The middleman and transport.

[Gayel Nord]

I have been reviewing goblinworks's blog and I have seen a subject that have been less talking about. The middlemen or, like i understand, the refiner. He's a very important part of the economy, but we haven't talk much about it. He will be the dealer and one of the most rich person in the game. But, how will be the evolution of the type? I mean, he have to be better if he boost his skills on that right. So how it will fonction?

1. The Player character (PC) have a refinery. He does contracts to buy the components at the best price, transport (maybe will transport himself), refine, transport and sell at the best price.

At this point, The (PC)don't have the information on the price in the market or who has the lowest cost components or who gonna buy at high price the refine material. It will be by experience. The skill will only be at the performance (time, cost and type)of the refinery that HE will supervise.

2. Same as above but we have a marketplace for components and rafined material. It will be easier to know the price of the market. The refinery will also a product's quality for better craft. (for durability)

3. Same as above, but some of the refinery's capability will not be exclusive for the PC. If someone stole the refinery,it could work like if it was the pc (maybe a little less for management difficulty.) That will separate the middleman in two: the charioteer (for transport) and the refiner (because the risk of losing your refinery will be to great.)

4. Same as above, but the charioteer will have skills in this domain. That will be the mark that separate the middlemen in two.

So what is your idea?

[Gayel Nord]

Also, i have thinking about the location of the rafinery. Should it be at the closest town or the one with the market or the one with the crafters?

It think should be one with the market, but it should be a a strategic place for all the haversters to go. (not little time of transport for each of them) It will cost less to have one caravan of refined materials than 60 caravans of components.

[DeciusBrutus]

Information about raw material prices will be common if not public knowledge. So will operating costs, and the costs involved with entering processing personally.

It will be as close as possible to an optimum-information exchange, and there will probably be many cases where margins become razor-thin due to a low bar to entry.

[Onishi]

DeciusBrutus wrote:

Information about raw material prices will be common if not public knowledge. So will operating costs, and the costs involved with entering processing personally.

It will be as close as possible to an optimum-information exchange, and there will probably be many cases where margins become razor-thin due to a low bar to entry.

I agree on the information of game mechanics being an obvious known. but I would say the bar to entry isn't rock bottom, at least not for the better resources. The refining skill takes X time to learn, making connections with harvesters etc... takes Y time. Setting up shop within an NPC town will likely take Z time, and then of course for better items you will need better connections, higher skills, and a PC settlement.

With those variables in play I don't quite imagine much more than the lowest tiers of refining, to be on razor thin margains.

[Arlock Blackwind]

ok lets take a basic well known concept - how to make a sword.
1.mine ore
2.smelt said ore into ingots/bars/whatever
3.forge said material into sword
three steps easy right!
1. Gather raw materials
2. Process/purify them into consumable material
3. Create final item

This works for almost every system. except wonderos items and certin spells make me think like will lute of building come into play or will make whoal spell replace repair kits? If they are in the game it might imbalance or if its not people might whine casters were nurfed even before release.