Markets and Economies in Solar Echoes (part 3)

If players show interest in playing the stock market in Solar Echoes, the Mission Controller can add another layer to the experience by dropping occasional hints throughout each mission. For instance, a player might succeed at an Awareness check during a mission and notice that starport guards were listening to a newscast, and it was mentioned during the newscast that Hyperion Industries was experiencing a labor strike. Players that happened to have stock in Hyperion might want to sell immediately before the stock value drops too low. The Mission Controller could have a lot of fun with players, using descriptions about different companies and situations to flesh-out a believable universe while giving keen players a chance to enterprise on the knowledge and benefit financially. Players might even influence the course of events enough to realize that their decisions could have serious effects upon financial markets. What if the players discovered that a Farmakia orbital lab was illegally producing a forbidden product? In the process of accomplishing their mission, they might have negatively influenced the outlook for the Farmakia company behind the orbital lab, and if they play their cards right, players might just be able to make a profit in the stock market by investing in a rival company. When the news of the illegal activities reaches the media, Farmakia stock would plummet and the stock of its biggest rival would skyrocket. Insider trading? Sure it is, and it's up to the MC to determine whether or not shrewd players should be rewarded for their cleverness.