Orbital Trading Post

[AdmiralTigerclaw]

Another day, another idea to throw to the sharks.

This one's inspired by Offworld Trading Company.

But in simple, an orbital market or 'trading post' in which you can sell or buy, which fluxuates over time, and as you buy or sell.

It starts with a part. A space Station cupola or something. Maybe one of those inflatable ring habitat mod parts. Just, a base part.

You launch it into space (or leave it on the ground, whatever) and set up a station. The 'Market Place' then checks the SoI and whether it is landed or in orbit, then assigns condition modifiers based on those conditions.

For example: If on Kerbin, fuel, standard ore, and normal metals would be cheaper, but 'rare metals' , 'super rare metals', and 'offworld products' would be highly valueable. (More thoughts on said products later.)

But just in orbit, the price of metals goes up, along with fuel. While rares, super rares, and offworld products are down a bit.

Extrapolate how the multipliers work across Kerbol System's various planets, and you have a wide base market.

So this market sets values for products, and then over time, prices rise and fall based on [insert simulated simplistic demand trends code here] and what the player sells or buys at the market. Movement of materials outside of the players hands are not simulated. We assume that with a full fledged market, invisible Kerbals are running around the player universe. (To keep from murdering the physics engine) The wares being bought and sold are not based on parts either, but extracted from files such as the community resource pack. Essentially, if it's deemed a resource in code, then it can be bought and sold (Assuming you have a vessel that can store it when you've bought it).

This means you can buy and sell, just about anything you can afford. From valuable asteroid materials back to Kerbin, to selling food in orbit around Duna, to revealing new low G or zero-G manufactured products to the markets on the surface.

As far as the mentioned off world products, rare, and super rare metals. It's a simplification and split off of ISRU metals. Now you have ore and metals, which can be found anywhere, and then rare metals, which are harder to find, and super-rares, which pretty much only exist in the areas that are a pain to reach, but worth the trip. That is, unless someone decides to up the realism a notch and actually split metals into things like iron, cobalt, aluminium, silicon... etc...

Offworld products, are materials or products that require different sets of resources, but can only be manufactured in a facility in a specific flight condition. Zero G products are worth a decent amount on the ground, but as the name implies, can only be manufactured in orbit. Low G products are similar, but for the surface of Low G planets. Either type go for amounts similar to rares and super rares in places like Kerbin.

Said manufacturing units can be additional unit parts, allowing the player to manufacture in space, or on-site on another world. And don't fear a player cheating the system and selling something they manufactured on the very same station as a Market Place. The SOI and Condition value adjustments would make the operation fairly unprofitable to sell in the same place it can be manufactured.

That's the core idea.

Other whimsy ideas that popped up in my head while writing this. Not important, but might be interesting ideas to explore.

- Add an antenna to a market station, and other market stations, and have the markets influence each other.

-- Give the player an always accessible 'market overview' window that shows them system-wide general market behavior (average of all market values) as well as the ability to look at a station in particular.

- Stock Market (Buy/Sell/Trade without ever moving the products in a ship, just let the background handle it.)

- Other companies. (A handful of companies are picked at loading and their own sales and purchases 'manipulate' the market instead of some semi-random demand modifier.)

- 'Event' like demand spikes (both up and down).

- Shipyards (BUY fully built ships you designed at whatever station happens to be there. Would likely use EL mechanics.)

[Nahim]

So.... The Offworlds Indien Trading Company firstly set a Ore retrieve contract.

As the player reputations grows, you gain a Set up your first Station module for In situ trading resources...

And as your rep raises. Outpost bases as contracs. Stations aorund moons for increased profits. Shipyards hubs were you car trade ore or kredits for starship parts. (This one only work with KIS mod)

And your got your first corporate contrats for Duna or Dress surveys...

And first module for convert ore from Duna or Dress surface into offworld trade goods. (goods for your Kolonial purporses)

And your first contract for commercial stations around Ike...

And your first Ultra Rare Ore retrieve contract from Moho...

And your last Module. Extraplanetary launch/dryrock for trade kredits into full assembled ships out of kerbin!

You just create an entire new game INSIDE the game!