Posts: 2,122
Threads: 244
Joined: Oct 2007
Staff roles:
I appreciate the initiative and imagination displayed in those examples. I especially like "Enhance!", and I think that one has a fairly strong chance of consideration for inclusion in the 4.87 release.
Once development for 4.87 starts, I'll probably write up some guidelines for the kinds of new commodities that we'll need. But since you're interested and offering good suggestions now, here are some thoughts to guide your ideas.
Most people focus on creating commodities that meet the demand side of the economy. This is the wrong approach to take because (among other reasons) the demand side has infinite possibilities, and this creates a distraction from meeting the real potential of the trade economy. Focusing on the supply side of the trade economy is more effective at fulfilling the potential of the trading aspect of the game.
So new commodities need to focus on filling the supply side of the economic equation rather than the demand side. That means focusing on potential production locations and factions that do not currently produce anything, and imagining a product that creates a unique export niche from that location and the faction that "owns" it. The uniqueness could involve either creating an export where no export is currently produced, or creating a second export for a station that is transported to places that the first export is not transported to. For example, Enhance! produced at Atka ought to go to locations that Atka's current exports are not transported to.
In other words, avoid duplicating current trade routes, because filling existing gaps in the economy is a more valuable addition than duplicating existing routes. To put it another way, new commodities should be created to fill the
1)gaps in trade routes [meaning creating a trade connection between 2 or more bases where no such connection currently exists],
2)gaps consisting of stations that produce nothing of high value,
3)gaps consisting of stations that import nothing of high value, and lastly,
4)gaps in the overall list of commodities.
Thus, a poor idea for a commodity would be another metal mined in the Taus and sold at Java Station, or something else produced at Oder Shipyard and transported to other shipyards around Sirius - because neither of those fill existing gaps in the trade system.
Generally, subsets of existing broad commodity categories should be avoided unless the new addition offers something unique. For instance, penicillin doesn't offer anything unique enough to justify distinguishing it from the category of pharmaceuticals (which already exists), but Enhance! could. It's the superlative option out of your list because it could potentially fill several of the gaps I mentioned.
Finally, there is no reason for anyone to spend time working out prices. However, determining production and consumption locations is an integral step in the commodity creation process, not an after thought to be worked out later. What the commodity is, where it is being produced, and where it is being consumed are all intertwined and should be considered together. Creating a product that fills a gap in all three is the best formula for a new commodity.
By the way, the commodity creation tutorial does not come anywhere close to doing justice to the mathematical considerations that go into pricing, so I discourage its use for that purpose.
Check out my Trade Development Blog
for all the latest news on Nerfs and Final Nails, or to request trade changes.
