[Suggestion] Cities and Equipment Trading...

[Konrax]

I like the idea how trading in cities works, but right now its too segregated and lacks the utilities to really become a viable source of income for players.

What I would suggest...

Keep the current model for crafting goods, and putting them up for consignment in cities.

BUT add this to it:

Open market element - The city that you consignment your goods in, will be the base city for your goods. An open market should exist where all the items for sale are pooled together, HOWEVER there is a distance factor for price. The 2 furthest cities from eachother should have say a 25% (+ transaction tax maybe?) increased cost for purchasing an item, the seller doesn't see this money at all, but instead the cities owner receives a portion of it (say 1/2 the distance fee). Items purchased are instantly transferred to the buyer and removed from market.

Items listed will state the base city for the item, so people can still make the mission to save on the distance fees.

This suggestion will do a few things:

1) Open up a market that all strat players can participate in. (+ viability for crafting)
2) Make cities in the center of the map more valuable (can trade with more cities with a lower distance fee)
3) Add another source of income for clans + make cities more appealing assets.
4) Fairness in market - just because I beat your price, doesn't mean its cheaper everywhere else on the map.
5) Availability of items to clans and solo players who can't really travel the map for months on end looking for items.

Please let me know what you think of this suggestion, feel free to add / tweak it!

[CrazyCracka420]

I think a lot of the trading issues could be avoided from one simple issue:  prosperity.  Prosperity should affect what price your goods sell for in the city, such as the good you can craft there (as I believe it does).  It shouldn't affect how much it costs to make the item. The item should pretty much stay the same cost to make regardless of how much it's selling for in the same fief.

[Konrax]

Prosperity is for trade goods, we're talking about the market here for selling player made items...

[Bjarky]

i do like, it has potental to add more to strat in general.

[Dehitay]

I don't know about a transaction tax on equipment sold in cities going to the owning player. I agree there should be a shipping and handling fee that increases the more distance is travelled, but that should be going to some magical outside shipping company rather than the fief owner. The BoomStick Carpet Delivery Service or something. Maybe instead there's just a 0 to 50 gold (number to be decided by fief owner) posting fee for listing an item in the first place.

This is a great idea though. The biggest handicap in the trading system is that nobody wants to go across the map to buy something in a town. They can just get a hold of the actual equipment crafters and buy directly if they were going through the trouble of moving around. What's up for sale in one town should be visible from all towns.

[chadz]

I'm sorry dear OP, I don't understand what you want me to do, please rephrase

Also, my own idea to make trades more available: Add a field where you can search for goods/weapons globally. That way, trading is less risky.

[Vovka]

add plz goods - slaves 
random 10-50% of defeated army with the fixed cost of 25 coins per head 

[Konrax]

Its basically the same thing chadz, its a global trade option available between all the towns but with a few interesting characteristics.

First you would see the cities own crafted goods there, with no travel fee and available instantly upon purchase.

Then there would be the global market that you can see all items posted everywhere, however the further the items are from the city you are in, the more expensive they will be (up to 25%). Have the city name also listed with the items so merchants can travel there to save gold.

When an item is purchased on the global market, make it so that half the distance fee is given to the fief owner, the other half is "shipping fee" that is just lost. Based on the distance, for each 5% of shipping fee requires 1 hour of travel time for the transaction to complete. (To avoid instantly buying an army)

Hope that makes a bit more sense.

[chadz]

yes, that was pretty clear now

I'm not sure if I like the fact you can transfer goods without travelling, which is actually one of the main cornerposts of this strat. Goods don't move themselves, and moving goods is dangerous.

Also, I'm afraid that some clans will find advanced ways of exploiting that again.

I'll think about it.

[Dehitay]

When an item is purchased on the global market, make it so that half the distance fee is given to the fief owner, the other half is "shipping fee" that is just lost.

While I don't like the idea that fief owners are going to be making massive profits off this for doing no work, I'll consider what would happen if this is implemented and ask, "Which fief owner?"\

I'm not sure if I like the fact you can transfer goods without travelling, which is actually one of the main cornerposts of this strat. Goods don't move themselves, and moving goods is dangerous. \

Not to mention slow as all hell. Since you multi nerfed movement speed, can't you just compensate by doubling it in general. A simple speed=speed*2 and suddenly this game is far more playable. Nobody would get a sudden advantage or disadvantage and the pace would pick up dramatically.

[Konrax]

yes, that was pretty clear now

I'm not sure if I like the fact you can transfer goods without travelling, which is actually one of the main cornerposts of this strat. Goods don't move themselves, and moving goods is dangerous.

Also, I'm afraid that some clans will find advanced ways of exploiting that again.

I'll think about it.

Okay lets tweak this idea then with these factors in mind and refine it a bit.

Sorry its a little wordy but there is a lot of core stuff changed with this idea.

Have the cities main crafted goods posted first, then the global market listed separately afterwards with the crafters name, and the city the goods are located in.

You can purchase the goods from any location, however you have 7 days to get to that city to actually complete the transaction. When you buy the goods like this the gold is automatically removed, however the crafter doesn't receive the gold until the player enters the city and the transaction is automatically completed. Also allow the crafter the option to accept, or decline long distance purchases, perhaps even add the option for the crafter to have a reserve price in % (range from 0-10 max maybe).

Secondly, allow the purchaser the option to pay for delivery, the bonus for delivery is as follows - 50% (maybe even make it as high as 75%) between the 2 furthest cities on the map. Delivery fee/bonus is automatically generated, and fixed. When a delivery is requested, the crafter has the option to accept / decline the delivery option, if it is accepted the purchasers gold is removed for the transaction, and left in the city, the purchaser is free to move to any other location immediately after buying. The crafter will then have 7 days to make it to that city to complete the transaction. Once the crafter arrives they receive their gold, and leave the goods in the city for pickup at the purchasers convenience.

If the crafter is killed on the way to the city, the transaction is canceled and the goods lost. If a battle is initiated with the crafter while they are on their way to the city, the transaction timer is frozen from the moment the battle is initiated till after it is completed. This will allow for a full 7 days travel time for merchants despite being attacked.

What you guys think of this idea? I tried to make it in a way that wouldn't be exploitable, but still fun enough to try and trick gullible crafters to come to places that they maybe shouldn't.

[Dehitay]

Okay lets tweak this idea then with these factors in mind and refine it a bit.

Sorry its a little wordy but there is a lot of core stuff changed with this idea.

Have the cities main crafted goods posted first, then the global market listed separately afterwards with the crafters name, and the city the goods are located in.

You can purchase the goods from any location, however you have 7 days to get to that city to actually complete the transaction. When you buy the goods like this the gold is automatically removed, however the crafter doesn't receive the gold until the player enters the city and the transaction is automatically completed. Also allow the crafter the option to accept, or decline long distance purchases, perhaps even add the option for the crafter to have a reserve price in % (range from 0-10 max maybe).

Secondly, allow the purchaser the option to pay for delivery, the bonus for delivery is as follows - 50% (maybe even make it as high as 75%) between the 2 furthest cities on the map. Delivery fee/bonus is automatically generated, and fixed. When a delivery is requested, the crafter has the option to accept / decline the delivery option, if it is accepted the purchasers gold is removed for the transaction, and left in the city, the purchaser is free to move to any other location immediately after buying. The crafter will then have 7 days to make it to that city to complete the transaction. Once the crafter arrives they receive their gold, and leave the goods in the city for pickup at the purchasers convenience.

If the crafter is killed on the way to the city, the transaction is canceled and the goods lost. If a battle is initiated with the crafter while they are on their way to the city, the transaction timer is frozen from the moment the battle is initiated till after it is completed. This will allow for a full 7 days travel time for merchants despite being attacked.

What you guys think of this idea? I tried to make it in a way that wouldn't be exploitable, but still fun enough to try and trick gullible crafters to come to places that they maybe shouldn't.

It's a good idea, but I don't think it's worth the effort of coding, As long as there's global visibility for equipment up for sale (that seems to be one of chadz's goals already), then discussing delivery fees is something that could just be done by messaging. Even if you did code it, if the delivery bonus is high, people are just going to flat out ignore the system and do business over messages anyways. What I liked was the idea that an AI system would transport the goods for you for a delivery fee based on the distance between the towns. There could even be a waiting period, but it gets rid of the issues of people having to go across the map when it's inconvenient just to buy something

[chadz]

Not to mention slow as all hell. Since you multi nerfed movement speed, can't you just compensate by doubling it in general. A simple speed=speed*2 and suddenly this game is far more playable. Nobody would get a sudden advantage or disadvantage and the pace would pick up dramatically.

Actually, that's not possible. Slowing down was done for a reason. If evereyone would be online 24/7 we could have battles instantly. But we need the 24 h preparation time, and it is necessary to keep the world around somewhat in sync. Faster speed = I reinforce distant armies while thry are locked in battle

[Lepintoi]

Distant armies are being reinforced by closest ally now anyways.
Increase cooldown period and add quick escape option.

[Dehitay]

Actually, that's not possible. Slowing down was done for a reason. If evereyone would be online 24/7 we could have battles instantly. But we need the 24 h preparation time, and it is necessary to keep the world around somewhat in sync. Faster speed = I reinforce distant armies while thry are locked in battle

I'd be willing to halve the reinforcement window, quick march time, and exhaustion time in exchange for double movement speed and I think most would agree. On a regular basis, I keep putting off sleeping or doing something so that I can change directions after I cross a bridge or get past a mountain range. I know that if I don't do it then, I'll end up wasting incredibly valuable hours of movement as I stand still.