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.