Encouraging trade

[_Gunnar]

I don't think people would disagree if I say that there is a problem with trade in the current state of the game. Basically, at the moment trade is only for newbies to get their initial equipment/camp/characters together, and the only valuable things are metal (which is not worth buying yourself once you have a well-organized mine) and high purity food (which is never worth selling). It will be interesting to see what board trades spring up, I have a few in mind

The problem in my view is not that there is no/little skill specialization (there was in haven, and still each village/hermit just made everything themselves). In my view the problem is that it is easy to have production for all industries in the same place. I have two related ideas that could ameliorate this somewhat:

(1) Make farming impossible in the darkness, and implement darkness creatures/foraged items goddamnit ^^
- this would mean for a group/hermit to be able to make everything, they would need at least 2 bases.
- however this is limited, in that you could just have a leanto for your hunter deep in the darkness, instead of a whole other base
- possibly fix this by requiring the darkness products to be processed into finished "witchcraft" items before removing them from the dark (in the light they could instantly decay, for example) , thus requiring you to have a (large?) set of production facilities in the darkness.
- restrict teleportation to Boston from the darkness? (not sure)

(2) Make significantly different servers, for example
(a) Tundra:
- no farming allowed!
- even the central town is in (mild) darkness
- various unique animal pelts & products to be found here. Possibly the only source of some metals, such as gold?
(b) Tropical:
- increased farming yield
- greatly increased decay of any wooden object
- jungle should be prohibitively difficult to clear
- unique crops, e.g. sugar cane, bananas
- a few unique animals
- MALARIA

Travel between the servers should be possible using a Crown-sponsored service (expensive, but safe!) but also player-built ships should be able to be constructed (also expensive!), allowing piracy etc between different factions. But we know all that, the difference here is that there would be something worthwhile to transport and trade in the endgame.

[It is possible that (2) clashes with the aesthetic that the devs have for the game, but I think it would be rather cool :p.]

Apologies if this appears like a bit of a "list", I don't really think it is however - it is all focused on the goal of making trading viable & more interesting in the absence of new players.

[HasseKebab]

I really like these ideas <3

but dont some of these require a map/server wipe?
since theres is only one tundra and theres no jungles.

( with tundra you mean like mountains & glaciers? )

[_Gunnar]

I really like these ideas <3

but dont some of these require a map/server wipe?
since theres is only one tundra and theres no jungles.

( with tundra you mean like mountains & glaciers? )

The idea would be to have a whole new "tundra" server, same with jungle. If you like hunting/mining, you would live in the tundra & import food, if you like farming and mosquitos live in the jungle, or whatever. Perhaps the jungle should have no metal or something, as more of a disadvantage, so you have to import metal there.

[HasseKebab]

dayum, that would be awsome, also a suggestion ~ It should cost pretty much silver to travel to these exotic servers ;)

[_Gunnar]

dayum, that would be awsome, also a suggestion ~ It should cost pretty much silver to travel to these exotic servers

yes, hence why i wrote "expensive!"

The idea is not only to create characters specialized to deal with the arctic / jungle, but also to create the possibility of a professional "merchant" type, who buys and sells goods rather than producing them, owns his/her own ship.

Also pirates, arrr

[Procne]

I think that we first should wait until there are more and deeper industries in the game. Currently we have only the basic stuff, which is easy to get by anyone.

Although I think that currently the factor that discourages trade is the lack of proper and safe trade mechanics. Only stalls are safe.
1 day after I bought a stall in Plymouth I have sold more goods through it than "normal" way since I started playing 3 months ago. It seems that majority of trade happens through stalls, and it's limited to the amount of goods that stall owners can provide.

[_Gunnar]

I think that we first should wait until there are more and deeper industries in the game. Currently we have only the basic stuff, which is easy to get by anyone.

That is a good point, and deeper industries would certainly help. However geographical separation between different resources needed for the same industry has always been a large factor encouraging trade in the real world, and it would be nice to have a parallel in the game.

Although I think that currently the factor that discourages trade is the lack of proper and safe trade mechanics. Only stalls are safe.
1 day after I bought a stall in Plymouth I have sold more goods through it than "normal" way since I started playing 3 months ago. It seems that majority of trade happens through stalls, and it's limited to the amount of goods that stall owners can provide.

Yeah, but is anyone selling anything apart from stuff useful to new players in those stalls? I admit I haven't had time to check them since they were last expanded.

[Procne]

Well, I have sold nails, iron, food, eggs, plucked turkeys, farm produce. I assume that veterans do buy prepared food or stuff they don't want to make themselves.
If you have 10000 silver and are bored of tending to fields or cooking then you might want to buy those items instead of making them.

At least it feels like this to me, as a stall owner, now. I can make stuff that is entertaining to me, sell it, and buy stuff I'm bored of making.

[_Gunnar]

Well, I have sold nails, iron, food, eggs, plucked turkeys, farm produce. I assume that veterans do buy prepared food or stuff they don't want to make themselves.
If you have 10000 silver and are bored of tending to fields or cooking then you might want to buy those items instead of making them.

At least it feels like this to me, as a stall owner, now. I can make stuff that is entertaining to me, sell it, and buy stuff I'm bored of making.

I would definitely buy food, I now see a couple people are selling purer stuff, which is pretty exciting to me. If this continues, then thats very cool

[dageir]

One way of making a trading profession more relevant is to drop Boston alltogehter. That way you would have to travel between villages to trade. Should perhaps be some sort of fast travel that would cost some silver. You would then feel like a real trader.