Trading Post

[Yolan]

There's been a bit of discussion about the problem with trade in this thread: viewtopic.php?f=7&t=5073&start=20

To revive an old idea of mine, why not have a global market installed that is run by players in the following way...


EDIT: (SUMMARY before wall of text below)

My idea is that we can build trading post buildings that we can use to help manage in-game trade. Minimal automation. Building gives you option to buy/sell at price you establish. Local/global sale listings. Objects are held in building until sold, or picked up and taken to another trading post. After making a global purchase (i.e., buying something that is stored at a distant trading post), you can offer a fee that somebody collects by bringing the object to your trading post (perhaps in sealed crate). This should facilitate players making trading routes.

END OF EDIT



Build a 'trading post' object.

Right clicking on trading post bring up menu.

************************************
Menu Options:

- Personal Sale Screen
- View Local items for sale (current held in outpost)
- View Global items for sale (current totality of non-locally held items)
- View Dispatch List
- Personal Purchase Screen
************************************

[Yolan]

Breaking it down:

==Personal Sale Screen==

You can select any item that you currently have in your inventory, select a price at which it will sell automatically (specify minimum Q?).
You can also collect money here for items that you have sold. Seeming as the devs have accepted cash as necessary for automated stalls, this aint a big step.


==View Local items for sale (current held in outpost)==

Any items that have been put up for sale in _this_ particular trading post are visible, with price. Select to buy, and if you have enough money, you get the item instantly.


==View Global items for sale (current totality of non-locally held items)==

Any items that have been put up for sale _globally_ are visible. That is, the sum total of all items stored for sale in all trading posts. Select to buy, and if you have enough money, the item is counted as 'sold'. You now have two options:

Option 1: receive receipt.
While holding this receipt you can home in on the trading post where your goods are. Hand over the receipt when you get there for the object. If you have someone you trust, you could pay them in person to do it for you.

Option 2: put out a dispatch fee. Distance between current trading post and trading post which holds your purchased object is displayed. Average dispatch fee is also displayed. Select how much money you are willing to pay for delivery. Obviously, you will probably get it quicker if you offer more money. This amount will be automatically payed once the item is delivered to the trading post.


==View Dispatch List==

Shows list of all pending dispatches with following info:

From _location_ to _location_
Distance: (devs discretion how to work out this one... divide a super grid into x standard miles?)
Payment:

If you select a dispatch that is departing from a tradingpost you are not currently at, you can receiving a token that lets you home in on that location.
If you select a dispatch that is departing from your current trading post, you receive a crate object, which must be carried in a cart or boat (or above your head, etc.)
This object cannot be opened.
Bring the object to the destination (homing arrow?) and automatically receive the fee. Hopefully you can make many back and forth trips and make a few bucks!
If the object is not delivered within a (generous) set time, or is somehow lost (sunk?), it resets back to where it was. (as an anti-griefing measure? debate)

==Personal Purchase Screen==

Any items you have already paid for are shown here, with their location. If they have been delivered (i.e. location = here), you can pick them up automatically. Ticket can be re-issued otherwise that you can use to go get it/pay someone else to go get.

[Yolan]

I think this is a good idea because It strikes a balance between player run / autonomous. The devs want a player run world, and I am all for that. But not everybody plays for hours every day, which makes trading very hard for them. This allows for people to have a level of accessibility without detracting from it still being player driven.

- No automatic magical transportation of goods around the world. Trade needs to facilitate connections, otherwise we are all off in our own little wilderness compounds porting here and there. That's BS in the long run, as it negates any kind of development of larger political structures. With this system getting an object from a to b requires hauling it... this means connections become valuable. I.e. roads, boats have the benefit of being a source of income, as IRL. People can actually work as merchants.

- Players decide where to build trade posts. As they are kind of beacons which anybody can bee-line to, if you want to remain hidden, you can't conduct all your trade from your own home. You will need to head out to a more public space. Its up to you.

[minck1]

I have found this community very against anything automated. Also, the main trade product is the metal used in making the coins. This makes buying items for coins difficult when you don't have access to metal.

[Yolan]

I have found this community very against anything automated.

Yeah, but generally its for particular reasons, most of which I agree with. The thing about my suggested trade system is that the only automation is in the providing of information and a framework of in-built rules to provide some security. The justification for these being that we need a way to trade that does not require a) some kind of lame place everybody hangs out at, b) IRC. Everything else about this system would be player dependent. Players buy/sell goods at prices they decide. The goods themselves are shifted over land by players themselves, which promotes trade network building. Players also decide when/where to build tradeposts.

Also, the main trade product is the metal used in making the coins. This makes buying items for coins difficult when you don't have access to metal.

That's not really a problem if you can manage to get something people who have money want. I.e. silk, good Q supplies, seeds, beer, whatever.

[calodine]

Here's the thing. Couriers etc are great, but how would you instantly know that someone on the other side of the world wants to trade X for your Y?

...Messenger pigeons?

[Yolan]

Here's the thing. Couriers etc are great, but how would you instantly know that someone on the other side of the world wants to trade X for your Y?

...Messenger pigeons?

Have a re-read of my main post.

The automated part of the system would be the selling/view of what is for sale. You put the item you want to sell into the trade post, and set the price, just like in the stalls we already have. Unlike the stalls we already have, trading posts could have a 'global sale' screen, where you see what is available at all existing trade posts.

[vikingdragons]

Why not make it a real Trading Post, because you are sounding like a Global Vending Stand. The Trading Post could allow you put in your items (say 10 Copper Bars, q100) and the Item/Q/Ratio for what you want in return, like:
Cast Iron Bar/q+-5/2:1, which will mean 1 q95-105 Cast Iron Bar equals 2 q100 Copper Bars. Then, if someone excepts your offer, by trading between 1-5 Cast Iron, a message will show up automatically, and the boxes will start being delivered automatically, so you wait for the time the message says, then get your box of stuff. So, you really have a Global Trade Market, which makes trade connections between villages much easier.

[Yolan]

Why not make it a real Trading Post, because you are sounding like a Global Vending Stand. The Trading Post could allow you put in your items (say 10 Copper Bars, q100) and the Item/Q/Ratio for what you want in return, like:
Cast Iron Bar/q+-5/2:1, which will mean 1 q95-105 Cast Iron Bar equals 2 q100 Copper Bars.

I'm not against that if it could be done, but my understanding was that its hard to implement, hence we have vending stalls running on coins.

Then, if someone excepts your offer, by trading between 1-5 Cast Iron, a message will show up automatically, and the boxes will start being delivered automatically, so you wait for the time the message says, then get your box of stuff. So, you really have a Global Trade Market, which makes trade connections between villages much easier.

I don't think that makes a 'trade connection' though really, if items are just magically wizzed somewhere. Part of what I liked about the original world was actual roads you could walk on to go places. That seems to be completely going out the window now, which makes me sad. I think we need to make a system where people can get paid to make the actual deliveries, and hence there is some incentive to actually 'connect' towns and villages.

[vikingdragons]

well, you are probably right about the TP being to difficult, and i know it wuldn't be a physical connection, but after the reset, after my village is on its feet, i plan on setting up roads and waterways so that as many ppl as possible can trade with each other. But i still like my idea of a TP, because i think it is awesome!