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Trading tips for groups

Author: VanDobben

Credit to VanDobben(Server: Alps) , thanks very much for sending usthis guide.

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I have made this document because group trade runs make the game; it is exciting, challenging and all professions of the game come together. Group trade runs are not only important for traders but also for hunters who want to get more hunter points and thieves who want to make some serious gold.

This guide is written for traders and hunters only, however thieves can also learn from it by discovering the weak spots of the system. There are many ideas about a good and well-organised trade run. I am just giving you one view about it, which I think is good.

1. Getting started
2. Let the trade run begin!
3. Trade run criteria

1. Getting started

Before actually starting with the trade run itself, there is a lot of preparation to do. Depending on the number of people and communication in guild/unions. This can take quite some time. I advice players who want to organize a group trade run to express there ideas about a big run so one week in advance. Big guilds or unions with a strong social profile can organise it in 30 minutes. Many people like levelling up more and don’t want to leave grinding for a trade run. It takes time to persuade and motivate them.

Someone has to take the lead and organize the trade run. They have to communicate a lot in guilds and unions and make agreements. If you got friends in other guilds, ask them. Be sure that the people you organize are willing to help each other out, teamwork is a vital part, so I advice to get people who already know each other. I once did a big trade run with people from different guilds, as soon as high-level player-thieves appeared, the hunters disappeared. This is very bad, especially when you are doing a 5 star run.

When you have formed a stable and strong group, the individual preparations for the players start. The preparations depend on the length of the trade run and the profession you take.

Hunters

1. You need a hunter flag.
2. Make sure you got enough Hp and Mp pots and that your weapons and armour are repaired. Also make sure you got enough recovery kits for your wolf if you have one.

Traders

1. You need a trader flag.
2. Make sure you got enough Hp and Mp pots and you need especially a lot of recovery kits for your camel (50 medium recovery kits).
3. Take 5 extra camel scrolls in case you get surprised





2. Let the trade run begin!

If you are going on a group trade run, make sure all the traders have the same vehicle. I strongly advice you to use camels. This is because they can take lots of hits and on a big run from Hotan to Janang you will need that. It is also handy if you are using the “trace” option from the action screen, which I strongly advice. When travelling in a convoy it is vital that the group sticks together, this will prevent the group falling apart and becoming weak. If the group falls apart because of speed differences (camels are slower then horses) the escorting Hunters have a larger area to work on which makes the other traders more vulnerable for human thieves. In many ways a good human thief works like a lion: when he decides to attack a group, he will look for the weak spots and attacks the weakest player.

Important notes

- Convoys need a convoy leader. A convoy leader is the trader who takes the lead and sets out the route to take. The other traders have to follow him and the best way to do that is using the trace option. Convoy leaders will take more hits then the other traders because the monsters will hit his camel more then the others. The same thing counts for the last trader; NPC thieves will hit his camel more often. Therefore I advice the convoy leader and the last trader to take extra recovery kits.
- 50 medium recovery kits for normal traders
- 80 medium recovery kits for the convoy leader and the last trader.
- Wolfs play an important role during the trade runs. I know that many people don’t like to use their wolf because they are easy targets for human thieves. Human thieves like to kill wolfs as a way to make you 50k lighter. That sure is annoying. However the wolfs can take a lot of work away from hunters who are also busy protecting the convoy against monster attacks. If you are a level 42+ trader, your wolf can practically kill any monster along on a trade run from Hotan to Janang, if you have a lower level character, only summon your wolf in areas in which you think your wolf can survive on his own and kill easy. The reason why I advice traders to help hunters out with killing monsters is that on some points, like the cross sections near the ferry’s, you really want and need the hunter to focus on possible human thief attacks, as those areas are the spots where they hang out. Although a bunch of white/black tigers can be very annoying and also painful when it are 5, you don’t want a level 52 hunter focusing his energy on these mosquito’s.
- Traders need a special quick slot for trading. For those who don’t know what a quick slot is, it is the bar with your skills and the pots. Example:





Quick slot 1. = 50 medium recovery kits
Quick slot 2. = “Trace” option (imported from the action screen)
Quick slot 3. = Fire wall skill (optional)
Quick slot 4. = Ice wall skill (optional)
Quick slot 5. = Attack option for the wolf, recommended to put in the quick slot.
Quick slot 6. = Harmony circle
Quick slot 7. = Self heal skill (never used it but you can never know)
Quick slot 8. = Force-cure skill
Quick slot 9. = Heal skill
Quick slot 0. = resurrection skill

Most of the players who play the game have a quick slot, one for battle and one with potions and passive skills. That means 2 quick slots remain free. One of them I advice you to use especially for trade runs. I will tell you how to organise it and use it.

You need to have your recovery kits in the trade run quick slot; one for your wolf (50small recovery kits or medium) and 50 medium recovery kits for you camel. This means that you will be starting the run with at least 100 recovery kits of different types. I don’t mind if I have too much, I usually do. The once I don’t use I put away in the storage and use them for the next run. Better to be save then sorry.

The (convoy) leader needs to have the harmony circle skill in his quick slot. When the going gets tough or a hunter/trader is having some problem. The harmony circle, which is high enough to prevent NPC thief attacks from all the participating convoy traders, can use this tool as a break point. This might be handy when your escorting hunters are going into a fierce battle.

Traders need to have their force-cure and heal series skills in their quick slot. Although a trader should never dismount his camel, there are cases in which they have to. When the situation is bad and everybody has to fight, these two skills come in handy. When is see a high level thief and my high level hunter escort is going to attack him, I don’t participate in the attack itself if I know I don’t do damage. I just heal the escorting hunter. This is more effective. For example. I am a level 42 heavy hybrid and got a healing power of 1300 Hp. If I see a high-level thief player (56 or higher) I know that I will do like 400 damage max on him and not more. That will not kill him. I rather heal my escorting hunters 1300 Hp and let him whoop his ass. I once healed an escorting hunter that much that he killed an 8 level higher thief, which he would not have beaten otherwise. Although these skills look pretty useless for many players, in a trade run they can be decisive if you use them good.

Tip: In a party you can click the icon of the escorting hunter and heal/force-cure him. It gives you a good look on his condition.

Put the wolfs attack option in one of the quick slots. When you are a trader, not being a convoy leader, you don’t have to be worried about navigation or travelling when you have the “trace” option on. Some traders think that this means they have nothing to do or can go AFK (the idiots). Although you are on the camel, sitting and doing nothing, your wolf can do all the work and help protect the convoy against annoying low-level monster attacks while you also keep the hunters focused on the real thing. As you travel in a group, the whole becomes important and everybody needs to contribute there bit. Make sure you have selected the wolf before you hit the quick slot with the wolf attack option, or the wolf will not attack. However, don’t leave your eye from the health bar of the camel because when you have selected your wolf, you wont be able to heal your camel at the same time.

- Traders always stay on their camels. Never and I repeat never dismount the camel, especially the convoy leader. There are many reasons for this. First of all you will be more vulnerable for thief attacks, your camel got more Hp then you have in most cases. Secondly, if you start mounting and dismounting during a trade run, the convoy has to stop, people have to initiate the “trace” option again, hunters have to wait…bla bla bla…you get the point. It takes to much time and that has three big negative effects. First of all it will probably take twice as long to travel from Hotan to Janang. A successful trade run from Hotan to Jangang takes 45 minutes, if people start mounting and dismounting, this will take much longer. Secondly, the longer you are on the road, the more vulnerable you are for human thief attacks. Stick together, be fast and watch out, those are the things you should be worried about and nothing else. Thirdly, when it is taking longer, you can bet you will participate in more fights, which means you will probably use more pots and recovery kits.

3. Trade run criteria

There are a number of criteria that you have to be met in order to do a successful group trade run. A successful trade run is not only very profitable, it is fun and gives you good hunter/trader points.

1. The convoy needs to be balanced. That means 50% of the players need to be hunter and the other 50% traders. Don’t go on an 8-player trade run with only 2 high level hunters. I advice 4 high-level hunters in a group of 8 players. Three strong once could do the trick too but when you are planning to do 4 or 5 star trade runs, 4 High-level hunters are better.
2. High-level players need to be hunters and low-level players traders. Make sure you arrange this from the start. Some people prefer to be trader, others to be hunter. Some only trade when they can keep the gold or some only hunt when they get a good protection fee. In some guilds they have rules about escorting fees that have to be paid and there are also guilds, which want to have 50% of the profit. Make sure you figure out how people think about it in the group and what the agreements are. The most important thing is that everybody is happy in the role and that you are having fun. If everybody has a good time, you will do more trade runs and that makes the game great.
3. There is a convoy leader. He/she initiates, plans and organise the run. He has to be the leading trader who walks in front. He has to make good deals with the escorting hunters and makes sure that the traders listen to his instructions. A good convoy leader is experienced, aware of the possible dangers and always watchful. He tries to do the trade run as fast as possible because he is aware of the danger and the interest. He cares about the participating players and feels responsible and understands that nobody wants to get killed, loose his gold and especially his precious exp.
4. Make a party. The party makes communication easier. The largest party is an 8-player party that does not have to mean you can only do a group trade run when you have 8 players. 4 and 6 player trade runs are also fun. But like they say; “the more the merrier” counts. Also a large group prevents human thieves getting into action, they will think twice about it.
5. Use teamspeak when your union/guild is having it. There is a big advantage if you are using teamspeak. Hunters and traders can alarm each other in a quicker way when there is danger and the group as a whole can react efficient to the danger. Certain procedures can be started when there is a treat. The different roles for every player on how to act when there is a treat can easily be discussed.


Hope these tips will help you make successful trade runs and give you more fun gaming.

Kind regards,


VanDobben
Server: Alps