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Traders

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Caravaneers are the lifeblood of any settlement: to some they are heroes who break through the icy hell to reach a dying town, to others they are unprincipled hucksters. Yet no town can do without traveling merchants. The Traders faction is at once a network of shops, a path to better prices, and the first truly peaceful “home” for a new survivor.

Who the Traders Are

This is a non-territorial faction: it has no fortress-town of its own, but it does hold pockets of influence along the trade routes, while its headquarters and leader are in the Bar. In the lore, the “Velvet Coach” is close to them — one of the largest and most reliable caravan organizations on the island, famous for its uninterrupted supply lines and well-armed guards.

The Traders belong to the trade bloc: they are friendly with New Gambell, Savoonga, and Vault ED-17, and hostile to the three bandit factions — the Battalion, the Radio Rats, and the Headhunters. Attacking a caravaneer sours your standing both with the Traders themselves and with their allies.

The Money of the New World

The old currencies burned up along with the old world: rubles, dollars, and pounds are good for little more than kindling now. Settlements switched to crudely minted gold coins (no heavier than 20 grams), which displaced ingots, nuggets, and gemstones; they are struck at two mints on either side of the Bering Strait — Lower Anadyr and Selawik. Prewar electronic World Bank Payment Cards are still in circulation, but only among dealers in rare goods.

How Trade Works

Trade here is an extension of the expedition: cargo turns into choices, and those choices shape your next route. A deal with an NPC follows a clear logic:

  • you stand next to a living merchant and pick out their goods and your own counter-offer;
  • the game checks the price, the markup, the availability, and the item restrictions;
  • weight after the exchange is checked separately;
  • after a successful deal, the stock refreshes for everyone trading near that NPC.

Price is more than just the base cost: it is shaped by the merchant’s markup, the item’s availability, and its profile. Stock is assembled by profile, not at random, so a rare item need not be carried by every NPC — if one doesn’t have what you need, look for another, come back later, or fill the gap through crafting. Sellers have different roles: Gunsmith, Medic, Hunter, a resource-and-tech trader, and a bandit trader (with harsher terms).

Trading Between Players

There is also direct trade between two living players standing next to each other: one offers, the other accepts, both see the items and confirm their readiness separately. Item restrictions still apply, canceling clears the deal — goods change hands only with the explicit consent of both sides.

Reputation and Membership

Reputation is stored on your character, and trade dialogs already check it before showing some of their replies and offers. With the Traders specifically:

  • Even a neutral player can trade — the trading service is open from zero reputation.
  • As your reputation grows, tiers of goods and discounts open up: the weapons selection and a 10% discount at the “respected” level, armor and a 15% discount at “trusted.” The discount is calculated on the server and is visible in the trade window, while unavailable goods are shown grayed out.
  • You can join with no reputation requirements — through the leader’s dialog. Ranks rise with reputation: Associate → Caravaneer → Partner. You can belong to only one faction; leaving slightly lowers your reputation.
  • The Traders are the only faction with mentorship: a mentor receives a share of their protégé’s reputation gains without taking anything away from them.
  • Members have access to a repeatable contract to defend a caravan, with a reward split among everyone who actually helped in the fight.

In the closed beta, the specific thresholds, rewards, and lines may still change, but the principle already works: it pays to be not only rich but useful — and negative reputation can be played back, too, through a separate scene.