Better Trading = More Fun Trader Class

[Chenier]

Traders have some ability to sell "exotic goods", which if I remember correctly shows up as a function of your trading skill.  I don't know if there are any distance modifiers.

When a trader sells food there seems to be a chance you will also sell exotic goods, that you magically purchased without knowing and that you will sell without the game asking if you want to. The chance seems to be based on the distance between the purchase point and the sales point and trade skill.  At least I never saw this while selling inside a realm but I did a few times from transporting food from one realm to another.

That doesn't sound like what I call an "ability", but rather a perk, as it involved absolutely nothing on your part, and therefore does not contribute much in making your experience more interesting. It also sounds very infrequent.

[De-Legro]

That doesn't sound like what I call an "ability", but rather a perk, as it involved absolutely nothing on your part, and therefore does not contribute much in making your experience more interesting. It also sounds very infrequent.

Pretty much, so far as I can see it is an incentive to compensate the trader somewhat for the extra cost associated with longer trips. Of course if the profit off the food isn't good enough for the trip, or some incentive isn't in place from a realm, why the hell are you bothering.

[Zakilevo]

It wouldn't be too bad to have mines or quarries to produce metals and stones for different resources.

If metals become more important in the game, it will be become a strategic resource. As wars progress, realms will experience shortage of resources and it will be cool to see some realms unable to fix their damaged equipment due to a shortage of metals.

[Chenier]

Pretty much, so far as I can see it is an incentive to compensate the trader somewhat for the extra cost associated with longer trips. Of course if the profit off the food isn't good enough for the trip, or some incentive isn't in place from a realm, why the hell are you bothering.

Before Dwilight, almost all traders generated no profit from their deed, they did so solely for national interests, or for an excuse to run around the continent, or because their realm wasn't about to have any war.

[De-Legro]

Before Dwilight, almost all traders generated no profit from their deed, they did so solely for national interests, or for an excuse to run around the continent, or because their realm wasn't about to have any war.

Then frankly they sucked. I've been able to operate quite effectively and profitably on AT, BT, EC and FEI with traders. We had a long time trader in Arcaea that did so well he refused to even have an oath, though he became somewhat less active in recent months.

[Chenier]

Then frankly they sucked. I've been able to operate quite effectively and profitably on AT, BT, EC and FEI with traders. We had a long time trader in Arcaea that did so well he refused to even have an oath, though he became somewhat less active in recent months.

Congratz.

[De-Legro]

Congratz.

The point is that the Trader class does work, but its certainty not meant to be a class for everyone. In fact the class works better if the amount of traders is limited, at least from the perspective of individual traders. An important thing to remember is that with the exception of Dwilight and some other exceptional realms on the other continents, a Trader just trying to buy and sell on the market is unlikely to get anywhere. For me the Trader class was all about personal contact and sweat heart deals, you needed to find and court those sources of food, and convince them to spare at least part of their harvest from being eaten up by the standard realm centric food for free dynamic. Since BM is supposed to be all about character relationships it makes sense to me that chances are to be a successful Trader you are going to need to form and maintain those relationships.

[Indirik]

It wouldn't be too bad to have mines or quarries to produce metals and stones for different resources.

If metals become more important in the game, it will be become a strategic resource. As wars progress, realms will experience shortage of resources and it will be cool to see some realms unable to fix their damaged equipment due to a shortage of metals.

That was the driving factor behind developing the New Economy. This is another long-range project that has ties into the new estate system. A first stab at the new economy is why you see resources like farming, wood, fishing, etc. listed on region details pages in the game.

[Zakilevo]

Ahh so one day, we will see more complex economic structure? Cool. Hope we get to see this by the next year.

[egamma]

That doesn't sound like what I call an "ability", but rather a perk, as it involved absolutely nothing on your part, and therefore does not contribute much in making your experience more interesting. It also sounds very infrequent.

I saw it maybe 3 times, and I think every time was on a Fissoa-Madina-Paisly trade journey. So maybe...50% of the time on journeys longer than a week?

[Chenier]

I saw it maybe 3 times, and I think every time was on a Fissoa-Madina-Paisly trade journey. So maybe...50% of the time on journeys longer than a week?

Hmmm.

Problem is that trips longer than a week are much harder on continents other than Dwilight.

[De-Legro]

Hmmm.

Problem is that trips longer than a week are much harder on continents other than Dwilight.

Arcachon to OW used to give exotic sales about 60% of the time with trading skill of 65%

[Chenier]

Arcachon to OW used to give exotic sales about 60% of the time with trading skill of 65%

I never traded much.

Was that enough to make being a trader more interesting?

[egamma]

I never traded much.

Was that enough to make being a trader more interesting?

not more interesting, but more profitable, and it could make a breakeven trip to a profitable one. And if you're playing your character as wealth-obsessed, or if you the character are going for the 5000 gold fame or needs gold to buy more caravans/troops, it certainly helps.

[vonGenf]

From experience, I never got anything more than +5 gold from selling exotics. If a trade is not profitable or useful, it won't make me change my mind.