Merchant Archive

I myself am a Master DE, Master Artisan, and Master Merchant. I don't wish to do away with Merchant, because it does have some benefits, but at the same time, I would like to have some of the skillpoints back that are being used. My thought is to perhaps merge the 4 trees down to two, thus freeing up some of the skill points. Being Master of these 3 professions makes it quite difficult to do anything else, and you need combat skills and medic skills, just to stay alive.

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SiberTiger wrote:
I myself am a Master DE, Master Artisan, and Master Merchant. I don't wish to do away with Merchant, because it does have some benefits, but at the same time, I would like to have some of the skillpoints back that are being used. My thought is to perhaps merge the 4 trees down to two, thus freeing up some of the skill points. Being Master of these 3 professions makes it quite difficult to do anything else, and you need combat skills and medic skills, just to stay alive.

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The only problem with condensing the skill trees is that you'll have a lot of other crafts calling foul on that one, and demanding their own trees get condensed too.

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darkstormrising wrote:

i give up its just not my day... anyhow just so were clear there will be NO posting of ideas in this forum unless you wish to be met with little besides sarcasm and lectures about how your twisting everything around for your own benifit from people who are a touch sensitive about their broken pointless profession.

have a nice day

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Not really.

Do you expect to post "Remove Squad Leader as a profession" in the Squad Leader forums and expect a round of hugs and kisses?

How about in Smuggler Forums? Post an idea to get rid of the Profession altogether and just replace some random tree somewhere else with the Slicing tree?

Posting of an idea is one thing, but when the idea is to basically ignore what's broken, I think you're being a little stupid to think that you'll get anything but mocked.

I like the idea of Merchant and I have no qualms in taking some of it on to support my Weaponsmithing, but as a full blown profession yes, it does leave a lot to be desired. What this calls for is a revamp, and that is one of the key functions of these particular forums. Merchant needs a lot more in it to make it worthwhile. The 'idea' to just do away with it is quite frankly, a terrible approach to the problem.

How about apply your logic to everything else that requries 'revamping' and what would we be left with?

I disagree with the idea that just because someone posts something that is fairly controversal (which.. the idea of disbanding merchant isn't for the most part) that a person should expect to be mocked, bashed, etc. Frankly if they back it up with logic and reason... it should be met with such. And if it cannot be, and the only response is attacks and flames... then perhaps they have a valid argument.

Bashing, mocking, etc, should not have any place in a discussion.

Now.. if someone comes into the merchant folders... and just says 'Dang merchants... get rid of em!' then yeah.. they are looking to provoke trouble... but it shouldn't be that hard for anyone with an ounce of maturity within them.. to just simply ignore it.

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ofim wrote:

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DocSavag wrote:
Maybe you'd like a flame thrower and a scatter pistol to use with Pistoleer..we could abolish Commando and Bounty Hunter for you?

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Well the problem is that your profession produces nothing, yet you all feel you're the only ones that have a right to make money, Sorry but merchant skills should have been spred thru the master crafting professions or merchant should be able to sell vendors making them actualy do something for thier money. I've read the requests that everyone should offer the items to you on "consignment",I'm sorry but thats a joke. If the dev's would fix the bazaar cap and make auctions not have a cap then no one would be "stealing" your profesions skills. Everyone should have the right to atleast one vendor irregardless of having merchant skills or not. In a real economy the person who produces nothing and does nothing makes nothing, simple economics.

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In RL I can find lots of people that produce nothing and do nothing and make lots of money. Simple example from simple economics 101. Interest.
Student is advised to investigate this word and see how it applies to the case in RL.

-Indene- (Boy don't I wish there was interest in this game ) Please note the multiple meanings

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DragonScout wrote:
Not necessarily. There are people in RL who perform as 'merchants' like they are set up in this game. The only problem with trying to make them come to life as such in this game... is that a lot of the factors that make it work in RL, don't exist in this game.

As far as this game goes though, merchants are just a leech. They really aren't 'productive' in any way for the game as a whole. You can't actually 'play' a merchant on a daily basis. And the service they provide... would only be viable if you couldn't 'easily' do it yourself. In a game where most of the crafters can pick up at least one vendor without too much trouble and even invest in some additional merchant skills to get more if they so need.. You are never going to find much call for 'true' merchants. Especially since as a stand alone profession, it is extremely passive and doesn't require much if any playing to be 'successful.'

The sad thing is that most of the upgrades and enhancements that they have asked for are just going to make it even more passive.

And as far as passive vs active.. just to clarify.. Active abilities and such are things that require your attention to do. Like hunting or crafting items. (yes these can be scripted, etc.. but for the most part they are active.) Passive abilities.. you set up maybe once, and then you are done and there is no real 'need' for you to use the skill ever again, yet it continues to work. That, to me, is bad programming and design. It would be like devising a combat profession that had a gun you could power up and send off on missions without you being present. Slap in a 3 hour battery, kiss it goodbye, log off for 3 hours and come back to a bag of loot and organic resources. What would be the point in playing? And that is essentially what you do with merchant. You set up vendors, stock them.. and then log off or go do something completely unrelated. That, to me, is not good programming or design. It is a utility, and is fine as such, but it shouldn't require a skill point investment.

Message Edited by DragonScout on 07-25-2004 08:26 PM

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Perhaps you have not tried "playing" a merchant in this game. To be successful I had to scour the galaxy to find goods (and crafters to sell them too me) to import to my world (Naboo) where I would sell them on my vendors. Now that is very much like RL and is a lot of "play" Actually sometimes it feels more like work. As to crafters having tto be active I have one word. Factories.


-Indene-

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AshleyHumes wrote:

It is all well and good to say "If you cannot spare the sp's, then find a merchant and make a deal with him/her to sell your goods". Unfortunately, the reality of it is that it simply does not work effectively with the tools and system available to us at this point. I have made deals like this twice in the last year, and both times they ended with me getting screwed out of millions of credits worth of merchandise. Until a more reasonable and efficient wholesale/retail or leasing system is instituted, I think a lot of people will continue to opt for dropping their merchant skills after they get the configuration that they want.

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While for many reasons I like the "consignment" method of "renting" vendor space what I have used sucessfully was buying the product outright from the player and placing it on my vendor (the offers screen is particularly well suited for this) In the deals I have made I did research as to the usual selling price of the item and then worked a deal with the other player to buy from them at a lower price and sell it on my vendor at the "MSRP" given to me by the player. This eliminated any risk to the other player as they got their money. I assumed the risk as a part of the nature of the profession. Not eveyone can do this but if you start out small most people should be able to.

Only time I ever got "screwed" was when the player went out and placed his own vendor in another popular spot and started selling the items at "wholesale". Fortunatly I was able to sell my remaining stock a little above wholesale so didnt loose money. Needless to say I do not currently carry that players products.


-Indene-

(MSRP= Mfg Suggested Retail Price)

Message Edited by Indene on 08-06-2004 03:40 PM

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OckVofad wrote:

Ok, here's something for you to pick apart.

If you just took the basic requirements for merchant (the merchant artisian skill line) and Master Merchant would you be able to play the game effectively? (In other words if Master Merchant was your only profession)

If the answer is No then merchant is just a skill point sink.

/dodges eggs

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Since the answer is yes the merchant is not a skill point sink.

No eggs.

-Indene-

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p4Samwise wrote:

I see what he was asking, so I'll clarify. His question is - can you sell items as a Merchant without investing in skills from other classes (e.g. crafting, hunting, et cetera), and if so, is this process streamlined (effective) enough to be "fun"?

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The answeer remains "yes"

-Indene-