*gasp* I got 1% right! which one?? lol
About the population scaling some things
Fair enough. Any thoughts on how much experience you get when compared against a similar amount of time time/money risked in combat? Or is that just going to be pick a number, test how well it works, adjust as needed, repeat steps 2 and 3 until happy?
(I feel like I worded this weirdly so example: if you risk 100 credits worth of ship and gain 100 exp, how much exp do you get for risking 100 credits in a trade run?)
Not really. I'm not quite sure experience from trade is that good of an idea. It'd be hard to make sure it's not exploitable, and efforts to do that would put convoluted rules for what constitutes a "proper" trade run. It's also difficult to track what got bought where; I mean, you probably shouldn't get experience for selling supplies you salvaged after battle. Still thinking about this.
Can't wait. Is that non-Hegemony flag a Sindrian flag? Or does it just mean "neutral"?
Placeholder - it's actually the flag of an entirely different faction, which for now is just used everywhere where there isn't a finished faction flag.
We're all talking about major consequences, but how about personal revenges of merchants, which player has overtaken in some valuable contracts/trade runs? It would be something nice to see... Unless you're currently delivering some profitable cargo. 
That XP from trading... Maybe instead of XP make teachers, who for credits will teach player? They would depend on player's trading reputation (more trades, more reputation, better teachers. Also it may count if player trade mainly on open or the black market). You know... It's difference, when fearsome captain seek for someone, who will teach him anything (it would be a disgrace!) and when it is simple (or not so simple) trader... The latter is more plausible, especially when player learns industry/trade skills. 
*goes back to earth, where somebody probably will invent less complicated and better solution*
Well... You guys are gonna have a hard time making and improving trade system... Good luck though!
Hmm, interesting. Honestly, I need to sit down and really think about this; just haven't given it enough thought yet to really talk about it.
- Mini maps for the location of trade partners? What luxury!
Oh hey, someone noticed
The minimaps are my favorite thing. Well, one of.
Question about the second screenshot: Why are supplies, which are plenty, not green?
Because they're used for meeting local demand. It's only green if there's excess (and only if the stockpile is greater than the *supply*, as well, since that's the point when the price dips below base.)
Maybe it would be safer if you'd tie UI-benefits to both general character level and specific skill. All UI elements would get slowly unlocked with increasing level, regardless of your chosen aptitudes/skills. But if you invest in a skill, the UI elements associated with it would get unlocked much earlier. Let's say you'd see most of the trade screen at character level 20, or already at "trader" skill-level 5.
That way you'd be introduced slowly into a mechanic, without the chance of missing its depth altogether. But if you'd be really interested in it, you could fully access is much faster.
Mh.
In general I am a fan of the idea of an gradual unfolding UI, but yeah, it's tricky.
Yeah... hmm. Platformer games are an interesting parallel in how they typically gradually introduce mechanics, and platformer tutorials tend to be really good, too. The way the UI was gradually introduced in a game like Borderlands worked well, too. I can't help but feel they're dealing with a lot less complexity, though.
