Ahh, the joy of owning your own shop! No more hawking on the street or throwing away good profits by renting a market stall! You have now come to the point in your profession where you can afford a shop!  You can also live above your shop if you wish, allowing you to sell your small house or stop paying rent to some slum landlord.

Shops in Caeril will be available in several different sizes, allowing you to choose which one suits your particular needs.  If you choose to live above your home, you will find a decent and adequate living space for you and your family.

The nicer shops lie closer to the Central District of Caeril and cost more. But if you don’t mind a shop in one of the Enclaves (and you will need to meet certain requirements to do this) or a shop a bit off the beaten path, then you will pay less. Smiths and those who need special accommodations but do not wish to use the public forgers or Guild forges will need to look beyond the city walls or in the dock area of town. Fire is a huge concern in medieval cities so forges require special permission and permits.

Below is an example of how some city shops with two-story homes above might look in the game. Owners can choose to enter their shop or their home from the doorway. Patrons can only enter the shop when it is open and will need invitations to the home above. These pictures are concept art, not game shots.

A street view of the shops and how they might look to a player who is in first person view. Again, this is concept art.

The city will have a limited number of shops available and they will not be cheap to buy or maintain. Only those crafters and merchants who are skilled in their trade will be able to afford them.  Players of lower skill will be able to use market stalls or sell their wares on the street. They may also work out of their home and sell directly to their clients.  The advantage of the shops will be more storage, an NPC shopkeeper for offline hours, and a method for other players to leave notes for offline merchants and crafters.

Shops will also be available outside Caeril, possibly in areas that grow up outside the walls as well as in other towns or villages.  These will be less desirable so therefore, less cost.  The goal is to make sure players have a market for their goods so moving out into Dynris or Erana and into smaller villages will create new markets.  Eventually, expansions will add more opportunities for the game’s merchants and crafters as the player-base grows. Remember, the player economy is one of our main features so we will make sure it is well conceived and well tested!

Teila