Lord's caravans

[Chenier]

How is their range determined? On Dwilight, I can send them hundreds of miles away to a great many realms, my drop-down list being very, very long.

On Beluaterra, I can barely reach two regions away, and my options are incredibly small. Does anything affect range of the caravans?

[Anaris]

The range is different for different continents.  Dwilight has to be longer, or some regions would barely be able to send caravans anywhere.

[cjnodell]

This system is new to me so I have a few questions:

Selling
Type: Sell
Amount: 100 (Number of bushels to load on a caravan before sending out)
Price: 30 (How much to charge per 100 bushels)
Threshold: 200 (Stop selling when stores are beneath this amount)
Destination: Jumberland (Region to sell food at)

So, given the above settings, once the warehouse contained 300 bushels of food a caravan loaded with 100 bushels of food would be sent to Jumberland with instructions to sell it for at least 30 gold.

Does this sound right?

Buying
Type: Buy
Amount: 100 (Number of bushels to purchase at destination)
Price: 30 (How much to pay per 100 bushels)
Threshold: 200 (Stop buying when stores are above this amount)
Destination: Jumberland (Region to buy food from)

So, given the settings above, if the warehouse ever contains less than 200 bushels of food a caravan will be sent to Jumberland to purchase 100 bushels of food for 30 gold.

Does this sound right?

General questions:

• How much food can a caravan hold?
• How much does it cost to send out these caravans?
• Does the cost vary by the amount of food carried, distance traveled, region infrastructure or other factors?
• Will the caravan sell for a higher price if offered at the destination region?
• Will the caravan buy for a lower price if offered at the destination region?
• What will the caravan do if the destination region does not buy all the food it carries?
• What will the caravan do if the destination region is offering to sell less food that is specified by the amount?
• Will the food spoil over long journeys?
• Can a food be bought in increments other than 100 bushels?
• Does the old ox-cart system still function?
• Is there a chance that caravans will be attacked/robbed during journeys?

[Bedwyr]

This system is new to me so I have a few questions:

Selling
Type: Sell
Amount: 100 (Number of bushels to load on a caravan before sending out)
Price: 30 (How much to charge per 100 bushels)
Threshold: 200 (Stop selling when stores are beneath this amount)
Destination: Jumberland (Region to sell food at)

So, given the above settings, once the warehouse contained 300 bushels of food a caravan loaded with 100 bushels of food would be sent to Jumberland with instructions to sell it for at least 30 gold.

Does this sound right?

Not sure.  It might be when the warehouse contains 200 that a caravan is loaded, Tim will have to answer that.

Buying
Type: Buy
Amount: 100 (Number of bushels to purchase at destination)
Price: 30 (How much to pay per 100 bushels)
Threshold: 200 (Stop buying when stores are above this amount)
Destination: Jumberland (Region to buy food from)

So, given the settings above, if the warehouse ever contains less than 200 bushels of food a caravan will be sent to Jumberland to purchase 100 bushels of food for 30 gold.

Does this sound right?

Yes.

General questions:

• How much food can a caravan hold?
• How much does it cost to send out these caravans?
• Does the cost vary by the amount of food carried, distance traveled, region infrastructure or other factors?
• Will the caravan sell for a higher price if offered at the destination region?
• Will the caravan buy for a lower price if offered at the destination region?
• What will the caravan do if the destination region does not buy all the food it carries?
• What will the caravan do if the destination region is offering to sell less food that is specified by the amount?
• Will the food spoil over long journeys?
• Can a food be bought in increments other than 100 bushels?
• Does the old ox-cart system still function?
• Is there a chance that caravans will be attacked/robbed during journeys?

1. 100 bushels
2. Depends on whether you have traders supplies in your region or not, should specify on the caravan page (1 if you have your own caravans available, 5 otherwise, I think).
3-4. It should, but there are some odd effects with manual vs automatic offers.
5. Carries the food back.
6. Buy up all the region is willing to sell, then bring the extra gold back.
7. I don't think so, but I may be wrong.
8. Yes.
9. If it is, not for long.
10. Yes.

[cjnodell]

Awesome info so far!

I noticed that the cost per caravan is listed when I set up a manual caravan via Command > Send out Caravans but I do not see the costs listed when setting up automatic caravans via Command > Warehouse > Automatic Transfers.

[Bedwyr]

Awesome info so far!

I noticed that the cost per caravan is listed when I set up a manual caravan via Command > Send out Caravans but I do not see the costs listed when setting up automatic caravans via Command > Warehouse > Automatic Transfers.

The caravans are handled exactly the same way by the game, so same costs.  The info on costs should probably be repeated on the auto transfer page.

[fodder]

caravans cost 1 gold whether you have caravan shop or not.... despite what it says.. has been that way for donkey years.

unless fixed/changed recently. haven't bothered sending any out for quite a while now..

mind you.... i think the cost is the same whatever the distance is too...

[Chenier]

The range is different for different continents.  Dwilight has to be longer, or some regions would barely be able to send caravans anywhere.

Any possibility of tweaks to the range, or is it intentionnal that you cannot send them far? My rural is pretty central (Gorin), but only the border cities (Iato) actually pay for food, and they are out of reach for my caravans on BT. In other words, they are just fancier and slower ox carts for all practical purposes to me with such range.

[Anaris]

Any possibility of tweaks to the range, or is it intentionnal that you cannot send them far? My rural is pretty central (Gorin), but only the border cities (Iato) actually pay for food, and they are out of reach for my caravans on BT. In other words, they are just fancier and slower ox carts for all practical purposes to me with such range.

Can you actually give me the list?

The range was originally worked out before the Blight, so there's every chance that that means it should be rejiggered.

But also bear in mind that if you're in a central region in a big realm, you may get the shaft no matter what.

[Chenier]

Can you actually give me the list?

The range was originally worked out before the Blight, so there's every chance that that means it should be rejiggered.

But also bear in mind that if you're in a central region in a big realm, you may get the shaft no matter what.

Cjelord, Drinilla, Enweilieos, Fengen, Fwuvoghor, Ketampkin, Kuugl, Lopa, Melegra, Mio Dukapi, Piwani, Rines, Sandlakes, Tey Gren, Ulallo, Villriil, Wheling, Yncaalo.

I'll be damned, I can send them to Rio but not to Fheuvenem, the hell? Rines and Athol Margos are 6 regions away instead of 4 for Fheuvenem. I'd calculate the distance if I could, but the military adviser's mother is also his sister if you ask me.

And one would have to pass over my dead body to have my stocks sent to Rio.

On Dwilight, I can send caravans to 43 different regions. And most of them are frigging far away due to the long sea routes, and the number would be even greater if we reconquered our isles and the rogues surrounding us would be conquered.

[De-Legro]

Cjelord, Drinilla, Enweilieos, Fengen, Fwuvoghor, Ketampkin, Kuugl, Lopa, Melegra, Mio Dukapi, Piwani, Rines, Sandlakes, Tey Gren, Ulallo, Villriil, Wheling, Yncaalo.

I'll be damned, I can send them to Rio but not to Fheuvenem, the hell? Rines and Athol Margos are 6 regions away instead of 4 for Fheuvenem. I'd calculate the distance if I could, but the military adviser's mother is also his sister if you ask me.

And one would have to pass over my dead body to have my stocks sent to Rio.

On Dwilight, I can send caravans to 43 different regions. And most of them are frigging far away due to the long sea routes, and the number would be even greater if we reconquered our isles and the rogues surrounding us would be conquered.

That is lucky placement, I can send to 20 regions on Dwilight.

[Chenier]

That is lucky placement, I can send to 20 regions on Dwilight.

Aw, really? I liked that I could reach so many, I thought it was the norm. Such a small list makes me sad, doesn't fell right for these things to be so limited in range.

[egamma]

It gives us traders something to do if the lord's caravans can't cover all the distance.

Still, if they dukes got organized, they could really move some serious food.

For example, the Duke of Madina could send caravans to Fissoa on an weekly basis, as well as the Gardens of Fissoa. Whenever he went over whatever his stockpile amount is, he would sell the food the Paisly. A simple push-and-pull strategy that could net him a nice profit--particularly if he was able to negotiate his suppliers' prices down below 40.

Giask could do something similar with Fissoa and Port Nebel, but that is a LONG shipping lane.

[Chenier]

It gives us traders something to do if the lord's caravans can't cover all the distance.

Still, if they dukes got organized, they could really move some serious food.

For example, the Duke of Madina could send caravans to Fissoa on an weekly basis, as well as the Gardens of Fissoa. Whenever he went over whatever his stockpile amount is, he would sell the food the Paisly. A simple push-and-pull strategy that could net him a nice profit--particularly if he was able to negotiate his suppliers' prices down below 40.

Giask could do something similar with Fissoa and Port Nebel, but that is a LONG shipping lane.

Traders are a much more reliable and safe way to deal than caravans. A single monster in a region that is in the trade lane will destroy everything your caravan carries. It's quite a risk.

If there aren't any more traders, it's not because there would not be anything for them to do, imo, but rather that most people find the career quite unappealing. This isn't like the old days where all food transfers were free and completely controlled by the bankers, either. There are opportunities, people just don't pick them up. I don't think forcing people to use a subclass barely anyone wants to be is a good idea.

[cjnodell]

In the Automatic Transfer settings I noticed a little check box with "amt needed (56)" next to it in tiny letters. What is this check box for and what does it do?