Why is it so damn annoying to find trading posts?

[Sidartha]

I have spent like 2 hours now trying to find a trading post on the second planet I have visited but no luck..which means I have no space in my inventory and can't sell stuff. I have tried following the "chem trails" from space to trading post but I can't seem to do it. It takes forever to find the line and travel to it and then the line disappears when I get near the atmosphere and even if I come down in the vicinity (I think?) of the line I can find no trading post. I have flown aimlessly around the planet using my scanner with no luck. I have used signal boosters but they only lead me to drop pods, monoliths and resources..resources I have no room to carry because I can't find a trading post!

So we can travel beteween planets and space stations and different solar systems no problem but the technology doesn't exist to locate a damn trading post on a planet? WTF sense does that make? Also, why is there no market on the space stations? That makes no sense to me, either.

Can anyone provide any insight into this ludicrous game mechanic of finding someplace to sell your ♥♥♥♥ that doesn't include hours of hair pulling and carpel tunnel syndrome?

[Tarc Novar]

Try using the space station in each system if it comes to that. Sounds like you spend more time looking for a trading post than you do selling.

[lordoftheapes79]

Pick up a "collect this item" or "deliver that item" mission. They turn it at trading posts. Only thing that you need trading posts for besides quest turn ins is the occasional rare material. The terminal will otherwise have the same things for sale at the same price as the space station and the ships are identical to the space station.

[Dirak2012]

There is a Trade terminal on every space station... sometimes is just faster going to the space station than searching for a trade post.

[Sidartha]

@Azash76 I have only been to one space station so far and I didn't see a terminal. There were some aliens (one of which didn't want to talk to me) but I saw no terminal or NPC to sell to.

@lordoftheapes79 Where do you pick up missions?? The only mission I have is the one main mission I guess? I have no clue where to get other missions. You better not say they start at trading posts or I might blow a gasket!

@Grand Moff Vixen yes. I am spending more time looking for the trading post than selling. It's silly.

[Dirak2012]

Originally posted by Sidartha:

@Azash76 I have only been to one space station so far and I didn't see a terminal. There were some aliens (one of which didn't want to talk to me) but I saw no terminal or NPC to sell to.

Did you enter an Anomaly or a Space Station? In the Space Station you enter the right door upstairs, and there should be a room with 3 or 4 npcs, the store for blueprints and a trade terminal in the wall.

[lordoftheapes79]

Originally posted by Azash76:

Originally posted by Sidartha:

@Azash76 I have only been to one space station so far and I didn't see a terminal. There were some aliens (one of which didn't want to talk to me) but I saw no terminal or NPC to sell to.

Did you enter an Anomaly or a Space Station? In the Space Station you enter the right door upstairs, and there should be a room with 3 or 4 npcs, the store for blueprints and a trade terminal in the wall.

They start at trading posts....j/k

Azash has it, but its the left side not the right. Right next to the teleporter.

[Dirak2012]

Left door: Teleporter/Mission
Right door: Blueprint shop/Trade Terminal
At least on my game.

[Alisto]

You'd think that trading posts would be advertising where they are and not something you have to hunt down. Now wonder they are so quiet.

[Sidartha]

I saw the BP shop and NPCs but no terminal. I was looking for it but maybe I missed it. Will check again when I go back. Thankfully, while going from drop pod to drop pod I found a trading terminal at one of the camps so I was able to sell at least.

@Alisto yeah I don't get the logic. Somehow it's easier to find ancient alien monoliths and drop pods and discover new life forms than it is to find a trading post. Makes no sense.

[Haunt Fox]

Heh. Well, a bit of historical trivia - for about the first century or so of its existence, the Hudson's Bay Company did little more than sit its butt on the shores of Hudson Bay in one lousy trading post, waiting for business to come to it. Which basically amounted to whichever tribes/bands were close enough to bother trading with them.

[scimuse]

actually the only thing the ship scanner reliably picks up these days are trade platforms. if you use ship scanner and see a question mark that is far away, it is a trade platform.

[japp_02]

All has been said above, the easiest way is to take a 'search item' mission that you will deliver at a trading post.
But the fastest way is very simple: go speak to a NPC and 'ask for direction'. This will point you to fabrics, trading posts etc., it's random but just repeat with another NPC until you get a trading post. That's also much more effective than the (broken) ship scanner.

Then, there are these lines that lead from planet to planet, station to planet. These lines lead to a trading post, but it's not so easy to come close every time - again because the ship scanner is wtf broken.

[pmcollectorboy]

It's right on the damn wall. Kinda resembles HAL.

[darkflemish]

You need Trading Post when you hunt down all the Glyphs.
When there is at a Trading Post a 4th race alien you can ask it where it came from.
This will lead you to it's grave.

[Lord of Planar]

Originally posted by Azash76:

There is a Trade terminal on every space station... sometimes is just faster going to the space station than searching for a trade post.

Yes, but trade post has seven landing pads and highly active of ships coming in and out.

Talking to any NPC, the second and continuing transactions include "ask for directions." This will give you a trading post, transmission tower, observatory, manufacturing facility, etc.