No longer able to do multiple merchant quests at once?

[leo]

I keep trying to take more than one merchant quest at a time [eg, one from each of two different towns], but it seems this isn't possible, and it makes me a little sad, I must say. In older versions, I used to try to complete 5 or 6 quests all at once to maximize profit per second with my merchant character [all while ferrying goods from seller to buyer towns to fetch even more cash on the side].

I'd like the ability to try to accomplish multiple merchant quests at once. A good analogy for this desire is my love of attempting handstands in my free time, when really I just fall and skin my knee. It may be somewhat rough, but the option should be there for us to try [with appropriate risks involved, such as an angry merchant's guild that wants compensation for their losses]. Simply put, it's fun to try.

 

[Janus]

There is a "Merchant Guild Rank" number stored for the player by the game which limits which quests they can take. As you start out, the "escort caravan is the only quest available ar rank 0. When you complete a merchant quest, you rank increases by 1. If you fail a merchant quest, it decreases by 4. Ouch.
Each 1 point in rank opens the next merchant quest to you, so with a rank of 1 you can additionally get the delivery quest, 2 opens the bandit quest, and 3 makes the "kidnapped girl" quest available. Any higher than that in rank apparently has no effect yet.
You should be able to get one of each type of quest going at once, though they might say they have no quest available if the random quest picked is one you're already doing. Try asking for a quest again a few times to have it randomly pick another one. This same rule applies to governors, where they might say they have no quest for you but then give you one if you ask again.

Hope this was helpful.

 

[jrawlings]

I wondered how that worked...

Is there a "rank" system for the faction quests too? If so, what is it?

 

[joukkeli]

Can that rank go below 0?

 

[Janus]

Can that rank go below 0?

Since it seems to use a standard integer value to store the rank, I'd say yes. Therefore if you fail your first quest, you'll need to do 4 successfully to just get back to rank 0.

EDIT: oh, yeah.

Is there a "rank" system for the faction quests too? If so, what is it?

With the factions you of course do have a rank (which determines wages and such), but it has no effect on which quests are available. All faction quests are available at all times as long as you're part of that faction, and it's of course random which you'll get.