Trade system

The trade system is one of the signature features of the ArcheAge franchise. Players craft goods, load them onto their backs or vehicles, and transport them across zones or oceans to sell at trade outlets for gold. The longer and more dangerous the route, the higher the payout. Getting killed along the way means losing your pack.

How it worked in the original

Trade ran in a three-phase cycle. First, players crafted Specialty Packs at workbenches using gathered or farmed materials and delivered them to trade outlets on the same continent. After enough packs were turned in, they converted to Cargo. Players then purchased Cargo for 75 Labor and transported it across the ocean to another continent's Cargo Buyer. Faster delivery meant more gold. Finally, delivered Cargo became Certified Cargo that was exchanged at a Cargo Exchanger.

Risk and reward

Oceanic trade routes were the game's most profitable and most dangerous content. Players carrying valuable packs across the sea were targets for pirates and enemy-faction players. A single galleon ambush could cost a trade guild hours of preparation. Some players organized convoy escorts with multiple warships, while others specialized in piracy, camping chokepoints to steal packs from passing traders.

An NPC-captained protection ship let solo players make one-pack runs with reduced risk, but the payout was lower. Serious traders organized guild runs with a Merchant Schooner carrying up to 20 packs at once.

Trade in Chronicles

The trade pack system returns in ArcheAge Chronicles in a reimagined form suited to the new action combat and smaller group sizes. Players can still transport goods for profit with PvP risk on valuable routes, but the system has been updated for both solo and cooperative play.