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Concern about the caravan system.
I got to thinking on this, and I have a few questions:
1. What will make other players help defend your Caravan, will their be a contract agreement for payment?
2. If other players attack your caravan and destroy it, how can they move the large amount of loot gained?
3. If your a miner or gather type, why do you need a large caravan, would pack mules be better?
Just a couple things that crossed my mind.
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2. You are limited on how much you can loot.
3. As a gatherer, you might want to use a caravan to move your resources someplace to sell them. Still a lot we don't know.
The caravan system in Ashes of Creation revolves around opportunity and risk. Trading or the transfer of goods will Initiate a caravan from one city to another and players will need to defend it while it moves along its route to the selected destination. The caravans themselves will be a mini battleground as there's no flagging involved. There's nothing stopping you using your ingame wealth to buy players who offer their services as mercs. Loot will be carried by players but they will only be able to carry their fill, and if there's still loot left, they either leave it or find others to carry it for them.
Transporting the goods will be far more difficult than gathering them as you contribute to your node, so caravans will be required at certain times, for creating pocket economies and capitalising on regional markets. Some node specific quests will also require a caravan and will be guild driven rather than personal. If you launch your own personal caravan, I suspect you'll be doing so with friends or at least along quieter routes.
2. Caravan loot comes in the form of shares that can be turned in at special kiosks in node centers.
3. Has not been stated definitively, but you will be able to spawn caravans at other locations besides node centers. Freeholds are confirmed (early video), but whether you will need to say mine a node, transfer to mule, rinse/repeat 10x, take mule to freehold or node center, unload, rinse/repeat 10x, then send caravan to desired destination has yet to be confirmed.
Fellow citizens might require a bit of financial incentive, but if the caravan is successful their node benefits.
...I could be wrong but I was under the impression that was a huge reason to run caravans...
I know nothing is final as of yet, but I think this system as it stands needs a tweak or two. I like the idea behind the basic concept, but maybe a few things need to change just a little. One being if your friends are not on at the time, then will your stuck with NPCs to guard the caravan, and I am guessing it's based on how much money you spend. Don't spend enough, you don't get the top level NPCs, spend a ton you get elite NPCs. Just my guess. But I still like a contract for other players, it doesn't mean they will come, but it gives them a reason to come. Then they will get paid once the job is done, and not before.
Oh and like someone else said, will we have control over it, meaning stop it from going down the road, or will it just go non-stop until it's attack or makes it to point B from A.
Just things to think about. Along with how much can a caravan take? Does it get longer the more you add to it? And is there a limit to how long it can be?
Hope the signup to the caravan task going to be local (you need to be there at a sign to accept). Then it's not like a "looking for group" function in the game. Then you need to go around and be active
It will be more logical to let the guild decide the price you will get when the job is completed. Let's hope the reward will be send automatic and not through trade function to avoid drama XD
I believe they clarified that there isn't a reward for defending a personal caravan and you will need to get your friends together to help guard it.
I wonder if the route actually taken by the caravan will be customisable at all. IE: Take a quick route with less AI checkpoints (if these are even a thing), or the longer route that travels along the 'beaten path'? Or could the travel time be affected by the amount being moved?
Primary incentive is that your node needs resources transported via caravan in order to thrive. Can't build-up defenses for a siege or build buildings in the town/city without resources from caravans.
So, protecting caravans from harvest location to destination node will be highly important and something every citizen will want to make sure is protected - even if not participating directly.
We can also hire NPCs to help protect caravans.
The pop-up to participate in protecting/attacking appears when you are within the PvP bubble.
Seems to me like there would be some reward for the people in the wilderness who agree to protect a passing caravan and win - just as people will get a reward if they choose to attack a passing caravan and win.
Might not be same kind of reward - loot certificate seems unlikely.
Other things to consider are coordination with node members on sending caravans during non-peak times and those who maybe play oceanic or other timezones to assist.
Or sending multiple caravans, maybe 2 or 3 smaller shipments and 1 large shipment with the smaller distracting for fun.
I can see a lot of potential with having fun.
Also another thing to remember for an incentive is for those playing the "stock market" if a Caravan is shipping certain goods it might be beneficial to defend or plunder.. depending on how you to stand to gain the most.
2. The caravan drops "Resource Tickets" which they can exchange for some of the materials in the Node the caravan set out from if I remember correctly.
3. You won't need a Caravan to move resources to a Node/Your home if you went to gather it. Moving it from Node to Node however, which will be quite a distance, would be better with Caravans, not to mention Caravans can transport more goods at a time. So instead of say 5 trips with Mule forth and back, you could do 1 Caravan trip.
If I repeatedly see someone taking my goods I'll be looking for revenge, but I've never played a game with this kind of economy.