Merchant Archive
Thread: A new flare for the merchant profession
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Herbsman
Thu Sep 02, 2004 8:08 pm
#1
I have a small proposal that could add some colour to our profession.
I would like to state that this has absolutely nothing to do with the current changes we're going through.
The idea is very simple. It adds absolutely no benefit to our profession other than visibility. By such I don't mean spam, signs, or planetary advertisements. Simply a graphical look that will attract customers.
So what is this idea. It's simple. You've allready seen them all over the place in npc cities. Small tents and stalls, some carrying crates of fruit, others have a bunch of junk on them. Simply a way for a merchant to sell his wares in person. Establish contact with the client.
So how to go about doing it. It would work in the same way as a vehicle does. Basically you add the graphics (tent and stall) to the datapad via a deed at first. Then you call it out much like you do a vehicle and out pops the tent and stall. It has a speed of 0 and it can't be mounted. All it really does is sit there until you store it.
You can call it out in all the places you can call out vehicles.
Basically what this means is that vendors can setup their shops outside npc cantinas or even in starports where people wait for their shuttle to arrive.
You could have different looking stalls depending upon what you're selling as a merchant.
I would like to see this in the novice skill box, not at the master level. A novice merchant goes out to sell to the customer whereas a master has the customer come to him.
You could even add some form of experience rate to this. something in the form of a small ammount of merchant xp gained for every minute you have your stall out, or for every person who approaches your stall to take a look at what it is that you're selling.
There would be no vendor involved, you're selling directly from your inventory to your client.
So what do you guys think.
I would like to state that this has absolutely nothing to do with the current changes we're going through.
The idea is very simple. It adds absolutely no benefit to our profession other than visibility. By such I don't mean spam, signs, or planetary advertisements. Simply a graphical look that will attract customers.
So what is this idea. It's simple. You've allready seen them all over the place in npc cities. Small tents and stalls, some carrying crates of fruit, others have a bunch of junk on them. Simply a way for a merchant to sell his wares in person. Establish contact with the client.
So how to go about doing it. It would work in the same way as a vehicle does. Basically you add the graphics (tent and stall) to the datapad via a deed at first. Then you call it out much like you do a vehicle and out pops the tent and stall. It has a speed of 0 and it can't be mounted. All it really does is sit there until you store it.
You can call it out in all the places you can call out vehicles.
Basically what this means is that vendors can setup their shops outside npc cantinas or even in starports where people wait for their shuttle to arrive.
You could have different looking stalls depending upon what you're selling as a merchant.
I would like to see this in the novice skill box, not at the master level. A novice merchant goes out to sell to the customer whereas a master has the customer come to him.
You could even add some form of experience rate to this. something in the form of a small ammount of merchant xp gained for every minute you have your stall out, or for every person who approaches your stall to take a look at what it is that you're selling.
There would be no vendor involved, you're selling directly from your inventory to your client.
So what do you guys think.
Message Edited by Herbsman on 09-08-2004 12:43 AM
Yogol
Thu Sep 02, 2004 8:28 pm
#2
I like the idea, they had this in a precious game I play, ATITD, and they worked really nice.
You got to stayonline to use them so it will never replace vendors, but it's a nice addition !
phelixcubed
Thu Sep 02, 2004 9:04 pm
#3
I like this idea. 
Perhaps there should be a limit to places you can set up a stall - I can see people setting them up in front of cantina entrances, or littering the inside areas of starports. Perhaps a small access feeshould be charged every time you set up the tent, or perhaps you should be able to add maintainance into it, like a harvester?
Perhaps there should be a limit to places you can set up a stall - I can see people setting them up in front of cantina entrances, or littering the inside areas of starports. Perhaps a small access feeshould be charged every time you set up the tent, or perhaps you should be able to add maintainance into it, like a harvester?Definitely a good idea. Five well-deserved stars for you. 
Herbsman
Thu Sep 02, 2004 9:12 pm
#4
phelixcubed wrote:
I like this idea.
Definitely a good idea. Five well-deserved stars for you.
I'm not really talking about an actual tent you can go into. It's more of a canopy thing. Just 4 sticks with a blanket ontop of it and a stall underneath. Also, as far as blocking entrances goes, the stall would be negated as far as collision goes. You could walk right through it.
Restricting where you can place it sort of negates the idea because people would mostly place them near cantina entrances and starport entrances. Besides, wouldn't a bike parked in front of the cantina bug you just as much?
Entrance fees can be optional. I personally never ever enter a house with an entrance fee. Only exception is if it's a museum or something with a good reason for having an entrance fee.
Don't know about maintenance, maybe it would need to be repaired due to weathering and such, much like a vehicle.
But yeah, thanks for the comments. We could always add on to this and mold it until it fits something that we could all really go for.
GonkSevenT3
Fri Sep 03, 2004 7:46 am
#5
I really like this idea too. The "tent" should be craftable by an artisan as well I think. I don't think an architect would want to be bothered with 4 poles and a tarp. Put it in the engineering line to give new artisans something to craft, or give it to master artisans so there is a reason to be one other than vehicles. I like the idea of putting it in engineering though, maybe at Eng II, after all it is just four sticks anda tarp.
It shouldn't be a vendor but the process for the customer should be just as easy. The secure trade process can be tedious. I'd like to see a terminal, like the bazaar appear in the tent, which you can load up with say 50 items. You would have to stay in the tent for it to work so you can't set it up and walk away. Look at the little terminal as a display case kind of something to catch a customer's eye.
Also, you shouldn't be able to set these up in player cities unless you are a resident. I wouldn't want someone to set up their "tent" outside of my shop.
mhal9000
Fri Sep 03, 2004 10:31 am
#8
What about making the stalls like scout/ranger camps? Disposable, and with a time limit? Since it will be the useable bynovice on up, give novice merchants the ability to craft them, with perhaps even more elaborate camps being available further along one of the skill trees? Like Advertsing?
GonkSevenT3
Fri Sep 03, 2004 11:28 am
#9
mhal9000 wrote:
What about making the stalls like scout/ranger camps? Disposable, and with a time limit? Since it will be the useable bynovice on up, give novice merchants the ability to craft them, with perhaps even more elaborate camps being available further along one of the skill trees? Like Advertsing?
Hey, that's a great idea. I never thought about it as an expendable single use object like a camp. And you could get merch XP perhaps for every person who come into the stall, similar to survival XP with camp sites. Hmmmm, but would setting them up like that conflit with the no build zones in NPC cities?
LonelyGhost
Fri Sep 03, 2004 12:05 pm
#10
Not a bad idea, but it has to have some sort of limitations. Otherwise the first person online in the morning will drop right in front of the Coronet/Theed Starport and go afk all day, thereby taking away the chance others have to set up. Maybe if the cost increases the longer its down. Like it starts at 5c per minute, then after an hour, it goes to 100c per minute, then at 1:30 its 200c per minute, then at 2 hours its 1000c per minute, etc....Basically, the longer you stay there (preventing anyone else from dropping) the more you pay. You woudl also have a delay from the time you pick up till you can drop again inside a 200m radius. So you drop, an hour later pick up, and move 200m away and drop again. Another hour later you move and have to be 200m away from both your last locations. Then at 3 hours the first spot timer is up.
Basically, you gotta give people who come online at 9pm a chance to get the prime spots. Make it hard for the powergamers to rule this form of selling.
Herbsman
Fri Sep 03, 2004 1:16 pm
#11
GonkSevenT3 wrote:
mhal9000 wrote:
What about making the stalls like scout/ranger camps? Disposable, and with a time limit? Since it will be the useable bynovice on up, give novice merchants the ability to craft them, with perhaps even more elaborate camps being available further along one of the skill trees? Like Advertsing?
Hey, that's a great idea. I never thought about it as an expendable single use object like a camp. And you could get merch XP perhaps for every person who come into the stall, similar to survival XP with camp sites. Hmmmm, but would setting them up like that conflit with the no build zones in NPC cities?
That's sorta why I thought they should be treated like vehicles, because you can call vehicles anywhere as long as you're outside. If it's treated like scout tents, then you won't be able to use them inside npc cities. That sorta negates the whole reason for having this.
DesktopSaki
Fri Sep 03, 2004 7:26 pm
#12
I'd want to add that like harvesters, they take up a "lot" (even if it's not an actual lot) so that you can't have people dropping their carts on top of yours... And if you spam from within your cart area, it vanishes.
And don't let them be set up in areas that are already high-traffic. We've got enough starport lag as it is. Maybe designated areas within major cities and elsewhere on planets.
nurTsunami
Mon Sep 06, 2004 2:36 am
#13
I really like a lot of these ideas! I always thought this would be a cool idea to do. It would increase the RP in the game since the merchant would have to be there (read: not AFK!) and participating with the customer. Vendors right now are so un-personal. You may establish a working relationship with some customers, with special orders and all, but you can go along way without ever meeting any of your customers face to face.
This idea will reward creative, fun, enegetic individuals who can think up good ways to get people to their booths (not spamming for the love of all that's good!) and will increase customer loyalty as they begin to recognize your name and face, and where you like to do business.
Finally, if for no other reason, I think this can revitalize "dead zones" in the game where there is little to no activity going on, expecially in NPC cities. Most cities are filled with useless buildings and wasted space that could be used be street merchants peddling their wares.
I really hope the devs give a STRONG look to these ideas. Unforuntately, if history is any guide, this won't be done for a long time though 
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