HBS has structured the EconSIM so gamers will not be able to make a profit solely from trafficking High Demand Goods from planets where it is a Buyers Market (Lower Relative Prices) to planets where it is Sellers Market (Higher Relative Prices.)
The EconSIM is well nuanced and immersive, but from what HBS has said lately, it is also abstracted sufficiently that while many costs are indeed accounted for, they are not accounted for individually, but rather abstracted into the Players "Burn" rate. Which at its core is the number of Fiscal Quarters remaining before your Overall Operating Costs "burn" through your personal holdings of Cbills. Putting excess BattleMechs into Deep Storage, present an upfront Opportunity Cost, but once in Deep Storage no longer carry with them any recurring Operating Costs, thus reducing your Quarterly Overall Operating Cost and extending (even if minimally) your Unit's "Burn."
The EconSIM is set up so we can't get ahead by operating as Merchants. But I do believe that HBS is looking to price LosTech (Star League Era Superior Weapons and Equipment) in such a fashion as to present to the player the very real and tempting Decision to either sell it and plow the profits back into our Unit in other ways, or to load the peice of LosTech gear onto a Mech, derive tactical benefit from it... but risk it being damaged or destroyed during a Mission.
Of course at Campaign Start, I am very intent on confirming or denying all the above. IIRC
@HBS_Kiva is principally responsible for crafting our BATTLETECH EconSIM... so I won't be surprised if there are all manner of immersively nuanced through elegantly abstracted depths to the EconSIM. : ) I a great deal of FUN sussing out the ways and means of the EconSIM. I am very much looking forward to it. :bow:
