Merchant Archive
Thread: Needed: Addition to the global map advertising at Advert 4
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DocSavag
Wed Feb 04, 2004 2:28 pm
#1
You mean like if they right clicked on your global advertisment on the map screen or something?
DocSavag
Wed Feb 04, 2004 2:59 pm
#3
Interesting idea. I don't know what they will say about it. 512k seems like a small number but who knows what code would have to be written to make it happen. I think it would solve a number of issues including categories not being as good as they could be and the fact that you can't be in more than one category per vendor.
mhal9000
Wed Feb 04, 2004 3:23 pm
#4
Great idea! 5 stars for you, and I'll throw in an /agree!
Implemetation could be a prob, but it would be a very nice feature to have, more so if it could also show the number of items for sale on the vendor at that time. That might over complicate matters though, so I'd just be happy with the original suggestion.
BoberFett
Wed Feb 04, 2004 3:48 pm
#5
Not 512k, 512B. 512 characters (I don't know how they've structured their database, maybe their db designers like round hundreds like 500, maybe they like binary numbers such as 512) is enough room to add a description and short sales blurb about your vendor. That's roughly 100 words. Plenty of room to describe your vendor.
As for the sytem, I was simply pointing out that the database can handle it and isn't a valid cop-out. Adding a small varchar field to the vendor table is nothing. The code is another matter entirely. The biggest issue would probably be writing the interface for it. They'd have to add a right click somewhere on the map. Currently you can right click a vendor on the map and get a drop down that gives you an option to create a waypoint, so I know it's doable. The only problem is that with so many vendors around right now, even if you zoom in all the way some vendor markers get obscured. So they'd probably need to change theright hand list to include a right click option.
I realize that it's not an instant change, and might take a few months since it'd probably be at the bottom of the To Do list. But I think merchants need more ways to advertise and this is one of them.
BoberFett
Thu Feb 05, 2004 1:59 am
#6
We need an addition to global advertising. At Ad 4, we should get the ability to have an expanded advertisement. The fact that we are unable to change the name of our vendors without pulling everything off, destroying it, placing a new one, and relisting everything is a huge pain. It could be alleviated somewhat if we were given extra advertising capabilities.
My vendor is named Quality Crafting Supplies. I sell 15 rate tools, 42+ rate stations, high rate harvesters, BER10 and 13 harvestersand BER14 fusions. I work hard to try to keep it well stocked. But there's no way for people to know what my vendor sells without actually travelling across the planet and viewing the vendor.
Database problems are not an excuse. How many vendors are there advertised per galaxy. 500? 1000? Just give us a 512 varchar field to enter some vendor info. That's nothing. We're talking an extra few hundred KB in what is already a multi GB database. I just want a small ad that can be viewed when somebody is looking at the map. It won't be displayed until the user requests it, so it's not in the way.
DocSavag
Thu Feb 05, 2004 5:17 am
#7
I'm sorry the k was a typo. I agree that the 500 bytes doesn't seem like much, but you and I think of things on an entirely different scale than the devs do so its hard to judge.
I also agree that it would have to be on the drilldown menu on the right and not the map itself so as to allow you to clearly select an item and get the advertisement.
Tigershark34
Thu Feb 05, 2004 7:21 am
#8
And while they are add it take away the stupid naming restrictions. It would be great to be able to add more but if every possible word is censored whats the use?
DocSavag
Thu Feb 05, 2004 8:09 am
#9
Tigershark34 wrote:
And while they are add it take away the stupid naming restrictions. It would be great to be able to add more but if every possible word is censored whats the use?
The rules for the filter come directly from Lucas Arts and is not controlled by SOE. Our chances for getting changes to that are slim.
BoberFett
Thu Feb 05, 2004 11:16 am
#10
I have a feeling that the vendor name filter is not working correctly. I've typed in vendor names before that were completely harmless and had them rejected.
bennybanglong
Thu Feb 05, 2004 11:22 am
#11
I tried to name my vendor "A Spice Fiend" and that was censored.
But "Spice Fiend" is ok for harvesters,house and everything else
Jedi Padawan
Rebel Colonel
Beladan
Thu Feb 05, 2004 6:04 pm
#13
I'm fairly certain that vendor names are passed through the same name filter as players and droids - houses and harvesters are not.
For Ad IV I wouldn't mind seeing a couple of options. Originally, we were going to be able to hire barker NPC's in cities to hawk wares. I would like to see that idea implemented. To prevent players being spammed who did not wish to be spammed, there could be a 'barking toggle' option that turned the ads on/off. Alternatively, why not have 'silent' NPC's for hire - basically a NPC we could name (still subject to the filter) who did not bark aloud - but as a @pemit to the player when clicked on. These could be placeable at the starports where we could compete with the morons who stand there spamming the bajeezuz out of us with their holocron 300k sales.
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