Merchant Archive

Well, let me turn it around and ask why in a game that has an entirely player-run economy that a player should have to decide whether to spend their skill points (in many cases a very healthy percentage of them) in order to sell things? It makes no sense to me, given that in other games (for example EQ) anyone can take part in the economy (although admittedly the bazaar in EQ is mostly inferior to SWG's vendor system... except that in EQ you can search all vendors).

I am of the view that the Merchant (and Politician and Entertainer, but that's another story) Profession(s) should have the same prereqs it does now, but have all (or most) of their skill point costs removed, allowing all players to take part in the social/economic aspects of the game without giving up at minimum 24 skill points (which is almost 1/10 of the total skill points a player has).

I'm currently working on a proposal to this effect, which I will post to Core Systems in the near future.

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illovich wrote:
Well, let me turn it around and ask why in a game that has an entirely player-run economy that a player should have to decide whether to spend their skill points (in many cases a very healthy percentage of them) in order to sell things?

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Fred75 wrote:

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illovich wrote:
Well, let me turn it around and ask why in a game that has an entirely player-run economy that a player should have to decide whether to spend their skill points (in many cases a very healthy percentage of them) in order to sell things?

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Umm, because that's one of choices that you have to make in this game. What do you want your character to do?

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Its a balancing factor. If you dont want to use points you have the bizarre. Although I thinkl the monitary limit should be higher for that.

Because, the boxes are called "Business". If you dont get a vendor with business III or IV, you don't have much of a business.

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Fred75 wrote:

Then sounds like you need to set up a different distribution system. That's not a good reason why you should be able to use a vendor and NOT be a merchant, or at least a 0030 artisan.

You want to be a manufacturer or a re-seller? And what skills do you have that you wont drop to get art 0030?

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Master Rifleman, Master Ranger. I don't even have enough points to get more than two boxes in Art 0-0-3-0

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Bazalan wrote:
Because when I was 13 I owned and operated a real Coke machine which I bought with my own money. It's not a special skill to fill a vending machine and collect money from it. It's childs play!

There should be a droid built by DE that is limited use (100 item or so) that anyone can place.

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Yes, well that's RL's rules, this isnt. I cant move from planet to planet in5 minutes in RL so dont use that rational..... or figure out how I can do it..

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Bazalan wrote:
Because when I was 13 I owned and operated a real Coke machine which I bought with my own money. It's not a special skill to fill a vending machine and collect money from it. It's childs play!

There should be a droid built by DE that is limited use (100 item or so) that anyone can place.

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Let's see... unless you had it sitting in your bedroom for your buddies, you had to get permission to place it. Probably a permit to operate it (at least these days you do). You had to learn how often to refill it... and several other things.

You earned the RL equivilant of Business 3. You learned basic business skills, most 13 year olds I know would of filled it once, spent the money without refilling it, etc....

In this game, the limiting factor is how many skill points you have. Want a vendor? Spend 24 of your skill points, more if you want to do it well. Don't want to spend the points? Use the bazar, put up auctions on the trade boards. That's why they're there. Or make a deal with a merchant you feel you can trust (and yes, need a better system for this) to resell your items.

Because practically everything else in the game allows you to use limited forms of elite professions, even in an unskilled fashion regardless of your profession. Same should go for vendors. You should be able to have 1 vendor regardless of skill point investment. It should be expensive, and limited, but everyone should be able to have one. Essentially a CDEF version.

Only problem with that is that the merchant profession isn't actually a merchant profession. It is a profession centered around the monopoly on vendors. And if you give vendors out to anyone else, it clearly points out just how lacking the profession is, and how much of a utility it is.

Perhaps one day they will give the merchant profession abilities that have a broader range than just vendors, but until then, the profession in and of itself offers very little in terms of playability. You cannot 'do' much as a merchant. At least in regards to actual abilities and tools. All the things that make a merchant successful can be done just as easily, if not more so, by non-merchants -- which is what specifically gave rise to poached vendors. Aside from the vendors themselves -- which are fairly self-sustaining once set up, there is zero reason to be merchant.

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DragonScout wrote:
Because practically everything else in the game allows you to use limited forms of elite professions, even in an unskilled fashion regardless of your profession. Same should go for vendors. You should be able to have 1 vendor regardless of skill point investment. It should be expensive, and limited, but everyone should be able to have one. Essentially a CDEF version.

Only problem with that is that the merchant profession isn't actually a merchant profession. It is a profession centered around the monopoly on vendors. And if you give vendors out to anyone else, it clearly points out just how lacking the profession is, and how much of a utility it is.

Perhaps one day they will give the merchant profession abilities that have a broader range than just vendors, but until then, the profession in and of itself offers very little in terms of playability. You cannot 'do' much as a merchant. At least in regards to actual abilities and tools. All the things that make a merchant successful can be done just as easily, if not more so, by non-merchants -- which is what specifically gave rise to poached vendors. Aside from the vendors themselves -- which are fairly self-sustaining once set up, there is zero reason to be merchant.

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you do have an uncerted version of a vendor a limited version..the BIZARRE

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Scoooter wrote:

you do have an uncerted version of a vendor a limited version..the BIZARRE

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Get rid of the lame 6k cap and this would have some merit.

Tubes of GLUE sell for 3 MILLION credits!

True enough. There is the bazaar. Too bad that what could be an amazing tool for merchants is neglected and claimed as what non-merchants get.

The bazaar should be primarily an auction device.. if properly designed.. that would be a huge advantage to merchants. As it is now, it is fairly worthless except to sell inexpensive items to newbies. If you could actually use it for its auction abilities, and have credit limits that grew based upon merchant level, it might become something worth while. But that is a different topic.

I don't really consider the bazaar on par with a vendor, even if the vendor was seriously limited in item space/lack of features. In my opinion everyone should be able to have a vendor for delivery purposes, and just for personal sales. Pretend it is a garage sale utility. Wouldn't be able to sell much, nor get the word out very far, but if someone happened along, they could maybe find some good deals. Limit it to 25 items, and let it go at that. If they wanted more vendor features or more item space, they could invest in the utility profession that is merchant.

It is just like using a pistol or a crafting tool or a pet or droid.. anyone can use them -- to a limited degree. But as you gain experience within a elite profession you gain more abilities and skill to put that item to use. Hence the reason behind actually going up in that profession.