The Rules of Acquisition in Star Trek Online

[daBelgrave]

There is also a nicely formatted Google Docs version.

Commerce can be difficult, especially when the goal is to earn more than you spend. To make the most profit from whatever limited resources you have, the first thing to do is use math and make sure you always end up with a bigger number than you started with. Following that, however, the strategies grow tricky. Fortunately, the Ferengi compiled throughout their history a list of rules to assist in obtaining profit. By applying these ‘Rules of Acquisition’ to your Star Trek Online endeavors, you can prove you have the lobes for business. Enjoy!

SOURCE: The ‘Rules of Acquisition’ listed here are those from the Memory Alpha website (http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Rules_of_Acquisition). Mixed in are the ‘apocryphal’ rules provided by the same site.

Why write a guide based on the Rules of Acquisition? It’s simple. The rules make up part of the lore of Star Trek Online, and just because they’re about money does not mean they lack application in other areas. If you read through the list, you will find many that apply to areas of the game like fleet leadership, PvP, and how to interact with other players. In fact, you can probably find a rule that applies to almost every situation. So read the rules. Learn. Apply. Enjoy.

1. Once you have their money, you never give it back.
If you're selling on the exchange, there is no way a person will know you posted the item unless you tell them (you get an email saying who buys every single item). However, if you are selling through a trade window, they have the opportunity to check that a specific item is the one they want. There is no reason to give a refund if they suddenly change their mind.

2. The best deal is the one that brings the most profit.
If you want to stand at the exchange all day long and search for items to purchase and resell (I don't), you might be able to find a good deal. People are always trying to sell items as fast as they can, and will price accordingly. This is a good deal for resellers, although it may be difficult to keep one's own items the cheapest when doing this.

2. Money is everything.
You might have the best weapons, fastest engines, or strongest shields, but do you have money? The person who has money can always purchase the best weapons, fastest engines, or strongest shields. While the best gear will not always be the best, money is the path to faster acquisition of the new best.

3. Never spend more for an acquisition than you have to.
If you're not automatically purchasing the cheapest of an item you can find, I'd like to direct you to some sales I'm having, a great deal where you can get one for the price of two!

6. Never allow family to stand in the way of opportunity.
Fleet, family, friends... they can all stand in the way of opportunity. Sure, it might be nice to provide the occasional free item to your fleet or friends, but at what cost? Items are easy enough to obtain. Unless it's an emergency, sell them, and if you must, then share the profits.

7. Keep your ears open.
When season 3 went live, crafting was huge and a number of people made a big profit selling data samples and traces at a premium. How did they know to do this? Simple, they kept their ears open and heard someone else mention how high prices on the exchange had become. Even now, numerous seasons later, the same rule holds true. Keep your ears open. Know everything you can about the coming season, and devise new ways to profit on the initial rush into the new content.

8. Small print leads to large risk.
Failing to read the instructions can cause frustration, embarrassment, or loss. This is especially true with Duty Officers. Never ever forget to read the assignment description. If you do, you might inadvertently send that special one-of-a-kind crewmember on a one-way trip.

9. Opportunity plus instinct equals profit.
Do you think you know a way to make a profit? If you have the resources to make an attempt, then you also have the opportunity. Say you have quite a few duty officer mini-packs after a strangely otherwise unprofitable run with lockboxes. You have an opportunity there. You can either sell those mini-packs (fast and easy), or you can have a sudden instinct to open them and sell the individual duty officers. It will probably turn out that opening the packs and selling the contents is more profitable than selling the packs.

10. Greed is eternal.
It doesn’t matter what you say… There will always be someone else finding ways to make a profit. You cannot ignore this. You cannot escape this. What you can do is jump on the bandwagon. Work the exchange. Find ways to profit. Enjoy your greed.

13. Anything worth doing is worth doing for money.
Are you running a mission? If so, pick up all the loot you can, and sell it as soon as you get back to spacedock. Even a small hypo is a few more energy credits of profit.

16. A deal is a deal.
Did you say you would do something? If so, do it. Otherwise, your reputation suffers, and can hinder your future profits.

17. A contract is a contract is a contract ... but only between Ferengi.
Refer to Rule 16.

18. A Ferengi without profit is no Ferengi at all.
Do you claim to be, look like, or live like a Ferengi? Do you tell your friends about your profits? If so, you’d better be able to show your profits! Get some bling, like a special ship or new costume, and flaunt it often in front of your friends and fleet. Make sure everyone knows about your profits so they know you’re the Ferengi you claim to be. Read Rule 47, and see how that might also apply in this situation.

19. Satisfaction is not guaranteed.
Did I just sell you an overpriced Diburnium Hull Armor Mk III? Is it not working to your satisfaction? I'm sorry, but that's just going to be the way it is. I never guaranteed your satisfaction with that item, nor will I guarantee your satisfaction with any other item.

21. Never place friendship above profit.
Replate friendship with other words, fleet, family, etc., and you should have an idea of how this Rule of Acquisition applies in Star Trek Online. Refer to Rule 6.

22. A wise man can hear profit in the wind.
Refer to Rule 7.

23. Nothing is more important than your health ... except for your money.
If your health is failing, you may find it difficult to play Star Trek Online. You do not want this to happen, so stay healthy. If your health fails, feel free to let it interfere somewhat with your Star Trek Online time, but DO NOT let it prevent you from continuing to profit in the game. Make an effort, even if you’re sick, to do the bare minimum to maintain your money.

27. There is nothing more dangerous than an honest businessman.
Honestly, these Dual Heavy Antiproton Cannons Mk XII [Acc]x3 are very dangerous items. Even though one might find such honesty commendable, do not let it affect your decisions. If it’s dangerous, do not be frightened out of it. Taking advantage of the danger is much more fun, and profitable! You can apply this to other things as well, although I will let you determine those for yourself.

31. Never make fun of a Ferengi's mother.
Reworded, never make fun of your fleet leader's mother. In fact, it might not be the best idea to make fun of anyone’s mother. It leaves them upset, and it’s never a good idea to give anyone a reason to consider revenge.

33. It never hurts to suck up to the boss.
Reworded, it never hurts to suck up to your fleet leaders. They have the power to promote, demote, and even remove you from the fleet. Sucking up to the boss also demonstrates your own business prowess. The more you support your fleet leaders, the more they can support the fleet, and the more the fleet can support you. Everyone wins!

34. War is good for business.
If you want to make large profits, sell the best weapons and equipment for war. Combatants always want the best equipment possible for the tiniest edge over their opponent. There is much profit to be earned while promoting war.

35. Peace is good for business.
The other way to make large profits is to sell the items everyone needs during peacetime. Whether this includes crafting materials, commodities, or something else, you should be able to sell in large enough quantities to make up for your expenses, and perhaps even fund your own wars.

40. She can touch your lobes, but never your latinum.
Never ever allow your fleet or friends to have access to your latinum, credits, dilithium, or other financial commodities. This includes especially rare equipment and personnel. Would you trust someone else to train your Veteran bridge officer that’s worth millions on the black market? Even if she’s your favorite teammate and often joins you spelunking on Risa in search of (Mg,Fe)₇Si₈O₂₂(OH)₂, don’t let her have access to your stuff. This rule applies heavily to fleet leaders. Don’t let your favorite members have rewards just because they’re your favorites.

41. Profit is its own reward.
Profit is a wonderful thing. You can hoard it. You can invest it. You can spend it. Having this type of versatility is the reward for being profitable.

44. Never confuse wisdom with luck.
I crafted a Klingon Bat’leth Mk II [CrtD], and sold it for 50,000 Energy Credits. Was that demonstrative of my wisely choosing a market? No. It was luck that I happened to craft something that someone else wanted to buy. Two days later, the market on those bat’leths plummeted. Luck might work for you once, but do not make the mistake of thinking you made a wise choice that would hold up in the long run.

45. Expand or die.
If you've made it this far through the Rules of Acquisition, you're probably on your way to becoming a shrewd businessman, businesswoman, businessperson, or businessthing. You've probably learned how to corner the market for Mk VII Plasma Beams, a steady income, but not much profit. The one thing you need to learn is to expand your business. Start selling the Mk VIII Plasma Beams also, and then the Mk IX. Otherwise, the market may completely dry up, leaving you without the energy credits to support yourself.

47. Never trust a man wearing a better suit than your own.
In Star Trek Online, the clothing one wears often denotes the type of person they are. Far too frequently, costumes are mismatched in materials, clothing types, and colors. Players like that are probably less likely to pay as much attention to their business dealings. However, someone who pays very close attention to their appearance is very likely to put the same level of scrutiny into their business. A better suit is also sometimes indicative of someone with more profit than you.

48. The bigger the smile, the sharper the knife.
Nothing hurts worse than coming out second-best, except maybe a pulsewave to the face, in which case you probably still came out second-best. What happened was someone lured you into a bad situation. The stronger the lure, the worse off you’ll be in the end. With this in mind, would you like to buy a Worn Tsunkatse Falchion Mk XI? It’s a wonderful deal, one you only get one chance at. What you don’t know is I’m selling the Tsunkatse Falchion Mk XII [CrtH]x2 to your greatest foe. I just killed you, and didn’t even have to do it myself!

52. Never ask when you can take.
The Need or Greed system is one of the most useless loot systems the game has had. Why would anyone claim they only want (Greed) something when they can take (Need) it? Take (Need) everything or you lose your chance at getting the loot. If your fleet or teammates has a policy of choosing Greed, however, it is probably best to go with the flow on that.

53. Never trust anybody taller than you.
In Star Trek Online, this can work in a number of ways, just not so much with actual character height. Others can be “taller” than you with their rank, fleet rank, equipment, accolades, egos, and any other ways players can use to suggest superiority over someone else. Does your fleet leader often ask if you want to duel, even going so far as to claim their ability tray is messed up? If so, consider that he or she probably has more experience, better equipment, and more strategies than you do. If you decide not to trust them, and subsequently refuse to duel, you won’t lose. If you do trust them, the only way you’ll benefit is if they tell you how you lost and give advice to help you improve for next time. If you cannot benefit from such a loss, your trust was misplaced.

54. Rate divided by time equals profit.
This is also known as the Velocity of Wealth. The more money (rate) you make for your time, the more profit you earn. Choose your activities based on the amount of profit you can make for the time you spend.

55. Take joy from profit and profit from joy.
Learn to love making money. Since “greed is eternal,” profit is the one thing that will make you happy. Likewise, let your happiness motivate you to earn more profits.

57. Good customers are as rare as latinum. Treasure them.
This rule is specifically for fleet leaders (or fleet members acting as leaders). Reworded, good fleet members are rare as latinum. Treasure them. These are the fleet members who help the fleet and you. While most of your fleet members are off minding their own business and often remaining more or less antisocial, your best fleet members will make your fleet a fun, memorable, and profitable establishment. They firmly live up to Rule 33, and in the very rare most-memorable cases, Rule 113. Make it worthwhile for these fleet members to remain in the fleet. You do not want to lose them.

58. There is no substitute for success.
So you just lost the duel against your fleet leader. That is too bad, but perhaps they could give you some insight that might help you do better next time. Still, you lost. Too bad. If you want to feel successful, you have to succeed.

59. Free advice is seldom cheap.
Tell me about your ship. Oh, you still operate with Regenerative Shields Mk X [Cap]? I highly recommend upgrading to Covariant Shields Mk X [Cap]x2, of which I currently have listed at a good price on the exchange. Yes, that is good advice, but it certainly isn't very cheap!

60. Keep your lies consistent.
This should be self explanatory. No one likes being lied to. If you’re inconsistent enough that they catch you, there will be trouble. If you’re a bad liar, perhaps you should learn. Honesty can be dangerous to oneself.

62. The riskier the road, the greater the profit.
Is there a sale on Zen and Lockbox Keys? Rule 9 and the luck from Rule 44 suggests that opening lockboxes might be profitable! Opening lockboxes is incredibly risky because of the random results, but the potential for profit can be great. This is especially true in the initial hours of a new lockbox being added to the game, when everyone wants to get the new stuff. Another example could be in that duel against your fleet leader. The fight is very risky to you, but if you win, imagine the boost to your ego!

65. Win or lose, there's always Hupyrian beetle snuff.
So you don’t know if you’re going to win or lose in that duel against your fleet leader, or maybe you do expect to lose. Either way, things won’t always be that bad. After the battle you can always relax with a Bajoran Jumba Stick or a Risian Wine or maybe your fleet leader.

68. Risk doesn't always equal reward.
So you heard a rumor that the Dilithium to Zen conversion rate was going to plummet, and in your desire to get more Zen for your Dilithium, you lowered all your exchange offers. Then the Dilithium to Zen conversion rate skyrocketed, and you didn’t manage to convert even at the original rate. It is a risky move to attempt gaming any market. You risked it all in hope of profit, but there was no reward for you.

74. Knowledge equals profit.
By now you know your fleet leader tends to win when you duel. Do you want to know how? It is their knowledge of the game, knowledge of their own setup, and knowledge of you that equals their win. The more you know, the better suited you will be to interact with others. Watch out for Rule 79.

75. Home is where the heart is, but the stars are made of latinum.
Everyone has a favorite starbase or place to visit. However, you will not profit by staying there. Get out, explore, meet new species, kill them, gather loot. There are profits to be made throughout the quadrant, just not at home.

76. Every once in a while, declare peace. It confuses the hell out of your enemies.
Be nice to your enemies. Treat them well as long as they’re not shooting at you. Perhaps you can learn something from them. It also has the potential to unnerve and leave them incapable of dealing with your next attack. Plus, who knows; perhaps you could become best friends sometime.

77. If you break it, I'll charge you for it.
This goes without saying. If you break it, you bought it. You are responsible for your actions and any consequence of those actions. This is true of all your interactions with other players. How you treat them ends up being how they treat you.

79. Beware of the Vulcan greed for knowledge.
According to Rule 74, knowledge is profit. The more you know, the better suited you are for your business interactions. This, however, can lead to an insatiable, incurable, and undesirable greed for knowledge. When you end up spending more time and effort to obtain knowledge than you do to obtain profit, you will not make a profit.

82. The flimsier the product, the higher the price.
Reworded, the worse the fleet, the higher the fees. Fleets are one of the best social interaction mechanisms in Star Trek Online. You get to meet other players, talk to them, run missions with them, and maybe more. However, one has to learn to distinguish the quality of a fleet, and the easiest way to do this is to look at the requirements. If you are required to do anything to maintain membership, the quality of the fleet is probably not all that great.

85. Never let the competition know what you're thinking.
This applies heavily to PvP. You never want your opponent to know what you’re thinking or they’ll apply Rule 87 to defeat you. To avoid this problem, give cues to suggest you’re thinking something else, then hit them hard with something else once they’ve lowered their guard.

87. Learn the customer's weaknesses so you can better take advantage of them.
This applies heavily to PvP. Your enemy will always have a weakness, even though sometimes they seem impossible to find. Learn this weakness. Exploit it. Kill them. This is the epitome of victory.

89. Ask not what your profits can do for you, but what you can do for your profits.
Do you look at the shiny new weapons on the exchange, and wonder how you can obtain the Energy Credits to obtain them? If so, you’re doing it wrong. Rather, ask yourself what you can do to obtain Energy Credits. Then you have them available the next time you suddenly want a shiny new weapon.

94. Females and finances don't mix.
There is nothing wrong with women. According to Rule 255, a wife is a luxury, and one of the other rules even goes so far as to claim females are better than money! The problem is when they interfere with your finances. Is she preventing you from earning or maintaining your profit? If so, separate them. Keep her out of your finances. That way you’ll be better suited to buy her what she needs or wants, and keep her happy.

95. Expand or die.
This is the same as Rule 45. It is important enough that you should go back and read it.

97. Enough... is never enough.
Why stop trying to make a profit once you reach 1 million energy credits? That large amount of energy credits would be spent soon enough, proving it never was enough.

97. If you can't take it with you, don't go.
Are you fond of your ship? Do you find your shuttle lacking in comparison? If so, you might want to avoid certain missions that require you to take your shuttle. Skip those missions, and move on, unless, of course, you want the reward associated with the mission.

98. Every man has his price.
Do you want or need something that only one other person has? Are they constantly rebuffing your attempts to buy? Don’t give up. According to Rule 10, greed is eternal. Everyone is willing to sell if they see profit in the exchange.

99. Trust is the biggest liability of all.
Do you have a fleet? Do you have friends? If you want to keep either of those, you need to maintain a very high level of trust. They need to be able to count on you, and in return, you can count on them. To assist you with this, review Rules 16, 57, and 60.

102. Nature decays, but latinum lasts forever.
Everyone dies, or technically gets ‘incapacitated’ until they respawn. You cannot avoid this unless you let someone else run all your missions for you, or you level through the Duty Officer system. Your latinum, however, will be a pile that never seems to stop growing, assuming you play lots of dabo.

103. Sleep can interfere with...
Zzzz…. Seriously, get some sleep if you need it. Tired players do poorly on missions, get cranky and irritated, and end up not enjoying the game as much as they should. Get some sleep; you can always kill Borg later when you’re refreshed. If you fail to sleep, you run the risk of… Zzzz...

104. Faith moves mountains... of inventory.
Did you seriously craft a mountain of Field Generators? They might not sell fast, but you’d better believe they will sell. Put your faith into action. Do something, like put those Field Generators on the exchange. Your faith in the player economy will move that mountain out of your own inventory space.

106. There is no honor in poverty.
How do you define honor? Is it winning against all your opponents? Is it flaunting the latest Lobi costume or pet? Is it maintaining a flawless reputation? No matter how you do this, poverty keeps you from the goal. Go earn some energy credits, and build up your honor.

109. Dignity and an empty sack is worth the sack.
Keep your honor intact by not doing something as asinine as ‘leeching’ during a public queue. Even if the mission fails, you maintain your dignity, and keep any loot you obtained during the failed attempt. At least then you can sell the loot.

111. Treat people in your debt like family ... exploit them.
Did you give someone an expensive item like a rare Field Generator Mk XI, or did you provide them with some sort of assistance? If so, they may feel indebted to you. Take advantage of this while you can. See what you can manipulate them to give in return. Maybe they will join your fleet and contribute millions. Perhaps they will become your favorite PvP challenger. Who knows… the things you can exploit out of someone are almost limitless.

112. Never have sex with the boss's sister.
Reworded, never have sex with the fleet leader’s sister. Chances are she’s already married, in which case even making an attempt will get you a quick boot from the fleet. Besides, even if she is available, she probably lacks the influence to coax your fleet leader into giving you benefits. Instead, try Rule 33 or Rule 113 to get the most from your fleet leader. Of course, if you rephrase Rule 41 to say sex is its own reward...

113. Always have sex with the boss.
Reworded, always have sex with the fleet leader. If your fleet leader is single, perhaps Rule 9 comes into play. There is an opportunity here. Go with your instincts, and profit. This elevates you above other fleet members who only live up to Rule 33. On the flip side, your fleet leader might be applying Rule 40 to anyone who attempts this. In either case, it’s a very precarious toss up whether Rule 62 or Rule 68 dictates the result of your endeavors. Of course, if you rephrase Rule 41 to say sex is its own reward…

121. Everything is for sale, even friendship.
Buying friendship is unprofitable and lonely, so never pay to be a friend or join a fleet. Instead, sell your friendship. Make yourself a valuable friend or fleet member. Whether they know it or not, your friends and fleet will pay for your friendship. Just remember, this does not always take monetary form. profits can be social.

123. Even a blind man can recognize the glow of latinum.
Profit is profit. The more latinum a player has, the greater the glow around them. This isn’t some science-fantasy aura, but the appearance and accoutrements they have. Because the year is 2409, even the blind have enough implants and technology to notice this glow. If you want to be noticed even by the blind, look back at Rule 18.

125. You can't make a deal if you're dead.
This is another rule applicable to PvP. If you’re dead, you lost. There is nothing left for you to do, except hit the respawn button. To avert this problem, stay alive. You can do everything while alive, except hit the respawn button.

139. Wives serve, brothers inherit.
Is your fleet leader planning to retire or is your fleet in the process of selecting more leaders? Keep this rule in mind if you want to gain control of the fleet. The players who go with the flow or provide the most services to the fleet probably won’t get the promotion. Instead, the promotion goes to someone else who might not provide as much services, but brings a variety of new ideas.

141. Only fools pay retail.
Refer to Rule 3.

144. There's nothing wrong with charity... as long as it winds up in your pocket.
Are you a fleet leader? If so, be generous and charitable toward your fleet members. Doing so makes fleet members happy, and happy fleet members fill fleet projects. In the end, you profit! For everyone else, this still applies. Be charitable toward other players. It ends up giving you a chance to use Rule 111.

147. People love the bartender.
Bartenders provide more than just drinks. They can provide information, entertainment, discounts, and let’s not forget the drinks. Bartenders act as a sort of social hub facilitating nearby social interactions. The bartender is important not so much for the service he provides, but for the additional benefits he provides with the service. In Star Trek Online, ‘bartenders’ are the players people flock toward. They are usually amicable, helpful, knowledgeable, friendly, and experienced. Even if you never talk directly with the bartender, the bartender might still be facilitating something that ends up benefiting you somehow. If you want other players to love you, be a bartender.

162. Even in the worst of times, someone turns a profit.
Does the Star Trek Online economy have you down? Are you finding it hard to sell the Shapeshifting Lockets that once funded your every whim? If times seem this tough, have no fear. There are still profits to make. Even though Shapeshifting Lockets are out, try something different. Who would have guessed that Duty Officer slave trade could be so profitable? And even if you are the slave, the slave traders still turn a profit!

168. Whisper your way to success.
Why do you succeed by whispering? Well, there are at least five ways. You can whisper bits of information into the right ears, and earn profits for doing so. You can whisper sweet nothings in the right ears, and earn the rewards for doing so. You can whisper to keep from getting your enemies’ attention, and survive by doing so. You can whisper to save your voice for the times when you need to shout, and be able to get attention only when you need it to profit. You can become an expert whisperer, and profit by training others to whisper. How does this help you in Star Trek Online? Lean close, stroke my lobes, and let me tell you softly.

177. Know your enemies... but do business with them always.
You should always know your enemies. This lets you use Rule 87. However, never let someone’s status as your enemy prevent you from doing business with them. Who cares if you hate them? Make money off them now, kill them later.

181. Not even dishonesty can tarnish the shine of profit.
According to Rule 16, a deal is a deal, but Rule 60 says to keep your lies consistent. So which is better, honest or dishonesty? Ultimately, it comes down to which works best for you, but I recommend whichever lets you keep your reputation most intact. What matters most is your profit, which Rule 189 affirms.

189. Let others keep their reputation. You keep their latinum.
Once you have someone’s latinum, or whatever you wanted to get from them, you have no need to take anything else from them. Leave them be. The hard part is very few players actually remember this rule or how it applies. When you inflict an embarrassing defeat on someone in a duel, don’t rub it in. You have your victory, so let them leave with their dignity.

190. Hear all, trust nothing.
The rumor mills never cease to churn out interesting speculations. Listen to everything. Sometimes you might hear the beginning of something that could turn out true. However, just about every rumor you hear will be false or based on a false premise. Are the rumor mills suggesting the Dilithium to Zen conversion is about to skyrocket? Make a note of that, but do your own research with a trusted source to confirm if there is any likelihood of it happening.

192. Never cheat a Klingon... unless you can get away with it.
Some players will stop at nothing for revenge. Do not cheat them, or you will find yourself facing some very troublesome problems. If you value yourself, and you should, do not do something like sell an Efficient Bridge Officer, and then switch it out for something else at the last moment. Of course, if you can get away with it…

193. It's never too late to fire the staff.
Fleet leaders, you need to do whatever it takes to keep your fleet thriving and running smoothly. If your staff are unable to perform their duties, fire them. You can always find someone else willing to do the same job, and often for less compensation. Fleet members, if your fleet allows it, you can take the same attitude toward your leaders. If they are unable to keep the fleet thriving and running smoothly, fire them. Either find a way to remove and replace the leader, or join another fleet.

193. Trouble comes in threes.
As one of three leaders of the fleet I am in, I refuse to comment on this rule.

194. It's always good to know about new customers before they walk in your door.
Reworded, it’s always good to know about new fleet members before they join. Talk to them. Take them on a mission. See how they interact with others. One of the hard parts about this is that you rarely have time to interact for long before sending a fleet invite. The next best thing is to reserve your lowest fleet rank for this ‘trial’ period.

202. The justification for profit is profit.
Refer to Rules 18 and 41.

203. New customers are like razor-toothed gree-worms. They can be succulent, but sometimes they bite back.
Reworded, new fleet members can be great, but sometimes you get a bad one. The only way to safely deal with this is to provide some sort of protection against new fleet members to go bad.
See Rule 194 for more ideas about this.

208. Sometimes the only thing more dangerous than a question is an answer.
Refer to Rule 59.

211. Employees are the rungs on the ladder of success. Don't hesitate to step on them.
Reworded, fleet members are the rungs on the ladder of success. No one likes being stepped on, but what if they never know it’s happening? Use your fleet members to advance your fleet holdings, and build the success of your fleet. Not only do you benefit, but they do too!

214. Never begin a negotiation on an empty stomach.
In Star Trek Online, the contents of your stomach, or lack thereof, have no affect on any negotiations you might do. Your character gets such little benefit from eating or not eating that you will never be distracted by hunger. However, there are other distractions than hunger. Do you need to stop by a vendor and pick up more Auxiliary Batteries? Do you need to visit a mail terminal? Was there someone you needed to talk to? Take care of these distractions before going into any major negotiations with others.

217. You can't free a fish from water.
If you take water away from a fish, it will suffer. If you take the water away for too long, the fish will die. The fish, no matter how much it might enjoy walking on land, requires water to live. People are similar. They have things they cannot live without. Do not take away these things since you are not providing a service by doing so.

218. Always know what you're buying.
I once bought a Technician Duty Officer. The description said it reduced Bridge Officer ability cooldowns. Did I know what I was buying? No. Technicians only reduce the cooldowns IF I use the Auxiliary Power to Battery ability. By not knowing what I was buying, I spent energy credits on something I could not use.

218. Sometimes what you get free costs entirely too much.
Did you win your fleet’s starbase contribution contest? If so, you probably received a “free” prize, but was it really free? There is a very good chance your contributions to your fleet are greater than if you bought the prize item for yourself. On the plus side, contributions to your fleet provide other benefits than just your “prize” for winning the contest. Things may even out eventually.

223. Beware the man who doesn't make time for oo-mox.
All business and no pleasure leaves a man (or woman) agitated, distracted, and generally not so fit for business. People need the break from business. So take some time for pleasure, whatever it is for you. Even if you’re Borg, go do something you enjoy, like measuring efficiency.

229. Latinum lasts longer than lust.
Are you lusting after my Hyper Impulse Engine Mk XI [Aux][Spd][Turn]? Let me tell you, if you can't quite afford it now, hold on to your latinum. At some time the Mk XII will be available. You’ll no longer be lusting after my engine, and you'll have the latinum for that immediate purchase.

235. Duck; death is tall.
Refer to Rule 53.

236. You can't buy fate.
Did you just watch your friend loot an Antiproton Beam Array Mk XII [CrtD]x3? Such is fate. You can only hope for the best, not control it. Perhaps someday you will loot something better, but don’t anticipate it. The closest you can come to buying fate is to buy the item from your friend.

239. Never be afraid to mislabel a product.
It is very difficult to mislabel a product in Star Trek Online. What you can do, however, is mislabel the price, especially on the Exchange. Do you have a Holo-Emitter that looks very similar to one of the special lockbox ships? List it at lockbox ship prices, and see if anyone takes the bait. Another thing you can do is try to find those few items someone placed on the exchange in an attempt to transfer large amounts of energy credits to between characters. List your items at the same price, and hope they buy the wrong one. It might not work, but if it does...

242. More is good. All is better.
Cornering a market and creating a monopoly is difficult unless you are very well funded. If this is your business strategy, make a point to at least control a large portion of those items on the market. This makes it easier to control prices. If you can control all of those items on the market, you are doing even better!

255. A wife is a luxury... a smart accountant a necessity.
Unless she is your accountant, in which case I might remind you about Rule 94, make sure you know the difference between your wife and your accountant.

261. A wealthy man can afford anything except a conscience.
How does a Ferengi become wealthy? Buy conducting business. Ignore the impoverished players crying about unfair prices on the exchange. It’s not your problem they lack basic understanding about how supply and demand determines prices. You also need to consider Rule 284, and realize anyone making such a claim is just as much a Ferengi as you are. They want to appeal to your conscience with the hope of finding a way to profit on your good will. Do not give in. List your items at a price you consider fair, not what they consider fair.

263. Never let doubt interfere with your lust for latinum.
You are making profit gaming the Dilithium Exchange. Suddenly, you hear a rumor that exchange rates are going to change drastically. Don’t let this cause you to withdraw from the market. Let your lust keep you invested and profiting. You can always adjust your offers later if the market does fluctuate.

266. When in doubt, lie.
Did someone just ask you for advice on a topic about which you are uncertain? If so, make up an answer. I do this every time someone asks me about “Aux2Batt” builds since I don’t use them. Rules 60 and 267 will help you succeed.

267. If you believe it, they believe it.
Nothing makes it harder to believe something than hearing it from someone who seems uncertain about it. So how do you make someone believe what you say? Make sure you believe it first! This will help you with Rules 60 and 266.

284. Deep down, everyone's a Ferengi.
No matter where you go or who you meet, everyone longs for profit. They want something in return for their efforts, items, or anything else they give up. Understanding how this works is the crux of navigating the Great Material Continuum.

285. No good deed ever goes unpunished.
It is always nice to do something good for other players. Perhaps you went out of your way to provide a necessary item for a less wealthy player, or maybe you tried to show support for another’s fleet. The problem is someone always seems to feel threatened by your altruism. They will either attempt to show you up, or react in a completely opposite and negative way.

286. When Morn leaves, it's all over.
Morn is the epitome of a good customer. He is loyal and always pays his bill on time. When Morn decides to no longer be a customer, the business suffers. Every fleet has its Morn, the good member everyone knows and trusts. When that good member leaves, it’s over for the fleet unless they can find a new Morn. Holo-Morn’s just don’t quite cut it.

299. After you've exploited someone, it never hurts to thank them. That way, it's easier to exploit them next time.
Did a fleetmate offer to give you a Bridge Officer with Beam Overload III? Obviously you accepted the offer since the profitability of that ability is quite good. Thank them for letting you exploit their generosity. Maybe even consider giving them a few energy credits as well. This makes it more likely they will allow you to exploit their generosity next time.

305. Always be considerate.
This is often harder than it sounds. Sometimes our completely innocent actions are inconsiderate or are taken as such. However, at least make an attempt to be considerate. Other players come from all walks of life, so being considerate of them makes it easier to do business. See how easy that was? Now you can make profit!

#. A man is only worth the sum of his possessions.
Two Dual Heavy Disruptor Cannons Mk XII [Acc]x3 are better than just one of those same cannons. Either the person will use them to defeat you in PvP, or they will sell them to have more profit than you. Either way, that person is worth more than you.

#. Exploitation begins at home.
Reworded, exploitation begins in the fleet. Check out Rule 299 for an idea how this applies.

#. When no appropriate rule applies, make one up.
It won’t happen very often, but sometimes you just can’t figure out which rule applies to the current situation. When that happens, this rule applies, in which case you just found a rule that does apply. Make up a rule. Either you’ll be wrong and no one will ever hear that rule again, or your Grand Nagus will praise your fiscal prowess and invite you to dine on Ferenginar.

#. When the messenger comes to appropriate your profits ... kill the messenger.
The only way to avoid paying your bills is to pretend you never received the bill. Unfortunately, this only gives you a temporary reprieve. Eventually you will need to pay.

#. Time, like latinum, is a highly limited commodity.
This is why playing enough dabo to earn a sizeable amount of latinum takes so much time.

#. Always inspect the merchandise before making a deal.
There are many tales about people buying Efficient Bridge Officers only to have the other person switch out the Bridge Officer for an inferior one. Always make sure to inspect what you are buying before you buy it.

#. Money is money, but females are better.
Does this really need explained? I can always game the Exchange, but how often do I get a chance to join a woman for spelunking on Risa? Given a choice, I’d take the woman over the Exchange any day.

#. Why ask, when you can take?
Refer to Rule 52.

#. A good lie is easier to believe than the truth.
Not everyone wants to hear the truth despite their claims otherwise. Instead, they want to hear you reaffirm what they believe to be true, even if they are wrong. See Rules 60, 266, and 267 for more information on this topic.

#. If that's what's written, then that's what's written.
You cannot be more plain than what is written, except when what’s written is straight from the Cryptic UI tooltips. Even then, what’s written is what’s written, and looking back, this guide is written too.

[OCEANNUT]

Nice, I enjoyed those.