Trading is one of Windrose's progression systems, providing an alternative to pure crafting for acquiring equipment and resources. The game uses Piastres as its primary currency. You earn Piastres by selling trade goods to dedicated merchants, looting treasure, and completing quests. You spend them on equipment, materials, and services from NPCs.
Piastres
Piastres are the main trade coin in Windrose. They function as the universal currency accepted by all merchants and traders. You accumulate Piastres through several activities:
Selling trade goods to faction traders (Naval Supplies, Medical Crates, Contraband)
Looting treasure from pirate camps, dungeons, and shipwrecks
Completing quests that offer Piastre rewards
Selling excess items and materials to merchants at your base
Trade Goods
As you loot ships and clear pirate caches during naval combat and island exploration, you pick up items classified as trade goods. These are dedicated barter items meant to be sold for profit, not used directly. They take up inventory space, so managing when to haul them back to a trader is part of the gameplay loop.
Trade Good | Source | Value |
|---|---|---|
Naval Supplies | Looted from enemy ships and naval encounters | Moderate |
Medical Crates | Found in camps and dungeons | Moderate |
Contraband | Rare loot from pirate ships and hidden caches | High |
Trade goods are labeled clearly in your inventory. Do not discard them or use them for crafting. Hold onto them until you can reach a trader to sell them for Piastres.
Faction Trading
The Steam store page states that players can "trade with different factions to gain the edge you'll need." Factions in Windrose each have their own traders who buy and sell different goods. Building reputation with a faction through trading and quests may unlock better deals and exclusive items, though the full faction reputation system was not available in the demo.
Base Merchants
As you progress, NPCs become available at your settlement. These NPCs serve several roles:
Resource vendors who sell basic crafting materials for Piastres
Equipment traders who sell weapons and armor
Service NPCs like the Doctor who provides free healing potions every in-game hour
Having merchants at your base reduces the need to travel to distant locations just to buy or sell. You can also cooperate with traders at your base to purchase certain resources directly, which is useful when you need specific materials in bulk.
Tortuga
The developers have described Tortuga as a major planned trade hub and faction center within the archipelago. In the demo, Tortuga was not accessible, but it is expected to serve as the game's central marketplace in the full release. Tortuga will likely feature a wider selection of merchants, faction representatives, and high-value trade opportunities.
Trading Tips
Save Contraband items for the best traders. They fetch the highest prices.
Build storage at your base specifically for trade goods so they do not clutter your adventure inventory.
Check faction traders regularly. Different factions may offer different prices for the same goods.
The Doctor at your camp provides free healing potions every in-game hour. Visit frequently to stock up.
Prioritize selling trade goods over raw resources. Resources are more valuable as crafting ingredients than as trade currency.