Operating a Business in Athiria

[Detomah]

What types of businesses can I operate in Athiria?
One can operate only a single type of business and that is a sole proprietorship. Advanced forms of business may become available later in the game, but from the outset the business ownership portion of the game will resemble the high-fantasy times the game has been modeled after. While, your business is free to earn money by selling goods and services, the sole proprietorship ensures that the accounting practices and taxation practices don't require a CPA to run them effectively.

Can I hire NPCs and PCs to help me run my shop?
Yes. NPCs will require you to pay them a wage off the profits they help you make. NPCs work in shifts of 8 - 12 hours. If you want 24x7 coverage of your shop, you'll have to hire a staff to man the shop and keep it open.

Can I buy a building in a city?
Buildings may be purchased using the same rules that apply to player housing.

How is the accounting for my business taken care of?
Because of the automated collection of taxes that exists in the world, your accounting will all be handled by the server on the back end. Every business will run using exactly the same accounting standards. The game calculates expenses for crafting items while the items are crafted and presents you with reports from both a financial aspect and an operational aspect. We have yet to determine to what degree these reports will be customizable. All of the information used in accounting will be made available over My.AgesOfAthiria.com.

How will I manage the inventory for my business?
The business owner will be presented with a consolidated inventory screen for all of its employee carried inventory, and its vault stored inventory. Inventory management gives rise to one of the better features of the merchant system which is the Trade Quest (TQs). TQs are created by the AI system when a player talks to a NPC in the employ of a PC merchant. Prior to the interaction with the player, the PC merchant has used our in-game interface to configure the needs of their business as well as the offerings for sale. NPC employees will be able to look at these needs and build dynamic single use (or possibly recurring) "FedEx" quests. The money for the quests will be charged to the business as an expense against the business and will be awarded to the first player to return the proper item to a NPC employee of the business. These quests will provide a continuous source of income for players and a varied questing experience that is completely driven from business owner's needs.

Will there be merchant caravans in Athiria?
Yes. Because there is no instant teleportation in Athiria, moving goods from one part of the world to another becomes more difficult. To make this a part of the game we've left room for players to buy a caravan and hire a unit of guards for use in transporting goods from city to city. We fully expect to see thriving businesses centered on the transport of goods from one place to another. Coupled with resource specialization, caravans are expected to play an important role in the economy of Athiria.

Can a merchant caravan be attacked?
Yes. Merchant caravans have no special protections that the PvP rules don't already provide. A merchant caravan can be attacked and plundered by bandits though unless the attackers are involved in open consensual war against the members of the caravan unit, the murder rules will apply. This aspect of the game should provide some very meaningful PvP and add to the depth of the political game as well.