UC: economics: terran: commercial: realtime server
From BluWiki
Playing the market
SINCE THE UPDATE: ignore this page, the game code got updated and there is no docs for the changes - so everybody acts rather randomly right now, no market stability is expected
Remember, this is only from my experience of 3 weeks of market. Things can change.
Playing the market doesn't cost turns, but if you haven't done most missions and grown an empire for 3 or 4 days it's better to build the empire first. Advanced players usually invest in ministers, but some play the market just before they log off for the day and hope to train their minister upon return.
Half the time there aren't any good opportunities out there. It doesn't hurt to look when waiting for your turns to return when doing research or other things that eat turns fast.
-Very long term: buy all ore at 2000 to 3000 and wait a maybe week for it to be absent from the market - then sell all at maxprice and double your $. Ore *always* sell as it's only useful for the most powerful of all players trying to make the biggest temple; top 30 players usually have lots of money to burn for it!
-Long term: A good money maker is buying raw materials at 2 or less and reselling immediately at 3 (50% profit). Consider 36 delay average and the occasional return of unsolds that makes this a long term tactic.
-Average term: buy red or white crystal at 850 or less and sell eventually when you can at 900 or more (it helps to buy lower priced crystals to be allowed to post it at a higher price, so the more money you start with the better the % of profit). Time to profit varies widly, but average 8 hours. You are occasionally stuck with them for days.
-Quick: buy red or white crystal at 800 or less and resell it immediately at the max you can - usually +50 what you paid. You may wish to resell it at +49 to sell before another person using the same tactic as you.
-Speculate: buy anything low and sell at higher price immediately, or hope for a shortage soon enough and sell at maxprice. Speculation is risky as you'll be keeping lots of things you may not be able to sell in the next 2 days at a profitable price if you need cash and may bounce back to you after 48 hours. It may be better to wait for the market to offer an opportunity which is less profitable but has a quicker return so you can do it more often.
-Buy trade goods even if you don't need them, even at maxprice of 4. You can get a large tax empire to post a few cheap stuff you need if you promise to post all your trade goods even at maxprice of 4, therefore having a tool against total shortages.
Some times of day or the week are better for sellers, better for buyers, or better for random opportunities with fewer people trying to claim them first. Observe the market and learn it's ever-changing patterns for yourself to gain some wisdom in what to invest in when there are two different opportunities.
And don't forget to keep some food so your population doesn't starve and cripple your whole economy!
