In this video, the speaker discusses the concept of commodity supply chains and how they can contribute to building a dynamic economy in Star Citizen. They explain that understanding how commodities are produced and used is crucial for creating a realistic simulation of the economy. They propose a system where trading locations have both inputs and outputs, creating a demand for certain commodities and motivating players and NPCs to transport them between locations.
The speaker suggests that each location should track the stockpile of inputs and outputs, expressing their willingness to buy or sell based on the desired state of the stockpile. They also discuss the challenge of determining prices, suggesting a base price and modifiers based on supply and demand. Quanta, which are invisible NPCs used in the economy simulation, would make trading decisions based on available information and profitability.
The speaker acknowledges that there are still some issues to address, such as the potential imbalance caused by instant trading and the need to manage the movement of quanta across star systems. They propose solutions like tracking the number of quanta headed to a location for trading and considering player influence. Ultimately, the video outlines a basic framework for building a dynamic economy in Star Citizen, emphasizing the importance of balancing realism and simplicity.