Trading - Brainstorming Changes

[Shazbot11]

This is a step into making the Freelancer economy a bit more complex:

Taking an earlier stated idea of having commodities run out after a while, what if we were to implement something of a "tiered" commodity system. 'Low-tier' Commodities are basic items that are easy/readily found and can be bought in bulk. 'Medium-tier' Commodities are those that go through a slightly more advanced manufacturing process, resulting in a better product. 'High-tier' Commodities are those that require several manufacturing processes, and tend to be the high-ticket/bulky items that fetch a high price per unit.

Now, taking this idea and combining it with the exhaustible commodity idea, we have 'commodity manufacturing'. By this I mean that each higher-tier commodity requires an influx of lower-tier commodities in order to be produced. For example:

-A station has just run out of Engine Components (High-tier). In order to manufacture more it needs High Temp Alloys (Mid-Tier) and Superconductors (Mid-tier)

-These Mid-tier commodities are manufactured in one or more other stations, and require Niobium and Boron (Low-tier, for the High Temp Alloy), and Niobium and Copper (low-tier, for the superconductors).

-These Low-tier commodities can be bought from stations close to mining fields, or mined directly. This in essence would act as the manufacturing base, which will eventually lead all the way back up to replacing the quantity of Engine Components.

Unfortunately, this is assuming that the majority of commodities can be made from raw materials such as elements. Commodities like fertilizers or H-Fuel would have to come from a station with an infinite supply, unless someone is willing to spend more time fleshing this out.

Addendum: There would also have to be some sort of 'final' trade location for the high-tier products. Engine Components could be sold off to shipyards, planets, or any other location that sells ships. Hmm, maybe make ship vendor inventories run out? *Duck and cover*

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