Merchant Archive
Thread: Focus Thread: Vendor Search System on TC
BlackEdge
Tue Mar 15, 2005 8:26 pm
#79
Phaelyn wrote:Overall, it appears as if our concerns were heard, and a balance was found.For those who haven't gone onto TC:You can now search all REGISTERED vendors from the Bazaar interface. A Vendors tab has beed added, You can select region, planet and galaxy. Entry fees (if any) are now listed on the search. You CAN find the price and purchase remotely, but it involves actually double clicking to see the Prices. You can NOT search other vendors from a player vendor (That right there was my biggest issue - glad it is not in this version)Overall, I rather like it. Biggest concern is going to be the sheer amount of pages to have to delve through. On TC, it's a limited playerbase. When i logged in to check it out, it looked as if 4 Weapon vendors were registered, and there were 4 pages of weapons. Imagine on a Live server what that number is going to reach.I don't have a vendor myself on TC, so i would like to see if 2 things are in the system, if someone has one, please respond:Did the ability to do a localized Auction on your vendor make it in? And how easy is it to add and remove a vendor from the Search?Thank you Devs for listening to our Concerns, and responding with a system that addressed most of them. I guess I can now remove most of the skill boxes I am using now, and free up some points for Combat skills, since all I really need now is Novice Merchant and hook my vendors into the Bazaar Search.
Easy fix for this is to have some kind of requisite to pput them on the bazaar...
I remember someone mentioning about maybe putting it under advertising, say Advertising 4 for planetary, and master merchant for galaxy..
This way it puts a limit on it as not everyone will be willing to go master merchant so there won't be tons of stuff listed at the bazaar. Also another reason why people could master merchant... ^_^
Baccarat
Tue Mar 15, 2005 9:33 pm
#80
Meplorium wrote:
If you wish to cater to everyone then have your vendor on the galaxy search and don't ban people from your shop. If you wish to only serve a sub-population then do so. No one is tell you that you must use this new system or allow everyone access to your shop. You have the tools and the choice. However as with anything in life if we choose to do one thing, it will affect something else.
There are alot of reasons for banning people that have nothing to do with GCW or roleplay. If I choose to ban an abusive individual from my shop that should not morally require me to remove my vendors from galaxy search. It's ridiculous to place the burden on the merchant. If SOE doesn't take the responsibility to fix this issue it is not my job to make sure that some abusive jerk can still pick up a armor chestplate he bought from me off of the bazaar.
Meplorium
Tue Mar 15, 2005 10:14 pm
#81
You misunderstand the grief problem. If someone buys an item and then you ban them so they can not pick up the item, then you are griefing. If they grief you and get the ban, then they buy something from you, shouldn't be possible, but probably will, then it is their fault not yours. Those are two completely different situations.
bluejanus
Tue Mar 15, 2005 10:41 pm
#82
I can't wait for the complaints from people about how we can't search the galaxy vendors like you can on Ebay. 
DocSavag
Tue Mar 15, 2005 11:17 pm
#83
Meplorium wrote:You misunderstand the grief problem. If someone buys an item and then you ban them so they can not pick up the item, then you are griefing. If they grief you and get the ban, then they buy something from you, shouldn't be possible, but probably will, then it is their fault not yours. Those are two completely different situations.
They amount to the same thing. The buyer gets screwed. CS comes in and removes the ban so they get their merchandise. Either way a bad game design removes the ablity of merchants to refuse service to jerks.
DesktopSaki
Tue Mar 15, 2005 11:53 pm
#84
Possible solutions:
- If you're banned from a shop, you cannot buy from them, even remotely.
- If you're banned from a shop, you're booted from it and the item is auto-delivered.
- If you're banned from a shop and have purchased remotely, you can get a no-cost refund.
- They remove the remote purchase.
I wonder which one would be easiest to code.
Cafa
Wed Mar 16, 2005 12:00 am
#85
DocSavag wrote:
A user who is banned from a merchant shop can purchase an item from that shop remotely. They cannot retrieve the item once they have paid for it. Tested and confirmed on TC tonight.
I don't really care how they solve it. The remote purchase is game breaking for merchant shops and that is the reason I oppose it. The code required to cover all the possible sources for people to get screwed out of their merchandise will be considerable.
You have to handle bans, vendor deletions, and access fee changes.
QFE Ty Doc
I'm sorry if my metaphor wasn't explanation enough, but Doc pretty much covered it.
Fivo Asia
Cafa
Wed Mar 16, 2005 12:21 am
#86
DesktopSaki wrote:
Possible solutions:
- If you're banned from a shop, you cannot buy from them, even remotely.
- If you're banned from a shop, you're booted from it and the item is auto-delivered.
- If you're banned from a shop and have purchased remotely, you can get a no-cost refund.
- They remove the remote purchase.
I wonder which one would be easiest to code.
Pray tell, how the heck is this going to be implemented? They would basically have to check permissions on the structure that the vendor is lodged within everytime. Now we have more overhead to the system.
Again, where's the improvement for the Merchant? No where.
Fivo Asia
Reaperss
Wed Mar 16, 2005 1:41 am
#87
Something else I just thought of. We no longer have any reason to spend the points on Master Merchant. Having your vendor searchable should be high up on the merchant tree, not in Business 3. Who needs 12 vendors now? No one. Each of my store has 4 vendors, so that customers can look for the exact type of droid he needs. Whats the point in that now? NONE. I was about to set up a third location on LOK, but that is no longer necissary.
My sales will probably go up as I'm a very well established DE and have very good pricing, along with some of the best resources, but I still see this as a negative.
BobaFleck
Wed Mar 16, 2005 1:49 am
#88
I agree about the potential for the death of the well-designed shop / mall. And it's sad... I'd like to think I have some nicely-designed buildings, and I know that I've seen some absolutely stunning ones.
Message Edited by BobaFleck on 03-15-2005 03:51 PM
Coreena
Wed Mar 16, 2005 5:10 am
#89
From newest patch notes:
- Added bid column to new vendor location pane
I hope this is not what I fear it is
- Added bid column to new vendor location pane
I hope this is not what I fear it is
Ybagi
Wed Mar 16, 2005 5:34 am
#90
The only issue I have with the vendor search is this:
Some crafters are left at a serious disadvantage because others flaunt the rules and engage in lot trades.
Lot trades allow players to have enourmous output volume through ability to place many factories/harvestors. these same players due to their production efficency drive prices down to levels a legit crafter would not accept as a worthy way to spend their time.
Lot trading destroyed Architect and now Shipwright, global vendor search will amplify its effect on the other professions as all items will become much more price sensitive.
If vendor search hits live lot trades are going to take over completely.
I'm a successfulcrafter and have never done a lot trade. Can you say the same?
Reaperss
Wed Mar 16, 2005 5:46 am
#91
Ybagi wrote:
The only issue I have with the vendor search is this:
Some crafters are left at a serious disadvantage because others flaunt the rules and engage in lot trades.
Lot trades allow players to have enourmous output volume through ability to place many factories/harvestors. these same players due to their production efficency drive prices down to levels a legit crafter would not accept as a worthy way to spend their time.
Lot trading destroyed Architect and now Shipwright, global vendor search will amplify its effect on the other professions as all items will become much more price sensitive.
If vendor search hits live lot trades are going to take over completely.
I'm a successfulcrafter and have never done a lot trade. Can you say the same?
I'm a successfull crafter and have never done a lot trade. However I have no problem with them. They are not against the rules.