Buy vs sell
A buy order expresses the quantity you want and the price you are willing to pay. A sell order expresses the quantity you offer and the minimum price you accept. Orders remain open until filled, canceled, or expired by rule.
Set order prices intentionally. Overly aggressive buys can consume cash too quickly; overly high sells may never fill.
Matching/settlement
Matching occurs when compatible buy and sell interest overlaps under market rules. Settlement then moves resources and cash on the authoritative server path. Even if placement is immediate, final state changes depend on matching and processing.
Always verify fills and resulting balances in Outcomes or order history views. The order form is intent; settlement is truth.
Fees (if present)
Some worlds apply market fees during settlement. If fees are present, they reduce net proceeds on sells or increase effective cost on buys depending on rule configuration. Fees are not arbitrary; they should appear consistently in market results and explainable totals.
When comparing strategies, calculate net value after fees, not just gross trade price.
Troubleshooting
If an order does not behave as expected:
- Confirm resource, side, quantity, and price were submitted correctly.
- Check if the order is still open rather than filled.
- Review recent settlements around the next tick boundary.
- Confirm sufficient cash or inventory existed at placement time.
- Use open order and cancel tools to adjust stale intent.