# Interest check: informal Skyrates (free flash trading game) competition?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interest-check-informal-skyrates-free-flash-trading-game-competition/543873
**Category:** The Game Room
**Created:** [June 20, 2010, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interest-check-informal-skyrates-free-flash-trading-game-competition/543873 "2010-06-20T14:40:46Z")
**Posts on this page:** 11
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Omi\_no\_Kami](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omi_no_Kami)
#### Post date: [June 20, 2010, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interest-check-informal-skyrates-free-flash-trading-game-competition/543873/1 "2010-06-20T14:40:46Z")
This may be a terrible or just plain boring idea, but it might be fun. [Skyrates](http://skyrates.net/) is a flash-based trading game designed to be played intermittently-after buying an airplane and filling it with trade goods, you design a flight plan and take off, after which it takes 2-6 (or more) realtime hours for your plane to reach its destination. Orders can be queued up 12-24 hours in advance, and your success is generally determined by your strategy and luck in working the market, airplane choice, crew members, and the gradually increasing abilities you chose to train your pilot in.
Anyway, I’ve found that the first 20-30 days of the game are the most fun, after which you’ve found your groove and generally just settle in for working until you can buy the top-tier plane.
Given that, I was wondering if anyone would be interested in running an informal competition in which we make new pilots, start at the same time, and see who can acrue the most cash after, say, 30 days of play?
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### Author:  [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)
#### Post date: [June 21, 2010, 9:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interest-check-informal-skyrates-free-flash-trading-game-competition/543873/2 "2010-06-21T09:03:09Z")
I’ve played Skyrates and liked it. I like the general style of it and casual nature. The little dogfights are entertaining as well. Count me as +1.
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### Author:  [@Spit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spit)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2010, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interest-check-informal-skyrates-free-flash-trading-game-competition/543873/3 "2010-06-22T16:51:46Z")
Looks interesting, and something I can do at work, so count me in.
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### Author:  [@Omi\_no\_Kami](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omi_no_Kami)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2010, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interest-check-informal-skyrates-free-flash-trading-game-competition/543873/4 "2010-06-22T17:38:51Z")
Alright, cool! If you guys don’t mind I’d like to wait one more day or so just in case we have any more last-minute additions, but how about we start on the 24? I don’t know what time is most convenient for everyone, but it probably makes the most sense to start at the same time, for fairness’s sake. ^^
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### Author:  [@Spit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spit)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2010, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interest-check-informal-skyrates-free-flash-trading-game-competition/543873/5 "2010-06-22T20:09:34Z")
> [@Omi\_no\_Kami](#):
>
> Alright, cool! If you guys don’t mind I’d like to wait one more day or so just in case we have any more last-minute additions, but how about we start on the 24? I don’t know what time is most convenient for everyone, but it probably makes the most sense to start at the same time, for fairness’s sake. ^^
Agreed. I am US, EST.
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### Author:  [@Spit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spit)
#### Post date: [June 24, 2010, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interest-check-informal-skyrates-free-flash-trading-game-competition/543873/6 "2010-06-24T13:18:03Z")
Okay, so what is the plan?
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### Author:  [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)
#### Post date: [June 24, 2010, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interest-check-informal-skyrates-free-flash-trading-game-competition/543873/7 "2010-06-24T13:57:29Z")
Can you give the start time in UTC? Much easier for me to convert that way.
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### Author:  [@Omi\_no\_Kami](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omi_no_Kami)
#### Post date: [June 26, 2010, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interest-check-informal-skyrates-free-flash-trading-game-competition/543873/8 "2010-06-26T13:22:38Z")
Oh shoot, I forgot that we were going to start, and was out all day- my mistake!
In any case, why don’t we start this sunday at, say, 3pm? If you’ll be busy then, just start earlier and spend an amount of time inactive equal to the difference- since we aren’t in direct competition time played is the big balancing component, and especially in the first 3 days I can’t see the difference in market conditions over a few hours making a big difference.
So does that work with everyone?
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### Author:  [@Spit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spit)
#### Post date: [June 28, 2010, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interest-check-informal-skyrates-free-flash-trading-game-competition/543873/9 "2010-06-28T12:52:00Z")
> [@Omi\_no\_Kami](#):
>
> Oh shoot, I forgot that we were going to start, and was out all day- my mistake!
>
> In any case, why don’t we start this sunday at, say, 3pm? If you’ll be busy then, just start earlier and spend an amount of time inactive equal to the difference- since we aren’t in direct competition time played is the big balancing component, and especially in the first 3 days I can’t see the difference in market conditions over a few hours making a big difference.
>
> So does that work with everyone?
Did you go with Sunday? I was camping this weekend, and blissfully internet-free. 🆒
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### Author:  [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)
#### Post date: [June 28, 2010, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interest-check-informal-skyrates-free-flash-trading-game-competition/543873/10 "2010-06-28T16:26:33Z")
I’m going to have to pull out. I’m going to have long periods (weeks) without internet access over the next month.
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### Author:  [@Omi\_no\_Kami](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omi_no_Kami)
#### Post date: [June 28, 2010, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interest-check-informal-skyrates-free-flash-trading-game-competition/543873/11 "2010-06-28T18:01:12Z")
I’ve been having trouble getting it to work myself (eee pc- does great for email, tends to puke all over flash-heavy pages), so I guess we should call it off… thanks for the interest anyway, everyone! 🙂