Basic Trading

## Overview

The fundamentals of basic, everyday trade are one of the hardest things for new players to understand. But once you understand how it works, it will become part of your daily life in Egypt. Trading is necessary because no player is able to make all of the resources he or she will need; each player makes a handful of very specialised goods, but needs a wide variety to move from level to (palace) level. This need is fulfilled via trading with other players.

There are three basic ways to trade: via the Market; on the Trade Wall; and less commonly, privately arranged local trades.

*See also: Trading*

*See also: Scamming*

## The Market

The Market is where most players begin trading. On the Market, you can trade your bread for all of the various types of goods available in Egypt. The total number of goods and materials you can see is limited by the upgrade level of your Market; if a nearby player has a Market with a higher level than you do, they will be able to see (and buy) your goods even though you cannot see theirs. The key advantages of the market for buyers are that it is immediately available to even the newest players, and that goods are delivered very quickly.

However, goods on the market are generally very costly. Looking at a random example, 100 pottery is actually only worth 336 bread, but will regularly trade in the Market for about 400 to 700 bread -- and the smaller your market is, the more likely you have to pay high prices. This is very advantageous if you are selling; it is not so good if you're buying. Buying only from the Market means that much of your resources will be devoted to baking bread for Market purchases, rather than growing your city, unless you sell a lot of your own resources at the market.

However, the market can be a lot more convenient than the Trade Wall, since sometimes it can take a long time to find a trading partner. Using the market can save you a lot of time, so for some players it might be well worth the extra expense.

## The Trade Wall

More cost-effective than the Market is the Trade Wall. This is where Egypt's residents meet to trade goods by ship. In contrast to the Market, bread is rarely traded; instead, the goods and materials you make in your city are traded much more often. Goods on the trade wall are rarely traded at much profit, if any; instead, goods are swapped between players to fill mutual needs.

   To access the Trade Wall, click the Scribe Wall icon. The game's chat will open by default in General chat; next to that is a link to Trade.

In order to begin trading directly with other players, you need to do the following:

* Build your Exchange
* Build your first ship(s) (you will need to acquire cedar  for your first ship .)
* While your ships are being built, go to the Trade Wall and observe trades taking place in order to understand the routine .
* When you have a ship available to send off loaded with up to 100 goods , make your first trade offer on the Trade Wall!

Here is some of the basic etiquette of the wall:

* Never offer a trade if you do not have a ship availible. People will expect immediate dispatch of their goods.
* Goods can take up to **72 hours** to travel between players. Plan in advance for what you need, and assume trades will take 72 hours (although when they take less, it's a nice bonus.)
* People generally prefer to send a full ship (100 items). Trades for smaller items may be harder to fill, but do happen.
* Make sure you know where your trade partner wants his or her goods delivered. Players can have more than one city, so it is common to ask or be asked "which city?" when agreeing a trade.

**To conduct a trade transaction**, click the player's name in the chat. A list of their cities with a small shipping icon next to each will appear. Click the shipping icon of the destination city and fill out the trade form to send goods. They will be dispatched immediately.

**WTT** is shorthand for "want to trade." WTT offers are made in the format of "my X for your Y." If someone says "WTT 100 cedar for 100 bronze," they mean "I want to trade up to 100 of my cedar for up to 100 of your bronze."

## Local Trades

You can also look in your nome  or nearby nomes for people to trade with at normal Trade Wall values. This is great because the delivery times will by definition be faster than the normal 24 hour Trade Wall delivery. However, for reasons that defy explaination, players frequently find it hard to get their neighbours to respond to scrolls. This method can be very hit or miss, but when you develop a trading relationship with a neighbour, it can be a huge advantage.

## Trade Values

When you begin to trade your goods  and materials with other players, the first thing you will want to know is "How many X can I get for my Y?" The short answer is that any item is worth exactly as much as someone is willing to pay for it. However, new players prefer a rule of thumb to work by, and luckily trade value calculations in Egypt are well established. Below are some basic trade values to help you understand trading on the Trade Wall. There is also a Trade Calculator  you can download to help you calculate the fair value of trades.

### Luxury Materials

Luxury materials (also called "raw materials " or "raws") are the special things a player's city only makes one of:  bronze,  cedar,  limestone,  kohl,  henna,  leather,  oil,  emeralds  and  gold.

Luxury materials are normally traded for other luxury materials at 1:1. They are also traded for other goods at other values.

*Example: 100 gold = 100 emeralds*
*Example: 100 gold = 33 cosmetics*

It is normal to trade luxury *materials* in order to make luxury *goods*. For example: if a player has an emerald mine, he will need to trade with players who mine gold so that both players can make jewellery .

### Luxury Goods

Luxury goods  (or "lux" for short) are the good you manufacture from luxury materials, like  sandals,  sculpture,  cosmetics,  perfume and  jewellery.

Luxury goods generally trade for other luxury goods  1:1. They are also commonly traded for luxury materials  at 1:3.

*Example: 100 perfume = 100 cosmetics.*
*Example: 100 cosmetics = 300 cedar.*

**Note:** Sandals and sculpture require more raw goods to manufacture, but do not require a second luxury material to be imported, so their value is frequently debated. They commonly trade at 1:1, but the fair trading value is 8:10, or 80 sculpture for, say, 100 perfume or cosmetics. Both trade values are routinely used.

### Baskets & Pottery

Baskets  and pottery  are commonly traded, both for each other and for other goods.

*Example: 100 baskets = 100 pottery*
*Example: 100 pottery = 140 kohl*
*Example: 100 baskets = 47 cosmetics*

### Bricks

Bricks  are also commonly traded, for all kinds of goods:

*Example: 100 bricks = 110 leather*
*Example: 100 bricks = 37 cosmetics*

Because massive amounts of bricks are needed in Nile Online, they are often in heavy demand. It is not uncommon to see them traded at the same value as raw lux , ie 100 bricks for 100 leather, or 300 bricks for 100 cosmetics.

### Wheat, Reeds and Clay

Basic raw materials  like wheat, reeds  and clay  are **almost never traded** on the Trade Wall; there is little demand for them because all players can make them, and their value is very low compared to their volume:

*Example: 100 wheat = 11 bricks*
*Example: 100 reeds = 12.5 bronze*
*Example: 100 reeds = 4.1 cosmetics*

You would need to send 900 wheat - **9 ships** - to buy just 100 bricks. This is not really a profitable use of precious ships for most players, and these low-value goods rarely trade on the Trade Wall. They are much more commonly bought and sold on the Market.

## Trade Delays and Errors

Outside of the Market , there is no regulation of trade  in Nile Online. When I agree to send you 100 of my X in exchange for 100 of your Y, I put my X on a ship  heading for you and trust you to put your Y on a ship and send it to me. More than 95% of the time, these transactions take place within a minute or two of each other, all is well, and the trade completes flawlessly.

However, sometimes you send off your part of the trade, and... nothing happens. Whether you are using the trade wall or arranging a private trade by sending scrolls , **do not panic** if your trading partner doesn't send their goods  immediately. It is *exceedingly* rare for players to rip each other off in this game. Even when there is a problem or a delay, it is extremely likely that you will get your goods. Common reasons for a trade to be delayed include:

* A player has lost their internet connection or cannot log in
* A player thought they had a ship available, but did not, and needs to wait X number of hours for one to return
* A player thought they had 100 X, but only has 94 and is waiting for the other 6 to be made or mined
* You arranged your trade by scroll , and the other player has gone to work, is in bed, or is otherwise not online
* Your trading partner made an error, and sent you the wrong item, the wrong amount, or sent your order to someone else!

It is not in your best interests to assume someone is trying to cheat  you just because a trade is delayed. One day, one of the above things (or something else) will happen to you, and it will be your turn to need a little patience and understanding.

### When Good Trades Go Bad

If you have arranged a trade with another player and they don't seem to be coming through with their end of the bargain, communication  is the key to getting things resolved. Send them a polite, non-aggressive scroll letting them know that you sent 100 X and that you are still waiting for your 100 Y. Ask them to check their transport records and let you know what's happened to the goods. Almost all trade issues are resolved within 24 hours this way.

If you yourself have made an error, the onus is on you to do everything your can, as quickly as you can, to fix the situation. If you have both the goods  and a ship  available, immediately send the goods ordered. If you are lacking a ship, or don't have enough of what you offered to trade, let your trading partner know when you will be able to send their goods. Most people will be very understanding and issues will turn out to be no big deal if you are swift and polite in communicating.

Unfortunately, if you are genuinely ripped off in a trade, there is absolutely nothing you can do. Again, this is *very* rare, and most trades that look like they've gone horribly wrong will come good within 24 hours. Have faith in your fellow citizens and don't panic!