Better cargo:
Cargo is very simple and boring right now. You buy cargo at Ravenna, and go to Redwake. Do it again vice versa, and that’s how you grind galleons in AO. Not very fun. The gist is this: Each town has multiple types of cargo, and there is a “mini market” in each server where different types of cargo are worth different amounts of galleons to different places at different times. The best cargo path will constantly change, and with multiple ways to predict and influence the market cargo will be a fun strategic minigame to flip money and possibly earn other rewards. Here is the in-depth explanation of how I would improve cargo:
- Each town will have different cargo types. For example, Shell Island would have a coal cargo while Frostmill would have an ice cargo (hence the ice smugglers).
- There is a “mini market” in each server where each cargo type will have fluctuating values for trade, just like real life. The price of most items will be a wave or some other predictable pattern. The auctioneer can show you graphs of each ingredients value for each town.
- Random game events can change the price of cargos. For example, maybe the Agora can have random events such as “Palo Town mayor was seen eating tomato soup at a restaurant! Demand for Ravenna tomatos may start to increase soon.” Don’t worry, the price will not fluctuate so much at once, and it will change slow enough where the player can reasonably do a cargo haul. The player should also be able to predict this, maybe from random NPC dialogue talking about other towns, the auctioneer giving random tips or predictions, and of course the Agora (news).
- Players can also influence the market. If a player ravages Frostmill, the Agora might say “Frostmill has just had a devastating attack by [Player]. Citizens report that they need heat to survive as they rebuild their town. Coal prices from Shell Island are expected to rise for the time being.” Another example would be players completing side quests, such as the farmers wheat side quest or giant banana side quest. If there are random cooking side quests, then another player can introduce a new meal to another town and make it trendy for a bit.
- Player influence might make more sense if there are NPC cargo ships that can be destroyed. It will help sell the idea that criminals can starve towns of valuable products.
- By adding different cargo types and making their value change, the meta constantly shifts and cargo is a lot more interesting. Now, instead of always doing the same cargo path, players may consider doing Shell-Frostmill hauls or Palo-Sailor’s Lodge hauls.
- There will still be the basic cargo where you get money based on distance. I would consider nerfing it a bit by making it cost 30 galleons or less (but the payout % will stay the same), mainly to encourage interacting with the cargo mechanics. You can choose this if you don’t feel like dealing with cargo mechanics, or for extra money.
- This is a bit of a side note, but about the coal cargos: Maybe different cargos can change your boat. So hauling coal is risky since it can catch on fire and ruin your ship, but it is worth more on average. You could probably get creative with this and create a fun risk-reward thing where players can test their skills with more fragile cargo and more difficult paths.
- Every town would have one basic cargo and preferably two special cargos that follow this market. Frostmill would have ice and freshwater, Shell Island would have coal and bananas, Ravenna would have tomatoes and bronze (wheat aswell after completing the quest), Sailors Lodge would have fish and sailing equipment, etc…
- About the “other rewards” part at the beginning, you can get more than galleons from doing cargo runs. Maybe you can earn fame from helping towns in need, or even items from doing favors.
The stuff after this is more of an extension to the idea.
- A weatherman NPC can be added that lets you see information on the weather and news in the sea (rough seas, pirate hotspots, criminal sightings, etc). This will let players start planning paths which will be fun. Players can use weather data to predict if a town will get less cargo or if a town will have a rough day. They can also try to plan paths, because now paths aren’t based on distance but also weather and pirate density.
- Criminals can try to intercept cargo and influence the market to their advantage. Criminals can also have a black market with it’s own cargo and stuff, however this is more risky and more involved.
- You can also use the market system to improve shops. The shops are very samey; food merchants and fishmongers always sell the basic ingredients and are not very unique. Merchants in different towns can sell different things and pay different amounts for certain things. The market can make selling food viable for once!
Pretty big suggestion with a lot of potential. I know it’s a lot to add all of this at once, but the cargo parts would be fun. I know that there is the potential issue of people waiting for a cargo to be worth more. To fix this, I would make cargo expire over time, though this might not be enough. There’s probably a lot more minor problems or exploits that may occur, you guys can try to point them out and give your opinions on this.
Cargo Trading.