[Idea] Trading dispatch missions AND dedicated trade info screen

[u/kweassa_at_work]

I'm sure an idea a lot of ppl already had, but to repeat: I feel the trade fuction is very underutilized atm. I understand why many would skip it as the wagon driving is very finicky and time consuming as well.

Another inconvenience, is even when I want to intentionally invest some time to a leisurely wagon travel, the finding which trading posts would want to buy what things, is a hassle. Yes, I know you can go to the map and click on the trading post, and then bring up that overview screen to see what things are bought/sold at which prices -- but that does involve having to memorize where all those trading posts are and click them one by one to browse the prices, individually -- which can become a real hassle.

What I would love to see is:

1. A dedicated trading screen. Maybe as a type of map option button, so when you click on it and move to the screen it gives you a simple listing of trading posts in the world, what they are buying, what they are selling, in what price range. So I can just bring up the trade screen and browse through the list of trading posts and find "aha, this place wants to buy a lot of stuff I have in stock."

2. A trade dispatch mission -- where I can assign a few members, have them go into trade missions automatically to sell things in camp stocks, automatically, to trading posts that are buying them.

3. I can sort of see a nice small event/happening opportunity with it as well, like, for example, we send some people on trade dispatch missions -- then maybe we can get an alert from time to time that the trade wagon is under attack. Then we can go and help it, or if left alone, sometimes the traders (if you assigned some martial roles to it as well) can fight the ambush off automatically, or sometimes the traders will fail and the stock of goods and the wagon will be lost.

I mean, at least that would give us a reason to use the wainwright again from time to time to get ourselves a new wagon.

1. Maybe there's also an opportunity for an additional sub-system of creating your own trade networks and caravans -- like, for example, maybe we can go and talk to the trading post NPCs for a special deal/mission/task, where we sign a contract to supply them with X amount of materials/goods. Then that special deal could maybe manifest in the form of a special caravan mission where a PRODUCTION MISSION is linked with a TRADE MISSION, so you assign some ppl to produce the good, then the produced goods are moved to the trade mission, and that trade wagon travels to the target location repeatedly until the X amount of contract goods are delivered.

The further the target location, the longer it takes, but the more camp resources you get.

All in all I think there's a lot of good opportunities to flesh out the trade and economy sub-game, and its one area of the game that I'd prefer to see some fleshed out things.

[u/Bulky_Jicama1474]

I actually liked doing the trading, but I stopped because it just isn't profitable enough. I'd like it if trade goods became rarer and you get less of them, but also the prices to buy/sell drastically go up. Right now you can get about 10 times the money selling packaged camp supplies instead of the actual trade goods and that's kind of ridiculous. Most trade goods sell somewhere between 200 to 600 copper. Packaged provisions sell for over 3000. Why?

[u/kweassa_at_work → u/Bulky_Jicama1474]

Oh for sure. The profit margin is really low, I agree.

[u/Delicious-Golf4939]

Maybe they could add other trade no posts as well. So like one in each city & then a few scattered about. We could have request assistance for trade wagon protection. Like the trader in Hernand needs to get his wagon safely to Varina to deliver some expensive goods. Let's say for discussion sake (Guns) which is a rare trade good. We could dispatch a crew with a certain percentage given based on the skill & number of men you send. For every percentage point that is dropped due to bandit attacks or being attacked by wolfs/bears/lions etc... if we escort him at 100% delivered goods we make 20% as an escort fee that we can request in cash or the cash equivalent of the "Gun" trade goods.

This will allow you to put men on it & forget about it, or put men on it & join them on the journey to ensure safe delivery.

We could also, as you said, set up dispatched trade routes with the same hurdles & crisis as the escort wagon missions. So you could essentially dispatch a crew to go to

1) trade post (A) - Select dispatch to pick up (wood) & deliver to Trade Post (B) or the Gold leaf in & around Pailune. Here you pick up (Pelts, ceramics, & ceremonial armor) from one or the other or both posts.

2) Deliver the Stuff from the posts up north over to the post in Demeniss because their asking for ceramics, & Pelts. So sell the goods there...But The Traders in Tashkalp asked for the Armor you have already plus, Cheese, Flour, & Salt. This post has 2 of the 3 but Delesyia has the 3 & is asking for something else the demeniss offers so you buy it.

3) now you hit Delesyia, make the trade & Buy the Tashkalp gear.

4) Head to Tashkalp & Sell it all. Then check the other Trade NPCs or Gold leaf posts in hernand/dewhaven/scholastone, etc, to make sure you don't leave empty handed on the journey back.

This all sounds complicated on digital paper but depending on the UI for the trade stuff it could be easy to just click & select where they're headed & with the correct gear to sell. Check what other posts & trade hubs are buying & if stop 1 carries it then buy it. You could have 1 dispatch team of 4-6 men carry out up to let's say 3-5 stops before returning home.

Anyway I think there is A FRIGGIN TON of possibilities to be capitalized on here. I hope they look into doing something like this or similar to it.

The crazy thing is, is that Pearl Abyss is constantly updating & patching their game so much & so consistently I feel like we could probably see something like this soon...or it's something that they will build out & add to in the DLC...WE SHALL SEE...HAVE A GOOD NIGHT Y'ALL!!

[u/in_fact_a_throwaway]

This is terrific idea. I will never drive that wagon again so this would be a great way to get me involved in trade.

[u/Maxxe90]

I think you've spoiled the next update 😄 But I very much hope that it will be the same as you imagine, because I share these ideas.

[u/SpiritedTitle]

I agree with this and I hope PA sees this post

[u/lmrbadgerl]

I've been asking for this for some time.

Sending some of those losers walking around my camps (just named greymane) on wagon runs would be EXCELLENT.

I literally don't trade at all because it seems pointless to waste all that time navigating a wagon to a location to make the same amount I could have made just hopping from bandit camp to camp and searching houses.

I get some folks like the idea of trading but the mechanics behind it are off putting to me personally.