A game of survival, trade and exploration in the universe of Fallen London
Trading is very limited
Logiwonk
Posts: 3
7/6/2014
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I'm loving the game so far, but as many have noted it currently is balanced so as to require a lot of grinding for echos. Trade should be a major source of income for most players but as it stands it isn't due to several factors:
1) Very low profit margins on goods
Example Mushroom Wine profit is 1 echo for a London-Venderbight run.
2) Very few trade goods available for trade
Most ports only buy one trade good and many sell no trade goods.
3) Inability to setup trade loops
Limited goods mean that the hold is often empty for the trip back.
4) Non-standard currency
Many ports don't accept Echos! While this adds flavor it is infuriating for someone trying to make a living as a trader.
When you add to these factors that fuel is rather expensive for the rate at which its used, trade is currently VERY grindy.
What I'd hope to see in a future update would be:
1) More variety of trade goods being traded at each port (at least 3-4 per port, preferably 5-6)
2) Echos accepted in ADDITION to nonstandard currency (i.e. pay 30 echos or 1 Zee-story for X).
3) Producer ports (cheap goods) and consumer ports (high sell price)
Cool ways to play around with the trade system include:
- Trader's Guild - membership fee for better rates/ability to trade certain goods/access to specific ports such as resupply points for food and fuel
- Floating Debris - snag some random cargo from an ill-fated ship
- More random events that require skill changes to avoid losing cargo, frequency based on the amount of cargo you're moving
- Time-sensitive cargo deliveries with bonuses for extra-speedy deliever
- More courier runs
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+2
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Alexis Kennedy
Posts: 1374
7/6/2014
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Trade will always be a secondary feature - we're not building Patrician - but as with my answer in the other thread just now, this is largely an early access thing. As more ports pop, there'll be more trade routes; as more narrative pops, there'll be more opportunities to run cargoes and buy goods cheap. As someone on the Steam forums put it, 'you're meant to be more Han Solo than the Hanseatic League.'
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+2
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Logiwonk
Posts: 3
7/6/2014
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An additional note: I respect the current vision for the game and think that trade being secondary makes sense. However, the way the game plays, the presences of cargo goods and cargo ships for purchase, combined with player's previous experiences with Pirates, Patarician, Port Royale, etc will create a strong expectation on the part of the player regarding the ability to play a trade-heavy game. Players will likely assume that you should be able to play as a trader, a privateer, or explorer, so if you can't make your primary income as a trader you will have a disappointed player set regardless of the stated goals of the game.
edited by Logiwonk on 7/6/2014
edited by Logiwonk on 7/6/2014
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+2
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SLTE
Posts: 9
7/6/2014
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Agreed. I was hoping for a return to Uncharted Waters-esque back-and-forth, with a strong profit margin for the wise. Right now it's just too slim a margin. You're more likely to make money beating up pirates over and over and hoping for good drops than to buy said drops yourself. Fluctuation of prices over time might be cool, too, if possible.
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I enjoy this game so much, I'm working on a walkthrough. Come visit and tell me what I've done wrong!
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+1
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