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[NebulousQ]

I've been attempting to play as a trader in my last few games and noticed that often there were very few deficits / high demand for goods. Often the spread between the best sell price and best buy price was very small for most goods. Small enough that even purchasing and selling on the black market would not be worthwhile.  I took this to mean that trading wasn't meant to be very lucrative.

For awhile now I have run numerous mods that add factions and I have been enjoying the added variety and activity provided by these mods. However, in my current game I flew around to a number of the planets added by these mods and noticed that they were all prosperous, secure, and had an excess in production with no unmet needs for goods.

I wonder now if the faction mods I have been using have essentially provided too much production of goods and not enough demand. This may be causing the lack of goods deficits and the small spread between buy and sell prices. I am not sure however, was wondering what other player's experiences were with the economy and faction mods.

[WhisperDSP]

Regular stuff:

* stock up on cheap stuff (drugs at the TT worlds are good)

* wait for pirate activity - planets that lose shipments will have price spikes

* profiteering begins

Sneaky stuff with marines (often there are missions to take out pirate orbital works or spaceports):

* disrupt for at least 120 days

* profit on fulfilling their requirements

Sneaky stuff is possible with factions too, though more difficult.

[Sandor057]

As you correctly pointed out, more planets means that just about every faction has allies/neutral markets to trade goods with, preventing deficits. So being a completely 100% legitimate trader is not all that lucrative. However you can assist in creating shortages. Remember, there's no good reason to have your transponder on in hyperspace. And any unfortunate battle ensuing has a minimal reputation drop as a result. Just don't do it in systems, otherwise planets close by might object to your opportunistic privateering.

[WhisperDSP]

Take out a merchant cargo fleet, then sell that cargo to the planet it was originally destined for.

[SafariJohn]

As you correctly pointed out, more planets means that just about every faction has allies/neutral markets to trade goods with, preventing deficits.

Enemies trade with each other, too, so there's even less opportunity.

[NebulousQ]

Thanks for the responses!

I will have to try ambushing trade fleets in hyperspace and see how that affects the economy. I guess a fully legitimate and profitable trader isn't possible or at least isn't easy.

I wonder if modding in a faction or planet with huge demand sinks in certain commodities would affect the economy and counter balance all the other faction mods that I have installed?

[Nimiety]

E: Read the Op again and realized you were just talking about the modded factions. Yeah, the authors like making them self sufficient. Blow up trade convoys, use nexerelin diplomacy options to make them to go war, raid starports and industries (bars have clearance codes sometimes, makes the raid way more effective). Only way to disrupt them.