A trade is a line of work with its own machines, suppliers and buyers. Most trades can be your starting scenario, but none of them is locked to it: Dr. Jackson brings a Furnace on day 6, Joe Wild's Network sells the other unlocks from day 7, and the Appraisal Board takes members from day 8.
Grouped by how you get in. Scenario names open the starting kit, and machine names open their item records.
| Trade | Starting scenario | How to unlock mid-run | Core machines | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bought from Joe Wild's Network8 | ||||
| Water Trading | Water Merchant | Wild: Water Trading (300 Credits) | Water Purifier, Moisture Farm, Bottle Printer | Water purification |
| Winemaking | None | Wild: Retired Winemaker (200 Credits) | Wine Bottle, AgeWell | Winemaking |
| Hydroponic Farming | Hydroponic Farmer | Wild: Retired Farmer (350 Credits) | Hydroponic System | Hydroponics |
| Plant Genetics | None | Wild: Plant Genetics (1,250 Credits, needs Retired Farmer) | DNA Manipulator | — |
| Chemistry | Chemist | Wild: Retired Chemist (1,000 Credits) | Blender, Heating Plate, Evaporator, Chem Finisher | Chemistry |
| Gunsmithing | Gunsmith | Wild: Retired Gunsmith (650 Credits) plus Weapon Permits | 3D Printer | Gunsmithing |
| Rat Ranching | Rat Wrangler | Wild: Ranching (750 Credits) | Animal Cage, Feed Dispenser, Auto Butcher | Rat ranching |
| Aquafarming | Aquafarmer | Wild: Aquaculture (400 Credits, needs Water Trading) | Recirculating Aquaculture System | Aquafarming |
| Free, or open from the start3 | ||||
| Smelting | None | Free: Dr. Jackson gives you a Furnace on day 6 | Furnace | Metallurgy |
| Fencing | Fence | Always open, but no Smuggler's Bay or Exchange until later | Smuggler’s Bay | Contraband |
| Appraisal | None | Join the Appraisal Board on day 8 (85 Credits on Mark Up) | Magnifying Glass | Appraisal |
| Not playable yet1 | ||||
| Ruined Machine Scrapping | Junker (not selectable yet) | Not available in the launch build | Furnace, Module Extractor | — |
Buying an unlock named after a retired visitor gives you a starter kit on the spot, and that visitor then comes back once a week with stock for the trade.
| Unlock | Credits | Starter kit | Restock afterwards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Trading | 300 | Water Trading Manual, testing strips, purification tablets, a Water Pitcher, a Water Filter, a water sign and a used HydraTech Micro Water Purifier | Dr. Jackson adds the Water Purifier, Moisture Farm, Bottle Printer, AquaScan, water tanks and better filters to his stock |
| Retired Winemaker | 200 | 3 Yeast, 3 Wine Bottles, 2 BloomBerries, a Water Ration, a Magnifying Glass and the BloomBerry Wine Fermenting Guide | Every Friday: 8 BloomBerries, 4 bottles, Yeast and Water Rations |
| Retired Farmer | 350 | An old Hydroponic System, the Hydroponic Farming Manual, Fillerweed and Nutrifruit seeds, Nutrient Tablets and small Water Rations | Weekly: a Hydroponic System, Dream Cap, Kotton, Coffee, Fillerweed, Hydroreed and BloomBerry seeds, Nutrient Tablets, a Plant Analyser, an AquaScan and farm modules |
| Plant Genetics | 1,250 | A DNA Manipulator, a Gene Scanner and four blank DNA Data Disks | Dr. Jackson starts selling more disks, manipulators and DNA modules |
| Retired Chemist | 1,000 | Chemistry 101 Guide, Composition Spectrometer, Blender, Heating Plate, Evaporator, Chem Finisher, droppers, measuring cylinders, Bottled Water, Common Chemical Supplies and Coffee Beans | Weekly stock for the lab |
| Retired Gunsmith | 650 | A shabby 3D Printer with a charged cell, a Liberator pistol chip, filament, a Screwdriver, a gun part and a set of mods | Weekly: chips, filament, mods and printer modules, with rare chips likelier for each extra permit you hold |
| Ranching | 750 | An Animal Cage with a Feed Dispenser, three pairs of rats at different ages, a Kitchen Cleaver, a Blue Labeler, a Marking Pen, Nutrifruit and Peat | Weekly: cages, dispensers, Auto Butchers, serums, a Cleaner Robot and breeding rats, sometimes with better genetics |
| Aquaculture | 400 | A Recirculating Aquaculture System with its tank, fertilized Tilapia roe, an Energy Cell, a jug of Rustwater, fish feed, a Kitchen Knife and a Marking Pen | The Retired Aquafarmer supplies fish and equipment |
Smelting costs nothing: the day-6 Furnace turns two Scrap Metal or Metal Ore into one Metal Ingot overnight. Winemaking is the cheapest Wild unlock at 200 Credits, and a finished bottle gains 3 Credits of value for every night it waits on the shelf.
Plant Genetics needs the Retired Farmer first, Aquaculture needs Water Trading, and Gunsmithing needs Weapon Permits on top of the 650-Credit Retired Gunsmith. Budget for the whole chain, not only the last step.
Weapons bring inspections, chemicals bring addiction, water brings liability and contraband brings raids. Fencing pays the biggest markups, up to 100% on high-level contraband.
Metal Ingots feed the best printer chips, from Combat Knives to gun frames.
Crops become chemistry ingredients, wine berries and animal feed.
Water Trading is the prerequisite for buying Aquaculture.
Vending machines keep selling goods overnight after you close the shop. Machines and fountains are separate Wild's Network services at 1,200 Credits each, and the Vending Machine perk starts you with one installed for 2 perk points.