As far as I'm aware, the mod aims for "player driven economy". And that's cool and all, but right now, I don't really see how it could matter even with single-player features implemented.
Right now, the only "economy" happening between players is equipment trading, but it's mostly irrelevant because most of the players strength comes from his party, not his single character. We can already see prices dropping sometimes even people sell items for less than they would get from artisan, or unavailable items going even higher in prices just because they're so rare.
My suggestion is meant for the future so it wouldn't help in the current situation, but something else must be done than just introduce new equipments that only some people will be able to get and dictate prices (look better horses now), or everyone will get and no one will care about trading them (look longbows now, reaching prices as low as 100 gold).
We need supply & demand.
Sure, in some way it already exists. But the problem right now is, demand is single-time. If I need a good bow, I'll either go hunt forest bandits until I get one, or buy one. If I need good armor, the process is the same. But I won't need MORE of that same item. Sure, food will be a thing (I hope). But there are many more goods available for production in Bannerlord, and those don't seem to tie-in with MMO very well I think.
I have also always disliked how in Warband and Bannerlord SP it's very easy to get well-trained and well equipped troops, even if the player was weak and poorly equipped himself.
My suggestion is, adding items that serve as a requirement to upgrade troops, just as horses are used to upgrade units to cavalry in SP, but expand that mechanic to ALL units, and make items specific for upgrading to each tier. So upgrading T2 to T3 unit requires "T3 Upgrade Pack" (maybe with some better name) or "T3 Infantry/Ranged/Cavalry Upgrade Pack" in case these items would be unit-type specific which could also serve as a nice way promote specialisations in certain industries, for example ranged units upgrade packs could require more hardwood/leather than iron/steel to make, and cavalry packs would of course require horses to make.
Of course the "money" cost to upgrade would have to be greatly reduced to offset the increased costs caused by getting these upgrade packs.
My idea is that upgrade from T2 to T3 would still cost "only" money, so a new player could still get T2 units just by fighting looters. T3 upgrades could also drop from better bandits (T3 forest bandits and sea raiders), but anything above that would require either creating that upgrade pack, or buying one from the market.
How would creating one work?
Well, similar to current farming system, but much more complicated and with more steps, involving even people working at different locations.
First raw goods would have to be produces, things like hardwood, iron, leather etc. at the according villages. Depending on how even that system is implemented, a player would either collect if for himself while doing the work, or buy it back from the village OR its owner (hopefully the owner would be able to set the price at which he wants to sell and the wage he wants to pay people for doing work on his settlement).
Those raw goods would need to be processed into materials, probably in workshops in cities. My hope is, that this part could be handled by "outside" traders, that only move goods - they dont extract them, they dont process them, they only buy them in one place and sell in another. Would this be profitable? Maybe, depends on how the situation works out in the end. But this would also allow clans to have dedicated players for each step in the production process.
Once those raw goods are processed into materials, then they need to be delivered to a smithy, either in a city, or a castle, where the final step is done, and the smith combines these goods to create upgrade packs. They would of course require different amount/types of resources for higher tier upgrades, and maybe even appropriate smithing skill, and perks in the smithing skill tree could affect that, for example "Bulk Smither" reducing the required resources for crafting by say 5% or 10%. Maybe a skill that gives a small chance to create a "free" upgrade pack or refund some of the resources used.
Of course, all the specifics are very much subject to change, I would just really like to see a system different than "Oh you're experienced enough that you want to get better gear? Sure, just take that 600 gold in the middle of nowhere and now you're a veteran marskman"
Let me know what you guys think about this, both in general, if you think this could be handled better in other way, or in specifics, what would the implications be to smallest parts of the system? I think it would be cool if it could become a viable strategy to "raid" shipment routes for iron, and in response to that factions would start patrolling their lands because they NEED these goods to be delivered to maintain a good army.
Right now, the only "economy" happening between players is equipment trading, but it's mostly irrelevant because most of the players strength comes from his party, not his single character. We can already see prices dropping sometimes even people sell items for less than they would get from artisan, or unavailable items going even higher in prices just because they're so rare.
My suggestion is meant for the future so it wouldn't help in the current situation, but something else must be done than just introduce new equipments that only some people will be able to get and dictate prices (look better horses now), or everyone will get and no one will care about trading them (look longbows now, reaching prices as low as 100 gold).
We need supply & demand.
Sure, in some way it already exists. But the problem right now is, demand is single-time. If I need a good bow, I'll either go hunt forest bandits until I get one, or buy one. If I need good armor, the process is the same. But I won't need MORE of that same item. Sure, food will be a thing (I hope). But there are many more goods available for production in Bannerlord, and those don't seem to tie-in with MMO very well I think.
I have also always disliked how in Warband and Bannerlord SP it's very easy to get well-trained and well equipped troops, even if the player was weak and poorly equipped himself.
My suggestion is, adding items that serve as a requirement to upgrade troops, just as horses are used to upgrade units to cavalry in SP, but expand that mechanic to ALL units, and make items specific for upgrading to each tier. So upgrading T2 to T3 unit requires "T3 Upgrade Pack" (maybe with some better name) or "T3 Infantry/Ranged/Cavalry Upgrade Pack" in case these items would be unit-type specific which could also serve as a nice way promote specialisations in certain industries, for example ranged units upgrade packs could require more hardwood/leather than iron/steel to make, and cavalry packs would of course require horses to make.
Of course the "money" cost to upgrade would have to be greatly reduced to offset the increased costs caused by getting these upgrade packs.
My idea is that upgrade from T2 to T3 would still cost "only" money, so a new player could still get T2 units just by fighting looters. T3 upgrades could also drop from better bandits (T3 forest bandits and sea raiders), but anything above that would require either creating that upgrade pack, or buying one from the market.
How would creating one work?
Well, similar to current farming system, but much more complicated and with more steps, involving even people working at different locations.
First raw goods would have to be produces, things like hardwood, iron, leather etc. at the according villages. Depending on how even that system is implemented, a player would either collect if for himself while doing the work, or buy it back from the village OR its owner (hopefully the owner would be able to set the price at which he wants to sell and the wage he wants to pay people for doing work on his settlement).
Those raw goods would need to be processed into materials, probably in workshops in cities. My hope is, that this part could be handled by "outside" traders, that only move goods - they dont extract them, they dont process them, they only buy them in one place and sell in another. Would this be profitable? Maybe, depends on how the situation works out in the end. But this would also allow clans to have dedicated players for each step in the production process.
Once those raw goods are processed into materials, then they need to be delivered to a smithy, either in a city, or a castle, where the final step is done, and the smith combines these goods to create upgrade packs. They would of course require different amount/types of resources for higher tier upgrades, and maybe even appropriate smithing skill, and perks in the smithing skill tree could affect that, for example "Bulk Smither" reducing the required resources for crafting by say 5% or 10%. Maybe a skill that gives a small chance to create a "free" upgrade pack or refund some of the resources used.
Of course, all the specifics are very much subject to change, I would just really like to see a system different than "Oh you're experienced enough that you want to get better gear? Sure, just take that 600 gold in the middle of nowhere and now you're a veteran marskman"
Let me know what you guys think about this, both in general, if you think this could be handled better in other way, or in specifics, what would the implications be to smallest parts of the system? I think it would be cool if it could become a viable strategy to "raid" shipment routes for iron, and in response to that factions would start patrolling their lands because they NEED these goods to be delivered to maintain a good army.
