Bay 12 Games Forum

Dwarf Fortress => DF Suggestions => Topic started by: Jeon on November 05, 2007, 04:21:00 pm

Title: Trading improvements
Post by: Jeon on November 05, 2007, 04:21:00 pm
It would be nice if traders could bring more than like... 1 bar of a metal with them per animal.  Since my fortress site is devoid of any useful metal besides copper, I've been trying to import iron/bronze/steel... but the caravans show up with 7 or 8 animals with 1 bar on each of them.  Not too useful.

Also, as other people have suggested... it would be nice to be able to trade for uncut gems, and/or use cut gems for more things.  Bags with sand in them?

It would also be nice if the counteroffers would not include things currently banned for export.  Very annoying to fail a trade because the traders want the banned things and won't accept other items instead...

And will the stupid humans stop bringing me 6 iron anvils every year?  And gear I can't use.

Title: Re: Trading improvements
Post by: dhoonlee on November 05, 2007, 08:55:00 pm
I have to agree. If you agree to pay a hefty premium for certain items, doesn't it make sense for the caravan to carry many of that item to earn large profits? Prices could also be set dynamically, making an item more expensive the next year if you buy significant quantities.

If no trade agreement is made or no specific items requested, I would like to see more varied and random selection of items carried. Typically they bring way too much cloth and leather.

Also, I would like to see the traders drive a harder bargain, or an significant increase in their prices. It is very easy to buy out every caravan that comes by making only rock crafts.

This becomes even easier once the goblins start attacking, because their gear can be sold for incredible value. Now, sure in 33a this is not an problem since the goblins are bugged, but once their behavior is fixed, I think something should be done to reduce the value of their gear.

Title: Re: Trading improvements
Post by: Veroule on November 06, 2007, 01:35:00 am
Actually if you are careful about it you can easily adjust what the traders bring.  They tend to bring more of whatever your bought the year before.  If you don't buy something they will bring less of it.  This has been true of trading in DF for a very long time.

What I tend to do is just buy everything that I can make use of at some point the first time or 2 that they show up.  Then you have a high enough trade count with them to merit an agreement.  Now you buy just the stuff you want them to bring all the time.  You negotiate for the same stuff at the max price for the next year.  The next year they will show up with a bunch of that stuff and a little bit else.  Just buy all of the stuff you want them to bring and nothing else.  Negotiate a small price increase for that stuff.  The year after that they are fullly trained, and you can get that group of items at regular price in large quantities.