Questions about using the trade route info in-game

[Terminus]

Ok, so I've played E:D off and on for a while now, around 400 hours. Mostly I've done mission running mixed in with some bounty hunting. I've fiddled with trading, but other than grinding some rare routes early on to get cash I haven't messed with it too much.

Well, now for the heck of it I'm trying to trade my way up through the Lakon Transport ships. I've mostly used eddb.io and have had some modest success, but I get frustrated with out-of-date prices. Besides, I'd like to just use the information the game already gives me in the galaxy map. Problem is, I have no idea how to interpret it.

So, here's what I want. I want to be able to look at the galaxy map and use info I've gotten from buying trade data etc. to be able to buy low priced, highly supplied goods from a station in a given system and sell those goods to the specific station that will pay the most. What I get is station-specific data in the commodities screen, some vague info about whether a system imports or exports whatever goods, and then lines between systems showing import/export routes. What I don't get is station-specific information. So, I can land in a station, find a likely good to sell elsewhere, buy it, and find a system that has at least one station that will buy it.

Is there a way I can use the in-game tools to determine which station will buy a given good? Is there a way to determine the magnitude of the demand based on the lines between systems? If the answer is to land at each station and just see what the prices are, I may as well stick with eddb.io, since I'd think at this stage of human technological development it probably represents a better simulation of how trade data could be accessed.

[CaptainKINGPIN]

if you want to make sure the prices arent out of date on EDDb.io than you should get the E:D Market Connector so you can help keep the lists up to date.

As for how best to turn a Profit i find that Running Basic Meds from a High Tech Economy to a system In Outbreak state is the best profit in the galaxy with Profits/T = around the 3000 cr range

[Agony_Aunt]

To do trade in game its good to understand how it works.

Two factors cause the main differences in pricing.

First is the goods in relation to the economy of the system. This is fairly logical. Extraction gets materials for refineries (for stuff that needs refining anyway). Refiniers supply industrial and sometime high-tech. Industrial supply high-tech. Agricultural supply all. And some special ones like Tourism and Military, but those more affect missions rather than trade. Can't speak about all tourism systems by my home system is one and the commodoties market is pretty poor for buying from, although some things are worth delivering there.

You also need to be aware that most systems have two economies. So, pay attention to the economies of the system and station to make sure you are not buying stuff there that won't get you a profit in an adjoining sysetem due to the economy type being the same.

Secondly is the state of the faction controlling the station where you are buying/selling. Again, its fairly obvious. A station in outbreak needs medicines, a station in famine needs food. These can really increase profits if you trade between complimentary stations. Very rarely (and i'm talking needle in a haystack) you can find complementary station economies and states within the same system.

Ideally though, before embarking on such, do some reading on the subject.

[Terminus]

I've been running Market Connector, but eddb (for instance) doesn't update in real time--nor should it, because the server load would be absurd--so that information isn't captured in route calculators right away.

And to be clear I understand the principle behind trading. I'm just wondering if there is information in the game's UI that would give me station-specific price information, or even just hints towards demand for specific goods, that don't require my actually landing at the stations in question. Like I know as a for-instance that I can probably buy Crop Harvesters at an Industrial station and sell them to an Ag station, but I want to know a.) if the Ag station in question has already had its demand filled, and b.) if there's an Ag station elsewhere in the system or in an entirely different system that is offering a better price.

For another example, I know that Crop Harvesters <----> Tea/Coffee/Animal Meat/Natural Fabric is usually a pretty good loop, but some stations might no longer buy coffee because someone else already maxed out the station's demand, or maybe there are two likely stations to buy tea but one has an enormous amount of demand while the other is just mediocre. Is there a way to determine that even just between systems by looking at the trade lines on the galaxy map? Like, are they wider or have faster-moving blips if the demand is higher? Or maybe if the volume of active trading is greater?

I guess what I'm asking is if there's a way to get the level of granular detail you can find on third-party websites by only using in-game tools but without just going station to station and writing stuff down.

[ScareCrow]

Its fairly easy to use the trade tool ingame.

1. show by color filter Set "Trade Data shop" tick Data Availible, untick the other two
2. you should now see only a few systems, hover mouse over each and buy trade data, its only 100 credits pr system

3. now set filter to show only data aquired systems

4. Tick "show trade routes" select the trade comodity (only one item) for example Basic medicine

5. watch the green lines and find a system where they go out from the system, this is the system where its cheapest to buy them.

6. to sell just find a system where there is only one green line going in this is where you wqill get the best price to sell

thats how easy it is, just be aware of that you cant see trade outside 20 LY bubble around you



to find which station its sold at or bought at you just need to use youre common sense