The Planetary trade profile was an assessment of a planet and its inhabitants, specifically of its economic buying power, and was developed by the Federation.

Specifics[]

In the 23rd and 24th century, this profile was used in most of the galaxy known to the Federation to calculate import/export prices for material goods. The UFP/Independent Traders Association assigned the profile, which was expressed as a nine-letter sequence reflecting the demand for particular items. Items in high demand on a world tended to be imported more, whereas items in lower demand tended to be exported. (FASA RPG modules: Spacelanes: The Magazine of Interstellar Trade, First Year Sourcebook)

The scale[]

The first seven spots in the profile were for various specific types of raw materials: foods/agricultural products; bulk normal raw materials; special alloys/dilithium/radioactive materials; pharmaceutical products; low-tech manufactured goods; medium-tech manufactured goods; and high-tech manufactured goods, in that order. Letters, ranging from A through H, represented multipliers to the average Federation price for a material: A (x 0.25, i.e., one quarter of the price), B (x 0.5), C (x 0.75), D (x 1.0, i.e., no change to the price), E (x 1.25), F (x 1.5), G (x 1.75), or H (x 2.0, i.e., twice the price).

The eighth spot was separated from the first seven with a slash, and denoted the relative value for luxury items. It used a different multiplier scale: A (x 2.0, especially interested, double the price), B (x 1.5, moderately interested), C (x 1.0, neutral, no change to the price), and D (x 0.5, disinterested).

A ninth spot, in parenthesis, denoted the planet's relative population size. It was a modifier used to compute a planet's base consumption rate: A (x 4, very heavily populated), B (x 2, heavily populated), C (x 1.0, moderately populated), D (x 0.5, sparsely populated), E (x 0.25, very sparsely populated), X (x 0.1, applicable to a small colony or space station).

So, for instance, AAAAAAA/D (X) would denote the lowest selling prices for all goods, including the lowest prices for luxury items, on a world with the smallest population. Traders used the ratings in the trade profile to calculate the maximum quantity of a particular cargo that they could sell on a particular planet. (FASA RPG module: Trader Captains and Merchant Princes)

Select examples[]

2280s[]

• Alpha Centauri VII: AABAABB/A (B) ^{[1] [2]}
• Arken II: CDHFDEF/D (D) ^[2]
• Andor: AFGEABE/D (C) ^{[1] [2]}
• Ardana: BAABCBC/C (D) ^[1]
• Argelius II: AABCBCB/A (B) ^[1]
• Asparax: BCCCDCD/C (C) ^[1]
• Axanar: DDBFEEE/D (D) ^{[1] [3]}
• Baker's World: DDCFEFG/A (B) ^[4]
• Bonus Run: BDEFACF/G (C) ^[5]
• Cait: BEFCDEG/B (C) ^{[1] [2]}
• Cestus III: DDDCDED/D (C) ^[1]
• Coridan III: FCAGDEF/B (E) ^[1]
• Daran V: CAFEBCF/G (A) ^[6]
• Delta IV: ABABCCB/B (B) ^{[1] [2]}
• Deneb Kaitos IV: CCBCEDE/C (C) ^[1]
• Deneva: AABAABA/A (B) ^[1]
• Dyanthos: FCAGDEF/B (E) ^[7]
• Earth: DDDDDDD/A (A) ^{[1] [8]}
• Ectair: EBDFEFG/A (C) ^[9]
• Eminiar VII: BBABCDD/B (B) ^[1]
• Fillandia: GBDCECF/B (C) ^[2]
• Freeman's Port: EDCEDEFD/B (C) ^[10]
• Izar: BBABBBC/A (B) ^[1]
• Janus VI, Pergium Production Station: FBAFDFH/A (X) ^[8]
• K'linsann: BDCDEFF/C (C) ^[11]
• New New Aberdeen: DCBFBCE/B (B) ^[12]
• Platonius: DDEEDED/D (X) ^[1]
• Rigel I: GABGDFH/C (X) ^[13]
• Rigel VII: BDEEDFF/B (E) ^[13]
• Rigel XII: EABFBEF/D (X) ^[13]
• Sigma Iotia II: CBDEECC/C (C) ^[1]
• Spica IX: BBCCDCC/D (D) ^[1]
• Tasor: BBAFBEG/C (E) ^[14]
• Tellar: EAAGADG/(A) ^{[1] [2] [8]}
• Troyius: ABCBCCB/D (C) ^{[1] [13]}
• Valtor III: FGGDDDG/B (D) ^[15]
• Vulcan: FBECAEF/D (B) ^{[1] [8] [2]}
• Wrigley's Pleasure Planet: ABDBBBB/A (C) ^[1]
• Xelata: BDFDBBE/C (B) ^[2]
• Zaran II: DCDDDCB/B (B) ^[2]

2360s[]

• Angel I: BDHCBCA/D (D) ^[16]
• Betazed: BBDDDDC/C (C) ^[16]
• Bynaus: EDCCCDD/A (B) ^[16]
• Deneb IV: BBBCBDC/B (D) ^[16]
• Mordan IV: HFFEEBC/B (C) ^[16]

Appendices[]

References[]