Trading & Economy

ASTRA features a dynamic economy with NPC shops and player-driven marketplaces.

NPC Shops

Every station has NPC-operated shops that buy and sell goods at fixed prices.

Shop Types

Shop	Sells	Buys
Shipyard	Ships	Ships
Weapons Store	Weapons, Shields	Weapons, Shields
Mining Store	Mining Tools	Mining Tools
General Store	Engines, Enhancers, Resources	Everything
Repair Bay	Repair services	-

Buying from Shops

1. Dock at a station
2. Open the shop you need
3. Browse available inventory
4. Select an item and quantity
5. Confirm purchase

Purchased items go directly to your ship inventory.

Stock Limits

Shops have limited stock that regenerates over time. If an item is sold out, check back later or try another station!

Selling to Shops

1. Dock at a station
2. Open a shop that accepts your item type
3. Switch to "Sell" tab
4. Select items from your ship inventory or bank
5. Confirm sale

You can sell from both your ship inventory and bank while docked.

Sector Economy

Prices vary based on the sector's economy:

Zone	Buy Prices	Sell Prices
Green (Safe)	Normal	Normal
Yellow (Contested)	90%	110%
Red (Dangerous)	80%	120%

Risk vs Reward

Dangerous sectors offer better trading margins. Buy cheap in red zones, sell high in safe zones!

Resource Bonuses

Some sectors specialize in certain resources, offering better prices:

Sector Specialty	Effect
Iron Fields	Better Iron prices
Copper Basin	Better Copper prices
Platinum Reach	Better Platinum prices

Player Marketplace

Stations also feature player-driven marketplaces where pilots can trade directly.

Creating Sell Orders

1. Access the Marketplace terminal
2. Select "Create Sell Order"
3. Choose item and quantity
4. Set your price per unit
5. Pay the listing fee

Items are removed from your inventory and held in escrow.

Creating Buy Orders

1. Access the Marketplace terminal
2. Select "Create Buy Order"
3. Specify what you want to buy
4. Set your price per unit
5. Credits are held in escrow

When another player fills your order, items go to your bank.

Fulfilling Orders

• Sell to Buy Orders - Instantly sell to waiting buyers
• Buy from Sell Orders - Instantly purchase listed items

Marketplace Fees

Fee Type	Rate
Listing Fee	2.5% of order value
Tax (on sale)	5% of sale price

Offline Trading

Marketplace orders can be fulfilled even when you're offline. Items and credits are exchanged automatically!

Trading Tips

• Compare prices - Check multiple stations before buying
• Haul resources - Buy low in mining sectors, sell high elsewhere
• Watch the market - Player prices may be better than NPC shops
• Manage risk - Don't carry too much valuable cargo in dangerous zones