Merchant Archive

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demosthenes810 wrote:

Fact of the matter is, the point here is that this game is not about one dude sitting in a room crafting up uber stuff and sticking it on some vendor where it magically disappears into unseen player's hands. This game is about talking with people, making deals. One of those deals which should be made is selling. Why on earth are crafters selling their own stuff???

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demosthenes810 wrote:

Funny - this is what I hear from those that want to get their product to market - but don't want to stuff points they feel are better suited elsewhere asking for.

• The "soft" dependancies are between combat profs and support classes (doc's, entertainers, weapon and armour crafters, etc.)




• You can carry on fighting with wounds and battle fatigue,you just become less and less effective, so you can choose when you want to use the support services.


• The "hard" dependancies are between crafting professions, where one prof cannot make their wares without crafted components from another prof.




• You cannot make anything that requires a component you dont have

Message Edited by SpottyGekko on 08-18-2004 02:42 PM

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Wire3k wrote:

So, to all the merchants dancing in the streets wanting to stomp on the bruised and bloody bodies of your fellow players that only are trying to survive just like you are what are you going to do when every one of them (or even a relatively small handful with friends) – and of course they can recruit a LOT of help in this (no skill needed remember)- get organized to drive MERCHANTS out of business. They have more numbers, and they are pissed – don’t think for a second this can’t be done or won’t happen, it’s a FAR more likely scenario (than say – a merchant strike) this could occur and you will have brought it all onto yourselves.

Remember – you told them to use the bazaar.

Everyone and their dog starts listing things on the bazaar at the 6k cap. Items that SHOULD cost 10k, 20k, 50k? All selling for 6k – in droves. Craftsmen screwed over by ‘merchants’, gatherers screwed over by ‘merchants’, hunters screwed over by ‘merchants’, folks with anything at all to sell that just feel screwed over – all listing their 25 items – and getting all their friends to list for them as well.

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Huh? Just a tad overly dramatic are we not?

What makes you think things are not selling on the bazaar for 6K now that should sell for more? You obviously have never tried being an architect.

You seem to think that everyone will all of a sudden be determined to shoot themselves in the foot and give their product away for free. My question is - why? Sure, you might get a few fruitcakes who do it, but they are the exception, not the rule, and generally don't last long. I see that all the time in Architect - blow their brains out with low low pricing and then never hear from them again. These crafters who want revenge won't get their pound of flesh, all they'll discover is that they're giving credits away.

If I were a betting man (actually I am a betting man but difficult to do here), I would say the exact opposite witll happen. Prices will go up.

The Merchant as a profession is part of the game economic dynamic. The game is skill-based. These 2 dynamics need to be accepted to play the game.

The mistake SOE made, and it was a huge mistake, was letting this go for so long without fixing it - letting the problem fester. It's a good lesson (hopefully and learned lesson) that you can't let things that are broken fester for almost a year. It only makes developing a solution more and more difficult.

Sorry, but I don't have any sympathy for wanting to keep the skills when dropping a profession. Calling a profession crap, not worth it, etc doesn't make it so. Does Merchant need more love and revamp? Yup, sure does. So do other professions in my opinion butthat doesn't mean they should disappear either.

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SeraphinAnnie wrote:

The only thing you'd be proving, is that you're bitter. Be angry, if you must. But trying to take away from other players' gaming experience, or to encourage others to do it, just because it will make you feel better is very misguided.

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Funny - I'm sure folks that have found their comfortable niche feel very very much this same way. Never underestimate the power of anger as a motivating factor - especially with as much time invested over a year that this game has in it.

From Raph's own set of MMO laws - - - - -

Ownership is key
You have to give players a sense of ownership in the game. This is what will make them stay--it is a "barrier to departure." Social bonds are not enough, because good social bonds extend outside the game. Instead, it is context. If they can build their own buildings, build a character, own possessions, hold down a job, feel a sense of responsibility to something that cannot be removed from the game--then you have ownership.

Telling folks they no longer have a right to 'own' their character as they see fit (remember - it worked that way for over a year) bug or not is taking away from them. Instead of focusing on positives to make the class actually WORTH having this is the stick approach. It's telling them they no longer have the right to 'own' the fruits of their labors or the satisfaction of contact with the final endusers of their goods. FWIW - many months ago, www.swgbio.com/merch.htmlis a letter I sent in with my own suggestions,nearly all of which has been discussed here at one time or another.

Message Edited by Freshy on 08-18-2004 10:10 AM

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joined42904 wrote:

This first post strikes me as extremely foolish.

What will I do if they list good compo on the bazaar? Buy it and sell it in my shop of course. That's what a true MASTER MERCHANT can do under the new rules. Plenty more vendors for a second shop. I'll just resell the stuff they are selling at a loss.

Can they keep it up? Well...NO...they can't. But I have enough to buy how many 6k bazaar sales? Any other merchant can do the same.

So I still tell them to spend the skill points or use the bazaar. Why? Because it's what they deserve if they don't invest skill points in vendors. And I hope they take your foolish ideas to heart. Because if they do I will make a killing.

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You absolutely can do this - for awhile. Till you run out of space and it doesn't resell because the market is flooded and there is no room for the markup.

Folks have done this before - with a LOT less motivation than they have now and no cooperative effort or organization.

Just how many people doing this would it take to really gum up the works? How many people with merchant skills that have become bored (or are ticked over their own issues) would join them? I love my shop, I love my customers, I love a truly free system where everyone has a shot and effort and competence is rewarded, AS a merchant - this cheapens MY experience by removing equality in the competition.