I read this and figured I'd throw my 2 cents in based on my "few" hours of playing this game...

When you go to a new system, it's always good to land everywhere for 2 reasons. 1, you get all the trade goods (and ships available) logged and 2 you save your progress. There are numerous buttons inside the NAV map to assist you and the more info you gleen from landing everywhere, the more knowledgeable you become about the Freelancer galaxy by proxy.

Now if you make a repetative cargo run from one place to the other to make money, you will encountered a different experience each trip you make. You might get jumped 3 times in a row at the same place, but since the universe is constanly changing, on that 4th trip you might not see anyone due to the AI dynamics.

Also, as you make cargo runs, you reputation will be altered depending on your actions along the way. Reputation is a very key element in FL, that point can not be stressed enough. It's nice when you get pulled out of a trade lane by a pirate group but because your rep is in good standing with them it is just an annoyance, not a fight.

There's so much to discover in Freelancer, it's not all about how fast you can build up a character. The road to a Elite fighting ship or a big 'ol freighter is paved with extraordinary experiences and even greater sights and sounds.

(277 hours logged and counting)

Rob "Stinger" Lordier
Moderator/Comp Tech Lancers Reactor
Creator Privateer FAQ Competition doesn't create character, it REVEALS it!

Droooll, you always make it sound so good Stinger.

I couldn't agree more Stinger....ahhh the borderworlds are a beautiful....but dangerous place...

Ok... sounds good. At the end of that day i still have to wait for the real thing before i find out how much heat a simple trader really has to endure.

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"In all likelihood you're going to die out there. We're all going to die out there, but none of us needs to be reminded of that fact. So you die, you never existed."

What I'd like to see in the first patch is a shady guy in the bar that has hacked into the commodities market computer and offers to sell you the prices of every planet in the system for a fat price

Big question for me here: I was playing a multi game and found polymers in Pittsbutgh. Hmm, buy for 30, sell for TWO HUNDRED FORTY THREE in Baltimore?!?! I immediately sold my fighter and bought the Rhino sitting there, ready to make a killing on this stuff. I went back to the trade window, and then... that's when I realized that there was only 6 units of polymers there

The only way I've seen to find where something is made is to have at least one unit in your hold, and also be in space, then hit the "trade lanes" button when examining the cargo. I really hope that they change it so that I can access the "trade lanes" button anytime I examine a commodity.

lol..l Torgen. Tough luck. Hehe.

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"In all likelihood you're going to die out there. We're all going to die out there, but none of us needs to be reminded of that fact. So you die, you never existed."

Heheh, bummer Torgen

LOL, you probably sold it there after you looted it from pirates, and didn't realize it because Pittsburgh only produces Boron.

I have to say I'm in love with the commodity sytstem in place. On an MP server, I and a buddy (Ali.Bubba) made a run halfway across the galaxy and wound up making almost 60k total. It as a long, dangerous haul, and every jump felt like it might be my last, but my rep score JUMPED after that, i bought a new ship, and I plotted an even MORE profitable zig zag back home to liberty. This time though, i NEVER made it back. Bubba and I tried three lanes and those damnedable pirates were all over me on everyone. I think it had to do with my sudden increase in pilot rank...i never did any "missions" but i still got a 6 point increse in my rank...just for making bookuu bucks. I was so happy.

The run back was with luxury food....a perishibale item. That means it "evaporates" as time passes. It would have got me 1k a share the route i was going..but pirates slowed my progress so much that it never made it. Anyway..enough story telling.

I've been keeping a Merchantile Diary of sales for one reason, the game will save all price listing for you, but it won't tell you what is sold where, unless you have it in your cargo. If i had boron in my hold, i could click on it and have the Neuro Net tell me where it was available to purchase, as well as where it sold the best. But if i don't actually have the item, i won't know where to buy it..odd. So, on every planet i've landed on i've writting down the available trading goods. Keep in mind, YOU DO NOT HAVE TO DO THIS. The game runs perfectly well without the added effort..but..well...i'm a merchant freak. I play this game with a calculator so nyyyeeeeeehhhhh. Tabris out.

Good idea, Tenou. I used to scrawl copious trading notes when I played Priv2, which my wife thought was incredibly anally retentive. Women just don't get it ...

The way you guys have described the trading prices database system in FL sounds really cool and is a real incentive to land on every base you come across, if only to get its prices added to the Neural Net.

If anyone from DA/MS is reading this, for the sake of my sanity and that of others of us that don't have PR betas or know any corrupt shopkeepers, PLEASE GET THE DEMO OUT NOW!