

So the numbers that make no sense and have no effect on game are just there for world-depth, showing how far off my prices are from "market" value? That adds up haha. Makes sense, though, that a new colony wouldn't get as good of pricing right off the bat as a city that has been there forever. Makes more sense, cheers!

[binxmuldoon123]

I can buy several resources for cheaper than I can sell them for. Is that a common occurrence?

[KillSmithID]

Originally posted by binxmuldoon123:

I can buy several resources for cheaper than I can sell them for. Is that a common occurrence?

It depends on the world gen. Everything is procedurally generated, even the economy. Makes for a fun, new experience every time!

[binxmuldoon123]

I was just wondering how common it is for you to be able to make vast amounts of income with minimal effort. I thought taking advantage of the price difference long enough would drive the price difference down but it did not, the economy is essentially broken like this. I love the game Caravaneer which is all about buying stuff in a place and selling it for more elsewhere so I get the concept is realistic but I don't want to easily make as much money as I need so I'm hoping that is rare occurrence, of course I'm sure it is still subject to tweaking. I don't even need trade tech bonuses I'm just greedy.

[Gamatron]

Originally posted by binxmuldoon123:

I was just wondering how common it is for you to be able to make vast amounts of income with minimal effort. I thought taking advantage of the price difference long enough would drive the price difference down but it did not, the economy is essentially broken like this. I love the game Caravaneer which is all about buying stuff in a place and selling it for more elsewhere so I get the concept is realistic but I don't want to easily make as much money as I need so I'm hoping that is rare occurrence, of course I'm sure it is still subject to tweaking. I don't even need trade tech bonuses I'm just greedy.

It doesn't right now because the amount of goods the AI hordes is so big compared to what you're selling. But prices are indeed tied to how much the AI accumulates of any given resource. It will be tweaked next update. You should still be able to have your economy based on being a "middle man" though, although with limits.

[binxmuldoon123]

Originally posted by Gamatron:

Originally posted by binxmuldoon123:

I was just wondering how common it is for you to be able to make vast amounts of income with minimal effort. I thought taking advantage of the price difference long enough would drive the price difference down but it did not, the economy is essentially broken like this. I love the game Caravaneer which is all about buying stuff in a place and selling it for more elsewhere so I get the concept is realistic but I don't want to easily make as much money as I need so I'm hoping that is rare occurrence, of course I'm sure it is still subject to tweaking. I don't even need trade tech bonuses I'm just greedy.

It doesn't right now because the amount of goods the AI hordes is so big compared to what you're selling. But prices are indeed tied to how much the AI accumulates of any given resource. It will be tweaked next update. You should still be able to have your economy based on being a "middle man" though, although with limits.

That sounds perfect.

[banetrapperdev]

Only time trading is good early game, is when you make very small world with 1-3 settlements total.
Then trading prices are crazy on certain things. Like apple can sell for 700, and you can buy gems for 50.
And that will scale into lategame with % upgrade prices.

Edit: But it breaks the game, after few trades you can buy pretty much half of stuff you need in infinite numbers.