Merchant Archive

Could you also post that the majority of merchants oppose the removal?

I also disagree with item 4. Novice merchant shouldNOT require general craftingxp. After business IV, it would be a drag to have to continue crafting when your main goal is to sell things (vs. build things).

What I would like to see is the ability to restrict what is offeredon my vendors. For example, I would like to set upeither a perfered "supplier" list (so only those people can offer) OR be able to set it up so that people could only offer me items of a particular typelike(e.g. set it up so they can only offer resources, weapons, and armor).

Also, as we move up the efficiecy tree, I would love to be able to get a "remote"vendor management terminal that I could carry with me at all times. From this terminal, I would be able to accept/reject offers on any of my vendors and offer items for sale that are in the stockroom.

Basically, as we move up the merchant tree, things should get more automated. It should be easier to manage larger inventories, more suppliers, and more stores. Right now it is a HUGE time sink to do this if you have a prosperpous business. Ifind myself cuttingback my business not because I can't be successful atit, but because it wastoo successful and to much work to keep up. It stopped being fun.

I think we should just be asking the devs to take a look at the MXP accrual from Business 3 to Novice Merchant, and point out that it is very different, and requires NO effort whatsoever to achieve - I wouldn't suggest any fix, just ask them to re-evaluate the concept based upon all of the discussion on these boards (of which there has been a vast amount, and some really good alternatives) - Both sides of this can be argued for, and the community here seems fairly split down the middle on it. Just because it's your personal view (and a strong one by the sound of it) - you shouldn't be putting it forward as the voice of the community if the community doesnt agree with it. You areOUR correspondant (Thats right, we own you ), and should be reflecting OUR views...

Numtini, I read the board, and the half dozen or so posts related to this issue (Number 4) and I stand on my grounds. I also refuse to go **edit** for tat with you.

This issue has been in my LAST 2 lists as well, with great feedback that the list was good and supported, including this issue. This issue is not new, this will be it's 3 time to the devs.

The feedback from those posts and PM'sto memakes me feel good about posting this for a 3rd time.

I know you are aginst this, I KNOW, NOTED. You are the strongest voice, and I thank you. But there are many merchants support this, and I agree.

So NO, I am not going to say something that is not true.

AD I - Works for a few hours

I've never had this stop working other than at server reset. I'm almost certain this isa server reset not a time issue. Exactly the same for advertising 3.

Also isn't dressing vendors still broken--I haven't taken that line, but I seem to remember that being mentioned by several people.

I would also cite the # of items on a vendor counting towards the house total. This is not happening to me, but it is to others and is a major problem which will become critical and game destroying when we're allowed to place other people's vendors. From reading thetest forums, it remains a problem there and may evenbe more common or universal.

As a related issue, it's my understanding that medium and large houses allhave the same item limits. If items are supposed to count towards the total (hopefully this is not the case but just in case it is), medium and large should offer some additional item storage.

I think any report should also note that while existing lines are plagued with bugs that the lines themselves offer very little for the investment and that merchants as a profession need a total reworking.

V: Merchant Master abilities are non-existant. Until the impelementation ofSpace where I get my Corellian Freighter ..could we please get a bone thrown to us?

Some ideas:

KruppeRift, We will do this, I will point oit the issues, and give the 3 or so suggestions we have come up with. We have seen many good ideas. At least we agree that as it stands it is not the best way to go about the class.

V: Until Space expansion is implemented and I can get my Corellian Frieghter, could we get thrown a bone here? Master Merchant needs some looking at..the whole tree does.

Csin,

I do not think that I can advicate that a master merchant get a Corellian Fighter, I hate to burst your bubble. But yes, we have addressed this in the past, a few idea have been thrown out, including more lots, vendor tiwn like a pet, and so on. We will see

I'd just like to pipe in and say that it takes about1 to2 days to make Novice Merchant after you place a Vendor at Bus. 3. Plus, just about every box in Merchant takes another 1 to 2 days to achieve. It's taken me far longer to get to Master Merchant than Master Weaponsmith (I'm not even a Master Merchant yet, but have been a Master Weaponsmith for about a week or so now).

Making Merchant reachable through General Crafting XP would just make it far EASIER to reach Novice Merchant. As it is, the gating factor is TIME. There's no way to power level up to Merchant. It will just take time.

I'm still of the opinion that the Merchant class should be boosted, so much so that Artisan vendors will just be dwarfed, and the only value they'll have is as a repository for the Artisan's friends to go pick up stuff. More, better Advertising...more, better Efficiency...2 very KEY skills that the Merchant should provide for in truckloads. As it is, I'm very unhappy with Advertising and Efficiency, and the "problem" of Artisan vendors has yet to cross my mind. No Artisan can ever hope to compete with me as it is (granted, I'm a Master Weaponsmith...however, I do re-sell some of my wares to other Merchants who ALSO have a huge edge over mere Artisans...so it's not just a "me" thing).

Signs, banners...automatic shouts...those are things that Advertising SHOULD provide. Significantly cheaper maintenance costs ACROSS THE BOARD (in other words, EVERYTHING is cheaper for us), mitigated via an Efficiency skill system... these, again, are the things I want to see in the Merchant class.

As it stands now, I'm a Master Weaponsmith, and almost Master Merchant. Without any improvements to the Merchant class to make it actually viable for me, I'm going to start letting it go, as I cannibalize skill points to get some combat skills in me. I will keep Efficiency 4, and possibly Adv. 3, as being registered on the map is SOMEWHAT useful (saves me from havign to give coords all the time, at least).

BOOST THE MERCHANT PROFESSION....don't nerf others. There's still a wide gap of possible improvement for Merchants, so much so that there isn't a need to look for nerfs to other classes for balancing.

V: Until Space expansion is implemented and I can get my Corellian Frieghter, could we get thrown a bone here? Master Merchant needs some looking at..the whole tree does.

Some ideas:

--Discounts on travel (already mentioned but darn useful)

--Lift the droid limitation for Merchants so they can have up to 3 robot 'bodyguards'. Being a famous merchant is hard enough without being an easy target for every blaster jock who wants to grief you. If I have 5 million credits in the bank, I should be able to afford some defense so I can declare a faction instead of hiding behind the counter. (edit:dont get any ideas..I don't carry this pistol for decoration).

--Remote Stock Control --If I sell out of Vibroblades I should be able to move stuff from the 'stockroom' to the shelves remotely. It would be nice if I could remotely 'buy' offered items and stock them while we're at it.

-- Please fix advertising! I spend 3/4 of my time Standing at the Starport Yelling (sometimes I go to the Bank to yell since it's nearby) . I direct people to look at the Global Advertising on the [M]ap (they don't). I distribute email waypoints, and answer questions. I spend75 percent of the remaining time running back and forth to the shop to make sure things are stocked, and to buy offered items. I spend another chunk of time looking for merchandise to sell. Literally I spend maybe 15 or 20 minutes a night shooting things or exploring in any way.

I love the RP aspect of being a merchant, but I have seen the starport areas of 4 or 5 cities and that's about it since I started playing. I am 2500mxp from Master (pre-gratz me now!) , but I've had to spend almost ALL of my time driving traffic to the store tp get mxp points.

Merchants need some respect. No other class is expected to KNOW so much about weapons, resources, armor, biopets, spices, ect ect. No other class has it'sfingers on the pulse of the game as much as we do. It takes a TON of exp to master, experience that is hard enough to get as it is. We would like to see some Creature Handler class-type love here too.

'nuff said

(probably MASTER MERCHANT by now)

**edit** thing ate my earlier posts..here's the rest of it. (never mind the freighter)

Some ideas:

--Discounts on travel (already mentioned but darn useful)

--Lift the droid limitation for Merchants so they can have up to 3 robot 'bodyguards'. Being a famous merchant is hard enough without being an easy target for every blaster jock who wants to grief you. If I have 5 million credits in the bank, I should be able to afford some defense so I can declare a faction instead of hiding behind the counter. (edit:dont get any ideas..I don't carry this pistol for decoration).

--Remote Stock Control --If I sell out of Vibroblades I should be able to move stuff from the 'stockroom' to the shelves remotely. It would be nice if I could remotely 'buy' offered items and stock them while we're at it.

-- Please fix advertising! I spend 3/4 of my time Standing at the Starport Yelling (sometimes I go to the Bank to yell since it's nearby) . I direct people to look at the Global Advertising on the [M]ap (they don't). I distribute email waypoints, and answer questions. I spend75 percent of the remaining time running back and forth to the shop to make sure things are stocked, and to buy offered items. I spend another chunk of time looking for merchandise to sell. Literally I spend maybe 15 or 20 minutes a night shooting things or exploring in any way.

I love the RP aspect of being a merchant, but I have seen the starport areas of 4 or 5 cities and that's about it since I started playing. I am 2500mxp from Master (pre-gratz me now!) , but I've had to spend almost ALL of my time driving traffic to the store tp get mxp points.

Merchants need some respect. No other class is expected to KNOW so much about weapons, resources, armor, biopets, spices, ect ect. No other class has it'sfingers on the pulse of the game as much as we do. It takes a TON of exp to master, experience that is hard enough to get as it is. We would like to see some Creature Handler class-type love here too.

'nuff said

(probably MASTER MERCHANT by now)

Please fix advertising

Was it here or swgcraft where someone mentioned they renmaed their bot to "whoever's weapon shop follow me!"and then put it on patrol where people would see it and follow it back to the shop.

(This is not by any means a rejection of the idea of fixing advertising. I have spent plenty of points on it and I find it totally worthless. I believe the additional vendor is the only line worth taking at this point.)