X3TC Resources Spreadsheet + Flow diagrams. (+ Ware analysis)

[MeatBag]

These files were made with the manual trader in mind.

They show both the requirements for a ware and the destinations of that ware (Primary and Secondary). These are particularly useful for interracial trading

Resource stats.xls

Bio/Food flow chart.jpg

Tech flow chart.jpg

The spread sheet shows typical stats of wares such as min, average, max price, cargo volume... Plus other calculations to show the ware’s potential return on capital invested and return on cargo volume. (explained below)

Spreadsheet covers all low tech wares; from Argnu beef to Teladianium. It covers tech wares; from Quantum Tubes to Warheads. It does not cover individual missiles, shields, cannons etc since they are not a requirement of any station, only sold to docks/ports

All wares show the races’ ware’s possible imports and exports

Feel free to add or remove parts to suit your requirements

[MeatBag]

Analysis of wares

Two figures are used in the spread sheet to help determine the ‘worth’ of particular wares:

Return % = (max price – min price)/min *100
This figure is useful for traders with relatively large cargo bays but with low bank account. e.g. 10k credits and a TS ship. Since purchasing wares will empty the bank before the cargo bay is full. Wares with high values for Return % are better than those with small values.

The stand out wares for this case are: Swamp plant, Sunrise flowers and Majaglit. Although finding stations to sell some of these wares to may be difficult

The worst are: Microchips, Crystals, Quantum tubes, E cells, Bo Gas

Vol Return = (max price – min price)/volume
This figure is useful for traders with small cargo bays but with relatively limitless bank accounts. e.g. 200k credits and an M4 or M5. Since purchasing wares will fill the cargo bay before the bank is depleted. Wares with high values for Vol Return are better than those with small values.

The stand out wares for this case are: Microchips, Rifles, Side-arms, Space weed, Space fuel. Again, finding stations to sell these wares to may be difficult

Of the standard Bio/Food wares, the best are: Soja Husks, Rastar Oil and maybe Chelt Meat

The worst are: E cells, Scruffin Fruits, Plankton, Ore, Meatsteaks


This shows us that the most optimal trading resource will change as your situation changes. Wheat may be a great resource to trade with while saving up for your first big TS, but it will not be afterwards. While Soya Husks may be terrible to trade while saving, but they are quite profitable with the new TS


Example
Let’s say we come across a chip plant and a computer plant. Both overflowing and selling at Min price. Also there are plenty of neighbouring stations which are completely empty of these resources. How do we decide if we should invest in chips of computer components?

Microchips
Volume=2
Min - - - - - Ave - - - -Max - - - -Difference
11,725 - - -13,476 - - 15,227 - - 3,502
Return % = 30
Vol Return = 1,751

Computer Components
Volume=1
Min - - - - - Ave - - - -Max - - - -Difference
998 - - - - -1,348 - - - 1,698 - - 700
Return % = 70
Vol Return = 700

Just looking at the difference between min and max price actually tells us nothing.

Case A. Return %
We have an M3; cargo size 400 but with only 12,000 credits in the bank.

We can buy 1 Microchip for 11,725 credits
or 12 Computer components for 11,976 credits
At which point the bank is depleted

Now sell 1 Microchip for 15,227 credits
or 12 Computer components for 20,376 credits

This agrees with Return % values since:
Microchips Return % = 30
<
Computer Comp' Return % = 70

Hence 'Return %' dominates

Case B. Vol Return
We have an M5; cargo size only 10 but with 200,000 credits in the bank.

We can buy 5 Microchip for 58,625 credits
or 10 Computer components for 9,980 credits
At which point the cargo bay is depleted

Now sell 5 Microchips for 76,135 credits = 17,510 profit
or 10 Computer components for 16,980 credits = 7,000 profit

This agrees with Volume return values since
Microchips Vol Return = 1,751
>
Computer Comp' Vol Return = 700

Hence 'Vol Return' dominates

Warning:
The above example, Return % and Vol Return are all assuming that wares are purchased at Min price and sold at Max. Half full/half empty station stockpiles will have a directly proportional effect on these calculations.

Ware availability and demand is quite likely to have a large impact on determining the ‘best’ ware to trade with.

Determining if you have Cargo>Credits or Cargo<Credits is tricky. If you are Cargo~Credits you may find that you can empty the bank when buying tech, but fill your cargo bay when buying bio. This means Vol Return and Return % will not always easily help your determine the better ware.

Once dealing with large bank accounts and super freighters, both these figures are useless. The dominate factor I believe will be the producer and receiver station’s stockpile sizes and hence how many stations need to be visited to offload all of the cargo. I have not (yet?) collected data on the station’s stockpile sizes

[Danya Turrel]

Thank you, Meatbag - (That sounds so rude. Sorry)

That's a good stab at a very complicated topic.

I didn't know that there were any stations where the Large version used different secondary resources than the smaller stations of the same type. Nice catch.

D

[MeatBag]

Thanks

There were a quite a few one-off exceptions which i am not sure if they are bugs or not. But that type of random depth does help keep things interesting i guess

[Lancefighter]

Great guide, good supplement to a starting trader guide.

However, could I request that those pictures be hosted somewhere other than filefront? Filefront is fine for files, mods, etc, but for pictures, not so much.

[fireslide]

I like this a lot. Well done.

[MeatBag]

However, could I request that those pictures be hosted somewhere other than filefront? Filefront is fine for files, mods, etc, but for pictures, not so much.

Done

[Lancefighter]

awesome, that works much easier than downloading them at filefront

[Furism]

The Filefront link doesn't work any more. Just thought I'd let you know. I can mirror it in a more permanent way if you allow me to.

[herocrafter]

As Furism said, back in June, the file is no longer available for download.

[pjknibbs]

And since Meatbag hasn't posted on the forums since November 2008 I doubt he's seen either Furism's message or yours. I'm going to lock this and let it sink now--no point bringing it to the front page when there's unlikely to be a reply from the OP.