Trading Mechanics
Overview
Trading allows you to exchange resources and items with NPCs using a barter system based on relative item values. Each item has a trade value that determines its worth in negotiations.
Trading System
NPC Encounters
Frequency: ~1% chance every 48 hours in populated biomes (roads, ruins, settlements)
NPC Types:
- Friendly (50%): Willing to trade, chat, or recruit
- Hostile (50%): Will attack on sight or demand tribute
Personality Modifiers:
- Friendly/Generous trait: 75% chance to be friendly
- Greedy/Desperate trait: 30% chance to be friendly
Trading Interactions
When encountering a friendly NPC, you can:
- Talk: Get rumors and small talk
- Trade: Barter goods using the item value system
- Gift: Give items to improve relations
- Recruit: Ask them to join (requires high reputation/charisma)
Settlement Trading
Location: Valid at any discovered Settlement.
Features:
- Dedicated Traders: Settlements have specialized merchants with larger inventories.
- Reputation Impact: Your standing with the settlement directly affects prices:
- Heroic: -50% cost (Buy items for half value).
- Neutral: Standard trading values.
- Hated: +50% cost or refusal to trade.
Item Trade Values
All items have assigned trade values for bartering. Values are relative - higher numbers mean more valuable items.
Food & Consumables
| Item | Trade Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Canned Food | 10 | Pre-collapse food, high value |
| Wild Honey | 7 | Natural sweetener, rare |
| Raw Meat | 7 | Essential protein |
| Raw Fish | 6 | Common but perishable |
| Salt | 6 | Preservation essential |
| Prepared Food | 8 | Ready to eat |
| Potatoes | 5 | Staple crop |
| Animal Fat | 5 | Multi-use resource |
| Pumpkins | 5 | Large vegetable |
| Wild Mushrooms | 4 | Foraged food |
| Root Tubers | 4 | Wild starch |
| Wild Grain | 4 | Grain source |
| Bird Eggs | 4 | Protein source |
| Pine Nuts | 4 | High energy |
| Tomatoes, Cabbage, Beans | 4 | Garden vegetables |
| Cultivated Berries | 3 | Sweet produce |
| Apples, Pears, Plums | 3 | Tree fruit |
| Carrots, Beets, Cucumbers | 3 | Root vegetables |
| Berries, Wild Onions, Offal | 3 | Common foraged |
| Cherries, Radishes, Lettuce | 2 | Minor crops |
| Bones | 2 | Crafting material |
Water
| Item | Trade Value |
|---|---|
| Clean Water | 10 |
| Raw Water | 3 |
| Water Ration | 5 |
Materials & Resources
Basic Materials
| Item | Trade Value |
|---|---|
| Medicine | 15 |
| Processed Planks | 8 |
| Processed Beams | 10 |
| Leather | 7 |
| Floorboard | 9 |
| Arrows | 8 |
| Tar | 6 |
| Resin | 3 |
| Cordage | 4 |
| Stone | 3 |
| Wood | 2 |
| Feathers | 2 |
| Stakes | 2 |
| Shingles | 2 |
| Tinder | 1 |
Advanced/Ruins Materials
| Item | Trade Value |
|---|---|
| Chem Supplies | 12 |
| Circuit Board | 10 |
| Battery Cell | 9 |
| Electronics | 8 |
| Duct Tape | 7 |
| Copper Wire | 6 |
| Rebar | 6 |
| Insulation Foam | 6 |
| Scrap Metal | 5 |
| Fabric | 5 |
| Fasteners | 5 |
| Glass Shard | 4 |
| Plastic Scraps | 4 |
Ruins-Specific
| Item | Trade Value |
|---|---|
| Old Books | 8 |
| Rusted Tools | 7 |
| Road Signs | 6 |
| Reflectors | 7 |
| Guard Rail Metal | 6 |
| Rubber | 5 |
| Lead Pipes | 5 |
| Bricks | 4 |
| Concrete Chunks | 4 |
| Old Nails | 4 |
| Oil Residue | 4 |
| Tire Rubber | 4 |
| Marker Posts | 4 |
| Asphalt Chunks | 3 |
| Asbestos | 3 |
| Broken Glass | 3 |
| Ceramic Shards | 3 |
| Tile Pieces | 3 |
| Paint Chips | 2 |
| Road Gravel | 2 |
Biome-Specific Resources
Forest Resources
| Item | Trade Value |
|---|---|
| Maple Sap | 5 |
| Hickory Nuts | 4 |
| Pine Resin | 4 |
| Tree Fungus | 4 |
| Acorns | 3 |
| Birch Bark | 3 |
| Hardwood | 3 |
| Oak Bark | 3 |
| Moss | 2 |
| Ferns | 2 |
Mountain Resources
| Item | Trade Value |
|---|---|
| River Pearls | 20 |
| River Gems | 18 |
| Silver Ore | 15 |
| Crystal Shards | 12 |
| Iron Ore | 12 |
| Obsidian | 10 |
| Quartz | 8 |
| Mountain Herbs | 8 |
| Bog Iron | 8 |
| Coal | 6 |
| Alpine Flowers | 6 |
| Flint | 6 |
| Mountain Clay | 4 |
| Lichen | 3 |
Swamp Resources
| Item | Trade Value |
|---|---|
| Leeches | 6 |
| Swamp Mushrooms | 5 |
| Cattail Roots | 4 |
| Willow Bark | 4 |
| Water Lily | 4 |
| Reed Stalks | 3 |
| Swamp Clay | 3 |
| Peat | 3 |
| Marsh Gas | 1 |
Water-Based Resources
| Item | Trade Value |
|---|---|
| Crayfish | 5 |
| Freshwater Mussels/Clams | 5 |
| Water Chestnuts | 5 |
| Beach Glass | 5 |
| Shells | 3 |
| River Weed/Kelp | 3 |
| River Clay | 3 |
| Freshwater Snails | 3 |
| Driftwood | 2 |
| River Stones | 2 |
| Flood Debris | 2 |
| River Moss | 2 |
| River Reeds | 2 |
| Sand | 1 |
Plains Resources
| Item | Trade Value |
|---|---|
| Wild Wheat | 5 |
| Sunflower Seeds | 4 |
| Meadow Mushrooms | 4 |
| Charcoal | 4 |
| Clay | 3 |
| Wild Flowers | 2 |
| Prairie Grass | 2 |
| Sod | 2 |
| Thistle | 2 |
| Dandelion | 2 |
Seeds
All seeds are valuable for long-term survival:
| Item | Trade Value |
|---|---|
| Potato Seeds | 7 |
| Apple/Pear/Plum/Cherry Seeds | 6 |
| Berry Bush/Pumpkin Seeds | 6 |
| Tomato/Carrot/Cabbage/Bean/Cucumber/Beet Seeds | 5 |
| Radish/Lettuce Seeds | 4 |
Fishing Equipment
| Item | Trade Value |
|---|---|
| Gold Lure | 40 |
| Master Rod | 25 |
| Reinforced Rod | 25 |
| Simple Rod | 15 |
| Shiny Lure | 10 |
| Metal Hook | 5 |
| Iron Lure | 5 |
| Bone Hook | 2 |
| Lead Sinkers | 2 |
| Minnows | 2 |
| Frogs | 2 |
| Worms/Crickets/Grubs | 1 |
Special Tools & Items
| Item | Trade Value |
|---|---|
| Crowbar | 50 |
| Thermite Charge | 40 |
| Lockpick Set | 30 |
| Bee Swarm | 15 |
| Gasoline | 15 |
| Pie | 12 |
| Cured Pelt | 10 |
| Tanning Liquor | 8 |
| Beeswax | 6 |
| Raw Pelt | 5 |
Cooking Ingredients
| Item | Trade Value |
|---|---|
| Peppers | 4 |
| Sticks (cooking) | 1 |
Trading Strategy
Value Tiers
Ultra High (20+):
- Gold Lure (40)
- Thermite Charge (40)
- Lockpick Set (30)
- Master Rod (25)
- River Pearls (20)
High Value (10-19):
- Medicine (15)
- Gasoline (15)
- Silver Ore, Iron Ore (12-15)
- Clean Water, Chem Supplies, Circuit Board (10-12)
Medium Value (5-9):
- Prepared Food, Planks, Beams (8-10)
- Most quality materials and tools
- Cooked meals and processed goods
Low Value (1-4):
- Basic gathered resources
- Common foraged items
- Simple crafting materials
Trading Tips
- High-Value Carries: Lightweight, high-value items for trading:
- Seeds (light weight, good value)
- Medicine (0.05kg, value 15)
- Circuit boards (0.16kg, value 10)
- River pearls/gems (rare finds)
- Bulk Trading: Heavy, low-value items to trade away:
- Excess wood, stone
- Common foraged food
- Surplus basic materials
- Essential Holds: Don't trade away:
- Fire-starting tools
- Critical survival tools
- Medicine (unless you have excess)
- Clean water (in drought)
- NPC Needs: NPCs may have specific needs:
- Hungry NPCs value food higher
- Cold NPCs value warm clothing/fuel
- Injured NPCs value medicine
- Reputation Building:
- Gift low-value items to improve relations
- Trade fairly to build trust
- Recruit when reputation is high
Barter Economy
The game uses a barter system - no currency exists. Trades are based on:
- Relative Values: Item values determine fair exchanges
- NPC Disposition: Friendly NPCs offer better rates
- Supply & Demand: NPC needs affect valuation
- Reputation: Higher reputation = better deals
Example Trades
Fair Trades (roughly equal value):
- Medicine (15) ↔ Master Rod (25) - possible with good reputation
- Clean Water (10) + Prepared Food (8) ↔ Circuit Board (10) + Electronics (8)
- 5× Wood (10) ↔ Prepared Food (8) + Cordage (4)
Profitable Trades (get more than you give):
- River Pearls (20) from fishing → any item under 20 value
- Lightweight seeds (6-7) → heavier materials of same value
- Crafted arrows (8) → raw materials (often better ratio)
Loss Trades (emergency only):
- Giving away medicine for food when starving
- Trading tools for immediate survival needs
Notes
- Trading is only possible with friendly NPCs
- Hostile NPCs may drop items when fleeing (10% chance)
- Some items may not be tradeable (quest items, equipped gear)
- Trade values are base values - actual rates vary by circumstance
- Building good reputation unlocks better trades and recruitment options
- NPCs may refuse trades if the deal heavily favors the player