Trade Companies
The organizations behind the trade route contract system. Every trade contract in the game is issued by one of these companies. Their personalities determine what kinds of routes they run, how they treat you when you deliver late, and what they're actually moving.
The trade contract system supports N companies, all admin-authored. This document defines the launch set: 6 companies covering the full OL range, three races, and the full spectrum of reputation types - from squeaky-clean logistics corps to organizations you're not entirely sure are legal.
Pages
- Nexus Freight Division
- Ironway Cargo Guild
- Wayfarer Courier Collective
- Free Margin Logistics
- Deepveil Transit
- Stratum Extraction Services
Overview Table
| Company | Race | Routes Serve | Reputation Style | Tier Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nexus Freight Division | Varath | Entry–Mid | Institutional, impersonal | Tier 1–2 |
| Ironway Cargo Guild | Keth | Early–Mid | Honor-based, demanding | Tier 1–3 |
| Wayfarer Courier Collective | Meridian | Mid–Late | Precise, unsettling | Tier 2–4 |
| Free Margin Logistics | Neutral | All tiers | Pragmatic, no questions | Tier 1–5 |
| Deepveil Transit | Cross-racial | Mid–Endgame | Calibrated, secretive | Tier 3–5 |
| Stratum Extraction Services | Varath | Mid–Late | Industrial, heavy | Tier 2–4 |
Authoring Notes
How to Configure in Admin Portal
Each company requires setup in the Trade Companies admin page:
- Company record - name, tag, payout/deadline tuning, grace period, flavor text
- Reputation tiers - create exactly the tiers listed above (Threshold, Title, Description) with the standing numbers from this doc
- Routes - create routes referencing the origin/dest sector_ids with base_payout and base_deadline
- Contract tiers - Tier 1–5 exist globally; associate routes to appropriate tiers
- Modifiers - optional probability-based bonuses/penalties; recommended: at least one "Urgent" modifier (payout_mult 1.35, deadline_mult 0.8, prob 15%), one "Standard" (neutral, 50%), one "Delayed" (deadline_mult 1.3, payout_mult 0.9, prob 35%)
Standing Interactions
| Company | Cross-Faction Benefit |
|---|---|
| Nexus Freight Division | +minor Nexus Industries standing |
| Ironway Cargo Guild | +Ashveld Covenant standing (tiered, see above) |
| Wayfarer Courier Collective | No cross-faction; WCC tracks internally |
| Free Margin Logistics | No cross-faction; intentionally isolated |
| Deepveil Transit | Undocumented Nullfront interaction at max standing |
| Stratum Extraction Services | +Stratum Corp standing (tiered, see above) |
Payout Calibration Reference
Base payouts should hit these targets from economy-design.md:
| Tier | Target payout/run | Typical window | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | 500–1,800 cr | 30–45 min | Entry pilot income |
| Tier 2 | 2,500–7,000 cr | 25–40 min | Mid-range reliable income |
| Tier 3 | 8,000–22,000 cr | 20–35 min | Serious trade income |
| Tier 4 | 25,000–60,000 cr | 15–30 min | Late-game primary income |
| Tier 5 | 60,000–150,000 cr | 10–25 min | Endgame trade loop |
Modifiers adjust base payout: Urgent multiplies up, Delayed multiplies down. The Tier 5 range is intentionally wide - Deepveil and FML Tier 5 routes carry risk factors that justify the ceiling.
Narrative Principle
Every company should feel like it has a reason to exist beyond "provider of contracts." Pilots who read the flavor text should understand what the company wants, who it answers to, and what kind of work they're really doing at high reputation.
- NFD: Boring and reliable until you notice the sealed pouches.
- Ironway: The most trustworthy company. The trust means something.
- WCC: Correct in ways that become unsettling. Their trust is earned by precision, not warmth.
- FML: No judgment. This is either freedom or complicity, depending on the pilot.
- Deepveil: The higher you go, the more you understand the context. Understanding the context is a choice.
- Stratum: Hard work, decent pay, and you know what Stratum is doing. You're helping them do it.
These aren't just flavor - they're the game asking players what kind of pilot they want to be.