Trading

Trade Ratios:
Resources	Min Ratio	Max Ratio	(Merchant Ratio)
Ore » Hydrogen	2 : 1	3 : 1	2.5:1
Ore » Crystal	1.5 : 1	2 : 1	1.667:1
Crystal » Hydrogen	1 : 1	2 : 1	1.5:1

You can trade resources with any player, regardless of rank. To trade, locate the traders planet in the galaxy screen, and click the     button on their planet row (in the same group as Attack, Espionage, Transport, etc). When you select the amount you want to trade, you will notice the number is red. In order to initiate a trade, you must select an appropriate amount of cargo ships, and also the appropriate amount of resources you want to receive in the transaction (see Trade Ratios chart at right).

Once you have confirmed the trade, a request will be sent to the other player, who will then need to select enough cargo ships to send their resources.

Also, when you have sent the trade request, the agreed amount of resources and required amount of ships to transport it will become unavailable for further actions till the trade request has either been confirmed, declined or the requesting player has cancelled the request. That prevents you from dedicating resources or ships needed for the trade till the trade request has been confirmed or declined.

Like with all fleet actions in STC, the time given will be one way only. So if it says the trade will take 1 hour to complete, your fleet will be gone for 2. 1 hour to get to the target planet, and 1 hour to get back.

NOTE: While in "Trade Pending" status, ships are still considered "in orbit" and are still subject to attack as they would if they were just sitting there uninvolved in any action. If you are attacked, they will be part of any planetary defense action, and the res contained will be able to be plundered if the battle is lost. I have not verified, but assume that, should the attack destroy the needed ships to perform the transport, that the trade will be canceled, even if your trade fleet and other defending ships successfully defends itself and keeps the res.