No Man's Sky Guide - How to Use The Trade Economy

Hey there! If you are anything like me, you have definitely wondered how exactly to construct an effective method to making money in No Man's Sky so that you can purchase anything you want (for units that is). So here I am, hoping to help you all out and potentially learn something myself!

Note: This method is slightly complex, does require a decent understanding of the game's mechanics such as Warping to Star Systems, and quite a bit of materials to setup so buckle in and follow along! I hope to make it as simple and easy to understand as possible for Beginners or even Veterans.

• Understanding Trade Economy
  
• Utilization in Practice
  
• Step-By-Step Breakdown of Base Construction
  
• Final Notes

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Without further ado, let's get started.

Here I will try to keep it as simple as possible while covering all of the important information.
Which is:

• What exactly Star System Economies are
  
• How to Locate Them
  
• Which Ones are the MOST Profitable to Search for

The Trade Route is the most optimal path to take to reach the most profitable Star Systems based on the different Trade Goods they desire (demand) and what they provide (supply).

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The Economy in any given Star System is represented by an icon. That icon tells you, the player what type of Economy they have present in said system, simple enough!

Yo can also figure out which Star Systems have which Economies with an Economy Scanner[nomanssky.fandom.com]. By entering the Galaxy Map, you can select "Economies" within the filter setting and reveal all Star System Economies based on color.

• Orange - Mining
  
• Cyan/Bright Blue - High Tech
  
• Red - Power Generation
  
• Yellow - Manufacturing
  
• Green - Trading
  
• Dark Blue - Scientific
  
• Purple - Advanced Materials

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The 7 Different Star System Economies function like this:
Mining -> Manufacturing -> High Tech -> Power Generation -> Mining -> (Repeats) Scientific -> Trading -> Advanced Materials -> Scientific -> (Repeats)

With this knowledge you can (while setting up) effectively map which Star Systems to look for next after acquiring their respective Trade Goods!

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Now that you know how Star System Economies are categorized, you then need to understand the Economy Level.
Here's a secret... it is incredibly simple!

Each Star System Economy has a level to indicate their success within the system, and it is shown by the number of stars next to the icon of the Star System's Economy when looking through the Galaxy Map

And let me just say... 3 Star Economies are the wealthiest systems and provide the MOST Trade Goods to purchase when at a Space Station or a Trade Post.

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Additionally, each Star System has a specific supply and demand rate which will remain consistent. Only when you sell enough Trade Goods to a specific Star System will the Sell Rate start to drop, but don't fret! They will need your valuable Trade Goods in roughly 24 hours.
(This seems to be the accurate amount of time it takes for a Star System to reset based on my testing.) The OPTIMAL Star System Economy Buy/Sell Rate is somewhere between:

• 70.0% to 80.0% | For Sell
  
• -20.0% to -30.0% | For Buying

The Rates will NOT exceed 80.0% Sell and -30.0% Buy. Here are some examples.

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Simply put, some of the Star Systems will have a specific Trade Economy listed above, but will be "Pirate Controlled." All it means is that you can sell the Trade Goods to that Star System, but they produce Black Market Trade Goods. In this case, you can sell Power Generation Trade Goods to this Star System for the highest profit. However, you will not receive Mining Trade Goods from the Star System. The profits gained from selling Black Market Trade Goods will NOT change based on Economy, so you can then take these goods and sell them to any Regulated Star System for extra Units.

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First, you will search for the specific Star System Economy that you desire, THEN you will search for which Star System has a 3 Star Level with their Buy Rates and Sell Rates reaching as close to -30.0% and 80.0% respectively, as possible.

This is how you maximize profits.
Simple enough I hope!

First things first!
You receive BETTER deals when trading at Trade Posts as opposed to at Space Stations.

But how do you find Trade Posts?
Utilize the Economy Scanner!

When inside your Starship and have an Economy Scanner installed, locate the Economy Scanner within the Quick Menu.

After selecting the Economy Scanner, this pop up will appear.
Pressing the FIRST OPTION will direct you to the closest Planetary Trade Post

Upon arriving at the Trade Post you will notice that there is plenty of empty space underneath the Trade Post, this is where you will construct a Base.

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The Base design itself is very simple and requires the following PER TRADE POST:

• 1x - Base Computer
  
• 1x - Base Teleport Module
  
• 1x - Battery
  
• 2x - Solar Panels

Once all materials have been gathered, arrange the components like so:Both Solar Panels are connected to the Battery AND the Base Teleport Module, and the Battery is connected to the Base Teleport Module.

That way, the Solar Panels power the Base Teleport Module and recharge the Battery during the day, and the Battery does the work during the night.

Notes:

• This setup is a Permanent Power Source and will keep the Base Teleport Module operational forever.
  
• The Solar Panels DO NOT need direct sunlight to operate.
  
• If it is night when you arrive at a Trade Post, you can either wait until morning or construct a Biofuel Reactor to power the Base Teleport Module and the Battery, from then on the setup will function on its own.

And thats it! Thats how you utilize Trade Routes to make a lot of units (without feeling like you're cheating).

The initial setup phase takes a few hours of searching for Star System Economies and gathering materials required for the Base.

If you have any questions, or if I missed something important, please let me know and I will update the guide to cover more areas.

Thank you!