I'm sure you've already thought about this, Inc, but I had some thoughts about plussing the economy.

Station specialization:
This has been talked about quite a lot, and involves making station goods (and prices) related to what the station "produces." For instance, mining stations are at the lowest tier of production, and sell unrefined ores for low prices, and buy equipment related to mining and ore production high. Some large mining stations will have refineries (and consequently, a "refinery" set of modules to the outside), will buy ores for a somewhat higher price, and sell alloys at a low price. Capitals have a higher tier of production, and buy alloys at high price, and produce more finished goods like electronics and things. Military stations buy electronics and produce weapons at lower cost than elsewhere.

Size of station is related to wealth.
Stations can grow (add new modules) in relation to how wealthy they are. As time passes, if a lot of people buy and sell goods to a single station, that station's wealth will increase, and can afford to add on (more housing, etc). If a certain good is sold in abundance, the station might add a module that can process those goods and move up a production tier. This process is very slow, and over a year, a very fast growing station might double in size over a year, and a slow growing station might only add a few modules (although usually won't move up a production tier).

However, if a station can fall into disarray if it doesn't recieve the funds it needs to maintain the modules it has. For instance, if a station might have a high amount of traffic for a period, and then the traffic suddenly drops off, some of the extra modules will turn into "derelict" modules, and will be shut off from the station. Consequently, these modules will degenerate from lack of repairs and things, and those sections will appear damaged and abandoned from the outside. Eventually, they will be cut off from the station, and slowly float away into oblivion. Of course, this process will also take quite a long time.

NPC traders also add to and subtract from a station's wealth, so if a station starts growing too quickly or degrading too quickly, it can be artifically stimulated by the devs by "telling" the NPCs to trade more or less to any particular station.

[stamp of approval]™

/takes roguelazers stamp and stamps again

*uses his Sharpie of Approval*

One minor adjustment... Instead of capitals importing alloys and exporting finished products, manufacturing stations should. Capitals should import finished products and export various types of IP (blueprints, etc.).

Shouldn't research stations import finished products and export IP?

*stamps with flyswatter of approval*

*Applies dead rat of approval*

I think NPC traders should also fly larger trade ships as well... like Centaurs & Moths.

-Zoras

Sounds great CP!!

[approval]

Station specialization is *definitely* in the plans for the next couple of months. We currently have all these stations defined as "mining" and "military" and "blah" and none of them really vary at all. So, we're going to redefine a lot of that.

Having stations actually vary in scale based on economic power and/or a metric of "population" would be pretty cool. It's a little infeasable right now, just because dynamically created stations isn't something we have at present (the modules were created with that in mind, as well as user-constructability, but we haven't created the required subsystems to allow that sort of functionality). So.. this would be a cool possibility for the slightly longer term. One more way in which the user could impact the universe.. pirate or blockade a given station for too long and it falls into disrepair? That'd be pretty rockin'.

>>"I think NPC traders should also fly larger trade ships as well... like Centaurs & Moths."<<

And they should defend themselves! =D

I mean... flying an unarmed atlas through grey space is stupid... even for an NPC =P traders should be equipped with hings like phase blasters/firelies and conc/prox mines...

yeah, if we can affect the game to a real degree by going duck hunting, the ducks should get some protection. maybe a semi-crappy combat IA with crappy weaponry, but some of them coming with escorts? I seem to recall that being in the works?

now, seeing an NPC trader in a moth with two Vults guarding it, heeeello fun!

Yup. Reactive/increase escort protection based on piracy has been on my laundry list for like uhh. 3 years or something. But it looks like the AI is finally get up to the task now. Woo!

(don't mind them running into things in-game at present, that's just a bug that was introduced).

>>"(don't mind them running into things in-game at present, that's just a bug that was introduced)."<<

Didja break crack botting again too? =P

gotta admit, the odd atlas stuck in a docking or departure bay, or on a roid is pretty funny...

well I think traders should have their own license levels, and purchase weapons based on that. So a low-level trader in a wraith might be carrying singrays and plasma blasters, a mid-level trader in an Atlas or Centaur would be carrying AGTs, plasma devastators, mines, etc, and high-level traders in Behemoths would be carrying swarms and mines :)

agreed CP that would make the unpopulated sectors (pc) more fun, since the npc's would provide some more entertainment