Trading is to offer a material incentive to resolve a Conflict. It is the action agents use within the Social Arena to engage in the structured exchange of physical items.

Trading is not an economic system; it is a social one. It is not a transaction of objective worth, but a conversation about subjective desire. The value of an item is not a fixed number, but a dynamic story told by the internal state of the agents involved.

The Mechanics of Trade

As an action within the turn-based Social Arena, a trade is a proposal that is subject to the other agent’s appraisal.

1. The Offer: The Trader’s Turn

On their turn, an agent can propose a trade by offering one or more items from their possession in exchange for one or more items from the other party.

2. The Appraisal: The Subjective Valuation

The receiving agent runs a silent, internal appraisal of the offer. Its cognitive system asks a simple question:

“Is what I am being offered more subjectively valuable to me, right now than what I am being asked to give up?”

This evaluation is a complex calculation based on the four pillars of subjective value:

• Value from Need: The primary driver. An item that directly addresses a critical Need (e.g., a medkit for a wounded agent) is perceived as priceless.
• Value from Belief: An agent’s Beliefs color their perception of value. A holy symbol is invaluable to a devout follower but worthless to an atheist.
• Value from Skill (Potential Value): An agent’s Skills determine their ability to recognize an item’s potential. A lump of raw ore is scrap metal to a farmer, but to a master smith, it is the basis for a masterwork weapon.
• Value from Memory (Sentimental Value): An agent’s AgentMemoryStore can attach personal, narrative value to an item, rendering it untradeable.

The outcome of this appraisal determines the agent’s response on their turn: Accept, Reject, or propose a Counter-Offer. This loop continues until an agreement is reached or one party ends the negotiation.