Category:Trading

To trade, you drive your ship to one port, enter the exchange, purchase goods, drive to another port, and sell them. The difference between the purchase price and the sale price is profit. Vigor is a captain attribute that regenerates with time. Trading consumes vigor, and heavy trading can deplete it entirely.

Successful trading requires that goods be available, that you can carry them, and that you can perform the operation efficiently.

Each port has from zero to six goods available for sale--one port has zero, the rest have either five or six. Not all goods are available to all players. The number of available goods can be increased by joining a guild and making guild investments in the ports. Each port has a quota for each player for each good. This quota is renewed four times per (game calendar) year, about 90 minutes. The quota is increased if your guild is a member of an association that has made investments in the port. Guild investments, once made, are permanent. Association represent a bidding war between associations for a port's goods.

Your ability to carry cargo is directly related to your ship's load capability and how you use it. In order to carry goods, the holds should not be full of something else that consumes capacity--such as rations. To free up space in the cargo holds, it is best to store heavy items (such as large numbers of cannons) in the warehouse, and run the ship on condensed rations during the voyage. Condensed rations feed the crew but take up no weight. Among other places, they can be purchased in the mall using vouchers.

Your ability to trade efficiently is slightly influenced by the speed of the ship, and significantly influenced by the presence of an accountant on an accountant deck. The important attributes for the accountant crew member are accounting and haggle. The best way to obtain a good accountant is to start with a good accountant (obtained from the tavern or exploration) and improve them with such things as skill learning books and gift manuals. Their attributes will also improve as the accountant's level increases. Refitting the accountant deck can also improve the accountant's effectiveness.