Oolite Bulletins

Rather than just using a mod to remove them, what about a mod that changes their economy? Either have it within a slight variation of the main station's prices, or all the chains have their own set range that works out about average? Perhaps have one random "special" that provides a great deal if you know what you're looking for?

FWIW I always think convenience stores should be more expensive - I know my local Tesco Express is

True, but the economy works a bit different here, since unless you have that mod that separates buy and sell prices, having prices higher at a Con store means there is never a reason to sell at a planet. I mean, there's a limit (found one store that sells food for like 106 credits a ton or something, and selling gold for around 20 a kilo!)

I like having them, and they should be convenient (hence the name) but there should be the option of tweaking the prices to be a bit less crazy

This thread might be of interest to you.

Actually another idea for a YAH mod - make them Buy Only?

Consider - if they're the Walmarts of the galaxy for convenience then they have their own mega transports bringing in stuff way cheaper than traders would, so maybe you can't sell anything to them.

If you wanted to expand the idea further, you could have special ConStore transports (Boas or some such) bringing goods in (with Constore escorts). You could even have missions available if you get a transport capable of carrying more than X tons of cargo.

mossfoot wrote:

If you wanted to expand the idea further, you could have special ConStore transports (Boas or some such) bringing goods in (with Constore escorts). You could even have missions available if you get a transport capable of carrying more than X tons of cargo.

For ConStore transports, you 'll want to check this by Keeper.

Your Ad Here oxp badly needs an update. Fingers crossed Thargoid finds some time.

mossfoot wrote:

Actually another idea for a YAH mod - make them Buy Only?

Consider - if they're the Walmarts of the galaxy for convenience then they have their own mega transports bringing in stuff way cheaper than traders would, so maybe you can't sell anything to them.

If you wanted to expand the idea further, you could have special ConStore transports (Boas or some such) bringing goods in (with Constore escorts). You could even have missions available if you get a transport capable of carrying more than X tons of cargo.

The Constore prices really have two main flaws: one is a bug, where an occasional overflow results in Food prices over 100C/t ... that one's not so bad, to be honest, as it's relatively rare, and most players aren't hauling that much food anyway. The other flaw is the very cheap prices for gems and precious metals. I think the best solution might be to add a bit more variety to the costs and quantities available: keep the quantities fairly small, but make the prices fluctuate more (and, if possible, have them change every time the player docks somewhere else, to prevent easy exploitation). It would also be good if they could potentially offer decent profits on the other two restricted commodities - Slaves and Firearms. At the moment, it's relatively easy to be morally above-board, and not trade in Slaves, particularly, as the profits are pretty lousy (New Cargoes excepted). But moral choices would become more important if the player had to pass up a juicy profit ...

I've been giving some thought to the ConStore markets. The market is obviously broken and something ought to be done about it. Switeck's modified commodities.plist might be one way to go to tame the market, but I think it also takes something away. So I have another idea .

Take the market changes to the extreme. Instead of static wild prices on entering the system that stay constant to exploit, change the market on a regular basis. Once per minute, when not docked, for example. Maybe not the whole market at the time, but let's say randomly one third of the market gets new prices and quantities. And if the price is lower than the main station, make sure, there's only a few items to be bought. The other way around, make sure the market is quite full, so that you can't make ridiculous profits with overpriced food for example.

This way you would most definitely want to visit the ConStore and maybe make some nice profit, but you would not be able to outright exploit the market.

<Cards on table> I don't have con-stores in my Ooniverse, and TBH I don't really know what people look for from them.

To my mind a Convenience Store should be just that. It's the little corner shop that you pop in to to get a bottle of milk or a loaf of bread. If this is what our con-stores are supposed to be, they would be handy stopping off points for those maybe doing a contract who want to system-hop quickly, without having to visit the main station or take time to go sun-skimming, but no more than that. They are not auction houses/markets/stock exchanges, so would not have a market at all. Nor would they have a shipyard. What they would have is a low tech-level outfitters, so you can re-fuel, grab a missile or two or stock up on T-pods for your tea-maker. At a premium price, maybe 10% above the system main station. I wouldn't even expect to be able to buy/have fitted ships' equipment, or have damaged equipment repaired there. This is main-station stuff in my view.
Just my thoughts as I said, not even a suggestion.

Maybe I should reveal my cards too . I removed ConStores way back mainly because of the markets. I just could not be without exploiting them.

Your idea of removing the market and shipyard altogether is an interesting one. At it's present form that would make them fuel stations though. Maybe Oo-haul could be bundled into the oxp to give in-system escort missions? That way they would have a solid in-game function.

I've never installed Constores - not even for the Ads.

The refuelling aspect is definitely worth thinking about. To me, the ability to refuel at (or near) the WP is a much greater game-bender than the ability to get good prices on a few things. It allows players to undertake multi-jump routes without having to fly down the lane, or go sunskimming, and it allows players to use their injectors even after long jumps. Thinking about this some more, I think it's worth removing the ability to refuel at Constores completely.

Too rapid a fluctuation in market prices is an invitation for players to dock, buy, launch, wait, redock, sell, make money, rinse, repeat. I'm all for adding a bit of a random spin to the prices, but I think it would be better if the prices were only reset after the player has docked somewhere else (or after a longer period of time, like an hour, say).

Making them into mission and passenger- and parcel-contract pickup points (specialising, perhaps, in the dodgier variety) could be interesting, though.

Disembodied wrote:

... the ability to refuel at (or near) the WP is a much greater game-bender than the ability to get good prices on a few things. It allows players to undertake multi-jump routes without having to fly down the lane, or go sunskimming, and it allows players to use their injectors even after long jumps.

<nods> Yeah, this is the main problem with 'em.

Cody wrote:

Disembodied wrote:

... the ability to refuel at (or near) the WP is a much greater game-bender than the ability to get good prices on a few things. It allows players to undertake multi-jump routes without having to fly down the lane, or go sunskimming, and it allows players to use their injectors even after long jumps.

<nods> Yeah, this is the main problem with 'em.

I actually agree with this as well - it's just that (as described above) I can't really see any other legitimate purpose for them

Smivs wrote:

Cody wrote:

Disembodied wrote:

... the ability to refuel at (or near) the WP is a much greater game-bender than the ability to get good prices on a few things. It allows players to undertake multi-jump routes without having to fly down the lane, or go sunskimming, and it allows players to use their injectors even after long jumps.

<nods> Yeah, this is the main problem with 'em.

I actually agree with this as well - it's just that (as described above) I can't really see any other legitimate purpose for them

If the Constore prices could work a bit like a fruit machine - if there could be a random spin put on a wide range of commodities (especially on those less commonly* traded, like Textiles, Radioactives, Minerals, Slaves, Firearms, Alloys) - then players could be tempted into the odd gamble. Fill up your holds with Furs or Computers and go for the dependable profit at the main station, or take a load of Minerals, spin the Constore wheel, and see if you get a payout. More for fun than anything else, but then again, that's what trading rapidly becomes anyway.

If the Constores were to act as pickup points for more off-the-wall delivery missions, too, that would add another reason to pay them a visit.

* I assume ... less commonly traded by me, certainly!