Trade Merchants
So, money.
In AO, currently once you’ve bought a brig galleons have zero use. Other than player trading which to be honest shouldn’t really count as long as the pseudovalues are being controlled by whomsoever does that down in Galleoncord. This can probably be attributed towards the lack of stuff to buy with them. Here’s a solution, and a way to make shops more helpful to players other than just selling items - I’ll give you a clue, it involves them selling things that players want. -
Remember WoM? This is similar to the randomly spawning merchants it had, as a continuation of the WoM-esque update we’re soon to be seeing.
Trade Merchants are randomly spawning (this time unkillable) merchants which sell specific items tailored towards different parts of the game. They will have three different tiers which spawn increasingly rarely in different set locations around the map. They may also spawn on Merchant ships, however still spawn alongside regular Merchants.
Trade Merchant
- Spawns randomly in place of Task NPCs or other specific locations, e.g. in the streets of the city, or at the Merchant Caravan in Sameria, or at the markets in Amarut and Masada.
Some specific bad-rep merchants may spawn only in alleyways or hidden areas.
Renowned Merchant
- Still decently common, they sell rarer items which players might want more - about a 1 in 7 or so chance to spawn compared to a normal Trade Merchant. They may spawn only in market areas at this point.
- They also sell one “Exemplary Item.” which has a lower stock - only one or two of each, and will sell for X times its Galleon Value, so it’s decently expensive to buy. At this level, the Exemplary item can be stuff like Exotic Enchant Scrolls, Spell Scrolls, rare reagents, and modified build specific gears. Exemplary items take many times longer to restock, and perhaps will only be stocked once before the merchant despawns depending on how Vet codes the Task spawns.
- The spawning of these merchants is announced in the Agora.
Legendary Merchant
- Rarely spawning, preset and predesigned merchants.
- Only spawn in areas like the Merchant Caravan, Port Mistral, Rubica etc.
- Some bad rep ones may spawn in Whitesummit, guarded by Assassins, or at other black markets around the world.
- They have to feel impactful on the world, as if they’re actually apart of it rather than just a food merchant or just a armourer.
- As they’re preset, they can also have Titles and possibly lore dialogue options (please???)
- They will be announced in the Agora with some large headline;
“Breaking News, John Doe the Generous has set up shop in Sameria.”
“Suspicious smuggler activity around Whitesummit has been reported in the last few days, Grand Navy warns travellers.” - Will sell a few Exemplary Items for high prices. Does not sell non Exemplary items.
- Their Exemplary items can be basically anything which isn’t a Sunken, Acrimony or item with lore significance
- Once they have sold out, they have sold out.
– Many Ideas were gained from asking members of Vetcord –
Trade Merchant Types:
Trinket Sellers
Trinket Sellers will sell a variety of random Deckhand Artefacts, Gemstones, Amulets, Bracelets and other small items of the sort in low quantities.
Intended to help new players get these sorts of specific items.
Culinary Merchant
Culinary Merchants sell spices, basic food ingredients and other similar items. Can occasionally sell region specific ingredients
Intended to serve as an upgrade to food merchants, with herbs and spices for better meals.
Apothecary
Apothecaries sell any of the T1 potion ingredients that do not spawn in the dark sea or low tier Catalysts.
Intended to serve as a way to easily get common ingredients, making potion brewing more helpful early game.
Weaponmaster
Positive Reputation Merchant
Weaponmasters will sell a variety of average and low quality weapons but never region specific weapons. Usually only have a stock of a couple weapons, one each. Intended to allow players to easily arm themselves, and as an introduction to the large variety of weapons in the game.
They’re pretty good at their job, and don’t sell arms to wanted criminals.
Smuggler
Negative Reputation Merchant
Smugglers sell weapons, armour and regents to negative rep players. They spawn in alleyways, criminal towns and hideouts and other strongholds. Acting as a mixture between other types of merchant, they can occasionally sell items for lower prices due to… interestingly moral procurement techniques. Intended to give a bonus for bad rep players, to encourage a balance in routes.
Collector
Collectors sell a limited stock of normal merchant items, however they have a special property in which any item which sells for less than its galleon value will be sold at an increased price, however any item which sells for its galleon value will not get the increase bonus. Intended to make galleon values feel less of a scam, whilst keeping selling reagents balanced.
Kingdom Merchants
Kingdom Merchants are merchants who work for one of the eleven kingdoms. They will only sell to you if you have a good alignment with that kingdom. They spawn on the main kingdom island of each kingdom, or in major territories of said kingdom. They sell kingdom specific items such as the Ravennan and Samerian swords / shields.
Renowned Merchant Types:
Armourmaster
You’ve seen the apprentice, now time for the master. Armourmasters are like Weaponmasters but for armour. They can sell any sort of armour: mainly “upgrades” over Armourers with Titanium, Samurai, Juggernaut and occasionally stat specific items. They can also sell items like pauldrons, gauntlets and other armour types. Exemplary items they sell include: Legally modified versions of their usual wares. Intended to give a place to buy a range of higher level armours.
Potionmaster
Potionmasters act as an almost direct upgrade to Apothecaries. They will sell all T2 reagents and better catalysts. Golden Apples, Dark Sea Diamonds, Legendary Fish Scales and White Eyes Scales can only be sold as Exemplary Items with specifically Legendary Fish Scales in very low amounts. They do not sell Prometheus’ Acrimonies or Dark Sea Essential. They can also sell various low tier (Common or uncommon) Vials, Flasks, Bottle Potions, Burst Potions, and Gels.
Also, related to this Delta has cooked up the idea of having merchant specific reagents and catalysts, with an example right here. Thought I’d just add this for the sake of the idea…
Intended to make specific reagents and potions less of an annoying grind to get.
Delicatessen
Yes Delis existed at the sort of right time
Started with fruits and stuff so that’s exactly what they’ll sell in AO.
Delicatessens sell fruits of most types, along with golden variants of some more common fruits. Their exemplary items will include the rarest of golden foods, such as Golden Giant Lemons and Golden Sky Pumpkins.
Intended to act as a shop for rarer food items, as an upgrade to food sellers.
Architect
Architects will sell blueprints for ship parts, such as Hull Armour, Rams, Cannons and Mortars. They also may sell additions to Clan Building and the Empires update depending on how it works. Their Exemplary items can be rarer blueprints.
Intended to give an alternate way of getting blueprints, however at a disadvantage of having to pay a much higher price for both the blueprint and building it. Also could be used to expand on the Clan Building system.
Travelling Fishmonger
Lmao my name idea’s run dry for this one. Travelling Fishmongers will sell fish of various varieties along with fish based meals. They also will sell Wooden rods and occasionally Bronze, Collectors or Fishmongers rods. Their Exemplary items will be meals with high hunger reduction and other effects. Intended for fish.
Blackmarketer
Negative Reputation Traders
Blackmarketers are smugglers but with a put together operation. They’ll trade in most things - weapons, armour, potions, food at cheaper prices than other merchants. Good choice if you need to grab something quickly whilst on the run. Exemplary items will include a variety of things, notably modified armours and rarer potions. Intended to provide a benefit for bad reps.
Trade Sorcerer
Trade Sorcerers sell Magic based items. These include blueprints for Arcanium ship parts, in the future Arcanium Weapons and Magic specific items. Their Exemplary items will probably be modified versions of Mage only items and Rare Spell Scrolls, and would be sold at high prices due to this. Intended to provide another route to get these items rather than treasure chart rng.
Trade Fighter
Trade Fighters sell Strength based items. These include blueprints for Throwing Harpoons (And in the future other strength based ship parts), Strength armours and eventually non-boss Strength Weapons if they’re ever added. Their Exemplary items will probably be modified versions of Strength only items and Rare Technique scrols, and would be sold at high prices due to this. Intended to provide another route to get these items rather than treasure chart rng.
Trade Oracle
Trade Oracles sell Vitality based items. These include blueprints for Net Launchers (And in the future other vitality based ship parts), Vitality Armours and eventually common Spirit Weapons. Their Exemplary items will probably be modified versions of Vitality only items, which would be sold at high prices and Healing Scrolls. Intended to provide another route to get these items rather than treasure chart rng.
Trade Enchanter
Trade Enchanters are merchants which sell a variety of Rare tier enchantment scrolls. They are special as they can sell more than one Exemplary item (At Renowned tier and up to three in rare cases), but each of their Exemplary items will only have a stock of 1. Their Exemplary items will be expensive, as they are tier 2 (Exotic) enchantment scrolls of different varieties, being sold for high prices. Intended to provide another route to get these items rather than sealed chest rng.
Legendary Merchant Concepts*
*As Legendary Merchants are pre-set and created characters with significance in the world, these are only concepts that will have to be fleshed out on.
A suspicious dark mage
“What’s somebody like you doing looking for a sorceress like me?”
- No good spawn location currently unless anyone can think of it.
- Would ideally spawn in a suspicious magical feeling location
- Sells a selection of Enchant scrolls, Spell Scrolls, Modified Arcanium Items and eventually (& very Rarely in the future) Lost magic scrolls for understandably high prices.
An eccentric potioneer.
“Roll up, roll up, new potions sold here! Licensed by the Grand Navy, its your one chance to get your hands on some of this stuff.”
- Spawns at the Merchant Caravan in Sameria
- Sells a variety of T5 potions
- Including a rebranded mystery potion called the “Eccentric Potion”
- Why? Because funny t5 mystery pots
A Syndicate backed Assassin market
Negative Reputation Merchant
“Don’t tell the Navy about any transactions here, I have friends in high places. Let’s just say, if you mess up, the Red Council will personally put a price on that head of yours.”
- Spawns near any Criminal town or Assassin hideout.
- Spawns with a few high levelled assassins protecting them.
- Sells a variety of useful assassin tools, ship blueprints, decent tiered bleeding and harming potions, enchant scrolls, and possibly even unique weapons in the future.
A Navy supported quality trader
Positive Reputation Merchant
“Are you a member of the Navy? Or perhaps one of the Mercenaries they hire?”
- Counterpart to the Assassin market
- Spawns at any Navy base or Navy protected area
- Spawns with a few Marines protecting them.
- Sells a variety of useful tools, ship blueprints, healing and ironskin potions, enchant scrolls and possibly even unique weapons in the future.
A generous merchant
“You there, see my wares, highest quality in the War Seas!”
- Spawns in the centre of any capital city
- Sells a variety of items, such as enchant scrolls, high quality tools, and rare golden fruits.
A couple notes
- Most merchants with the intention of “Providing another route” to get an item are intended to provide another way of getting the item by gaining galleons through another method, e.g. cargo runs rather than dark sea.
- For any merchants which sell modified items, Blasted modifiers will be rarer than the rest, other rarities can be adjusted as seen fit.
Concept “Art”
Graphic design quality since 2024
I don’t have the AO Title font so make do with this.
You can barely call it anything let alone art
Trade Merchant Title
misaligned misfortune
Renowned Merchant Title
slightly shifted sorrow
Legendary Merchant Title
Took me too long to figure out the sizes and they still look wrong
Concept for how Exemplary items would appear
before you say it, yes I spent a whole five minutes on this
Other Things To Read
Credits
People who helped come up with ideas.
- Delta_Zone
- Killov_Tech
- _cynica
- b4c0nb4sic
- Imalettuce
