*reedited*
A priori, the caravan in the wasteland is well armed group of people, first of all, it is well organised ACTION on delivery stuff, or people in other city. As a matter of fact - a source of a life of a wasteland. Water, Medicines, the various foodstuffs, raw materials, fuel etc. Also, the economy of settlement, to which posesses a caravan, should depends from them directly.
SO, the caravan should be a hard target for raiders and other robbers. That does an attack on a caravan well planned operation of raiders, which, in case of success receive a big roll, in a kind of money, resources, stuff, gear of dead caravan guards and players, wich was securing caravan. Players-caravaners in case of success of mission, obtain solid money reward, or the stuff (depending on a city to which posesses a caravan) equivalent to money compensation.
Now is more detailed:
1)
First of all, it is necessary to clean all caravans from encaunters. In quality of current system i suggest to leave only patrol groups at cities, such as "patrol of hub", "junktown scouts", "ncr patrol" etc.
2) Employer.
Bring in cities the npc-caravaneer, which will employ players as mercenaries for caravan protection (by a principle of "fargo taraiders" or "crimson caravan" in F1). Caravans will leave, for example, 3 times in game month. recruiting of mercenaries will be held the day, before caravan leaving. Payment will vary depends of the city-owner of caravan.
3) Caravan Structure.
1 caravaneer-npc is given to each caravan.
1 brahmin-car which should be filled up with stuff variaty of wich depepding on city-owner, of course its closed.
And 7 slots for hired players, every slot not occupied by player occupies by npc.
If caravan does not recruit any player for protection, it will leave town with nine npc-security guards, (and minimal quantity of stuff?). To prevent players steal stuff on encaunters, ones who will try to lockpick caravan car, or to try steal something from caravaneer, or npc guards, or players-partners, will be spotted and shot by npc-guards.
4) Movement.
The caravan goes out from the city, in the appointed day and time, (players should confirm the readiness through dialogue with the caravaneer), latecomer players are automatically deletes from caravan list, and it leaves town without them. Notice about caravan departure writes in the general chat in town. Movement on a caravan occurs on a principle of current train system, but with chanse to get into encaunter (and it should not be a light ride). When the caravan achieve a target town, it enters into and stays in for a some time, allowing players-mercenaries to reequip, notifying players in general chat before leaving (players accepts their readyness through dialogue). After, caravan leaves in opposite direction by the same principle, as before. On the way back, caravan filled with stuff corresponding to town wich leaving (probably, with big amount of money). If npc-caravaneer dies in during of caravan mission, then players are dismisses right in place where it happened.
5) Payment. Payment for escort services will be payed off on arrival in town wich is caravan's owner, by dialogue with npc-caravaneer. Player can take money as money reward, or as some items equal to money reward. Of course, there should be nice karma bonus if success.
6) Encaunters.
Battle goes in real time.
When attack is beaten off, the caravan waits some time to allow players heal and loot, while this time goes off,all players comes back to world map, caravan continues his course.
Well, what about pvp encounters, it can be realised through dialogue with npc on raiders base. In day of caravan departure this npc will hire players, (members of raiders faction wich want to try raid the caravan) in same principal as i suggested with npc-caravaneer. After players accept their readyness, they teleports to desert, right in encounter with caravan (or maybe leave a bit early and wait on worldmap till caravan reach place of ambush?). Raiders, in addition to stuff from caravan, could get party points if success.
WELL, adding of this caravan concept into game, we create open space for rp players, for raiders faction, and to any wastelander actually. Also we open new possibilities for economy balancing by players (for example: because of the brocken hills caravan with uranium has not reached to NCR, there is less *putt something* in sale, and etc. (in future, it is possible to think up big amount of various economic relations )).
And, by the way, it could be connected with town control very effectively. Lets say, if caravan delivery fails recently, faction gets less goods in faction locker in this town (or dont get it at all?), so factions will be forced to secure caravan for themselves, or to attract free players to secure it, wich are, indirectly will work on faction - town controller.
Something like this.
Sorry for my english, hope you understood my idea.
What do you think about?
