Trading Skill

[Ironsides]

I have noticed that my trader character has lost some distance when visiting the marketplace. Last time he was able to see a bit over 600 miles but now only 542. The time between my current visit and the last time I was at the marketplace was about a weekish. I have never seen it deplete that much that fast before (or ever).

What are the parameters for the trading skill? How do I get it to increase? How does it decrease? Can I train it at an academy?

Also, since I am on the subject, why even have a trading skill? It seems a bit aggravating considering it effects the distance a trader has when brokering deals at the marketplace. I find it an obstacle to being a trader (not in a good way. It does not improve the class at all).

Someone with greater knowledge on the trader skill please explain it to me. Or, if you agree that it is unhelpful join in!

[Anaris]

All skills decrease over time if not used.

All skills except adventuring and spellcasting (I believe) can be trained at the academy. Most skills require you to be of a relevant class to train them.

I believe all skills increase (or have a chance to increase) in most or all situations where they are used. (There may be a few exceptions for odd uses of a couple of skills, but I believe any situation in which you use Trading skill gives you a chance to increase it.)

[Penchant]

Think of it like this any trader can find out trades 500 miles away but it takes skill and experience(going with skill) to get the information of places farther than that thus thats why trade skill increases the limit of distance for trading.

[Duvaille]

Penchant,

Sure, but such a drop in distance seems like a rather harsh penalty for a week of not using the skill, if this is indeed what it is about.

[Tom]

It most likely isn't. Skills don't drop that fast.

[Indirik]

Saying trading skill is an obstacle to trading is like saying swordfighting skill is an obstacle to dueling.

[Velax]

Well, it is, in a manner of speaking. Relatively few people have the time and gold to raise their Swordsmanship to any decent level, so they don't duel much.

[Indirik]

Which is a consequence of the choices you make. We don't get rid of swordfighting because most people don't choose to train it. Neither will we get rid of trading skill because most people don't choose to train it.

[Ironsides]

and now my trading distance is 271 miles! serious bug? wtf?

And I believe the trading skill hinders the class because it will cause new traders (and ones like me who suddenly find their skills completely drained for some reason) not wish to trade. trading should be based on the network of markets and contacts, not a skill. if someone enters the trading skill they will be useless to the point of not continuing in that class. skills should apply to actions in the field like infiltrators and i suppose swordsmanship.

[Telrunya]

271? Are you at a marketplace? Or at your region? Because that distance sounds like you aren't at a marketplace.

The trading distance and extra options the Trader class provides, provide a serious advantage over non-traders. The range is already increased for new Traders, and is merely a nice bonus. You can perfectly well do your trading with no skill. I don't agree they are useless at all. Keep in mind that future planned features like time needed for orders to arrive will make the class even more useful.

[Indirik]

A trading distance of 271 means you are a lord/steward in your home region without a marketplace. That cuts your range in half. If you were to build a marketplace there you would have a trade range of 542 miles.

Even newbie traders with no skill at all have a trade range of over 500 miles when at a marketplace. Which is over 100 miles longer than a non-trader. With enough skill, that can increase tremendously.

I'm sorry that you find that bonus range of 100 miles plus additional range based on skill to not be worthwhile. Perhaps the trade game is not for you?

[Ironsides]

ya my trader was at his region's market. but to be honest i still don't agree with having a trading skill. i'd rather see it done in a different way. for example, maybe the markets themselves can have a fixed distance and part of the trader game is to know which markets can reach what distances. selling food should only be a matter of having enough and finding a buyer, what skill is necessary behind that?

and really, who spends time in the academy anyway? even though infiltrator class can be a very useful thing to have its inaccessible, in my opinion, because of the heavy skill requirement. where is the fun in spending weeks paying for training just to get deported? and what kind of trader wants to spend money "learning how to make business" when it should be simple.

skills in general, i've found, are unfun.

[Eithad]

Learn on the job, no one has to train at the academy, you can gain skills by using them. Maybe we should just scrap the academy and make people earn skill the old fashion way.

[Indirik]

Sorry, but I don't think the "let's not have skills"approach is one that's going to fly.

[JPierreD]

Learn on the job, no one has to train at the academy, you can gain skills by using them. Maybe we should just scrap the academy and make people earn skill the old fashion way.

I'd be very favorable to this idea. Academy = grinding. Let people train their skills in the field. Fencing is pretty late medieval anyway.