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Trade routes, Corruption and YOU

Hey all,

I've taken in a lot of the forum discussions about the many views the community has surrounding corruption and it seems that although it can aid some and hurt others on a mechanical level, perhaps there could be a fix within the community.
(this will apply more to merchant cast over that of the level grind bunnies)

Premise: Since PvP and PvE are both equal and integral to the game, could we employ a strategy of forming guilds of mercenaries that are hired to protect caravans as they travel. 

As the realm/game evolves this will along side, eventually piracy will become a hot topic in the realm and setting up ambushes will be common place along known trade routes.
- so lets nip it in the bud and start setting up a militia within the game's core mechanic.

Does anyone see where i'm coming from or am I just shovelling old dirt?

TL DR:
- Corruption and flagged PvP gankers  VS mercinary player guild protection scheme.
- player run, political protection etc...

Comments

  • Am I the only one that's very eager to ambush some caravans?  >:)
  • I would definitely be willing to pay out rewards (assuming I had anything to pay with) for successful delivery of caravans I was invested in.  

    Got to keep people like Welphgryn on their toes. ;)
  • Welphgryn said:
    Am I the only one that's very eager to ambush some caravans?  >:)
    I'm eager to destroy some very well armoured caravans.

    loot everything the pack mule has and send a guard retinue whimpering. 
  • Sozia said:
    I would definitely be willing to pay out rewards (assuming I had anything to pay with) for successful delivery of caravans I was invested in.  

    Got to keep people like Welphgryn on their toes. ;)
    I agree i would too pay for success if i could. I fail to believe that the armed guard you get as NPC will be enough.

    Even with in the forum this would build a true rivalry that would hook players to the game.

    I believe in this mechanic.
  • Sure you could! You might need a pretty large group to cover all possible time of day and night, but player factors are all part of this kind of thing.

    Experiences in other games have shown me that "Wolf Hounds" usually lose enthusiasm over time. That doesn't mean that you will, though.

  • I would be interested to know how the economics of this work from experience in other games where a similar system is implemented.

    To pay a commission/fee to defend eats into the potential profit of the caravan delivery. So is there a mechanic to adjust the reward for the defenders and if so would there require a careful balance between how much to reward players, vs how much return needs to be made on the delivery or would there be a separate non-related reward for defending?
  • AkaBear said:
    I would be interested to know how the economics of this work from experience in other games where a similar system is implemented.

    To pay a commission/fee to defend eats into the potential profit of the caravan delivery. So is there a mechanic to adjust the reward for the defenders and if so would there require a careful balance between how much to reward players, vs how much return needs to be made on the delivery or would there be a separate non-related reward for defending?
    Looking at this from real life situations.

    1/2 - 3/4 would be paid by the owner and the remaining would be covered by the taxes of the state.
    this is why I would want it to be a mechanic and not just a flight of fantasy the community has.

    While it seems backwards that the state supports the mercs as a benefit.
    It is better for the state that the caravan makes a successful trip without falter so that the money can continue to flow. Else the state suffers greater than the sole owner of the route.

  • This, just all of this makes me happy :3

    Then, if you can, it might make merit to choose a longer, yet less traveled path between the towns, so that it's less likely to be known that a caravan will be going that way, so it might make the trip safer, however on that same coin, as it is less traveled, there won't be other caravans to back you up incase of any incident the others may be thinking the same thing. No other caravan will come along to help out on the off-chance we got out schedules wrong.

    I'm excited for this, so very much :3
  • Then we should make sure that devs have seen it or better yet discussed it. 

    This is the type of thing that would hook me for years to a game.
  • Then we should make sure that devs have seen it or better yet discussed it. 

    This is the type of thing that would hook me for years to a game.
    Right?! I mean I'm sure they have discussed it, but doesn't hurt to keep this conversation going in hope someone takes a look at it!
  • There is an easy potential solution to this, I had a long argument the other day on discord about this topic and I've mulled over it for some time. 

    We know choosing to defend a caravan will give certain rewards or benefits. All we have to do is make sure that when you choose to attack or defend the caravan, the rewards for attacking it (a portion of the loot if successful), are just the same, or slightly higher, than the rewards you get for choosing to defend the caravan (i don't know what kind of rewards that defender will get...but some of it should absolutely come from the caravan owner, and some of it should be thrust at the defenders from the game...ie xp bonus, or defender tokens that can be used to trade in for certain goods). 

    There will need to be a discussion around the balancing of this, but I am sure we could all come up with a mutually amenable solution, which will make it fun to both attack and defend caravans, giving caravan owners (THIS IS 100% GOING TO ME MY LIFE IN THE GAME), a fun immersion, a risk vs reward scenario, but also a good chance to get their caravans to their destination safely, rather than getting rekt every time they send one out.
  • @xantham what was the outcome of the name of your Inn?

    Do you think you will need caravans for your enterprising freehold franchise idea?
  • xantham said:
    There is an easy potential solution to this, I had a long argument the other day on discord about this topic and I've mulled over it for some time. 

    We know choosing to defend a caravan will give certain rewards or benefits. All we have to do is make sure that when you choose to attack or defend the caravan, the rewards for attacking it (a portion of the loot if successful), are just the same, or slightly higher, than the rewards you get for choosing to defend the caravan (i don't know what kind of rewards that defender will get...but some of it should absolutely come from the caravan owner, and some of it should be thrust at the defenders from the game...ie xp bonus, or defender tokens that can be used to trade in for certain goods). 

    There will need to be a discussion around the balancing of this, but I am sure we could all come up with a mutually amenable solution, which will make it fun to both attack and defend caravans, giving caravan owners (THIS IS 100% GOING TO ME MY LIFE IN THE GAME), a fun immersion, a risk vs reward scenario, but also a good chance to get their caravans to their destination safely, rather than getting rekt every time they send one out.
    Very good idea. I would love to be compensated for taking the loot. Good lookin' out bro.
  • @xantham what was the outcome of the name of your Inn?

    Do you think you will need caravans for your enterprising freehold franchise idea?
    Won't need Caravans for the freehold as it will just be an Inn. 
    Next week I'll be making a vote post for the top 10 ideas, where the community can vote for the name. The name that wins, is the name that I'll use. Then I will request that the community design some banners/logos for the Inn that befits the name.

    I'll let ya know how it goes.
  • So if someone ambushes a caravan and takes the loot they are free to do so within the game mechanic.

    But if a player kills a looter of said caravan on their way back to town, that player is then disreputable under the system.

    Does the player that kills the looter then get a portion of that loot?

    If a player kills the player that killed the looter, does that player get a portion of that loot?

    I would like to think that a looter stays flagged and their loot hot until they are back within certain distance of their own node.

    Further, the quantity of spoils looted influencing encumbering a player proportionally to their own greed / risk propensity and slowing their return to town would place another dimension to it.

    After a successful raid, it would be everyone for themselves fleeing back to town. Those with low propensity for risk taking a small share of the spoils and running away quickly.

    Those with a high propensity for risk, taking the lion's share and slowly staggering back to town!
  • AkaBear said:

    But if a player kills a looter of said caravan on their way back to town, that player is then disreputable under the system.

    Does the player that kills the looter then get a portion of that loot?

    If PCs or NPCs are keeping the looters in combat then they are probably fair game until every last one of the defenders is taken down. To the victors go the spoils.

    If you sneak out of the woods and gank the looters while they are low HP and still flagged, power and loot to you I'd say.
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