Trade
Trade Stations
A trade station is an orbiting colony, established by a player and controlled by him, that has trade as its only function. It has no factories, but can have farm units. It may be armed and can be conquered or lost to rebellion as any other colony can.
Trade stations may be used by any orbiting colony or ship at the same planet. Players wishing to trade at a station must contact the owner1 and be given permission to do so. Once permission is granted, it remains in force until retracted. All buying and selling is done in gold units. When a station receives buy and sell orders from players, it compares the buyer's offer with the seller's price. If an offer meets the seller's price, plus a 1% commission, then the offer is accepted and the trade completed. The commission is paid for by the seller, and is received by the station; the player may use it for any purpose. To buy or sell at a trade station, the player issues a market order.
A player establishes a trade station with a set up order, which must have the words "trade station" specifically stated in it. The minimum size of a trade station is 3,000 structural units, 500 life support units, and 100 professional units. There is no maximum size limitation. Trade stations have news services, which are detailed under communication.
Home Planet Markets
Everything stated under Trade Stations applies to home planet markets with the following exceptions. A home planet market is found on the surface of each race's home planet. Markets are independent of player control and use their commissions to maintain themselves. In maintaining themselves, the markets make purchases on their own behalf.
Footnotes
See Communications.
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