ArcheAge Trade Pack Running

Trade pack runs are a good source of gold, gilda starts and/or rare crafting materials, as they are an intregral part of playing ArcheAge.  The first few trade pack runs are required to get your 16 x 16 Scarecrow Farm (west walkthru), which isn't a requirement, but definitely is a necessity if you craft or want to do trade runs without spending a fortune on the auction house.

Taking a pack to Solzreed turn in on my donkey using 'carrot on a stick' speed buff

If you're going to do trade pack runs, plan you're route once you're past the first required ones.  The different travel options available - AA Map - can save time or increase your return per pack.  Sometimes it's quicker on the donkey or farm wagon; sometimes public transport or an airbus (cross your fingers you didn't just miss one) ride saves time or a quick boat ride up the coast.

The biggest reward is generally the furthest away, overseas definitely, but crossing several zones is can be worth more than delivering a pack one zone away.  But, it also depends on how many other people are delivering packs to the same Trader as what you receive.

During peace time you will notice many people make packs in those zones.  It will be up to you to deliver them right away or store them on your farm for later delivery.

West (Nuia) delivery locations
Solzreed Pennisula (docks)
Gweonid Forest (under airbus)
Marianople (docks)
Two Crown (Ezna dock)
Cinderstone Moor
Sanddeep (dock)

East (Haranya) delivery locations
Solis Headlands (dock)
Mahadevi
Villanelle
Falcorth Plains
Arcus Iris
Ynystere (dock)

** Freedrich Island (3-4 gilda stars) lots of pirates, so beware

 You will only receive gold for continental deliveries, whereas overseas you can chose gold, gild stars or rare materials (need these for crafting) from the resource trader.  Whatever you choose will be delivered in less than 24 hours.

You can check the current return on a delivery to a specific area on the vocation tab under "Trade Info".  There is also an independent website Trade Profit Calculator. (I use the ingame tab under Vocation.)

Two Crown dock. West can only sell to Gold Trader, East can choose.  It's reversed on Haranya.

 What you need for Trade Packs
As the crafting in AA has been simplified as well, many common ingredients are repeated in different combinations for the packs, versus a specific plant or meat product that was required in the past.  So check your tooltip as to what the finished product is for each item.

A couple of examples:

Dried Flowers for example can be processed from a variety of flower/plant material - azalea and roses are often the easiest to grow/harvest in the wild, but there are other options.  Some will give more Dried Flowers, but may take longer to harvest.  That's where you need to decide which is better for you - quick harvest/small reward versus long harvest/more reward.  Processing will cost 5 LP (labor points) regardless.

Medicinal Powder: processing 10 mushrooms will result in 15 Medicinal Powder versus Thistle (23 powder) or Clubhead Fungus (77 powder).  It's a trade off time to grow versus quantity.  If you play every couple of days a longer growing plant may be better than one that's ready in two hours, that you won't need or use for 48 hours.  Again, all processing costs 5 LP (labor points).

You also must have ten of the same material (mushroom, duck meat, whatever), along with Blue Salt Knife (buy a stack they're cheap) to process. So don't grow just one bean! I gather lots of materials when I have excess LP, so stick the odds and ends in the bank to process when I have ten, or sell on the AH.  To process, just click on the product and it will process (costing labor!).  Be careful if you're splitting an unprocessed stack too.  I've hit the wrong key and processed an ingredient that I didn't mean to.

(Mushrooms, trees and pumpkins growing on a 16x16)

These are the finished products you'll work with for the trade packs and crafting.

Trimmed Meat (chicken and beef).  Other meat can work such as turkey/duck, etc. Chicken is the quickest, and also gives you eggs if you feed your chickens.

Orchard Puree (grapes and apples).  Other fruit will work too, but grapes are probably the easiest to get.

Dried Flowers (azalea and roses).  Azalea are the easiest/quickest to grow but there are a variety of others that will become dried flowers.  Lotus/cornflower give more per harvest.  Always read the tooltip, sometimes long and slow works if you won't be on, etc.

Ground Grain (barley/rice/beans/wheat).  Barley and rice are the fastest, beans give more per harvest.  Barley ready in 30-40 min., is pretty quick.

Ground Spices. (iris/mint).  Lots of herbs/plants will grind for spices.  Check the harvest time though! (Lots of choices here just remember you need 10 of the same kind to process!)

Medicinal Powder. (mushrooms).  Mushrooms are the most common, but cultivated ginseng, thistle, clubhead fungus will work.

Chopped Produce. (potato/carrot/cucumber).  Cucumber/potato have the fastest harvest time 8-10 minutes, so good if you're leveling the profession too. Strawberries will become produce too.

The second column ingredients are the specific one.  Many are used in the first column as well - grapes and apples for orchard puree or mushrooms for medicinal powder - others such as milk, require raising a calf to maturity and milking it.

Trade packs require the below components along with a Quality Certificate purchased from a General Merchant at the Specialty Workbench in each zone.   (below info is in your commerce section of your skills window.) AND labor points (LP!)

 All specialty workbenches look the same and can be marked on your map.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

   ZONE                                 ITEM   / QUANTITY       SECOND ITEM / Quantity

	Solzreed Braised Meat	Trimmed Meat	50	Egg	30
		(chicken/beef)
	Solzreed Dried Food	Trimmed Meat	50	Grape	35
		(chicken/beef)
	Gweonid Dyed Feathers	Orchard Puree	15	Goose Down	15
		(grapes/apples)
	Gweonid Apple Pies	Dried Flowers	50	Apples	15
		(azalea/roses)
	Lilyut Hills Milk Soap	Ground Spices	50	Milk	20
		(iris/mint)
	Lilyut Cooking Oil	Dried Flowers	50	Olives	12
		(azalea/roses)
	Dwestone Fine Thread	Ground Grain	50	Goat Wool	30
		(barley/rice/beans)
	Dewstone Distilled Liquor	Medicinal Powder	50	Narcissus	190
		(Mushrooms)
	White Arden Trail Mix	Chopped Produce	50	Milk	15
		(potatoes/carrots)
	White Arden Figgy Pudding	Ground Grain	50	Fig	40
		(barley/rice/beans)
	Marianople Duck Down	Dried Flowers	50	Duck Down	30
		(azalea/roses)
	Marianople Sweeteners	Ground Spices	50	Cherry	8
		(iris/mint)
	Two Crowns Cream	Medicinal Powder	50	Milk	20
		(Mushrooms)
	Two Crowns Pomme Cakes	Ground Grain	50	Pomegranate	10
		(barley/rice/beans)
	Cinderstone Tart Mead	Dried Flowers	50	Lemon	20
		(azalea/roses)
	Cinderstone Sacred Candles	Ground Spices	50	Bay Leaf	40
		(iris/mint)
	Halcyona  Wheat Biscuit	Ground Grain	50	Eggs	35
		(barley/rice/beans)
	Halcyona Yam Pasta	Dried Flowers	50	Yams	90
		(azalea/roses)
	Hellswamp Spicy Meat	Trimmed Meat	50	Banana	12
		(chicken/beef)
	Hellswamp Mushroom Pot Pies	Orchard Puree	15	Mushrooms	100
		(grapes/apples)
	Sanddeep Medicinal Poltice	Medicinal Powder	15	Avacado	45
		(Mushrooms)
	Sanddeep Preserved Meat	Trimmed Meat	50	Rosemary	100
		(chicken/beef)