It's something that people have been asking for for as long as I remember on the server over the many years i've been here. The ability to RP a crafter/trader instead of bog standard adventurer. So i'm hugely in favor of it overall!!
Now, that being said I think it can be expanded a bit, right now it's great but it's pretty bare bones. Considering all the content and stuff out there for adventurers that just aren't really an option for the commoner it's certainly lacking a lot compared to them.
Now i've no doubt that theres a lot of ideas being thrown around, and possibly even certain stuff set in stone just waiting to be finished, but I figure there's no harm in throwing my own ideas out there into the mix also, what use is this sub forum if not for making suggestions
All that said here's a few ideas I had for Commoners.
1. More ways to level up.
Right now as it stands the only way to level is server ticks; XP from RPR, adventure XP, and the bonus +20 they get each tick. I'm sure you've seen the many threads and calculations on this but even at a best case scenario where an average player (20RPR) devotes 42 hours a week, 6 per day, always inside an Inn, it'd still take around 120 days of playing at that rate to hit 30.
Now i'm not of the opinion that Commoners should just blitz their way to 30 but currently it's slower than a snails pace for most, being realistic most people /definitely/ won't be able to dedicate 6 hours a day to the character never mind any more than that.
So i have a few ideas for extra ways they can gain XP for them.
a. Commoner only Writs. A handful of writs not limited by level that are specific to the town/settlement you are in. Simple or menial tasks like repairing certain devices (this would require a crafting point investment), crafting and delivering certain items, delivering messages and packages, pest control (sewers and ship rats for example), the list could go on. These could be limited to 3 a day much like current writs but because they're far more menial the rewards would be considerably lower, instead of a few thousand gold and 1k-3k XP it could instead a few hundred gold, and no more than say 300XP - 500XP tops.
b. Allow commoners to do 1 Courier mission a day, a simple task of delivering a message should be open to even commoners, and more importantly this also opens the RP avenue of the commoner seeking adventurers to protect them on the journey which just creates more RP for all. Or bands of commoners forming together to do the job too!! It just makes sense.
c. Grant a flat amount of XP for finishing crafting an item. Right now Commoners get x10 the AdvXP adventurers get every time they craft an item for the first time, this is great but it then makes gaining any XP from multiple crafts of an item (which they'll do a lot) less valuable or worthwhile. I'd suggest that crafting an item, every time, grants a small amount of XP based on the DC, maybe DC x2 or x3, with a minimum of, say, 10 or 20. Not a huge amount but a little bit to just help make leveling a Commoner that bit less tedious considering crafting is what they'll mainly be doing, much like killing for XP is what an adventurer will be mainly doing.
2. Portable Temporary Shops, for commoners only.
Considering a Commoner is mostly going to be crafting things then it stands to reason they'll want to sell those things. However shop availability has always been an issue and even though the current temporary shops are great to have not every settlement has them and with the potential influx of commoners the amount that exist are most likely not going to be nearly enough to accommodate them suitably.
This on top of the fact that current shops should absolutely be used by adventurers because they'll be selling goods a commoner would never be able to get otherwise makes them invaluable.
So, the solution, portable temp shops that only commoners can use. I once played an MMO where the players could use an ability on their character which would sit them down, place a shop stall in front of them, and open their inventory along with the shops inventory, and you could peddle your wares while AFK or just chatting. I think adding either a crafted item they can carry around and place down, or a similar ability to that MMO where once they use it they place their temporary shop, would be a very graceful addition to the commoner system.
It gives them a medium to sell their crafted goods without clogging up the current shop systems, and it would likely even hugely promote RP because they'd have to stick around with their shop while they sell their goods. I picture small bazaars of commoners forming in popular places to peddle their wares, it could really be a lot of fun
3. Basic Wage/Welfare.
Commoners shouldn't be out farming dungeons, killing dragons, and finding treasure, but they also need to live.
Sure they can sell their wares but where do they get the capital to start making those wares, how can they hire adventurers to help them safely mine Iron when the mines are infested with kobolds, or gather clay when the swamps are infested with Bullywugs and Lizardmen?
Commoners should start off with a flat amount of money in their bank account or inventory, a couple thousand gold or so, and also with a basic wage they gain monthly, much like the Gift of Wealth. It wouldn't be a lot, maybe 500-1000 but enough to give them the funds to get their enterprise up and running after some effort and time.
Sure they can still take the gift of wealth, adding on to this, but not everyone is/should be overly wealthy right off the boat!!
