Business And Economy Archive
Thread: Should crafters be forced to be merchants?
Page 1 of 2
SquidiAMD
Sun Jan 23, 2005 12:45 am
#1
It seems to me that the act of creating something is not the same as selling it. Out here in the real world, a majority of the merchants don't make their own items. Personally, I like crafting a lot, but I only want to do it for my other friends playing on the game. I don't want to set up a shop. I see it as an enjoyable activity, not as my way to control a market share. It seems like a waste of skill points to have an entire line of skill boxes in Artisan - merchants don't have to be artisans and shouldn't be forced to be, and crafters may not always want to go the vendor route either. I'd really like to see Merchant be taken out of the Artisan tree and turned into a basic profession (like Politician). With the new empty line of boxes, why not split up the left line which leads to five elite professions?
Tavtrin
Sun Jan 23, 2005 9:32 am
#2
I agree
SquidiAMD wrote:
It seems to me that the act of creating something is not the same as selling it. Out here in the real world, a majority of the merchants don't make their own items. Personally, I like crafting a lot, but I only want to do it for my other friends playing on the game. I don't want to set up a shop. I see it as an enjoyable activity, not as my way to control a market share. It seems like a waste of skill points to have an entire line of skill boxes in Artisan - merchants don't have to be artisans and shouldn't be forced to be, and crafters may not always want to go the vendor route either. I'd really like to see Merchant be taken out of the Artisan tree and turned into a basic profession (like Politician). With the new empty line of boxes, why not split up the left line which leads to five elite professions?
pircio
Sun Jan 23, 2005 3:25 pm
#3
that's actually a pretty good idea, IMO. make it based on AP like politician... as a doctor being a merchant is not easy, because it requires a lot more skillpoints than say armorsmith or tailor. I have to spend the extra 15 SP for novice artisan because its not a prerequisite to my crafting. that would be okeedokee with me
Jagged-F3l
Mon Jan 24, 2005 5:42 am
#4
SquidiAMD wrote:
It seems to me that the act of creating something is not the same as selling it. Out here in the real world, a majority of the merchants don't make their own items. Personally, I like crafting a lot, but I only want to do it for my other friends playing on the game. I don't want to set up a shop. I see it as an enjoyable activity, not as my way to control a market share. It seems like a waste of skill points to have an entire line of skill boxes in Artisan - merchants don't have to be artisans and shouldn't be forced to be, and crafters may not always want to go the vendor route either. I'd really like to see Merchant be taken out of the Artisan tree and turned into a basic profession (like Politician). With the new empty line of boxes, why not split up the left line which leads to five elite professions?
Even though I don't necessarily agree with it, this aligns with SOE's philosophy concerning SWG (and probably all of its MMOGs). The game has been designed to promote interaction between players. If a player wants to craft, but doesn't want to sell, then they DO have this option. In fact, I have put up vendors for many friends that don't want to become a merchant.
The_Tormented
Mon Jan 24, 2005 6:04 am
#5
Only problem is, as far as I know (not having been a merchant for awhile), you can't let other people directly use your vendors to sell stuff. They have to give it to you, you have to put it up for sale and then give them the money earned. If SOE fixed it so that you skipped the middle man and acrafter could be given admin rights on a vendor then I think this would be a great idea!
Gooney
Mon Jan 24, 2005 7:17 am
#6
The_Tormented wrote:
Only problem is, as far as I know (not having been a merchant for awhile), you can't let other people directly use your vendors to sell stuff. They have to give it to you, you have to put it up for sale and then give them the money earned. If SOE fixed it so that you skipped the middle man and acrafter could be given admin rights on a vendor then I think this would be a great idea!
Obvious solution to this is to simply "buy" the items from your friends, then "sell" them on your vendor. Hmmm wholesaleing...sounds like something a profession could do....hmmm which one though 
.
This way your friend can sell their product and you could influence which products he creates for you...you of course would only want things that actually sell.
-Gooney
Fidgiter
Mon Jan 24, 2005 8:27 am
#7
An alternative that could be considered would be to extend the "Bulky Vendor" availability beyond just Business 3 in Artisan. This is particularly valuable to Doctors, Biological Engineer and Combat Medic who are crafters but have nothing to do with Artisan at all.
Novice Armorsmith, Novice Architect, Novice Droid Engineer, Novice Tailor, Novice Weaponsmith, Novice Doctor, Novice Biological Engineer, and novice Combat Medic could be considered to qualify for placement of a Bulky Vendor with a 50 item limit.
IF this is done I would suggest that Business 3 would add to the item limit (There should remain a reward for those who take the extra step to pick up the skill). This would ensure that all types of crafters would gain at least basic access to vendor services without having to invest more skill points and would also ensure that those who invest skill points to go beyond the basics would still be more effective.
Gooney
Mon Jan 24, 2005 8:43 am
#8
I cant find much fault with that logic. Although Im sure that the Merchant crowd would be up in arms about it.
But really to get the Bulky Vendor for any craftsman is a trivial SP expenditure. I mean youve already spent the 15 for Artisan so the 9 more for the vendor isnt a stretch.
Perhaps they should just add a Medical Vendor...something like a Pharmacy Terminal that unlocks with Medical Chemistry 4 or something.
-Gooney
Phaelyn
Mon Jan 24, 2005 9:33 am
#9
Gooney wrote:
I cant find much fault with that logic. Although Im sure that the Merchant crowd would be up in arms about it.
Why would a Merchant complain about that? Merchants go far beyond the Bulky amd 150 item limit at just novice.
But really to get the Bulky Vendor for any craftsman is a trivial SP expenditure. I mean youve already spent the 15 for Artisan so the 9 more for the vendor isnt a stretch.
Perhaps they should just add a Medical Vendor...something like a Pharmacy Terminal that unlocks with Medical Chemistry 4 or something.
Now that makes a lot more sense - Any profession that requires Crafting as a source of XP should have their own unique type of vendor - And leave Merchants with higher end, "pretty" vendors if they wish to spend the points.
-Gooney
mistereous1
Mon Jan 24, 2005 10:37 am
#10
I think a better way would be to allow merchants the ability to rent their vendors to the crafter. They negotiate a percentage to the merchant and set that at the creation of the vendor. Then the crafter receives exclusive admin rights to the vendor and gets to okay the percentage. So merchant creates a 25% vendor gives it to the crafter who now onwns and stocks the vendor, the merchants cut goes out automatically with each sale.
GlargTheKelfn
Mon Jan 24, 2005 10:51 am
#11
Fidgiter wrote:An alternative that could be considered would be to extend the "Bulky Vendor" availability beyond just Business 3 in Artisan. This is particularly valuable to Doctors, Biological Engineer and Combat Medic who are crafters but have nothing to do with Artisan at all.Novice Armorsmith, Novice Architect, Novice Droid Engineer, Novice Tailor, Novice Weaponsmith, Novice Doctor, Novice Biological Engineer, and novice Combat Medic could be considered to qualify for placement of a Bulky Vendor with a 50 item limit.IF this is done I would suggest that Business 3 would add to the item limit (There should remain a reward for those who take the extra step to pick up the skill). This would ensure that all types of crafters would gain at least basic access to vendor services without having to invest more skill points and would also ensure that those who invest skill points to go beyond the basics would still be more effective.
i would add scout to this list also.
i completely agree with making merchant like politician is on tc now.
Fidgiter
Mon Jan 24, 2005 11:06 am
#12
sure, Novice Ranger would be a good addition
GlargTheKelfn wrote:
i would add scout to this list also.
DarkY0da
Mon Jan 24, 2005 12:55 pm
#13
As noted above they aren't forced to be merchants. The game was designed around yes "forcing" interdependence. If you craft and want to sell stuff you have the option of selling those items at a vendor to the merchant. Who can then sell them. Or as noted if you trust the person give them the items they sell it for you and keep a small percentage. (or if your friends just do it for free for you.)
ANYTHING that gives you less reasons to interact with other players. ANYTHING that gives you less reasons to rely on other professions that you don't have in your template. Anything that does those things is very very bad for this game.
ANYTHING that gives you less reasons to interact with other players. ANYTHING that gives you less reasons to rely on other professions that you don't have in your template. Anything that does those things is very very bad for this game.
Page 1 of 2