Merchant Archive

Why would anyone want to be a master merchant? I could see getting the branch to allow for more vendors, and maybe for allowing reduced fees... but other than that... why? You get no other benefits. 5 vendors, slightly reduced maint fees, plantary map coverage (currently bugged), and the ability to change what your vendors wear (bugged).

So why should anyone be one? I don't know. I hope they add some nice stuff to it, becuase right now, it seems like a waste of skill points. Here are some of my suggestions:

1. Masters can get 2 more lots above the 10 allowed per player. You drop master, you loose the lots.

2. Masters can place 25 more items in their structures over the current house limitations.

3. Masters get the ability to place a merchant in town (certain locations) where they can sell their wares and advertise their business.

4. Masters can get 1 more vendor over the 4 from the Management branch. (6 total)

5. Masters have the ability to place a PRICE LIST of items that are in their shops (IE: A list on the wall which you examine to see a list and price of items).

6. Masters can change the look of the house sign.

That is all I can think of.. what do you think?

From what I see some of your suggestions are nice but would be more appropriate on the Architect skilltree.

1) this should be an Architect skill tree item

2) nice but make it where the person can place more items on the bazaar and can place more items on their vendors as well. but house item limits should be tied to some kind of special architecture things where the architect can use experimentation to increase the item limit of a house (possibly houses with higher lot limits have slightly adjusted maintenance rates)

3) Nice

4) Nice

5) nice

6) belongs on architecture skill tree

Dumin

ION, Naboo

Chilastra

I concur with some of those, but had a few ideas of my own to throw out there:

1. First thing I wanted to mention is that I think limiting non-Merchants amount of Vendors is dumb. If crafters take the business tree for a vendor, then they deserve to have it. If they want more vendors and/or cheaper maintenance for said vendors, then they will have to go Merchant as well.

2. Master Merchants could get the ability to create trade caravans between cities. This would allow for jobs for fighting classes as hired bodyguards, scouts to lead the way, Smugglers & Craftsman to carry their goods and it can all be mission based.

3. After the space expansion comes out, Master merchants could have trade routes between planets & even sell passage tickets on their freighters at prices they negotiate.

In conclusion, I do have to say that there are a bunch of really nice benefits along the way to Master, but the Master spot itself does seem to be a bit lackluster and should offer more of an incentive for the usage of points. The only redeeming quality that I can mention off the top of my head is that it is absolutely effortless to get the Merchant XP, so maybe the lack of given benefits is directly proportionate to the lack of work needed to get there.

Darchon SkyCrosser <FeydCo>

Eclipse/Master Artisan/(Soon to be Master Tailor & Master Merchant)

Master Merchant was a April 1st joke developers did in beta...they just forgot to delete it =)

Can they change any house's sign, or just their own?

Master Merchants are broke for a lot of reasons..but the biggest is the early release of this game...

We should (I HOPE) have more use when player citys come out...Mayor or Cantina Owner..

I am a master merchant, I get a title, and little else. I will see what we can do.

The only redeeming quality that I can mention off the top of my head is that it is absolutely effortless to get the Merchant XP, so maybe the lack of given benefits is directly proportionate to the lack of work needed to get there.

It might be effortless, but it is certainly not a fast advancing profession! Master weaponsmith was much faster for me to obtain than master merchant.

i disagree. In the last two weeks, I've gained over 75000xp in merchant experience. And taht was without the use of an access fee. It's very easy, and essentaly because this profession is the stepchild of SWG, they haven't looked at rasing the XP costs on the skill tree like they did most others. If I had skill points left, I would be looking very good at becoming Master merchant, but as Marqie pointed out...big deal. What's the point? If there were incentives like the origianl poster came up with, maybe i'd focus on becoming master merchant.