What if one cluster was completely lacking a material while the neighboring cluster had plentiful of it? Even in that situation? Supply and demand would dictate that no matter the cost, when there is no supply, demand is infinite.CSE wrote:Yeah. But as this is not very realistic that the player has such an impact, this is the reason why commerce must be very costly - thus have a limited influence due to marginal volume. Impact is on information mostly, and the fact that we generate a new cluster when the player is still some distance away should "hide" somewhat the fact that exchange happens only "recently". Not perfect though.DWMagus wrote:We're also talking about mostly historical and LOD simulation.
It seems that if one cluster is more rich in a specific element than another, then once the history is done generating and once a few clusters are discovered, it may be completely possible the AI will then 'see' this other cluster as you traverse boundaries (utilizing the idea that was put out a long time ago that information travels with ships) and trade may establish between the two regions.
As for the player having an impact, the sheer fact the player exists is the impact. Take the following situation;
The cluster (and possibly surrounding clusters) have been generated. Taking into account the fact that knowledge travels and is not instant (as hinted here), then the medium of moving that knowledge IS the player (as from what you've said clusters are self-contained). Whenever the player crosses from one cluster to another, they take that information with them.
Now, we expand that from a set of clusters that were generated on game-start to when the player gets near the boundary of a cluster that requires a neighboring cluster to be generated, and we have the possibility of a newly generated cluster being roped IN to the rest of the other clusters' economy.
I like to make this akin to countries. Each country is (for the most part) self-contained, but there is still commerce that flows between them. Not as much, mind you, but it allows for a way for the economy to grow and become interconnected. It also allows for the ability to create the equivalent of a refueling station between such clusters that if done right could make a lot of money for the trader because they're basically creating that inter-country highway.
Of course, if by creating these stations, it reduces the cost, then it is also a way for the player to influence trade and make new trade possible. Cutting off clusters from one another completely in the sense of the AI just doesn't make sense, even if there is some threshold. Suddenly the player is less limited than the AI.