What will be the reach? Same as with the caravan system that we have currently? Also, in order to trade food you need to build a building first?
This also ignores an important part of the current problem and that is that it still requires on a regular basis time from both the region lord that is selling and the lord that is buying. It will still require the banker poking the lords time after time to post up an offer. With other words, besides that no caravan is sent out and a building is required, I see no real changes.
The Market Place is not required. So long as you are in your region you can access the market features. The Market place will help facilitate trade as it allows any lord ( of the realm? not sure about lords from other realms) to access the trade system in that region. So a good network of market places will enable Lords to have access to the trade system without travelling to their region.
From Toms description I'm not sure if the new system still has travel times for the food. I read it as instant delivery, with the local range of the offers "simulating" logistics. An important thing for those currently sending out carvans to buy food though is, the food won't be gone by time your caravans arrive.
This system also displays the offers in a much clearer manner, which should reduce the need to have the Banker constantly watching sell/buy orders
Hopefully this change will also help people move away from the idea that Bankers need to micromanage food in the realm. In my opinion since the Bankers lost their ability to move food around, we have been stuck with a mindset of still trying to get them to fill that role, when they lack effective abilities to do so.
Bankers should not have to approach Lords. Dukes get a similar food report for their regions. I've always assumed that this is because the Lords owe a oath to the Duke, which if we look at the real world would generally involve food supply. Dukes should be ensuring their Lords are meeting their duties in this regard. As a banker if I noticed something odd in a region, I would approach the Duke, not the lord. I see Bankers having some role in facilitating food movement between Duchies, and more importantly food movement between realms.
Besides, so long as there is the ability to set a automatic offer system, similar to auto caravans we reduce the need for Lords to manage orders very often.
