Trading
Until recently trading was just about the only way to make money. Although there are now other options, trading cargo widgets is still the most profitable means of acquiring your own personal fortune. The basics of trading is a simple concept. You buy cargo at a low price and sell it someplace else for a higher price. Easier said than done. Discovering a good route can be a long process, but the rewards are well worth it. One simple way is to load your ship up with as many single cargo widgets as you can fit. Ships like the Centaur can hold up to 48 different types of cargo allowing you to carry many types of cargo. Don't give up if you don't find a good route right away.
So You Have A Route
Now that you have a route its time to exploit it and get as much money as you can from it. If you already have a decent amount of money (100,000cr at least) do NOT sell your cargo. Instead hit "Unload All" to leave all your cargo in the station without selling it. This is called stockpiling and is the best way to get the most from your route. If possible, try to find a profitable widget from station B to bring back to station A to gain more money. After amassing a large amount of cargo in the stations, sell them. Or, if you have money to spare, let it sit and wait for the price to rise. Be warned, other people can and most likely will find your route and sell before you do, so only wait if you are willing to go without the income for a bit.
Tips
- Mining and trading can go along very well together. For instance if you mine a rare type of ore and stockpile it in a close by station, you can transport it to another station a few systems away to make an even bigger profit. Few if anybody does this, and the result is that stations nearby the rare ore often does not sell very well.
- The news can often help you find a good route. By giving you a list of what that particular station needs you can plan ahead, keep a mental list or one on paper is better, and keep an eye out for the cargo a station needs.
- Someone has made a handy dandy site that lets you match up two stations and shows you their differences in trade goods. You can find it right around here.
Ships To Carry Your Cargo In
| Ship | Revenant | Atlas | Centaur | Marauder | Behemoth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cargo | 22 | 32 | 48 | 48 | 120 |
| Turbo | 180 | 180 | 200 | 200 | 160 |
| Weapons | 2S 1L | 1S 1L | 1S 2L | 3S | 2L |
| Level | Trade 1 | Trade 2 | 1/-/3/4/- | Trade 8 | -/-/-/8/4 |
(s)= Small Port (l)= Large Port
Ships listed are the basic versions. See the ships list for full information.
- The Revenant is the perfect entry level trading ship. Enough weapons ports to keep you safe from Hive ships, and enough cargo room to get you through the basic trade missions.
- The Warthog Mineral Extractor is definitely worth a try early on in your advancement, for combined Mining and Trading, as it has 24 cu cargo space, an S & an L weapons port, and is relatively fast and agile.
- The Atlas is a decent trading ship, but once you have a Centaur you can pretty much ignore this one. It is fast and has plenty of cargo room. But often is easy prey for pirates.
- The Centaur slow and hard to move this ship has often been ignored by traders with access to the Marauder, but it does its job very well, and that job is to move large amounts of cargo in one go. The Centaur has the ability to carry two sets of mines, enough to send any pirate to their grave.
- The Marauder is the fastest cargo transport ship in the game. Its TPG variant can carry up to 48 cargo widgets, and the Tunguska 60. Although all but the Tunguska version lack L port weapons it can still fend for its self or simply speed by any pirate blockade.
- The Behemoth is yet another win for the TPG corporation. When you need to move large amounts of cargo(120cu), the Behemoth is your ship.
List of Trade Goods
This is a (hopefully complete) list of the various trade goods that can be found within the game. There is another table which sorts the trade goods by the "type of good", which contains pictures for all of the trade goods.
| Trade Good | Description | Class of Goods |
|---|---|---|
| Advanced Logistics System | Controllers for ship systems | Ship and Station Components |
| Advanced Targeting Systems | Advanced weapon targeting computers | Weapon Components |
| Aeolus Pilot Training Unit | Training for Aeolus pilots | Consumer Goods |
| Agricultural Research Supplies | Assorted chemicals and other consumables for research | Research Equipment |
| Airlock Maintenance Supplies | For general upkeep of the station | Ship and Station Components |
| Amplification Module | Component of many electronics | Elekronik Supersonik |
| Apicene Ore | A rare asteroid composition formed only at very high temperatures | Ores (Premium and Standard) |
| Aquean Ore | Dirty ice, mostly H2O with trace chemicals | Ores (Premium and Standard) |
| Basic Research Supplies | Assorted assay bottles, spot well plates and pipettes | Research Equipment |
| Basic Robotic Equipment | Simple robots | Production Goods |
| Basic Targeting Systems | Simple and efficient weapon targeting systems | Weapon Components |
| Bearing Grease | Keeps machinery working smoothly | Production Goods |
| Betheshee Spices | Extremely aromatic spices and herbs preferred by most Serco | Comestibles and Beverages |
| BioCom Implants | Components for cybernetic implants | Medical Equipment |
| Biomedical Nanites | Used in common medical treatments | Medical Equipment |
| Biotechnology Research Supplies | Assorted chemicals and other consumables for research | Research Equipment |
| Blank DataPads | One gross of DataPads ready to be filled with useful information | Elekronik Supersonik |
| Carbonic Ore | Ore which is heavy in carbon compounds | Ores (Premium and Standard) |
| Chemical Spill Kit | Used to clean chemical spills | Industrial Goods |
| Civilian Textiles | Clothing for every-day wear | Consumer Goods |
| Combat Simulators | Training for pilots | Military Equipment |
| Commercial Textiles | Industrial grade fabric for use in various applications | Production Goods |
| Consumer Electronics | Electronic audio/visual/neural entertainment products | Consumer Goods |
| Consumer Robotics | Personal robotic assistant devices | Consumer Goods |
| Cooking Supplies | Collection of pots, pans and other cooking utensils | Consumer Goods |
| Coolant | Used in cooling systems | Production Goods |
| Cooling Systems | Weapon cooling systems | Weapon Components |
| Corrosive Chemicals | Industrial chemicals with corrosive properties | Industrial Goods |
| Corvus Holo Disks | Take exotic trips without leaving the station. | Consumer Goods |
| Corvus Textiles | Very fancy pants and shirts | Consumer Goods |
| Cybernetics Grade AA | Premium grade materials for implants | Medical Equipment |
| Cybernetics Grade BB | Common grade cybernetics | Medical Equipment |
| Cybernetics Grade EE | Industrial grade cybernetics for implants | Medical Equipment |
| Data Link Connectors | Component of many electronics | Elekronik Supersonik |
| Dau Spices | A mixture of herbs often used to season standard food rations | Comestibles and Beverages |
| Dau Wine | A fine wine from Dau | Comestibles and Beverages |
| Deneb Rum | An inexpensive intoxicant sold at most station bars | Comestibles and Beverages |
| Denic Ore | Rare ore found often in young solar systems | Ores (Premium and Standard) |
| Diagnostic Imagers | Used in basic research | Research Equipment |
| Divinia Spices | A special blend of spices regarded as a delicacy by many Itani | Comestibles and Beverages |
| Doppler Array | Component of various mineral scanners | Equipment Parts |
| Dried Meat | A spicy version of the jerky of Sol I | Comestibles and Beverages |
| Dyes | Common dyes and pigments | Production Goods |
| EC-Class Ship Repair Manual | Instructions for repair of ships for pilots on a small budget. | Consumer Goods |
| ERS Tracking Systems | Standard missile tracking computer | Weapon Components |
| Emergency Repair Kit | Standard kit with parts for basic ship repairs | Ship and Station Components |
| Energy Conversion Module | Components of various ship systems | Ship and Station Components |
| Engine Mounts | Holds engines in place | Ship and Station Components |
| Escape Hatch System | For escaping | Ship and Station Components |
| Exhaust Manifold | Directs engine exhaust | Ship and Station Components |
| External Equipment Mounts | For holding equipment | Ship and Station Components |
| External Thermal Couplers | Controllers for ship systems | Ship and Station Components |
| Extravehicular Suits | Protective suits for work done outside of a station | Consumer Goods |
| Ferric Ore | Ore composed mostly of iron | Ores (Premium and Standard) |
| Fine China | Rare antique plates | Consumer Goods |
| Fine Furniture | Crafted from the finest synthwoods | Consumer Goods |
| Fire-suppression system | Fire protection systems for ships and stations | Ship and Station Components |
| Fitness Equipment | Required for military training | Military Equipment |
| Flight Assist Control Module | Found in most ships | Ship and Station Components |
| Food | Mass-produced nutritional food | Comestibles and Beverages |
| Frequency Modulators | Component of many electronics | Elekronik Supersonik |
| Fresh Flowers | Fresh flowers cultivated in stations with specialized gardens | Consumer Goods |
| Fuel Flow Regulator | Component of ship turbo systems | Ship and Station Components |
| Fuel Storage Container | Component of ship turbo systems | Ship and Station Components |
| Guided Missile Casings | Empty tubes for weapons | Weapon Components |
| Gyroscopes | Used in weapon and ship construction | Equipment Parts |
| Heliocene Ore | Rare ore formed under intense heat and tidal forces | Ores (Premium and Standard) |
| Holo Disks | Visit popular vacation destinations without leaving the station | Consumer Goods |
| Hull Panels | Basic paneling used in the construction of ships | Ship and Station Components |
| Hydraulic Tappets | Components of various ship systems | Ship and Station Components |
| Hydrogen Ion Collector | Used in weapon and ship construction | Equipment Parts |
| Industrial Research Supplies | Assorted chemicals and other consumables for research | Research Equipment |
| Inert Chemicals | Industrial chemicals with no dangerous properties | Industrial Goods |
| Ineubis Automated Defense Unit | For personal safety | Consumer Goods |
| Ineubis Personal Defense Systems | Regarded as some of the best in the universe | Consumer Goods |
| Instrumentation Panel | Commonly found in most ships | Ship and Station Components |
| Ion Core | Primary component of most ion weapons | Weapon Components |
| Ishik Ore | A common asteroid composition containing lighter elements and chemical compounds | Ores (Premium and Standard) |
| Itani Education Disk Level M | Standard educational program used by most Itani children | Consumer Goods |
| Itani Education Disk Level N | Standard educational program used by most Itani children | Consumer Goods |
| Itani Education Disk Level O | Standard educational program used by most Itani children | Consumer Goods |
| Janitorial Supplies | Specialized tools for station maintenance | Ship and Station Components |
| LCD | Component of various electronics | Elekronik Supersonik |
| Life Support System | Commonly found in most ships | Ship and Station Components |
| Luxury Goods | Jewelry, artwork, rare spices, etc. | Consumer Goods |
| Magnetometer | Component of various mining beams | Equipment Parts |
| Manufacturing Tools | Common tools used in heavy manufacturing | Industrial Goods |
| Medical Supplies | First-aid supplies | Medical Equipment |
| Meditation Crystals | Used by the Itani as part of meditation rituals | Consumer Goods |
| MicroTech Replicator | Constructs many prefab products using nanotechnology | Industrial Goods |
| Military Research Supplies | Assorted chemicals and other consumables for research | Research Equipment |
| Mineral Assay Equipment | Needed for basic mining operations | Research Equipment |
| Nanite Modulators | Used in nanite manufacturing | Industrial Goods |
| Nanite Replicator | Controls the replication of nanites for mircotech replicator | Industrial Goods |
| NanoFeed | Mostly carbon, a powder used for nanite replication | Production Goods |
| NanoPigments | Dyes and pigments which can be instructed to change their color | Production Goods |
| Navigation Unit | Controllers for ship systems | Ship and Station Components |
| Neural Nodule | Component of many cybernetics | Medical Equipment |
| Optics | Frequently used in weapon manufacturing | Weapon Components |
| Organic Solvents | Super-corrosive organically-produced solvents | Industrial Goods |
| Orion Drill Bits | Component of various mining beams | Equipment Parts |
| Orion Extractor Component | Component of various mining beams | Equipment Parts |
| Outer Hull Plate | Used in the production of most ships | Ship and Station Components |
| Oxygen Recycling System | Compact air purifier and oxygen recycling system | Ship and Station Components |
| Pelatus Spices | Sweet spices often used in desserts | Comestibles and Beverages |
| Pentric Ore | A rare asteroid composition of complex chemical material | Ores (Premium and Standard) |
| Personal Defense Systems | Small arms and other personal defense devices | Consumer Goods |
| Pharmaceuticals | Used in common medical treatments | Medical Equipment |
| Phase Array | Modulates the phase of energy weapon projectiles | Weapon Components |
| Pherona Spices | A spicy mixture of dried peppers and herbs. | Comestibles and Beverages |
| Pilot Safety Harness | For the safety of the pilot | Ship and Station Components |
| Plasma Core | Primary component of most plasma weapons | Weapon Components |
| Plasma Torches | Specialized tools for station maintenance | Ship and Station Components |
| Plasteel | Light plastic compound with the strength of steel | Industrial Goods |
| Power Regulators | Power flow regulators, used in most energy weapons | Weapon Components |
| Precious Metals | Extracted in small quantities from other ores | Ores (Premium and Standard) |
| Pressure Relief Valves | Primary component of oxygen generation systems | Ship and Station Components |
| Propellant Actuators | Component of turbo systems | Ship and Station Components |
| Protective Outerwear | Specialized clothing for working with hazardous materials | Research Equipment |
| Purified Water | Purified water, safe for drinking | Comestibles and Beverages |
| Pyronic Ore | Rare ore formed in the residue of a star's collapse | Ores (Premium and Standard) |
| Quantitative Analysis Equipment | Needed for basic research | Research Equipment |
| Radiation Containment Kit | Used to safely store radioactive materials | Research Equipment |
| Rare Book | Now considered obsolete, these printed materials are sought by collectors | Consumer Goods |
| Recycled Plastic | Pellets of recycled plastic ready to be reprocessed | Industrial Goods |
| Refugee Support Kit | Basic supplies for war refugees | Military Equipment |
| Replacement Hydraulic Fluid | Replacement hydraulic fluid | Production Goods |
| Samoflange | Extremely dense and valuable material | Special Trade Good |
| Scanner Circuit Boards | Component of many electronics | Elekronik Supersonik |
| Sedina Chocolates | A secret recipe prized throughout the universe | Comestibles and Beverages |
| Serco Ale | A strong alcoholic brew preferred by the Serco Military | Comestibles and Beverages |
| Serco Cybernetic Implants | Assorted Cybernetic Arms and Legs | Medical Equipment |
| Serco Training Level V | Standard educational program used by most Serco children | Consumer Goods |
| Serco Training Level VI | Standard educational program used by most Serco children | Consumer Goods |
| Serco Training Level VII | Standard educational program used by most Serco children | Consumer Goods |
| Ship Paint | Covers up those unsightly scratches | Production Goods |
| Silicate Ore | Unrefined silicate material | Ores (Premium and Standard) |
| Silksteel | Incredibly strong steel alloy | Industrial Goods |
| Simple Plastics | Common manufacturing materials | Production Goods |
| Solid Explosives | Component of missiles | Weapon Components |
| Solid Fuel Packs | Component of missiles | Weapon Components |
| Stabilizing Systems | Weapon stabilizers, increase precision by reducing recoil | Weapon Components |
| Station Conduit | Basic conduit for wires, pipes and other materials | Ship and Station Components |
| Steel | A durable but heavy building material | Production Goods |
| Superconductors | Component of many electronics | Elekronik Supersonik |
| Surveillance Equipment | Station security equipment | Ship and Station Components |
| SynthWood | Synthetic wood, common construction material | Production Goods |
| Synthetic Diamonds | Used in manufacturing | Production Goods |
| Synthetic Gems | Used in jewelry and art | Consumer Goods |
| Synthetic Hydrocarbons | Common building blocks for many industrial applications | Production Goods |
| TPG Pilot Training Module | Developed for TPG pilots | Consumer Goods |
| Textured Vegetable Protein | While extremely stable and ideal for long spaceflights, it has no flavor | Comestibles and Beverages |
| Thermal Imagers | Component of various mineral scanners | Equipment Parts |
| Thermal Insulator Tiles | Provides protection for the outer layer of many ships | Ship and Station Components |
| Thrust Regulators | Component of ship turbo systems | Ship and Station Components |
| Tunguska Mining Module | Component of various mining beams | Equipment Parts |
| Turbo Charger | Component of ship turbo systems | Ship and Station Components |
| Unassembled Cargo Crates | Empty cargo crates | Industrial Goods |
| Valent Robotic Components | Frequently used in weapon manufacturing | Weapon Components |
| VanAzek Ore | A common asteroid composition containing heavy and radioactive metals | Ores (Premium and Standard) |
| Verasi Koffee | A modern interpretation of the coffee of Sol I | Comestibles and Beverages |
| Verasi Specialty Foods | So good you'll lick your fingers. | Comestibles and Beverages |
| Vismetal | As strong as steel, but clear as glass | Production Goods |
| Vismetal Cockpit | Clear yet durable and able to withstand the pressures of space | Ship and Station Components |
| Volatile Chemicals | Industrial chemicals with volatile properties | Industrial Goods |
| Waste Treatment Chemicals | Used to process common station wastes | Production Goods |
| Xang Xi Advanced Robotics | Equipment used in cargo loading and unloading | Ship and Station Components |
| Xang Xi Waste Container | Standard holding container for station wastes | Ship and Station Components |
| XiRite Alloy | Extremely durable alloy made primarily from iron and xithricite | Production Goods |
| Xithricite Ore | Ore containing the precious mineral Xithricite | Ores (Premium and Standard) |
Avoiding and Escaping Pirates
For information on avoiding and escaping pirates, visit the [VPR]pedia, which can be found here.