Game feature: markets and trade

In The Guild 3, as we already showed you a couple of times in our pictures (sometimes a little more subtly than others), there will be a very important -and recurring- game feature: the market! Depending on the maps, every city will have its marketplace and its trading system.

One of the primary goals of the game (if you want to) will be to develop trade and business, and this is normally done through commerce. Some businesses behave differently (as well as skills possessed by thieves and guards for example), but all in all, each of them depend on other people buying what they have to offer in their stands. So keep in mind that markets and trade are really important and that it can become the center of your gameplay. Depending on your character’s skill, the first and easiest way to set foot into The Guild 3 universe will be to go the marketplace, buy resources, craft something in your house and then, come back to sell it and make a profit with your very first coins. And remember that you will have to go to the market often; as a buyer in the beginning, or as a seller later.

The market, as you can guess, will be the place to go to buy or to sell objects and items. It will be the easiest and simplest solution for you if you’re in need to do that. There will be all sorts of products, all of them will be available: from basic to advanced (that you will be able to craft yourself later), to other products more difficult to obtain (rarity). Indeed, there will be some marginal items that you will have access to via the “black market” kiosk of any market. You will be able to buy anything you want, but like we said, the advanced items will only appear as you progress later in the game. But no worries, the game will always show you the “recipe” to make something, and all the needed ingredients that you need to achieve that. So please, follow these simple guidelines to buy or produce all that you will need to make something.

Then, as you climb up the social ladder, you will be able to open businesses. Once that task is completed, you will be able to hire employees and open more businesses. After that, you will learn all about management and trade and that’s where all the fun about products, resources, far trade cities and long trade trips can begin!

You will be able to build your own warehouse buildings that will store raw materials that you produce with your businesses and with the help of other goods. So if you (a blacksmith, for example) send your cart for more iron, and that you have some in your warehouse building, then you can be supplied from there instead of the market or the mine. You can include your buildings in your trade routes too, making your life easier quite a bit in the process!

Now, don’t think there will only be markets in The Guild 3 for you to buy or sell any objects or items; there will be far trade cities and long trade trips as well. For a lot of reasons, markets won’t always be the best option for you to choose from. Prices, when you buy something there, will sometimes be more expensive than if you buy directly from the producers, but generally less expensive than in a business. Also, if you’re looking to sell something, the market will always buy it, but not at the most interesting price. Selling directly from your businesses will take more time, but you’ll generate a higher profit…

You see, the markets will all be a logical economic system and that’s why it will change and vary according to many things like: the supply and demand, some events in the game (like wars and epidemics) etc. And that’s why, sometimes, you will have to consider going to a farther market, “outside” of the map! Indeed, the far trade cities and the long trade trips will be your best options if the markets aren’t giving you what you want or need! Like we said, the products will vary, depending on a number of factors and you will then have to find another solution to your problems!

So, sending a cart there, via the far trade routes, will take longer, be more risky and dangerous, exposing it to attacks, burglary and everything else in between. So, with that in mind, guards could become a necessity for you and your dynasty, if you decide to use these trade routes a lot. Besides, there could be an interesting price advantage waiting for you there. Either people are selling for much less or buying for much more.

The long trade trip, however, is a long and expensive trip, where you may bring back something marvellous, something mysterious from far away that you alone will possess, and you alone will be able to sell. The renown on your dynasty will be great! And while you can’t “see” what happens outside the map boundaries, a menu will appear to keep you updated of the time and the progress of your “transaction”.

For the pictures this week, we wanted to show you as much as possible! On the first one, you can see a livestock market in Birmingham, filled with animals and wonderful products. For the second one, it is another market in Birmingham, but this time, we wanted to show you one of the biggest in the game. In the third one, you can see a crossroad that will lead to the far trade ingame! And for the last picture of this week, you can see a beautiful scene on one of the trade routes.