Survey
Sensors reveal uncertain deposits. Information has an owner, a confidence rating and a market value.
THE LIVING ECONOMY / 02
Every fortune begins
as something physical.
No magic inventories and no decorative markets. The things players discover, move, steal, damage and consume are the economy.
ONE CONNECTED MACHINE
Value moves.
It never spawns.
A ship exists because someone mined and processed its materials. It flies because someone supplies fuel. It earns because another company needs cargo delivered.
01Survey→
02Extract→
03Transport→
04Process→
05Manufacture→
06Contract→
07Trade
Extract
Crews convert equipment time, power and risk into traceable batches of physical material.
Transport
Ships move mass through real distance, consuming fuel, maintenance, labour and security.
Process
Refineries separate, purify and grade inputs. Yield depends on feedstock and equipment condition.
Manufacture
Industry consumes standardized materials to make parts, tools, hulls and station supplies.
Contract
Companies promise quantity, quality, delivery windows and penalties—turning reliability into leverage.
Trade
Markets price scarcity, distance, urgency, risk and reputation. Nothing is priced in isolation.
A RESOURCE, FOLLOWED END TO END
Batch ICE–7A41
One illustrative load of water-bearing regolith shows how every handoff adds cost, information and opportunity.
Survey confidence82%Sold by an independent prospector
Extracted mass24.6 tPower and drill wear consumed
Refinery yield8.1 tWater after separation losses
Delivery riskHighRoute crosses an unpatrolled gap
Outcome: Morrow Station buys the water above its normal rate after a delayed NPC shipment. The hauler earns a risk premium; the refinery can make propellant; local ship operating costs ease.
PRICES TELL THE STORY
The number on the market
is a consequence.
Scarcity
Depleted claims, damaged infrastructure and surging production change what exists locally.
Distance
Mass costs time, fuel and maintenance to move. Location turns the same resource into a different product.
Risk
Piracy, policing, route intelligence and insurance expectations become part of every quote.
Trust
Reliable delivery records unlock better contracts. Failure, fraud and contamination follow a company.
ALIVE FROM THE FIRST LOGIN
NPCs hold the line.
Players take the market.
NPC companies supply essential goods, accept entry-level work and repair broken links when too few players are online. They are economic scaffolding—not permanent winners.
As player companies demonstrate dependable volume, quality and delivery, NPC capacity withdraws gradually. Prices remain legible, contracts remain available and the market transfers into player hands without collapsing overnight.
LOW PLAYER SUPPLYNPC capacity expands→RELIABLE PLAYER SUPPLYNPC capacity contracts
DESTRUCTION CREATES DEMAND
Conflict has a bill.
Fuel burns. Components wear. Cargo is stolen or seized. Ships need repairs. Evidence makes criminal routes more expensive. Piracy can transfer wealth, but damage and enforcement also remove resources and create new work across the chain.