Trade Routes
The idea is that one quest type is to literally be given lots of loot to deliver to another port by a time and day. You make your fastest way there.
Smugglers
Smugglers then try to steal it from you as a faction bonus for them.
The higher the level the harder the voyage
As your level goes up there may be multiple stops to make at different ports. A merchant flag is added to your ship which makes it obvious to smugglers what you are up to.
Loot
Barrels of fish
Beer
Wine
Spirits
Animals
Animal foods
Fruits
Spices, sugar, silk, Gun powder
Guns
Harpoons
Milk
Guests/Dignitaries.
Uniforms
The Merchant Alliance gives you a free uniform of a typical British looking sailor striped top, Blue bandanna, Blue trousers. The higher the level you get given higher looking ranks, this would mean merchant ships look like merchant ships then as they level start to become a more imperialist navy that pirates will want to target or avoid, Merchants may then see each other and work together more thus creating a meta where it gives the illusion to players of an empire without effecting game-play negatively by actually making them literal allies.
