ONLINE TRADE - Rules and mechanics
On the ELEMENT Boards, there is opportunity for players to trade with one another. There will be one main board (Titled "Online In Character Trading), with 4 sub-boards ("Buying", "Selling", "Travelling Merchant", "Market"). The "Buying" Sub-board will be for players to post items they are looking to buy, the "Selling" sub-board for players to post items they are wishing to sell. The "Travelling Merchant" and "Market" sub-boards will be where the Trade Referee will post a list of items for sale, which will pop up from time to time, sometimes with specific items, sometimes with items that may seem worthless. These "worthless" items may or may not include secrets, knowledge, or even treasure maps! (Serving as a rather handy plot stick…). This will be covered in further detail below…
Selling
Players wishing to sell items create a new thread, with the title of the thread being the item they are selling. The thread content should include a description of the item for sale and an asking price. Other players may then post to enquirer/haggle/make an offer. Once both players are satisfied with the deal, the thread will be locked and the Trade Referee will send a message to both players, confirming the purchase.
EXAMPLE:
-Baelvanna wishes to sell a cow she has acquired. After getting the cow evaluated by someone with the "Evaluate" skill, she knows that she can ask for a price of 12 silver crests.
-New Thread, Title: COW FOR SALE
Milking cow in good condition. Black and white. No previous medical problems. 4 years old.
Asking Price: 12 silver crests
Nia: Ah, I need a good milking cow… Where did this cow come from?
Vanna: I did a favour for a farmer in Quelas. He gave it to me as a reward! I've had her assessed and she's in tip top condition.
Nia: Hmmm… Quelas cows are good cows indeed… I will offer you 9 silver for her. OFFER: 9 Silver Crests
Rana Dae: Ah yes, a fine beast indeed! She would make a fine addition to my castle. I shall offer you 11 silver! OFFER: 11 Silver Crests
(It is up to the player to decide which offer to take, and if they will wait for someone to post with a better offer. However, it will be at the discretion of the Trade Referee how long this will be, and the seller may be given a gentle nudge if they wait too long).
Vanna: Excellent! Rana Dae, I accept your offer of 11 silver! TRADE CLOSED.
At this point, the Trade Ref. will send both Vanna and Rana Dae a private message to confirm the trade deal, and close the thread.
Should players wish to sell dodgy or immoral goods, they may post with a vague thread title and description. Players will be welcome to ask questions about the goods, and it will be up to the seller if he/she chooses to disclose the exact nature of the sale publicly or in a private message. However, all offers must be made and accepted publicly, and the Trade Ref. must also be made aware of the nature of the sale.
EXAMPLE:
Hafu wishes to sell something, and creates a new thread for his sale.
-New Thread, Title: NEW HOME NEEDED FOR LABOURER
Selling due to cutbacks. 16 years old. Male. Fit, healthy. Compliant.
Asking Price: 10 Golden Crowns
Gallus: 10 gold? That seems like rather a lot for a labourer? What sort of labour can he do?
Hafu does not want to disclose publicly that he is, in fact, selling a slave and so sends Gallus a private message to let him know.
PM
Hafu: This "labourer" will cater to your every whim. He will be at your beck and call and will be obliged to carry out anything you ask of him…
Gallus: Ah, I understand, a slave? I need one of those…
Back on the Selling Thread:
Hafu: This labourer is especially good at repairs and is actually a very good cook!
Gallus: Yes, that sounds good. I will offer you the full 10 Gold. OFFER: 10 Golden Crowns
Hafu: Wonderful! Enjoy your purchase! TRADE CLOSED.
The Trade Ref. holds the right to remove items from sale. Players will also be informed of drops or increases in value of goods due to supply and demand.
There may be consequences for characters trading certain items openly.
Random NPCs will pop from time to time, wishing to buy goods players are selling.
Buying
Players looking to buy an item will make a new thread in the "Buying" Sub-board, with the title of the thread being the item they are looking to buy. Other players may then post on that thread to say they have the item, or are willing to locate the item, and what they are expecting the buyer to pay.
EXAMPLE:
Velena has heard about Bacchus' Special Brew, and wants to treat the rest of the Blackfire Crew to a bottle.
New Thread, Title: WANTED: Bacchus' Special Brew
I am seeking a bottle of Bacchus' Special Brew. I hear it is most delicious and I am keen to try it with my crew.
Hafu: I don't have any, but for 15 gold I will locate it for you. If you'd like me to obtain it for you, that will be a further 10 gold. OFFER: 15-25 golden crowns.
Vanna: I actually have a bottle. I am willing to sell it to you for just 20 gold. Seems a lot, but it's worth it! OFFER: 20 Golden Crowns
Velena: Well, if you already have it, then that saves a lot of hassle! Vanna, I will purchase your bottle of Bacchus' Special Brew for 20 Gold. TRADE CLOSED.
The Trade Ref. will then send a private message to both Velena and Vanna to confirm the purchase, and close the thread.
NPC's may also be looking to buy items on occasion.
As with selling, players may look to buy dodgy or immoral goods using vague public description, and it is up to the player if they wish to disclose the nature of the item they are looking for publicly or in a private message (Please see the "Selling" section of the "Online Trade- Rules and Mechanics" for an example of how this works). The Trade Ref. must be made aware of the nature of these goods, and all trade offers and deals must be made publicly.
As per the selling rules, the Trade Ref. holds the right to remove items from sale. Players will also be informed of drops or increases in value of goods due to supply and demand and there may be consequences for characters trading certain items openly.
Travelling Merchant/Market
From time to time, players may encounter a travelling merchant, or there may be a market taking place nearby. When this happens, the Trade Ref. will let players know by creating a new thread on the appropriate sub-board. The thread will include a list of goods for sale, and the asking price for each item. Some items will be specific and say exactly what they are. For example, the Travelling Merchant may have amongst his goods a minor healing potion for 3 bronze, a bunch of carrots for 1 bronze, a pearl for 5 silver and a pot of Fire Salts for 5 gold. These are all items that pretty much say what they are. However, the Merchant may also have goods for sale that are not quite so descriptive. For example, amongst the list of goods, there may be a bundle of old papers on sale for 5 bronze helms. The Merchant has acquired them through a friend. This friend recently lost his Great Uncle Boberia and whilst sorting through his inheritance found lots of old books and papers. These particular papers didn't seem worth anything, but rather than throw them out, he gives them to his friend, the Merchant, in case they might be of value to someone else. If a player is intrigued enough to buy the papers, he would find out through close examination, or by having them evaluated, that Great Uncle Boberia was in fact a treasure hunter, and a keen alchemist. Whilst most of the papers will turn out to be worthless, they do include an old treasure map and a few alchemy recipes. It will be up to the Ref. Team to decide amongst themselves if the treasure map is real, or merely a hoax, and players will have to find out either through online role play, or on a game if the Ref. Team decide to run it as a linear. However, this is not a guarantee that every "bundle of papers" or seemingly worthless item for sale WILL include something exciting…
The Market will work much the same way, although there will be a separate thread in this sub-board for different stalls. A list of goods for sale will be provided for each stall and players may make purchases.
Remember, the Travelling Merchant and the Market Traders may also accept payment of goods, as well as money or gems.
Players should also be aware that trying to sell items without knowing the value through having it evaluated, or selling worthless items for a high value could either incur the wrath of whoever they are trying to sell to, or lead to the seller being duped into selling for less than the item is actually worth.
The Trade Ref. will keep a log of all trade deals made on the boards, so as to easily resolve any disputes. Although characters will essentially "have" the item they have bought, or the money they have received for their sale, at the start of each event, the Trade Ref. will officially complete the trade by collecting money from the buyer and goods from the seller (most likely in the form of a "Trade Item Card", unless a physical representation is available) and making the exchange. In the event that a player has obtained an item in game and wishes to sell it without having a Trade Card or phys rep, this will be allowed, provided this has been confirmed by the Referee Team.
Happy Trading!
