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[Solter]

Basic idea: Add a new noble, the Trader, that can be sent out on trade missions.

Details:

• Trader is the lead of a special military squad: "trader escort"
  • Similar mechanic to captain of the guard
• new workshop: wagon
  • can assign draft animals to wagon (similar to pasture)
  • requires at least 1 draft animals to function
  • can assign wagon to a squad (similar to barracks)
  • items moved to/from wagon in similar manner as trade depot (based on beginning/end of trade/gift mission)
  • functional wagons decrease travel time during missions
• New mission type: trade mission
  • Only the trader escort squad is eligible for these missions
  • requires a functional wagon (more draft animals increases weight that can be sent/returned)
  • Mission options
    • Target site (only non-hostile sites eligible)
      • only non hostile sites are valid targets
      • whether a site has a trade depot can be revealed by rumors, liason reports, and past missions
      • site selection screen indicates current knowledge of trade depot existence (unknown, rumored, reported, previously visited, etc)
    • Items to trade (selected via move trade goods to depot screen)
    • Desired items (selected via the trade agreements screen)
    • Select: only accept desired items, prefer desired items, accept anything
  • Mission Events
    • bandit attack
      • probability of attack increases with total trade goods value in wagon, exported fortress wealth, squad size?, seasonally?, biome?, # nearby sites?
      • maybe bandit spy visitors that leave when mission starts will 100% result in bandit attack (intrigue system can imprison/kill bandit spy to prevent)
      • attack can kill/injure squad members
      • attack can end up with trade goods being stolen if any bandits survive
      • attack can result in wagon + animal loss if defense fails
    • No trade depot, Site bypassed
    • Traded items
      • take 2? Months
      • travel home afterwards
      • trade value (value lost vs received) outcome based on trader's broker skills
      • trade goods received are random, subject to mission options restrictions
      • if site is poor/doesn't have enough desired items, and trader is skilled, then not all of the trade goods sent are traded away
• New mission type: send gifts (same as trade but gifting instead of trading)

[DPh Kraken]

I like that it's a proactive and peaceful way of interacting with other civilizations and the wider world. I also like the risk-and-reward factor of what you return with from a trade mission being a roll of the dice, instead of the full control you have over the scheduled caravans.
There's ought to be something poetic about your pack animals coming home with every ounce of mule bone jewelry they departed with, to say nothing of any number of random events stemming from your diplomatic attempts.

The bargaining and skills that you'd want in a good trader are the same as a broker - indeed, the abstract role they fulfill is [RESPONSIBILITY:TRADE] and a dwarf whose best skill is Appraisal would have the Trader profession.
I think it'd be clean to just allow the mission to assign your broker, and then any number of messengers and military squads. The process of assigning pack animals and goods to sell could also be done on the mission preparation screen rather than a distinct building.
Putting the broker you've trained up for seasonal trading away from home could raise the stakes a bit if anything goes wrong, and leads to the idea of giving other administrator roles their own offsite missions.

[callisto8413]

Kind of like this idea.  +1.