Trading mechanic question

[Vinerable_Sin]

Why did the devs implement "critical mode"?

When the stock of one ware a station is trading for becomes very low the station manager deems that stock critical and doesn't allow it's traders trade anything but the critically low ware. This can easily breaks trading/production chains if there is no supply for the critically low ware. There also isn't really obvious notification alerting you about the critical ware issue or the broken trading/production chain. This can frustrate some players to blow up in steam forum posts. Why did the devs implement the critical mode? Was it to reduce endless loops?

[Vinerable_Sin]

Also, Can you give me an orange exclamation mark, or some kind of notification on my station or somewhere non cluttery that will inform me that the station manager has deemed a ware "critical".

[Vinerable_Sin]

Also I have a couple questions about the Ware Basket:

1. If a trader assigned to a station is not set to automatic does the pilot now get the roll chance to improve their skill after a successful dock & trade or does the station manager?
2. If a trader assigned to a station is not set to automatic does the pilot use the station's logical overview buy sell orders or is it just looking for cheapest/highest buy/sell order from anywhere?
3. If a trader assigned to a station is not set to automatic does it obey the station's internal only buy/sell orders or will it trade with all?

[MKL81]

I can honestly say I do not like this implementation of critical wares mechanics, especially when I set my station traders to transfer wares between my own factories and new wharf or trading station. The goods are not produced fast enough to fill in the new station quickly and my traders just idle waiting for this ONE particular ware they consider "critical", all while other goods are paused, where I might have stocks to be transferred. This is stupid, if we really want to have emphasis on some station goods, deemed by AI critical, then let prioritize this ware when doing trade searching but if no trades found - the traders should move on to next ware in their scope.

[Vinerable_Sin]

My issue stems from a similar situation. My galaxy ran out of weapon components and I'm forced to wait for more to be made. No problem I can wait but I would rather my trade didn't completly stop (unsure if NPC can still buy and sell or if the station manager only stops his trade ships) because of a silly game mechanic. I really wish I understood why "critical or priority good" is a mechanic. I tried to beat this game mechanic by using the trade basket- unselecting automatic and then selecting all wares. The only issue is that didn't trump the "critical or priority good" ware. The trade ships still sat there doing nothing and only traded when the critical ware became available again. I really want to be able to trump the critical ware. It is an issue, even if it's working as intended. Many players on steam forum feel this way and it would also be great is I could get a "select all" for the trade basket. It's the little things that make this game amazing.

[HummerD]

My issue stems from a similar situation. My galaxy ran out of weapon components and I'm forced to wait for more to be made. No problem I can wait but I would rather my trade didn't completly stop (unsure if NPC can still buy and sell or if the station manager only stops his trade ships) because of a silly game mechanic. I really wish I understood why "critical or priority good" is a mechanic. I tried to beat this game mechanic by using the trade basket- unselecting automatic and then selecting all wares. The only issue is that didn't trump the "critical or priority good" ware. The trade ships still sat there doing nothing and only traded when the critical ware became available again. I really want to be able to trump the critical ware. It is an issue, even if it's working as intended. Many players on steam forum feel this way and it would also be great is I could get a "select all" for the trade basket. It's the little things that make this game amazing.

Finally found a fellow with the same problem! I'm having similar trade issues, transports attached to a starving shipyard won't go and buy critical goods even though there is a selling station with 600k Terran MREs in stock within 2 jumps (33.4 sell price at selling station and 75.5 buy price at shipyard, just to be clear), so my shipyard is already empty of workers. All trade was working fine during 6.0, so I'm pretty sure this is a 7.0 issue. No mods, creative start, 5 star station manager.

PS:I thought the game's trade AI was broken. It's true that the AI's product selection is strange, but I realized that it can be avoided by the player manually specifying the quantity. Sorry for the trouble.

[Vinerable_Sin]

Finally found a fellow with the same problem! I'm having similar trade issues, transports attached to a starving shipyard won't go and buy critical goods even though there is a selling station with 600k Terran MREs in stock within 2 jumps (33.4 sell price at selling station and 75.5 buy price at shipyard, just to be clear), so my shipyard is already empty of workers. All trade was working fine during 6.0, so I'm pretty sure this is a 7.0 issue. No mods, creative start, 5 star station manager.

PS:I thought the game's trade AI was broken. It's true that the AI's product selection is strange, but I realized that it can be avoided by the player manually specifying the quantity. Sorry for the trouble.

I was able to finally come to the conclusion that there isn't a satisfactory solution that is "dynamic" enough when it comes to a station manager's priority ware mechanic. If the galaxy runs out of the ware or if you consume the ware faster than you produce it then you will have to wait until the ware becomes available again in the galaxy. (This becomes more frustrating when you have to wait 50 minutes out of the hour for your workers to go back to trading) The only way to fix this is to manually change the buy order's storage allocation to 1 so that the ware is removed from the trader's trade basket. Once it is removed from the trade basket they will all go back to trading... Manually adjusting the trade basket (by unticking automatic and selecting specific wares) does not trump a station manager's priority ware mechanic. It would be nice if it did. At least it would be for the 1 percenters like you and I. Too bad that specific mechanic doesn't bring in a lot of new people. I doubt it will be addressed any time soon, if ever. But, you never know, I've been wrong before.