13 replies to this topic

[Methulah]

Did anyone play Freelancer? It had (in my view) a great system where one could buy commodities from certain stations and sell them at others. This system is very simple at the fundimentals, but had some interesting added features. Here I will give an outline of the trading system I am hoping to implement in my MMORPG, Turmoil.

Player may buy commodities from most traders/producers. The commodities that can be bought and indeed their price will vary greatly depending on what commodities are produced in that area and the availability of the particular commodity. From here, the enterprising player can sell the commodity anywhere it will be bought. The price and who buys it will depend on the factors described above.

The fundimental system is very simple. What would add interest is the actual time spent trading. That is the boring part of most trading system and certanly where Freelancer was found wanting. Freelancer did make a commendable effort, but the result is still boring.

What I am planning to implement is a system where various routes can be used to get to the intended target (eg: the place that will buy/sell the commodity for the best price). Some of these routes will be slower than others. Some will be at a high risk of bandit attacks. Some will pass over freezing mountains where every night poses a new risk. Others will be more simple, yet longer - and if a competitor has already flooded the market of the commodity you are trading, you are left with a lot of nothing in particular.

As most peddlars will not be trained in the combatative arts, it is wise to hire mercanaries to guard your caravan along the path you choose. Both NPCs and PCs can be hired for this task, and it is up to the trader to negotiate a price suitable for the effort.

Any feedback would be awesome, and constructive critism is highly encouraged

[Polar Sleuth]

For an adventure game, you should also include sources that are in the depths of the unexplored wilderness. Thus great wealth can be tapped by those who can dive into the wilderness. As more people find a particular source, the danger factor decreases until it is just another spot connected by road.

Actually that is something you can do with your other paths, the more the players use a particular route, the safer it becomes - the less it is used, the more dangerous and less known. And just before a route fades from existence, a new source is placed in the area through which the path once traveled. Each danger along the route should provide a bonus of some kind. This keeps encouragement to explore the unexplored and risk the more dangerous routes. And a reason to keep mercenaries about.

[Methulah]

Thanks for the suggestions. I really like the idea of having dynamic routes.

The only thing that I can think about is to make the route a non-physical entitity that links two places. The route has several areas on it that have diffrerent areas of being raided - depending on how much they are trod and the proximity to bandit and raider encampments.

Most people wouldn't trade after mining or gathering the commodities, rather simply buying them off others to sell for a profit. However, finding minable/harvestable resources will be a great.

For example though, mining ore then selling it at the industrial town on the other side of the lake is going to be diffrerent to trading. It wouldn't apply to trading routes, though many trading routes may be trodden to get from the vien or ore to the industrial town.

This is all good stuff, and I will talk about it some more with my team.

[Polar Sleuth]

Something to consider, what happens if a party of mercs takes out a raider encampment? Do all of the routes through the area improve as if travelled more regularly? If after a few "turns," no one takes the route, does a new set of bandits move in and the route degrade? Where do those bandits keep coming from?

And my favorite, if new bandits can move back in, will they move into another area and degrade those routes?

[Methulah]

Yep, trading in medieval times was difficult as hell. Basically the main routes will be watched by royal guards. These will get rid of the bandit problem on most routes, so they will be more used, particularly by NPCs. The level of risk of a raid on a particular route is equal to the number of bandit spawn points (all spawns are dynamic in Turmoil) compared to the number of spawn points of trade guards. Basically, bandits will attack a route, but only if they think they are powerful enough to overcome any guards that could be patrolling, and take any conciquenses that may arise from their raid (the hunters become the hunted) etc.

If bandits move on, they will take out other routes. Bandit camps are fairly easyfor them to set up, and likewise easy to tear down. If a group of mercanaries hired by a merchant can slaughter every single bandit of that faction, then that faction (like any other faction in the game that is abliterated) will be destroyed. This will not come without consiqueses (family and friends etc) as well as new factions coming in and taking over the old ones place.

[justdan]

It's all pretty much supply,demand,risk, and what it costs to get and deliver the item(s) that determines the prices. Will turmoil have limited items that npcs can sell depending on the stock and having the stock able to be raised by npcs or players? Also will the npcs have a set amount of gold so they'll have to make a profit or go out of bussiness? To help the npcs having other npcs buy their goods and use them would be a good idea and making all npcs pay for food, housing, etc unless they're guards or something and get that for free would also be a good idea.

[Methulah]

Thanks, they are some great ideas. I had been throwing up the idea of NPCs having a certain amount of gold, and if they run out, they will go bankrupt. I think I will go with it, I want to see ruthless traders :).

Food and housing in inns won't be too much of a hassle, you can get some pretty crappy beds or just camp out if you arn't scared of my rnadom encounter generator.

All items will have stock. Some itesm can be made (cotton from cotton plants etc.). If there isn't enough stock (e.g.: winter) then NPCs wont be able to trade. Winter in Turmoil is a great time to go adventuring or to work on the social side of the game. Of course there will be alchemists working on hydraponics and growing indoors so you can continue as a trader, and the stocks will be low, the stakes will be high and the reward will refelct this as you deliver the luxuries to isolated communities. Also, if you are daring you can grow crops in winter, they just have more of a chance of failing. Mining is all year round though.

[NomadRock]

One has to keep the complexity in check. It is admirable to go for absolute realism, but keep in mind that in the real world calculating the risk of sending out a trading party was so difficult that most people elected to not ever even try doing that stuff.

In a game, the whole point is to have people out and having fun doing things they couldn't do in real life. I would advise you to keep it simple so that people can tell easily how safe a route is and how many people they would need to take with them. Add in a bit of randominity to keep it from getting stale, but too many suprises just makes gamers frustrated. Remember, a game exists to be won :)

I play games like most people to get a break from reality, though often we ask for realism, if gamers really wanted realism, we'd go out and do the real thing :)

[Methulah]

Indeed, realism isn't something to strive for, especially in fantasy. Regardless, complexity is good, and it is simple enough to have it so that the major routes are almost faultless in their safety. Trading is very do-able through such routes. What becomes difficult is when you need to get there fast. If you are the first of the new season to bring a comodity to an isolated communtiy, it will pay to take the quick (and risky) road.

[Lord_Raven]

So, How many team members do you have working on this project?

[Methulah]

This project has since merged with another, and I am no longer leading it. I really need artist for an RTS I am leading though.

[Lord_Raven]

Well, what do you need, more specifically?

[Methulah]

Check out your MMORPG server thread. Sorry about the hijack on that.

[Lord_Raven]

So tell me more about the game... whichever one you were talking about in the first post.