User:Nullaurelian/Asters Trading ErisEN Draft

"Welcome to the Asters Guild, are you buying or selling?"

The Asters Guild is the commerce arm of the CEV Eris. The faction specializes in providing resources to the rest of the ship in exchange for credits. Everything Asters does is in service of one goal: make the most money possible.

This guide discusses how Asters makes money on the CEV Eris using the import/export mechanics. For production and mining, see their related articles.

Appraisals

Core to the Asters Guild is buying low and selling high. While the Guild can sell the raw materials it mines and recycles from the ship, real money is made by exporting finished goods. While Asters employees can attempt to judge the value of any object by their own experience, Asters does supply tools to automatically appraise items.

Asters Guild Price Estimation Tools

Export Scanner	Primary tool for appraising items for export. Link to a cargo console and start scanning.
Scanner Module	An integrated export scanner for a PDA. Preinstalled for all Asters Guild employees.

Negotiations

Asters Guild is all about buying low and selling high. When buying from another player, this invariably involves discussion of how much any particular item is worth. This work is often regarded as akin to being a clerk at a pawn shop, a description which is pretty accurate as it turns out. As the ones holding the key to the export market, the Guild holds the advantage in negotiations. Be careful about abusing this advantage - customers will turn to other buyers if the Guild is too stingy.

Import and Export

Trade Shuttle

The Trade Shuttle is a catch-all method of exporting goods. To use the shuttle is simple: one loads the exports onto the shuttle, then sends it away. The value of the shuttle's contents is then credited to the Guild account, where upon the shuttle stays at the away dock to await recall.

The Trade Shuttle can also be used to import items from outside the ship. By interacting with with a trade console Guild employees can order item crates or authorize import requests by other inhabitants of the ship. These orders arrive on the shuttle the next time it is called to the Cargo Bay.

The Trade Shuttle cannot be sent out if there are living entities on board due to liability concerns.

Trade Beacon

The Trade Beacon allows for more targeted export of materials. Various locations in the overworld demand and supply goods. The Guild can fulfill these demands and import specific items rather than buying bulk from the Trade Shuttle.

In addition to buying and selling via Beacon, the Guild can also see high-priority requests. These requests require a large amount of one type of good. When the request is fulfilled the exporter is credited with a lump sum of credits over the normal price of exporting the individual items. These requests are only active for a limited time.