Oolite Bulletins

I realise that the 127 limit on trading is there on purpose
https://bb.oolite.space/viewtopic.php?t=1368
https://bb.oolite.space/viewtopic.php?t=1268

But should the 127 limit be expanded?
What would be the point of buying something like an Anaconda with 750 TC if you can never make use of the cargo capacity?
Or, the more likely scenario, selling lots of precious metals when you have a smaller ship?

If not expanding the 127 limit, what about the idea of having an alternative (black) market?
I know you can sell to rock hermits, but they aren't the easiest to find and are random.

What about a black market (maybe including ships/equipment) in the contracts screen?

The point of the Anaconda is that you get access to the bigger shipments in the “white” market, i.e. the 8-8 mission section.

You are only limited to 127 capacity of 1 item. you can fill your hold with any mix of items and sell them at different places.

Creativity!!!

To expand on Ahruman's post, the normal F8 list of goods is the sort of "white van man" market - a sort of bazaar where you can load up your van with stuff to take elsewhere to try to flog.

The carrier market - the 40-tonne lorry market if you like - you get to see when you hit F8 again. Companies and individuals advertise large shipments that they want to make there (usually several hundred tonnes of goods). The Anaconda pilot looking at the F8-F8 menu is a bit like the independent owner lorry driver looking for a contract to fill his trailer.

The limit has an even greater impact if you happen fail a cargo delivery contract. Suddenly you're left with hundreds or even thousands of units to shift without a buyer in place, so you're forced to offload it in small chunks on the open market. For valuable stuff like gems and precious metals, this should be even more of a factor -- an unknown trader turning up with several hundred tons of gold is going to look awfully suspicious.

So yeah, even though the 127-unit limit is really an 8-bit coding technicality, when it's combined with the F8-F8 contract goods market it does end up making some sense in the game world.

Do people do the long haul routes. The margins alway seem a little slim to me.


I just experimented with doing one, it didn't go well. I was contracted to move some computers about 30 ly or so. Since I had some free space in the hold, I figured I could trade along the way so I bought some more computers at one planet to sell at another along the way. After making my 'white van' purcahse and jumping. My original cargo vanished from the hold.

The margins don't look good - at first. But that's because you don't have a reputation. After a few successful deliveries of medium-value goods you'll be offered contracts on things like gold and gemstones (as well as bulk orders of firearms and narcotics). The premiums vary depending on distance but at the higher levels, margins of 100k can be found.

You do have to pay for the cargo out of your own pocket though, and it will go in the hold along with all the usual 'white van' goods - it sounds like you may have sold off your contracted cargo by accident. So long as you still make the delivery it doesn't matter where the cargo originally came from. It's just that for some of the larger contracts, you won't be able to pick up the volumes required from the open market.

Ramirez wrote:

The margins don't look good - at first. But that's because you don't have a reputation. After a few successful deliveries of medium-value goods you'll be offered contracts on things like gold and gemstones (as well as bulk orders of firearms and narcotics). The premiums vary depending on distance but at the higher levels, margins of 100k can be found.

You do have to pay for the cargo out of your own pocket though, and it will go in the hold along with all the usual 'white van' goods - it sounds like you may have sold off your contracted cargo by accident. So long as you still make the delivery it doesn't matter where the cargo originally came from. It's just that for some of the larger contracts, you won't be able to pick up the volumes required from the open market.

Oh, I didn't realize the contracts got better. Is the same true with taking people as well?

I didn't think I sold it. If it's not a known bug, it's a possibility that I looked at the wrong column on the F8 screen. I'll try it again and if I can repeat it, I'll report it.

With the passenger runs... I've done a few of those myself, The margins on those all seem to be about distances. However... There's a hidden bit to those. If you get them there before their scheduled time, they will often tip. The faster, the more tip, sometimes up to double the listed price for the run.

i do passanger runs alot an i noted that the better you are the more some people pay up front. and long distance travel usualy is a negitive gain, but thats just what i find.

Hmm, I might have to give passengers another go if they're giving out tips. Usually I only take them on if they happen to be going my way, and even then I do tend to get sidetracked by other events and only just make the deadline. I'll have to try fitting out a smaller, faster ship with a load of passenger berths and seeing how much money there is to be made.

Ramirez wrote:

Hmm, I might have to give passengers another go if they're giving out tips. Usually I only take them on if they happen to be going my way, and even then I do tend to get sidetracked by other events and only just make the deadline. I'll have to try fitting out a smaller, faster ship with a load of passenger berths and seeing how much money there is to be made.

Corellian may fit?

I take passengers occasionally and the business does not seem to get any better..

ArkanoiD wrote:

Corellian may fit?

I take passengers occasionally and the business does not seem to get any better..

Be careful not to pick up a wierd old man in a robe and his dodgy looking teenage 'friend'. The pay sounds good but you'll end up frozen in carbonite and nearly fed to a sarlak.

Cmdr Monte wrote:

Be careful not to pick up a wierd old man in a robe and his dodgy looking teenage 'friend'. The pay sounds good but you'll end up frozen in carbonite and nearly fed to a sarlak.

It's best to shoot first.

Cmdr Monte wrote:

Be careful not to pick up a wierd old man in a robe and his dodgy looking teenage 'friend'. The pay sounds good but you'll end up frozen in carbonite and nearly fed to a sarlak.

i pick up those to in my cobra mk1 good thing i got jumped by pirates and had to use my escape pod, that was a close one

i notice that rarly some offers loads of cash but set the deadline so that your always late.