Trader Specialties

[RasaNova]

Ok I've heard several times over the last few alphas that each trader has their own specialty. But what I haven't heard with any degree of certainty is what each trader specializes in, and how that changes things.

Jen for example supposedly has more medical supplies, but I really haven't noticed much difference between her stock and anybody else. Rekt on the other hand DOES seem to offer more variety of food.

Let's talk about this. Anyone have solid info, or is it more like urban legend backed up by confirmation bias?

[Lady MacBeth]

No, its supposed to work that way. During one of the 2 a20 dev streams they mentioned offhand that it wasn't really done, and should be more of a bias once gamestaged trader inventory is implemented.

[seven]

If you look in traders.xml you can see they all have specialties, and I have noticed the differences. They aren't huge differences though, and I think you'll find all items at all traders to some degree, but specific traders should be more likely to have an item. Medicine for example. There is the item_group named "traderGeneral" which includes "medicine" and "rareMedicine" item groups as possible items, and all traders will sell items from traderGeneral. Jen however will also have the "medicine" and "rareMedicine" groups directly to draw items from. So, while you might get a beaker from Joel, it's more likely you'll find it at Jen's.

[[-=O=-]^FightinCock]

yeah... i have noticed.
Trader bob more likely to have motorcycle and 4x4... so hes the car guy ;)
Only seen Jen with a minibike

I visit 4 traders on 1 sugar butts every 3 days, so see the subtle differences.

[Jonnson]

I notice it as well. Jen tends to have medical, Rekt tends to have food, etc. I notice it in their mission rewards as well, and have even developed strategy to utilize Jens medical rewarded quests at low levels. I've also noticed that it doesnt matter where I drop my first campfire, the tutorial quest always leads me to either Jen, or Rekt, and the other is always very near. Usually, with Hugh just a bit further out. I am working on my 9th in a row 1st week RWG map run throughs, and it has been the same every time, since a19.3...with the snow and desert being the NE corner 7 of 9 times.

[RasaNova]

Originally posted by Jonnson:

I notice it as well. Jen tends to have medical, Rekt tends to have food, etc. I notice it in their mission rewards as well, and have even developed strategy to utilize Jens medical rewarded quests at low levels. I've also noticed that it doesnt matter where I drop my first campfire, the tutorial quest always leads me to either Jen, or Rekt, and the other is always very near. Usually, with Hugh just a bit further out. I am working on my 9th in a row 1st week RWG map run throughs, and it has been the same every time, since a19.3...with the snow and desert being the NE corner 7 of 9 times.

Pretty sure it's entirely random. My last several starts had me near Hugh or Rekt, my two least favorite personality-wise. (Yes, I HAVE wasted shotgun ammo on Rekt for purely cathartic reasons...) I've only seen Bob in desert or snow. My current game is the first time since A18 that I've started near Jen.

Anyway, below is a loose list based on what others have said and my own observations. Could be entirely wrong. Anyone want to add their own thoughts?
Jen - med supplies
Rekt - food
Bob - vehicles?
Joel - weapons?
Hugh - construction supplies

[vgifford]

This is from the traders.xml coding, make of it what you will:

<!-- Trader Bob, id=6, carries more tools and vehicle parts at all levels -->
<!-- Trader Jen, id=2, carries more medicine at all levels -->
<!-- Trader Hugh, id=7, carries more guns and ammo at all levels -->
<!-- Trader Rekt, id=8, carries more food, seeds farming stuff -->
<!-- Trader 1, carries better armor -->
<!-- Trader 2, carries better tools and construction material at higher levels. -->

I believe Joel is trader 1.

[Jonnson]

Originally posted by RasaNova:

Originally posted by Jonnson:

I notice it as well. Jen tends to have medical, Rekt tends to have food, etc. I notice it in their mission rewards as well, and have even developed strategy to utilize Jens medical rewarded quests at low levels. I've also noticed that it doesnt matter where I drop my first campfire, the tutorial quest always leads me to either Jen, or Rekt, and the other is always very near. Usually, with Hugh just a bit further out. I am working on my 9th in a row 1st week RWG map run throughs, and it has been the same every time, since a19.3...with the snow and desert being the NE corner 7 of 9 times.

Pretty sure it's entirely random. My last several starts had me near Hugh or Rekt, my two least favorite personality-wise. (Yes, I HAVE wasted shotgun ammo on Rekt for purely cathartic reasons...) I've only seen Bob in desert or snow. My current game is the first time since A18 that I've started near Jen.

Anyway, below is a loose list based on what others have said and my own observations. Could be entirely wrong. Anyone want to add their own thoughts?
Jen - med supplies
Rekt - food
Bob - vehicles?
Joel - weapons?
Hugh - construction supplies

Curious. I tend to drop campfire at the end of day 1, after I scout. So, I am not doing the entire tutorial right off. Sometimes, not until day 2. The last part of the tutorial quest sends you to the nearest trader to you when you drop campfire. Usually, within 400-600 meters, which led me to believe this trader is spawning when you drop campfire, however, I did have one last night send me 3km away (thats 1 of 14 so far tested) It's always Jen or Rekt. I have not been sent to another trader in over 50 runs since 19.3. Maybe, if you have gumption to take a look see, move to the other side of the map (from where you spawn) and then drop your campfire. I'd be curious to know if you get a trader other than Rekt or Jen. Also, I just started another four 1st weeks, and the NE corner is again snow/desert, so its now 11-13 times. I have been trying to develop a strategy to help newbs that I am making videos of, but I am having a hard time finding a worse case scenario. There is always an AK-47 for sale, I am always sent to food and medical traders, and I am always near the desert/snow. Seems to always have food (seed foods/corn, potato, shrooms) for sale sometime in the first week, at least by the 1st trader reset. Comparing this to 19.2; things were far more random. I had to scrub a tutorial video series I was working on as a result of 19.3, as I am constantly in a position where every thing needed is right around my initial spawn. Even beakers, acid and wheels are commonplace in trader inventory now, or right inside the first couple of poi's around the trader. I did some this morning w/o recording, and did it at my own speed (normally, I am slowed due to talking, and pointing things out) and was able to have all crafting stations, base, bike, machine gun/with ammo, and farm by day 2, with the snow and desert adjacent to my spawn city/trader...4 times in a row. I am not seeing the randomness anymore. I am beating the game by the first BM every time. I wanted to chalk it up as "good luck" but dang man, Its been like 50 games now. I'm not even encountering "dog day" anymore. I used to always get attacked by a pack of dogs or wolves at some point in week 1. I haven't seen that now in several dozen games.

[Teresa]

The starter quest always sends you to a forest trader, so it will only send you to traders that can spawn in the forest biome.

[RasaNova]

Originally posted by Jonnson:

Originally posted by RasaNova:

Pretty sure it's entirely random. My last several starts had me near Hugh or Rekt, my two least favorite personality-wise. (Yes, I HAVE wasted shotgun ammo on Rekt for purely cathartic reasons...) I've only seen Bob in desert or snow. My current game is the first time since A18 that I've started near Jen.

Anyway, below is a loose list based on what others have said and my own observations. Could be entirely wrong. Anyone want to add their own thoughts?
Jen - med supplies
Rekt - food
Bob - vehicles?
Joel - weapons?
Hugh - construction supplies

Curious. I tend to drop campfire at the end of day 1, after I scout. So, I am not doing the entire tutorial right off. Sometimes, not until day 2. The last part of the tutorial quest sends you to the nearest trader to you when you drop campfire. Usually, within 400-600 meters, which led me to believe this trader is spawning when you drop campfire, however, I did have one last night send me 3km away (thats 1 of 14 so far tested) It's always Jen or Rekt. I have not been sent to another trader in over 50 runs since 19.3. Maybe, if you have gumption to take a look see, move to the other side of the map (from where you spawn) and then drop your campfire. I'd be curious to know if you get a trader other than Rekt or Jen. Also, I just started another four 1st weeks, and the NE corner is again snow/desert, so its now 11-13 times. I have been trying to develop a strategy to help newbs that I am making videos of, but I am having a hard time finding a worse case scenario. There is always an AK-47 for sale, I am always sent to food and medical traders, and I am always near the desert/snow. Seems to always have food (seed foods/corn, potato, shrooms) for sale sometime in the first week, at least by the 1st trader reset. Comparing this to 19.2; things were far more random. I had to scrub a tutorial video series I was working on as a result of 19.3, as I am constantly in a position where every thing needed is right around my initial spawn. Even beakers, acid and wheels are commonplace in trader inventory now, or right inside the first couple of poi's around the trader. I did some this morning w/o recording, and did it at my own speed (normally, I am slowed due to talking, and pointing things out) and was able to have all crafting stations, base, bike, machine gun/with ammo, and farm by day 2, with the snow and desert adjacent to my spawn city/trader...4 times in a row. I am not seeing the randomness anymore. I am beating the game by the first BM every time. I wanted to chalk it up as "good luck" but dang man, Its been like 50 games now. I'm not even encountering "dog day" anymore. I used to always get attacked by a pack of dogs or wolves at some point in week 1. I haven't seen that now in several dozen games.

Traders are generated with the map, vs spawned by dropping the tutorial campfire. You can check this yourself if you're ever curious by using the debug mode poi teleporter.

The traders themselves are very random for me, but I do tend to start with the same ones almost every time - either Rekt, Hugh, or sometimes Joel. In many starts I have started near Jen only once, and never Bob. I can't say for sure but I think traders may be weighted toward certain biomes, I don't think I've EVER seen Bob anywhere but snow or desert, Hugh often appears in the snow, Joel is almost always in the forest, etc.

Their starting inventory is also very random for me, the first trader I go to will have a tier 1 quality 1 gun about half the time, seems mixed between pistol AK or double barrel.

[RasaNova]

Originally posted by Teresa:

The starter quest always sends you to a forest trader, so it will only send you to traders that can spawn in the forest biome.

Hmmm I didn't know that. That would explain why it will sometimes send me to a far away trader (up to 2km away) when later I find other traders closer to where I started.

[Jonnson]

Originally posted by Teresa:

The starter quest always sends you to a forest trader, so it will only send you to traders that can spawn in the forest biome.

Didn't know this either, who are the forest traders? or rather, which traders are spawning in which biomes?

[Jonnson]

Originally posted by RasaNova:

Originally posted by Jonnson:

Curious. I tend to drop campfire at the end of day 1, after I scout. So, I am not doing the entire tutorial right off. Sometimes, not until day 2. The last part of the tutorial quest sends you to the nearest trader to you when you drop campfire. Usually, within 400-600 meters, which led me to believe this trader is spawning when you drop campfire, however, I did have one last night send me 3km away (thats 1 of 14 so far tested) It's always Jen or Rekt. I have not been sent to another trader in over 50 runs since 19.3. Maybe, if you have gumption to take a look see, move to the other side of the map (from where you spawn) and then drop your campfire. I'd be curious to know if you get a trader other than Rekt or Jen. Also, I just started another four 1st weeks, and the NE corner is again snow/desert, so its now 11-13 times. I have been trying to develop a strategy to help newbs that I am making videos of, but I am having a hard time finding a worse case scenario. There is always an AK-47 for sale, I am always sent to food and medical traders, and I am always near the desert/snow. Seems to always have food (seed foods/corn, potato, shrooms) for sale sometime in the first week, at least by the 1st trader reset. Comparing this to 19.2; things were far more random. I had to scrub a tutorial video series I was working on as a result of 19.3, as I am constantly in a position where every thing needed is right around my initial spawn. Even beakers, acid and wheels are commonplace in trader inventory now, or right inside the first couple of poi's around the trader. I did some this morning w/o recording, and did it at my own speed (normally, I am slowed due to talking, and pointing things out) and was able to have all crafting stations, base, bike, machine gun/with ammo, and farm by day 2, with the snow and desert adjacent to my spawn city/trader...4 times in a row. I am not seeing the randomness anymore. I am beating the game by the first BM every time. I wanted to chalk it up as "good luck" but dang man, Its been like 50 games now. I'm not even encountering "dog day" anymore. I used to always get attacked by a pack of dogs or wolves at some point in week 1. I haven't seen that now in several dozen games.

Traders are generated with the map, vs spawned by dropping the tutorial campfire. You can check this yourself if you're ever curious by using the debug mode poi teleporter.

---ya, I was saying it made me feel that way for awhile after 19.3, but then finally I got far enough away for it to send me 3k away. I was feeling like the trader will always spawn 400-600m away, and that combined with always getting Jen or Rekt was dubious (I mean, seriously man, like 50 runs in a row). I don't trust people quoting to me xml codes anymore, it's been made obvious to me that there is more code than what is available to modders in the xml's, just too many contradictions. I am building a game right now in unity myself, I am rather familiar with how it works.

The traders themselves are very random for me, but I do tend to start with the same ones almost every time - either Rekt, Hugh, or sometimes Joel. In many starts I have started near Jen only once, and never Bob. I can't say for sure but I think traders may be weighted toward certain biomes, I don't think I've EVER seen Bob anywhere but snow or desert, Hugh often appears in the snow, Joel is almost always in the forest, etc.

---Thats how it was for me too until 19.3, but I always did the tutorial right off. Since I started with this new strategy I am working on though, I am dropping the campfire really far away from initial spawn. Thats why I was asking if you felt like starting a game, and running to the other side of the map before dropping the campfire, I'm curious if it will lead to Jen or Rekt.

Their starting inventory is also very random for me, the first trader I go to will have a tier 1 quality 1 gun about half the time, seems mixed between pistol AK or double barrel.

---ya me too, its always a blend of things, but it always has a gun thats higher tier than the blunderbus (stone age) usually an ak-47 or pump shotgun, and always by the first reset. It's either day 1, or day 4. With the other guns and stuff mixed in as well, here and there. Which is my point, I can't get a start where I am running dry on anything anymore. By the end of week one, I have everything that matters except a crucible...and usually by day 2-3. I used to have runs where I didn't find a gun in a trader inventory for 2-3 weeks...or antibiotics...or farm foods. I always had to look for vegetables, now its like "why am I exploring? I am finding all 3 of them, even mushrooms for sale on day 1 or 4, and lots of them." Jen is handing out antibiotics like candy, making tree stumps close to worthless...so its like, all of a sudden there is no reason to do anything other than tutorial, and trader mission spam...and the missions are rife with armor, mods, tools, acid, beakers, wheels...just everything.