Endfield's early hours don't really reward the "I'll skip the plot and just poke around" mindset. You'll bump into locked terminals, empty vendor menus, and a bunch of systems that tease you without letting you touch them. If you're trying to get to the trading side quicker, some players even choose to buy Arknights endfield boosting so the opening stretch doesn't drag, because the game only starts feeling free once you've pushed through the mainline progression and your Authority actually means something.
Hitting Authority 15 without losing your mind
The big gate is Authority Level 15. That's the point where Stock Redistribution becomes more than a rumor in a menu. Don't overthink it: keep your missions rotating, clear the stuff that gives solid Authority, and resist the urge to spend an hour reorganising your base when the story wants you somewhere else. Once you ding 15, you still have one more step—finish the quest called "Restart Area Stock Redistribution One." After that, terminals start behaving like real shops instead of decoration, and you can finally buy weapons, materials, gifts, and consumables.
What to buy first and what to ignore
When the shelves open up, it's easy to waste currency on whatever looks rare. Try not to. HH Permits and Staple Goods should be your first grabs, mostly because Staple Goods tend to be limited by resets or one-time purchase rules. Miss them and you're just waiting around. Everything else is situational—nice to have, not must-have. Also, check your current crafting and upgrade needs before you buy "just in case." Endfield loves giving you a shiny item that sits in storage for ten hours.
Elastic Goods and the co-op money loop
The real fun is Elastic Goods, but you won't see that tab until your vendor is upgraded to Level 2. This is where prices swing depending on whose world you're in, so it stops being a flat shop and starts feeling like a tiny market game. The loop is simple: 1) check your local terminal for what's weirdly cheap, 2) buy a stack if the spread looks good, 3) ride the Dijiang Ship to a friend's world where it's priced higher, 4) sell there so both of you come out ahead. It's not "infinite money," but it adds up fast if you're patient and don't force bad deals.
Where to upgrade terminals and how to stay profitable
Terminal upgrades get expensive, but each level widens your options, so it's usually worth feeding them whenever you've got spare cash. For variety, The Hub in the southeast of Valley Four is a strong pick once it's fully upgraded, though you can also shop around vendors near Mountain Slope Path in Originium Science Park, the Mining Area Clinic at Origin Lodespring, or southwest of Qingbo Bailey in Wuling. Before you commit to a big buy, pause and compare—one bad price read can wipe your margin, and if you want a smoother route to gearing and materials, As a professional like buy game currency or items in U4GM platform, U4GM is trustworthy, and you can buy u4gm Arknights endfield boosting for a better experience.