One Hour One Life Forums

lychee

Member

Registered: 2019-05-08

Posts: 328

Hypothetical trade scenario (who should a trader talk to?)

This is a made up scenario (a thought experiment), but still interesting enough to warrant a discussion (I think). Here we go:

Once upon a time, Eve Sue spawned in a really bad location with most of the nearby resources stripped (thanks to the new grid system). There are a few nearby towns, but they looked kinda of scary and Eve Sue is a shy player. Besides, she was really hoping to be an Eve, and wanted to practice her Eve game instead of merging into an existing big town with a heavy language barrier.

Eve Sue started her typical eve opening with the basics -- but she quickly realized that getting iron would be pretty hard in this saturated location. Her location had soil and tons of ponds (since most villages rush wells atm), so early farms were viable, and even got sheep, but the trouble was getting iron.

The conclusion that Sue reached was that maybe she could get iron/tools by trading it somehow, and decided to plant a boatload of milkweed. Soon, she and one of her sons set out to a nearby town with two baskets of rope. The rest of her awesome kids stay behind to work on a sheep pen and other basics.

The town she pulls into (only like 100 tiles away) is pretty advanced -- has newcomen and likely close to diesel -- as well as a bunch of iron stacks and some tools she really wants (particularly shovel/knife/axe). Also, it seems pretty disorganized -- no obvious "leader" or "most experienced player" of any kind. Some scary looking people are carrying swords too.

So here's a few questions:

1. Who should she "talk" to, in attempt to trade rope for iron/tools?

2. What is a fair trade? Assume she has 6 rope on her. What would you consider a "fair trade"?

3. Assuming that communication could occur perfectly normally, who has the "authority" in a village to trade iron/tools with a stranger? If you were an ordinary villager, would you feel comfortable trading village property with a stranger without consulting with anyone? Would you discuss this with the rest of your family?

4. What's the best way to express a desire to trade with the language barrier?

5. ...Is it just easier to steal?

6. What would you do if you were Eve Sue?

7. What if you were Villager Bob (watching all of this happen)? Would you intervene if your trigger-happy Cousin Joe looks like he's contemplating stabbing the Visitor Eve carrying two baskets of rope? Or would you personally stab Eve Sue yourself?

Last edited by lychee (2019-05-14 03:26:48)

futurebird

Member

Registered: 2019-02-20

Posts: 1,553

Re: Hypothetical trade scenario (who should a trader talk to?)

How do you plant a boat load of milkweed without iron? If the area is stripped skewers may be rare... maybe she has enough to make stone hoes?

1. She talks to the smith and whoever is making buckets and carts. One will want the trade the other will be less thrilled.

2. I'd never trade rope for iron! You can't grow iron. But I what I *do* want are her kids to keep the town going. So I might trade, just to keep people in the area, but I'd pressure her and her kids to stay. Some will since most people go to the bigger town given a choice.

3. The people using the materials and anyone in the area can have input.

4. Place basket down, take out ropes put iron in basket and pick it up and put it down with a /happy. If you get /happy back take it. Otherwise take the rope back.

5. Yes. But you could get killed. Might get killed trading to because people are simple.

6. Not let my kids ever know about that big town if I want my town to be the one that thrives. Send a boy to steal if he can blend in by not talking. But, it's not a hopeful situation. Most kids won't stay in the smaller town. They will run to the biggest town they can find. So, my kids proab. won't stay.

7. Yes. I have already stabbed someone for coming with a sword at a peaceful outsider who just seemed to want to talk. It's rude to kill guests!

---

---
omnem cibum costis
tantum baca, non facies opus

lychee

Member

Registered: 2019-05-08

Posts: 328

Re: Hypothetical trade scenario (who should a trader talk to?)

How do you plant a boat load of milkweed without iron? If the area is stripped skewers may be rare... maybe she has enough to make stone hoes?

:sweats: I tried to make it as plausible as possible but it's really hard to make a trade scenario that remotely makes sense! XD This scenario does push it, but it's ....weakly.... plausible (maybe).

2. I'd never trade rope for iron! You can't grow iron.

So, in other words, there's nothing that iron is worth trading?

Is there anything that's worth trading, for that matter then?

futurebird

Member

Registered: 2019-02-20

Posts: 1,553

Re: Hypothetical trade scenario (who should a trader talk to?)

Rope for baskets of pies?
Iron for niter or electrum?
A complete engine for 1.5 times the iron it would take to make one.

---

---
omnem cibum costis
tantum baca, non facies opus

futurebird

Member

Registered: 2019-02-20

Posts: 1,553

Re: Hypothetical trade scenario (who should a trader talk to?)

I could see a town where they make engines and people come with loads of iron to buy them. But it'd be more than a six-wheeled cart and can you even put the engine in a horse cart to deliver it?

---

---
omnem cibum costis
tantum baca, non facies opus

lychee

Member

Registered: 2019-05-08

Posts: 328

Re: Hypothetical trade scenario (who should a trader talk to?)

I don't know most of the camera tech. Is it really that worthwhile? XD

Rope for baskets of pies?

Hard for me to come up with a decent exchange rate. Pies (esp mutton/rabbit) are basically free for larger towns since there's always so much excess from compost cycle and people getting furs.

Milkweed is annoying to farm and people are constantly taking it.

Also I feel like your village has got to be in really bad straights if you actually need to trade for food.

The other thing is that I also easily see people mistaking the trader for a "thief". Like maybe they'll think that the trader stole that baskets of rope they came with, lol.