Economy, Trade, and Crafting: Credits Make the Galaxy Go Round

By Ashton Data Publishing, LLC — balancing spreadsheets so you don’t have to (much)

Greetings, traders, scavengers, and professional loot optimizers!

Welcome to Dev Blog #11! You’ve got weapons, vehicles, and planets to explore — but none of that matters if you can’t afford fuel, ammo, or that suspiciously expensive multitool.

This week, we dove headfirst into the economic backbone of AD Galaxy Traveler:
trade, crafting, and the many ways players accidentally go broke.

The Galactic Economy: Not All Credits Are Created Equal

The galaxy now runs on a dynamic economic simulation. Prices aren’t static — they react to what’s happening around them.

Each system tracks:

• Supply and demand
• Faction control
• Recent mission outcomes
• Planetary hazards
• Trade traffic
• Player interference (yes, we see you)

If pirates disrupt shipping, prices spike.
If miners flood the market, values crash.
If you “liberate” an entire warehouse… well, someone notices.

Trade Routes: Risk, Reward, and Poor Life Choices

We implemented early trade route logic:

• High-profit routes = higher danger
• Safe routes = modest returns
• Black market routes = questionable legality

Smugglers can:

• Bypass tariffs
• Hide contraband
• Make enemies very quickly

Legitimate traders enjoy:

• Stable income
• Faction protection
• Slightly less shooting

Both playstyles are valid.
Both end in trouble eventually.

Crafting System: Build It, Fix It, Improve It

Crafting is now fully integrated into the gameplay loop.

Players can craft:

• Weapon upgrades
• Suit enhancements
• Vehicle components
• Survival gear
• Specialized tools

Crafting requires:

• Raw materials
• Refined components
• Blueprints
• Access to proper facilities

Crafting in a starport is easy.
Crafting in a storm-ravaged ruin?
Less so.

Resource Gathering: Everything Has Value (Sometimes)

Resources come from:

• Mining asteroids
• Salvaging wrecks
• Stripping abandoned facilities
• Completing missions
• Questionable deals

Some resources are common.
Some are rare.
Some are illegal in three systems and sacred in another.

Guess which ones pay the most.

Workbenches and Facilities: Location Matters

Not all crafting stations are equal.

Facilities provide:

• Efficiency bonuses
• Reduced material cost
• Access to advanced recipes
• Specialized modifications

A makeshift bench works in a pinch.
A top-tier facility turns you into a gear wizard.

Economic Consequences: The Galaxy Remembers

Your financial decisions have ripple effects:

• Corner a market → prices shift
• Support a faction → trade improves
• Sabotage a competitor → retaliation follows
• Flood a system with goods → economy destabilizes

Yes — you can crash an economy.
No — the NPCs will not be happy about it.

Memorable Bugs of the Week

• A trader NPC became absurdly wealthy overnight.
• Crafting 1 item produced 47 helmets.
• A black market dealer refused to accept money.
• A resource labeled “Unknown” was worth everything.

We fixed most of these.
The mystery resource remains… mysterious.

Final Thoughts for Dev Blog #11

Economy, trade, and crafting transform AD Galaxy Traveler from an action game into a living simulation. Every credit earned has context. Every purchase has consequences.

Next week:
Dev Blog #12 — “User Interface, Accessibility, and Teaching the Galaxy to Make Sense”

Until then, balance your books, guard your cargo, and remember:
If a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably involves pirates.