Economy's inner workings

from Sins Forums

*Please note in all examples I use Crystal, however this is interchangeable with Metal, and sometimes Credits.

Ok, my play style in RTS games has always been "Econ Boomer" as they say...  I like to put myself, and maneuver my enemies, into a position where they simply cannot afford to beat me.  Mostly because I hate micro-managing abilities, I like to be able to wage a war of attrition that I cannot lose because I can afford to replace more ships than my opponent (I like the TEC).

So, given the above, I'm wondering how the inner workings of the Economy and Markets actually work in this game...

 

1)  Are my resources and credits directly impacted by the Markets?   In other words, if I have an abundance of Credits and I just can't seem to make enough Crystal, can I jack up my Crystal sale price on the Black Market?   If my resources and the markets are directly related, this ~should~ effectively price me out of the Market.  I'm not selling any of the Crystal I produce so my available Crystal should increase...  however any credits I would normally earn selling Crystal would no longer be available as income.  As yet, I haven't seen this effect in-game.  However I'm usually to stressed dealing with combat situations to make close inspections on these things.

Also, fringe benefit, removing myself from the Market, as above, should make Crystal more scarce driving up the price...   making it harder for my enemies to buy Crystal when they need it.

 

2)  How do Trade Port placement and routes influence my income?  Are these impacted by the population base of the world the Trade Port orbits?  I would assume so.  I would think a Trade port at a 4-Pop Terran planet would earn a lot more credits than a Port at a 1 Population asteroid.  (Right now I don't bother building TPorts at Asteroids for this reason)

If the planet the Port orbits is high in Crystal does this increase the amount of Crystal I'm supplying to the Black Market?

 

3)  Do Computer AIs make use of Markets?  

4)  If you continually raid Trade Ships of a particular opponent, do you increase the overall risk of Trading with them.  In other words if you can make the Dark Green Advent's Trade routes unreliable and risky, can you reduce that opponents value as a trading partner with other players?  

Example:  Great...  DarkGreenAdvent has 12 Trade ports around 8 planets...  but 75% of goods traded with him never arrive at their destination.  Other Players and AIs begin to avoid dealing with him on the Market and he loses long term income.  So what if he has a lot of ports...  no point making Trades with him if the goods don't make it.

Or is this a simple, Destroy a Trade Ship, get a Bounty (if available), he loses the value of that one ship...   no other impact.

 

Thats all for now...   anybody know the answers?

 

Funny fact:  I work at the head office of a major Bank in real life. 

Thanks
     Snazzed 

 

 

PS:  Note on AI Diplomacy...  I should be able to gain favour with a given faction by attacking that factions enemies even if they haven't given me a mission!

Why can't I dispense Missions to AIs?  Why is it a one-way thing?

You should be able to get stats on a Factions recent trade or attack activity with/against other factions...  plays into above point.  You know who DarkGreenAdvent is attacking so you can attack that person as well, and gain DarkGreen's favour.

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Reply #1 from Sins Forums Top



1)  Are my resources and credits directly impacted by the Markets?   In other words, if I have an abundance of Credits and I just can't seem to make enough Crystal, can I jack up my Crystal sale price on the Black Market?   If my resources and the markets are directly related, this ~should~ effectively price me out of the Market.  I'm not selling any of the Crystal I produce so my available Crystal should increase...  however any credits I would normally earn selling Crystal would no longer be available as income.  As yet, I haven't seen this effect in-game.  However I'm usually to stressed dealing with combat situations to make close inspections on these things.

Also, fringe benefit, removing myself from the Market, as above, should make Crystal more scarce driving up the price...   making it harder for my enemies to buy Crystal when they need it.

Jacking up Crystal sale price only affects what what % you sell to the market at.  If you aren't actually selling any crystal, jacking up your sell price doesn't do anything.  When people buy from the market, players with the best price sell first, I THINK.  Markets themselves are affected by instant sales and purchases, but otherwise don't affect your economy notwithstanding money you spend or make on purchases or sales.

 



2)  How do Trade Port placement and routes influence my income?  Are these impacted by the population base of the world the Trade Port orbits?  I would assume so.  I would think a Trade port at a 4-Pop Terran planet would earn a lot more credits than a Port at a 1 Population asteroid.  (Right now I don't bother building TPorts at Asteroids for this reason)

If the planet the Port orbits is high in Crystal does this increase the amount of Crystal I'm supplying to the Black Market?

 

No, Trade Ports make money independent of the population.  Planets can have special modifiers that boost or hurt trade in their description, keep an eye out for them.  No, the amount of crystal you make does not affect the market unless you dump it on the market by selling it.

3)  Do Computer AIs make use of Markets?

Yes

4)  If you continually raid Trade Ships of a particular opponent, do you increase the overall risk of Trading with them.  In other words if you can make the Dark Green Advent's Trade routes unreliable and risky, can you reduce that opponents value as a trading partner with other players?

Example:  Great...  DarkGreenAdvent has 12 Trade ports around 8 planets...  but 75% of goods traded with him never arrive at their destination.  Other Players and AIs begin to avoid dealing with him on the Market and he loses long term income.  So what if he has a lot of ports...  no point making Trades with him if the goods don't make it.

Or is this a simple, Destroy a Trade Ship, get a Bounty (if available), he loses the value of that one ship...   no other impact.

Should have no impact on you unless it happens to be your ship travelling to a trade ally that gets blown up.  The ship that is blown up affects the owner of the ship.  I haven't seen a trade blockade so effective that it made trading with someone not worth it, but I suppose it could happen.



Funny fact:  I work at the head office of a major Bank in real life.

Funny fact:  In multiplayer games, econ is extraordinarily effective once you get it up and developed.  Unfortunately, unless you started a long ways away, people like me will roll in with some cheap ships and low-riders armed with missiles and steal your lunch money long before that happens.

 


PS:  Note on AI Diplomacy...  I should be able to gain favour with a given faction by attacking that factions enemies even if they haven't given me a mission!

Sounds reasonable, but no, it doesn't work this way.  (Major diplomacy revamp is planned for 2nd mini expansion)

Why can't I dispense Missions to AIs?  Why is it a one-way thing?

You should be able to get stats on a Factions recent trade or attack activity with/against other factions...  plays into above point.  You know who DarkGreenAdvent is attacking so you can attack that person as well, and gain DarkGreen's favour.

Some advice, if you want to play with a lot of AI's, put them on locked teams.  The current diplomacy system does not make a lot of sense, as you have noticed, and eventually the AI's will all gang up on you.

Better yet, come play online.  Meet the Sins community!  Get shot at by them.