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• The only factors affecting the price of a resource are market purchases by players and the neutral colony.

• You can predict the future price of any resource by looking at the consumption and production rates of the buildings on the map.

• Every time a resource unit is purchased or sold, its market price changes by $0.00x. (there isn't a single player in the entire community who knows this number)

• If your opponent is using a resource and not producing it, you should think of ways to drive its price up.
• Some resources are purchased using debt when you do not own units of those resources.

Note: the first tip is actually not true. If you leave a skirmish on AI_test speeds, all the prices will go to 999 eventually. There is hidden consumption not mentioned anywhere.

http://offworldtradingcompany.gamepedia.com/Market#Market_Dynamics *cough* (it's not perfectly exact and there are some rounding quirks, but that captures most of it)

Something on auctions going to debt (and being careful about how much you spend on them) could be useful, as could something on power, specifically how consumption will rise as players upgrade and move into special buildings.

Add "and even better to have a triangle of those"

• If the price of a resource suddenly jumps up - don't panic, someone is messing with the market
• If you want to use the hacker array - hack resources that no one else is producing
• Producing upgrade resources yourself (like steel) makes upgrading much easier
• Sometimes you need to buy up your stock to defend yourself instead of rushing an upgrade
• Building your own Pleasure Dome cuts into your rival's Pleasure Dome profits

Some are better than the other... Will try to think of more. Most of this advice though is strictly multi-player, it would be somewhat misleading if a person is just playing skirmishes

Power pays towards debt first, sometimes it's better to take money now than later

Money = happiness

Expansive trucks move 50% faster, this also reduces their fuel consumption

Robots consume power instead of fuel

Scavengers use a lot of carbon, you will need at least 2 mines worth

Scientists are great for newer players

• As Yerand said - buildings in triangles provide maximum efficiency
• Clicking the "toggle" button on the top left of the screen shows you the unclaimed resources
• Build resources connected to your base to better be able to respond to changing market conditions. (I've seen several new players playing non-scientific HQ's locate steel mills and glass furnaces away from their base leaving them very susceptible to magnetic storms and pirates).
• Advanced buildings can be built next to the colony for additional efficiency
• Pick and choose which auctions you take. Don't take them all!

• Don't hesitate to transition. At some point you won't need that aluminium tile to produce aluminium. Make something else
• Be ready for chemical price to shoot up when you see engineering and patent labs being used
• Geothermal plants are very productive but very expensive (as in don't build one on HQ 2)
• A good subsidiary can earn you a lot of money in the long run
• OTC is a fun game. Tell your friends! (okay, that's cheesy... but true!)

1. Scientifics do well when they are adjacent to a lot of resources.
2. Expansives can easily switch their buildings around to produce what is most profitable.
3. Scavengers propser when they have the high carbon tiles.
4. Robotics can easily speed through upgrades and with very little debt.
5. When geothermals are sparse, carbon and silicon are bound to become expensive because windmills and solar panels require these in order to be built.
6. It is better to produce what no-one else is producing.
7. Hover over the colony port to see which particular resources are likely to be expensive by day 2.

1. Debt is a resource, think it over before you place power early

2. Wait for the debt timer to tick down in reveal map or suffer horribly

3. Try aiming your emps at people producing the same resources as you

4. Using mutinies very early on in a multiplayer game is often a double edged sword

5. Buying resources you don't need can be a great way to turn a profit and squeeze your opponents

And most importantly:

6. Black market effects don't work on UltraPope so don't use them on him; you should be nice to him as well. Pitch in when he is trying to buy someone out and generally try and give some moral support it will....boost your elo? His stock also causes mild skin irritation so best not buy any of it. 

Money is best invested, not hoarded.

The black market is a powerful tool, use it early and often.

Use [Tab] to keep an eye on your opponents.

Take care when upgrading. You will be more vulnerable when low on money.

Secure Upgrade resources early. They will allow you to expand your corporation.

The Offworld Market is a great tool to finish games when prices have fallen low.

The Patent Lab offers unique abilities to your corporation, but only one player can have each patent. Acquire patents early if you think you need them.

Purchasing your own stock will make it far more difficult for competitors to acquire your company.

The neutral colony consumes a lot of resources, and changes every game. Check up on it occasionally.

Neutral colony buildings each offer a unique benefit. Try to use them to enhance your corporation.

The map is different every game. Identify scarce resources, and attempt to secure them before your competitors.

Each company type is unique. If you're struggling with one, don't be afraid to try the others.

Some hotkeys would be useful to list as hints, like:

Press "z" to view the amount resources under an occupied tile

Press Shift+Ctrl+down to sell all of your resources at once

Press "b" to bid on the auction

etc.

Thanks, all!

There's one hint about secondary buildings that says that they should be next to "you" HQ instead of "your" HQ.

And in an attempt to be slightly more helpful:

• Subsidiaries give a percentage of their cash on hand to stockholders every second. If a subsidiary has too little cash, you may not receive any income.
• Expansive HQs add the most to Pleasure Dome income while Robotic HQs add nothing, and the amount added scales with HQ level.
• Buying or selling resources will cause prices to change quicker in games with fewer players than in games with more players.
• Consider a Robotic found when water is very scarce.

I thought of two others today that would be very helpful for new players. Obviously you can use the concept and wordsmith it as necessary:

1. Don't try to be self-sustaining. Produce items that are profitable and purchase cheaper goods with them.

2. Diversify your claims. Claiming a monopoly on a resource will force you to sell down the resource and make it cheap for others to buy it.


These two came from watching a bunch of new player videos on youtube. Many people are a little lost on what to do early on (as I was at first and fell into the trap of point #1 when i started playing). Nobody likes to see little red numbers show up and your debt mounting when you're just starting out.

Sabotage resistance is disabled when the owner of a building is hidden.