Is using trading tools cheating?

[Artie]

Actually, I wrote my own tool for getting commodity prices from web sources combined with my own entries, not for getting the best prices in the whole universe, but just for saving some time and limit pen&paper work. Not sure if this can be taken also as cheating or not. In any case it showed that writing down own data is much better and actualized option, at least during beta. I found some nice profits on my own that way, better or compared to which those web sources offered, and in close star systems.

Unless there will be some ship module as Avago-Earo mentioned, classic pen&paper method with pre-printed structured tables is probably best, fastest and fun way of trading. It may change if various webtools will be regularly updated across majority of star systems, but I doubt so.

[Flip]

What I would love is the ability to open an arbitrary program (like a browser or a spreadsheet) in a kind of floating window you'd display in-game, like the menus or the market. Because I plan to get a Rift as soon as they release the consumer version, and pen/paper wouldn't play too well with that!

[BiggBno]

Does anyone know if there will be a ship module that can 'remember' the market of visited stations? My mobile phone could do it so a space ship in the 3300's should be able to.

In the DDA it plainly says that player trading history is available in detail.

https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=6299

[grogan645]

I use my own excel spreadsheet to keep track of items when I dock somewhere, my trade routes are vlookup tables so I can look at a glance the list of items at both ends of the route and see what was profitable.

It's just an electronic version of the form in the manual.

Now, I won't go out and use someone elses tool and data as I have a lot more fun finding the information myself.

[Artie]

What I would love is the ability to open an arbitrary program (like a browser or a spreadsheet) in a kind of floating window you'd display in-game, like the menus or the market. Because I plan to get a Rift as soon as they release the consumer version, and pen/paper wouldn't play too well with that!

There are already some overlay apps like Overwolf (http://www.overwolf.com/) with in-game browser, you can try it.

[Flip]

What I would love is the ability to open an arbitrary program (like a browser or a spreadsheet) in a kind of floating window you'd display in-game, like the menus or the market. Because I plan to get a Rift as soon as they release the consumer version, and pen/paper wouldn't play too well with that!

There are already some overlay apps like Overwolf (http://www.overwolf.com/) with in-game browser, you can try it.

Thanks for the link, Artie! I'll check it out.

[Harag]

For me the answer is yes and no. It depends on the tool.

If I had a tool and used it just for me, then it's a no - it's simply replacing pen & paper or a spreadsheet, but a tool like Slopeys uploads the data to a central database where everyone else has access to the data, so when player X uploads prices for a system I have never been too, but within jump range, then yes for me I feel like it's cheating.

Personally I think features like this SHOULD be in the game, e.g. in the egosoft X games you have a "buy/sell" module which allows you to get prices for systems etc. If Elite had this type of feature where you can buy / sell prices - like the system maps, then possibly an in game "subscription" service to keep these prices updated etc.

After all in the current world we live at, I live in the UK, but I can get amazon prices for USA products if I want.

Even if this is put into the game (and I believe Frontier are looking into it) you are not going to stop the mass slopey type of products no matter what.

[Mr_Average]

Slopeys tool doesn't seem to work any more, at least not for me.

[Brightside]

I use Thrudds Trading tool, it's not as advanced as other tools but it's handy if I haven't worked out a proper trade route and can't be asked to do so. This morning I used it and stumbled across a 2k/t trade route. With my Type 6 I was able to quickly build up enough to re-buy my Cobra and equip it with decent modules.

[Gazzareth]

I don't think that it is cheating, although I rarely use them since they lost the ability to live update rather than rely on manual entry. Would prefer more information in game and for the info that is already there to actually be accurate rather than what we have now.

G