Feedback/Modification - I & S - Trade Posts, new trade List and small change in trade system

[Sebt]

I have some issues with the actual trading mechanism and these are:
- Imps trading via Portals, however when they go through them we don't see them on surface,
- you can have unlocked all trade routes / portals, but all these trades will occur only via the closest Portal to your Trade Room, not through Portal in which certain trade route has been unlocked, so it's almost impossible too interrupt trading, which makes games very easy without needing to dig resources much. Player do not need to push himself into the depths of the map, just unlocking the closest Portal is enough to do ALL unlocked trade routes very safely,
- the most needed resources (I'm looking at you darn WOOD ) are not guaranteed to have them unlocked as a first trade route,
- trade routes are only unlocked after you claim second Portal...

Instead of having trade points on world map what would you say about to have a real Trade Posts scattered on the map?
Trade Posts could be placed in surface world...

...but some of them could be placed in dungeons (these could have different items on trade than surface Trade Posts).

1. How does it work?
Instead of trade icons in upper resource Trade bar menu there is a drop-down list of trade routes. If a player claims a Trade Post a new trade route (or routes, up to 3 maximum) will be added to that "Trade List". Trade routes are randomly generated - sometimes one Trade Post could unlock a trade route which trades Wood --> Stone, but sometimes a trade route in which Wood is exchanged for Bread etc.

2. What will the new trade menu look like and the whole trade process? See below on this very simplified image:

As you can see almost the same as now (that blue bar is a progress), however without need to click on Portals, all trade routes are listed in one list and you will be able to see which trade route belongs to which Trade Post. Clicking on Trade Post will zoom camera into it.

Each of these Trade Routes displays in the same way trade routes are displaying in actual trading menu. Adding orders works like before - just click once to trade for 1 unit, than again for second unit, holding shift will fill up the whole 1 cart.

3. This time Imps can be visible on the map and will go to the Trade Post that is located on surface in normal means, so they now can be attacked during their way to the post. There will be finally a good incentive for a player to put some traps or guard room to protect your trade route and Trade Posts.

[Mello Tonin]

What I really like about this is that you're not locked into one trading route or another, so you can trade for what you need when you need it. It also seems simpler than going around to each portal to set what trades go where.

[Sebt]

I've updated this idea to make it simpler. I think actual trade system makes game way to easy and discourage players to look for resources around dungeon or surface world.

[Rasmus]

- Imps trading via Portals, however when they go through them we don't see them on surface,

I agree, I would actually like to have separate trading outposts in the dungeon that the we can use as a checkpoints instead of portals.

- you can have unlocked all trade routes / portals, but all these trades will occur only via the closest Portal to your Trade Room, not through Portal in which certain trade route has been unlocked, so it's almost impossible too interrupt trading, which makes games very easy without needing to dig resources much. Player do not need to push himself into the depths of the map, just unlocking the closest Portal is enough to do ALL unlocked trade routes very safely,

Not sure about how I will handle this one yet, I don't want to complicate the trading system to much. Perhaps we can make it so that the you can only trade with one portal (trading outpost in the future) each 20 minutes, which will force the player to go to other portals if they want faster trading.

- the most needed resources (I'm looking at you darn WOOD ) are not guaranteed to have them unlocked as a first trade route,
- trade routes are only unlocked after you claim second Portal...

I will try to balance this with each new version.

Instead of having trade points on world map what would you say about to have a real Trade Posts scattered on the map?
Trade Posts could be placed in surface world...

...but some of them could be placed in dungeons (these could have different items on trade than surface Trade Posts).

Exactly

1. How does it work?
Instead of trade icons in upper resource Trade bar menu there is a drop-down list of trade routes. If a player claims a Trade Post a new trade route (or routes, up to 3 maximum) will be added to that "Trade List". Trade routes are randomly generated - sometimes one Trade Post could unlock a trade route which trades Wood --> Stone, but sometimes a trade route in which Wood is exchanged for Bread etc.

2. What will the new trade menu look like and the whole trade process? See below on this very simplified image:

As you can see almost the same as now (that blue bar is a progress), however without need to click on Portals, all trade routes are listed in one list and you will be able to see which trade route belongs to which Trade Post. Clicking on Trade Post will zoom camera into it.

Each of these Trade Routes displays in the same way trade routes are displaying in actual trading menu. Adding orders works like before - just click once to trade for 1 unit, than again for second unit, holding shift will fill up the whole 1 cart.

3. This time Imps can be visible on the map and will go to the Trade Post that is located on surface in normal means, so they now can be attacked during their way to the post. There will be finally a good incentive for a player to put some traps or guard room to protect your trade route and Trade Posts.

I like this a lot, I will look through it once I get back to improving the UI again.

Awesome feedback Sebt

[Sebt]

Thanks, I'm glad you like it. It will surely fix the problem with amount of trade routes you can see on resource bar (which is now limited to 10 trade routes) and player will be able to see which Trade Post unlocked which trade route.

- Imps trading via Portals, however when they go through them we don't see them on surface,

I agree, I would actually like to have separate trading outposts in the dungeon that the we can use as a checkpoints instead of portals.

Only in dungeon or are you going to make some also on surface with different items (maybe human items) you can get there?

I thought as far from DM is the trading post as the chance of finding more lucrative trade route with also rarer items could be unlocked there. That would surely make player motivate to go further and conquer more territories. In level editor each trade post could be of course manually edited to make a custom trade route (if player uncheck "random" option. Especially useful for scenarios).

- you can have unlocked all trade routes / portals, but all these trades will occur only via the closest Portal to your Trade Room, not through Portal in which certain trade route has been unlocked, so it's almost impossible too interrupt trading, which makes games very easy without needing to dig resources much. Player do not need to push himself into the depths of the map, just unlocking the closest Portal is enough to do ALL unlocked trade routes very safely,

Not sure about how I will handle this one yet, I don't want to complicate the trading system to much. Perhaps we can make it so that the you can only trade with one portal (trading outpost in the future) each 20 minutes, which will force the player to go to other portals if they want faster trading.

Hmm, what hat if player find for example 3 Trade Posts close to DM? Dividing 20 minutes on 3 will get 6,6 minutes. In one hand to find 3 Trade Posts could be a little more difficult though, in other hand different games can have different pace.

I thought that as far as you find a new Trade Post as it would have more interesting Trade Route or at least have higher probability of finding better trade routes and because they can be really precious to a player he/she would have an incentive to place there traps and guards to protect Trade Posts from bandits or humans from surface. There is also higher risk of being robbed by enemy during the Imp's much longer path to Trade Post, that is unlocked far away from dungeon.

If certain Trade Post could only be used to do it's only own trade routes, than it would be easier for player to connect a dedicated Trade Room with specific Trade Post, so if player place a Trade Room close to Trade Post that have a trade route player want to use, than game could choose for this new Trade Room the closest Trade Post that would be serviced by this Trade Room.

EDIT: I also noticed something else - what is the problem now to just rush to Portals and claim them just to get more trade routes, right? When you claim them you don't need to worry what will happen next to them because you've already unlocked the new trade route. I always do that and I noticed that it makes the game way too easy from now on. I just don't need to explore the map for resources any more.

There is still an issue with trade routes in which if you make a big order, than all Loading Docks are filled with that order and the rest trade routes are ignored - see At least 1 cart guaranteed for 1 type of trade.