Anarchy-capitalism in Starsector

Disclaimer: the author did not even master Vicki on Ankapa (anarcho-capitalism), not to mention the lack of education in economics, and does not claim to be a “scientific” definition of economics in Starsector as an ankap. The title is chosen for the sake of a loud word and memes, not for a discussion on the topic. I do not know the term for the economy of the East India Company and the times of great geographical discoveries, if any, it would suit more. I ask you to unsubscribe to the comments, how much it is all « easy ».

Starsctor is a game, a space sandbox, where you manage the fleet captain in a not very happy future. The background of the world can be described as follows: humanity has mastered the cosmos, settled around the stars, invented steep AI, “star gates”, then something happened (war?), and since then humanity has been divided into fractions, none of which can prevail in the confrontation with each other, piracy and so on flourishing (post -apocalypse? Waha without fantasy elements?).

For at least a complete description of the gameplay and the mechanic, such a number of words that are enough for a separate article (perhaps there will be a link to such an article of my authorship, but not today). Therefore, briefly. In the main mode, you can fly in space, travel to different planets, run away from another fleet, etc.D. In combat mode, you directly control the ship, and order other ships under your command what to do. In the negotiation mode … this … you can choose dialogue options.

This is what a hyperspace looks like, or just space

View inside the system

Dialog box with a colony

Why anarcho-catapitism? Part of the “anarcho”: the factions are not very similar to states, more likely to open organizations connected by the economy and say “ideology” (pirates have urine, hegemony has a ban on AI, weapons, the path of Ludd – radically relate to all technologies), and individuals are quite free. “Capitalism” is that everything costs money, and to many things this is the only requirement. And since this sandbox and progress are difficult to measure here, it is easier to do it through the peculiar Pay oxen (the first capital ship, the first colony and so on).

Economic base

In Starsctor, one of the most thoughtful economic systems that I saw. Ships should be served at least by the indicated number of people (who, by the way, pay a monthly reservation), reserves (Supplies) per day, fuel per unit of movement (Normal-Space Light Year). Buildings in the colonies generate the relevant requests for the products produced: Food farms require organics;The combat base prepares the crew for the colonies and ships, Space Marinov (okay, just Marinov) in return demanding supplies, fuel and warships, mines dig in what is on the planet (organics, ore, blue ore) needs heavy equipment and drugs (the miner’s life is difficult). But the production center and the consumption center can be in dozens of light years from each other, so the logistics is very significant. Thus, everything is connected, both colonies and fleets.

Production as a whole

And what edge of the cosmos you would not fly, these rules will work everywhere. This means that the merchants who saw on their transmitter Tri-Tachyon rising prices for food prices in several light years from them will be snapped everywhere. Each fleet, whether it is pirate or free requires fuel and supplies (once, I won the confrontation with the pirate raid by maneuvering around it until they ended with supplies). And all this lives its own life, completely without requiring the player’s interventions. And constant events, such as the next war between the factions, the raid of pirates or followers of the path, introduce unpredictability to the adopted order.

Pricing depends on several factors: https://4crowns-casino.co.uk/ the availability of needs, reserves of the resource in the colony, stability of the colony. You will not sell a ore in a colony for an acceptable price, where there is no melting, not to mention what prices will be in the colony with the mine of this ore. Also, do not sell well in the colony, where this ore is already with excess. If the colony also has orbital batteries, patrols, and a communication relay is built in the system, then goodbye light money, stability does not contribute to a profitable deal. For a free merchant. In need and injured from raids of pirates of the colony, ready for food (or what they need) to sell their mother – this is our path.

The black market, or how I stopped worrying and fell in love with anonymity

Next, let’s talk about the « markets ». You think to be a merchant is profitable and safe? As at the expense of the « white » market with 30% tax for each transaction and goods in each colony? Even with a profitable difference in price, the transaction is unlikely to be strongly repulsed, take into account the spent fuel and repair of ships! All cream is in the shadow sector of the economy. Yes, this is not legal, and can be punishable by a sudden test of you from patrols, but what can you do for the sake of money. This chapter will be devoted to the avoidance of all these misunderstandings.

The first thing you need to know about the gameplay of this game (immediately after the availability of tax, of course) is the button of entering the transmitter disconnect into the shutdown. What she does?

Standard Transponder (1) turned on

Button invisibility freely transaction incognito to make war crimes in the entrance is not recognizable personality

You dream of quickly making a condition without doing anything, sell an extra (barrel or dose) trash at a favorable price? Then this is a button for you. Precautions: do not use patrols in the area of ​​action, in order to avoid further grief. Therefore, the second you need to know is never believe it, another button! Which makes radiation from your ships minimal, reducing the radius of detection in other fleets, and also highlights you. But you can’t just take and turn off the RETRARNOPLE! AI here will quickly make it clear which of you is a fool. A suddenly missing signal will make it clear that something is not clean here, and you need to send a patrol. Therefore, use either in advance or far from the fleets, you can still use the foggy and asteroid belts that block the Wi-Fi signal well.

It sounds difficult? Still! You need to have fast ships for good ships, as well as a couple of perks in order to turn the action more efficiently. But even having all the above may not have an effect due to dense, ubiquitous patrols near developed systems. Therefore, I am sharing like, greatly simplifying the life of an illegal merchant. Neutrals do not care about unknown ships. At all. Therefore, friends with them, and enjoy mutually beneficial trade without unnecessary ethnums and taxes. Also, if your fleet is much stronger, then flying patrols will not rush to make claims, but rather dumps and will follow you at an honorable distance. The main thing in such a situation is not allowed to catch yourself in the battle with the station. Well, this works only for hostile fractions, not aggressive will expect a prudent behavior from you, and will be upset if you do not want to turn on the identification beacon.

We figured out the economy, it was time to discuss really important things: the ideological component of the game economy, and profitable earnings strategies that the game pushes for.

Intellectual property and monopoly. Each fraction (except for neutrals) has its own drawings of space dish, and is not going to share with them. Therefore, to access the coolest ships, you will need to lick it well, enter their club, fulfill their stupid assignments, protect their systems from raids (the most profitable way in every sense). Thus, factions generate political and economic power near them, providing unique ships and access to powerful weapons. Yes, of course, you can find the desired ship in outdoor space, or in the black market, if you are incredibly successful. You can accidentally find drawings in the study of distant systems, or storming orbital construction docks, but you need to have a developed colony, having previously swept a lot of money. But most likely you will have to follow the fractions.

A little more about the black market. There is a proverb that sounds like this: “Everything that got to the black market will sooner or later be in the hands of the pirates” (c) Sun-tzu-promin. But the rule of the working. Having sold to someone illegally drawings with small vessels with jumping engines, after a while you can find a raid of pirates who suddenly made a technological breakthrough with you. I don’t know if it works for capital ships, I think that the pirates should not have enough production capacities in theory, but you never know.

Also, in fact, any transaction concluded in the black market will be beneficial to the pirates (or the path of Ludd), since they cannot trade in open due to enmity with all (well) other fractions.

The most profitable goods that are sold and bought almost everywhere – drugs and extracted (yes, absolutely voluntarily) organs. Their price is one of the highest, which means it is not necessary to have a lot of cargo space for gaining a benefit, due to the specifics of goods (they are prohibited) in distant regions (mostly pirate of course), it is always not enough, and the difference in purchase and sale may calmly differ by 2-3 times, if lucky, then more. We get a good startup, and a deal with a conscience.

Sales price (bought somewhere for 170)

General Stonks (and, the total price of a little smaller turned out to be, here you have dynamic prices)

The fact that it is beneficial to trade in the black market, you already understand. Now let’s think a little wider. “In the dark” you can even bargain with hostile fractions, the pirates and followers of the path are at least polynomial, but their colonies are limping (you can try your luck even with a relatively small fleet), prices depend on supplies and stability. We mix the above and … oh my God, but this is an almost win -win scheme of earnings!

Once again, but from the beginning. I copy the money for the Kruiser Class ship (some Falcon will go), with such a ship, small shavings will escape us, a couple of freight and fuel ships, a hundred other warriors, and we are looking for a sacrifice. Tactically bombard the planet to weaken stability, rob the poor pirate colony without resistance, until we fill the holds, and repeat with another planet until we get tired. We sell where to. After a couple of months, the robbed planets will be ready to trade with you again, and often still have a shortage of approximately all the required products. In the meantime, you are doing this circle, the first colony will already move away from the shock. Fun, profitable, and besides money you will get a couple of levels. And most importantly, the scheme is flexible and is easily expanded and supplemented.

I don’t remember exactly, I myself reached it or spied on it somewhere, but the game itself has such a “creativity”, because money is always needed, and light money suggests the presence of such inhuman methods, and you will not be punished for such behavior.

Money does not smell

Maybe the developers did not lay such thoughts when creating a game, but I came to them. Without pathos dialogues, kitszen and other things. Only gameplay and economics, which is in everything, and from which you cannot run away. That’s why Starsector is great.

Not an enviable fate of people in such a world. To be a colonist, often means living on planets with far from earthly conditions, is probably hard to work, and if you are lucky, it is not on the outskirts where the raiders often look. It’s not sweet to be part of the crew, since hundreds of ships die in permanent wars, and there is no guarantee that you will not be on them. In any of these cases, you have no vote, you are goods and consumables. They will say to learn a toxic planet – you will do it, you have no choice. If you are lucky, you can become an officer of a small ship, or take a little important position in the colony. If you are very lucky, you can become an administrator of the colony, and sitting for the years by controlling the naked piece of stone in space with the presence of rare ore. The most “lucky” become captains of flotillas, and have the opportunity to do what you want, but they pay the risks to the next expedition or die in the battles with the entire fleet. In this world, man is a wolf person, and there is no way out of this vicious circle.

Well, I hope it was interesting. I hope I will soon write about the gameplay of the game. In the meantime, go out, space wanderers, and remain people wherever the adventure road will lead you.