Trading & Economy
Credits are the universal currency of the Stardrift galaxy. Every transaction uses credits, regardless of which system you're in.
Selling to the NPC Market
The quickest way to turn ore into credits is selling to the NPC market in any station.
- Go to
#station-marketin your current system - Run
/sell - Review current prices for each ore type in your cargo
- Hit Sell All to liquidate everything, or select individual items to sell specific stacks
Price Mechanics
NPC prices are dynamic — they decay as more of the same item gets sold into a market.
- Every sale pushes the price of that item down (decay factor: 0.95 per sale event)
- Prices recover over time when no one is selling
- A fresh market (or one that hasn't been sold into recently) offers better rates
This creates natural arbitrage opportunities: mine in one system, haul to an underserved market across the galaxy, and sell for a premium.
Proxy System Tax
Selling in a proxy system (📡) incurs a 20% tax — you receive only 80% of the listed price. Always prefer selling at the system's home server for full value.
Reading Market Prices
The /sell interface shows:
| Column | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Item | Ore/resource type |
| Price | Current NPC buy price per unit |
| You Have | Quantity in your cargo |
| Total | Credits you'd receive for selling all |
Prices shown already account for the proxy tax if applicable.
Economy Strategy
Early game:
- Sell locally to build initial capital
- Reinvest in fuel for longer haul runs
Mid game:
- Scout multiple systems with
/map - Identify markets with high prices (low recent supply)
- Haul high-value ores (Platinum, Crystal, Dark Matter) to those markets
Future (planned):
- Player-driven buy/sell orders — post orders and let others fill them
- System-owner market taxes — system owners will be able to set custom tax rates
- Corporate treasury sharing — pooled credits for fleet operations
Price Volatility by Ore
| Ore | Base Price | Volatility |
|---|---|---|
| Iron Ore | Low | High (floods fast) |
| Copper Ore | Low-Mid | Medium |
| Silicon Ore | Low-Mid | Medium |
| Titanium Ore | Mid | Medium |
| Platinum Ore | High | Low (rare supply) |
| Crystal Ore | High | Low |
| Dark Matter | Very High | Very Low |
| Ice Crystal | Mid | Medium |
| Helium Gas | Mid | Medium |
| Hydrogen Gas | Low-Mid | Medium |
Exotic ores (Crystal, Dark Matter) are rare enough that markets rarely saturate — they tend to hold value well.