Economy

[Adeelos]

What about the ability to place back-orders with trade ships? It wouldn't be uncommon for a colony to place a shipment request (for the sake of the example) for a large supply of R4 Charge Rifles. Pay up half the deposit now, and the next time the trader comes back they drop off the rifles and pick up the last half of the deposit. Or even something as simple as trade contracts. Make a contract with an npc trader to come by on some specific day each cycle and automatically exchange goods, something like that.

In general, I feel like the whole economic aspect of the game (given that the game is still in alpha) needs greatly expanded upon.

[Cyclops]

What will prevent them from just keeping the money? I mean, my colony is in a Rimworld with no way to reach space. They can easily keep the deposit and never come back again.

Ooh I could send my Assassin after them! Or have my Space Marine contact one of his old buddies in the fleet! Or have my Illegal Shipwright build something up from spare parts!

[Nocebo]

I like the DF way of having a liaison come over to take a list of items you require and they will TRY to bring those next time round.

[Kender]

Great Idea.

What will prevent them from just keeping the money?

Yes, that too. I think it is a risk everybody have to take when dealing with strangers. 
I think, my colonist will take the risk, since currency is useless down here in RimWorld most of the time.

[Cyclops]

Yes, that too. I think it is a risk everybody have to take when dealing with strangers. 
I think, my colonist will take the risk, since currency is useless down here in RimWorld most of the time.

Touche.
But! BUT! I have my Space Marine contact his buddies to find out where the shipment went or the Space pirate to check with his underground sources, find the guys who stole my 3000 bucks, hide an Assassin inside one of the cargo crates and "sell" him to another ship posing as metal or food or something and give him specific instructions to find and kill the Mother$%^&*(@ and get my money back.

Because letting it go and learning a lesson is too mainstream.

[Kender]

...give him specific instructions to find and kill the Mother$%^&*(@ and get my money back.

lol, It is payback time. no one mess around with my money.

Back to the topic,
Maybe one can set all those trades are belong to different factions, farmer to 'Farmer's Guild', industrial to 'Galactic Enterprise', etc.

so the more deal you made with them, the more influence/diplomacy points you will earn from that faction.

Each time a new diplomatic level is achieved, you can unlock new options, such as 'buy orders', 'stock investment', 'tech development fund' which in return provide new tier of goods.

[Cyclops]

We can even go deeper than that. Multiple companies from the Urbworlds. Each one specializes in different things. You're buying sniper rifles from the Smith Inc. traders? Well then, I guess we will just take our automatic rifles somewhere else!

[Adeelos]

See, all of these are fantastic ideas! Economics have the potential to add so much depth to a game like this with very little effort, and helps add to the dynamic events of the simulation.

[Adeelos]

So, some specific ideas:

-Trader Guilds/Factions: Dealing with specific guilds potentially better offers, special deals, and even perhaps more frequent visits by traders aligned with that faction. Take this one step further if you would like, and give individual companies with unique proficiencies (like a gun trader that specifically sells rifles, or a slave trader that specifically sells scientists).
-Trader contracts. Deal with a trader enough and they may offer a contract for x goods in exchange for y goods periodically.
-Buy orders. One of two ways; pay a security, hope the trader comes back with goods later, complete deposit, OR; if there ends up being a means to achieve this down the road, intimidate trader into paying a security until goods have been received, and paying back the security plus the deposit for the goods. Or any combination thereof, really.

I'll keep adding to the list if people get more ideas.