Probably Stolen Beginner Guide: Survive the First Three Days

Specialization decides your opening hand, starting perks decide your safety net, difficulty decides how fast rent bites. The order is fixed: specialization → perks → difficulty.

Difficulty: Mark Up is the baseline

Starting perks

One rule: can it be converted into guaranteed cash or safety? Random gifts are fun, but they don't pay rent.

1. Learn the room before you open

   Click through the counter, display case, storage, phone, calendar, documents and sleeping area. The Mentor leaves two notes, Trading and Food; the Food note states that food is the most traded commodity on the station.

2. Read two numbers

   The wall display by the shutter shows the date and days left before rent. The Status tab shows your current Credit count. Only credits count toward rent — estimated total wealth does not.

3. Open for business

   Check what each visitor wants to buy or sell and what they can afford before you negotiate.

4. Only stock what sells

   Week one is food, drinks and household goods: fast turnover, little dead stock. Machines and expensive parts come after steady income.

5. Leave margin in every deal

   Buy under market, sell with room. Bargaining raises margin, but push too far and the customer walks.

6. Reconcile before closing

   Open the calendar and check days until rent. Nightly services (about 5 CR for power on Mark Up) come out of the same cash.

7. Decide the night settings

   Services toggle individually. Saving a few credits can leave the shop in worse shape tomorrow; don't pinch pennies on Day 1.

Pricing isn't "charge more". It's turnover × margin. One rare item sitting for three days usually loses to three household goods sold the same day.

• Check three things before buying: condition, stated value, and who would buy it. If you can't answer one, don't pay.
• Check budgets before selling: a customer who can't afford it turns a high price into a decoration.
• Bargaining has a ceiling: losing the deal costs more than a few points. Keep it light in week one.
• Beware bulk discounts: cheap bundles occupy storage and lock up cash that rent doesn't care about.

The intro lesson hands you your first tools: Magnifying Glass, Color Checker and a guide to genuine goods. The loop is fixed: place the item on the inspection counter, pick a tool, compare against the reference.

• Check packaging, seals, printed markings, colours and category-specific details.
• The earliest example is counterfeit cigarettes: a broken seal or misaligned print is enough.
• Core rule: buying a fake isn't the mistake — paying genuine prices for one is. A fake at a fake price still makes money.
• Buyers differ in product knowledge. Upper Level buyers may miss flaws that Lower Level residents spot instantly — and being caught costs reputation.

The display case isn't decoration. What you show determines whether you attract buyers or suppliers, and which faction they belong to.

• To clear stock, show what you sell. Short on materials, show what attracts suppliers.
• Dr. Jackson sells neon signs. A Water Neon Sign beats any amount of advertising when you're building a water business.
• Use the Clientele panel to check who your display attracts, and change it when your priorities change.
• Mirage Projector pulls extra customers but needs power; cleaning and repairs also feed store attractiveness.

After the day closes you can search the Dumping Grounds. Clear inventory space, bring a suitable container and medical supplies, and prioritise materials you can sell immediately or feed into an existing production chain. Scrap Metal becomes far more valuable once a Furnace is running.

The cost is lower customer traffic the next day. Early on, when shelves are empty, that trade is worth it. Once customers queue, losing a trading day usually costs more than the haul.