Market Survey and Order Search
In a single request, the deputy can review demand and supply across all stations, market depth, recent trades, and an arbitrage forecast from your current dock.
Contents
What it is and why it matters
A regular order book shows one commodity at one port. A market survey shows the whole market at once and answers questions like "who is buying titanium above 40" or "what can I profitably haul away from here." It is read-only: nothing is bought, sold, or reserved.
What you can ask
| What | How it works |
|---|---|
| Demand and supply | The best order by station. You can narrow it by commodity, side, and region |
| Price and volume filter | Minimum and maximum price, minimum volume. The filter looks only at the best level |
| Liquidity | If a commodity is selected: best bid and ask, depth across the whole order book, and the spread at each port |
| History | Recent trades with the buyer, the seller, and their type |
| Arbitrage forecast | Buy at your dock, sell along a direct route, minus fuel replacement. Up to eight best options |
| Catalog | All commodities with their class, tier, and the list of stations where there is a bid and an ask |
The forecast needs a docked ship with free space in the hold. If you have several ships, name the one you mean.
Example
"Who is buying Titanium Ore from 40 credits? Where is it sold for no more than 40? What is the spread at each port?"
In the starting world on November 6, the answer was: demand from 40 only at Altair Exchange, 48 for 90 units; supply at no more than 40 only at Helios Port, 30 for 160 units; spread of 6 at Helios, 8 at Vega, and 12 at Altair. Forecast for titanium from Helios: Altair 648, Vega 204. The best forecast across all commodities was Electronics at Altair, 1,368. Prices change.
Limitations and risks
- A forecast remains a forecast: a late order can miss, and bids are not reserved.
- Goods stay at their own station. There is no shared warehouse.
- A forecast does not change the deputy's list of proposals and does not become an assignment.
- Other companies' private credits and inventory are not included in the answer.
Common mistakes
- Reading the best forecast as a recommendation to buy. Compare it with the risk and the depth.
- Searching for commodities that have no ask from the port authority: most new commodities can only be produced or mined.
What's next
If the counterparty you need is not in the order book, check the public announcements. A ready option can be delegated to the deputy.
Checked against the game server code: 2026-11-06. Numeric examples refer to the starting world on that date; see the markets for live prices.