Mark’s next task was to upgrade Cave Camp and set up settlement tasks. He had almost reached the stream when he heard a loud commotion. After passing the last tree, he was shocked by what he saw. More than twenty people crowded the cave area, and they were seriously lacking places to stand or sit. The problem was larger than Mark realized. As he approached, Cave Camp’s six original members came to speak with him.
Mira said, “We have a problem, and we are hoping you can help us come up with a solution.”
Mark looked around and laughed. “Yeah, you have a problem, alright, but I think there is a way out if you guys are willing to help me do it.”
Silas then said, “If you have ideas, we are all listening.”
Mark laid out his plan. The system supported three outpost levels, each with its own requirements. The cramped cave area could not support everyone in a single outpost, but it did not have to. Outposts were designed around small groups, and Cave Camp had obviously outgrown one. They needed more outposts, but more importantly, they needed a plan.
Mark suggested building at least two more outposts, or perhaps three if two were not enough. A Level 1 outpost needed three shelters, three people, and reliable water. Level 2 added a cooking structure, defensive measures, and connected paths. Level 3 needed professional structures, active production, trade activity, and everything required by the previous levels.
Mark said, “What we need to do is create a few copies of that to house those we have. The system has provided the means to do that. I plan to set up settlement task tracking here at Cave Camp today. It is basically a job system. The system tracks everything, and the outpost just needs to reserve a pool of resources to pay for the jobs.”
Over the next hour, they upgraded Cave Camp to Level 2 and transferred unneeded inventory into its supply pool. Then they organized the camp around building at least two more outposts. Mark agreed to manage the outposts if they set them up and built them up to Level 2 before handing them over to him. He would then maintain the task list and ensure that there was a balanced amount of goods in each camp.
Because the system wanted active production, they would also have to dedicate each outpost to at least a couple of trade offerings, as one of the requirements is an active trade network. He also offered Forest’s Rest as one location. Right now they specialize in leatherwork and cooking.
Mark brought up his zone map and looked for good locations for the two camps they planned to add. They chose the empty field on the east side of the stream for the first. The second would be farther downstream at the junction where the path went east to Forest’s Rest and would eventually extend west toward Lakeside.
Once the locations were chosen, Mark asked for laborers, especially anyone with carpentry, logging, or woodcutting experience, or anyone willing to learn. He outlined his plan for a future village south of the zone.
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He then went over the cave changes with them. The cave had adjusted again. It now allowed three instances, and each group could select a starting level from 2/4/6/8/10. The boss would be three levels above the selected starting level, so even low-level groups could get involved.
The higher the selected level, the greater the risk and reward. The instances also grew larger, with a Level 10 instance having as many as eight rooms. Those runs took longer, and the ten-hour cooldown did not begin until the group left the instance, creating even more delay in the schedule.
Groups could register their members and desired instance level, and the system estimated when it would be available. With the growing crowd, waits were already about a day, making paid labor between runs an easy offer.
In their discussions, they also decided that they would charge a daily rate to stay in the outpost so people were disinclined to stay without doing anything. That also meant they would need to pay for food, boarding, and entertainment.
Mark then left them to the planning of new locations, upgrading their current camp, and deciding on the specialization of each camp.
When Mark returned to his camp, he found a couple of visitors. Rowan, the trail runner from Lakeside, was there dropping off the trade goods and picking up items for his return trip. He had brought them two baby goats and four baby chicks to start raising. But the best thing was his second visitor, Garrick the Carpenter and Wheelwright.
Mark said, “Hello, Garrick. I am so glad to see you.”
Garrick replied, “Word is spreading that your area is expanding. Word is that the cave is drawing people from far and wide. Almost a dozen people have passed through Lakeside to go see this cave of yours.”
“Not mine; it’s system controlled, but yes, it’s growing crazy. I just came from there, and there are some serious growing pains. They have plans to add two more outposts to accommodate all the people coming to see it.”
“Well, that is why I have come. Where there are people, they always need construction, and I thought I would come here and see if I could gain some new levels in my class and maybe upgrade it or get an additional class.”
“You have come at the right time. They are planning two new outposts. If you’re willing, could you build a bunkhouse in each, along with a kitchen and crafting area?”
Mark and Garrick haggled over the plans and came to a decision that he would build a bunkhouse in each of the three outposts, along with a kitchen facility and crafting area, so they could bring each location up to a Level 3 outpost, and with the bunkhouse, maybe fit a few more than the standard 12 per outpost.
Garrick looked around Mark’s outpost and said, “When I first came, my thoughts were to help you upgrade your place to a village. But looking around, I can see there is not enough room here. How about we first upgrade your outpost? I know it can’t upgrade to a village, but we can build a small bunkhouse and maybe 3 cabins here, each of which would have at least 3 rooms.”
Garrick continued, “We could also build a real kitchen for your cook and a crafting workshop that would fit 3–4 crafters comfortably. We would need to cut back a few trees to make enough room for all that, but your lifestyle here would be much better.”
Mark replied, “Well, my real plans were to go south and build a real village down near a field of wheat. Should we maybe go do that instead of fixing this place up?”
Garrick replied, “Mark, even if you move to a bigger and better spot, this place will still be needed. That cave is going to draw people from miles away, so build here, then the three outposts to support the cave, and then move south. Wait, you said wheat? I would kill for hot baked bread.”
Dale walked over and presented Garrick with a loaf of hot bread right out of the oven. “If you build me a better kitchen, I will make as much bread as you can eat.”