Hi everyone!
We hope all of your summers are off to a good start. Stuffie and I have been working on ALPHA 14, and it is coming along well. We are working on adding (or re-adding if you want to be technical) trading. So far we have got the UI and the interaction process done, and now are working on the behind the scenes stuff that really drives Space Impossible, things like: data templates, appropriate trader generation depending on things like faction and location, as well as trader maintenance and some trader items.
The way trading works we hope will be pretty intuitive, but also powerful. You will have to hail a vessel, and if it is a trader, you will have the choice of starting a trade session. Trading takes place directly from inventory, and you will be buying and selling based on your and the other's stacks. Traders will be limited to what they have available, and will only be able to buy what they have room and currency for. Same for yourself, so keep an eye on what you have present. Traders will have pricing variation based on a number of factors including item type, their faction's opinion of you, and location. We are still hashing out the consequences for attacking traders and stealing their stuff, but we're aiming for it to be both a valid way of conducting yourself, but not something so lucrative that it is "the best way".
There will not be player owned traders. Sorry, but it is just a giant pile of problems at this time. It is also something we feel would have limited use and be an extreme burden to set up and maintain. You will however be able to trade directly player to player (in multiplayer) as well as buy stuff from traders that the trader had previously purchased from another player.
Currency is added, in the form of SpaceBucks. This will be used to buy and sell, and can be rewarded from missions too. SpaceBucks will not an item, so you will not be able to drop it like you can with inventory.
We have had a real design challenge in how to keep traders stocked in both money and items. What we have decided to go with is a refresh timer. Unlike strictly single player games where you can often "rest" or otherwise accelerate time, that is not an option in Space Impossible. We are instead going with a flat time period (probably 20 min by default) after which traders will restock and resupply their piggy banks. This will be something that can be changed in the config files if desired. You will still be able to buy back stuff you have sold previously or accidentally, or even buy stuff that other players may have unloaded, but those traders (especially stations) will actually be able to continue to serve a purpose.
Also being worked on are "Trade Lanes". These will be areas in a star system that you will be more likely to find trader vessels (and possibly pirates or escorts) so if you want to get some trade action, or looking for a fight, you will have areas to gravitate towards. We will be attempting to make these logical, e.g. a path between a region with a mining station to a region with a refinery.
We have also have received some reports of beacon problems, and we are looking into those. A Pre-Release Build will be out A.S.A.P. for ALPHA 14, as soon as mid next week if things continue on pace.