Merchant Archive
Thread: The Merchant Profession
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Athello
Sat May 28, 2005 11:00 am
#1
I've always thought that Merchant profession was kind of worthless other then help make it so crafters can maintain and sell their wears easier and cheaper. Skills that I've always thought that all crafters should automatically have and be part of Artisan but now it can have a serious and more practicable purpose.
Merchant Profession should do just that. Make it easier and cheaper for crafters to be able to craft and sell their wears easier and cheaper which it does as I said but is missing one VERY important feature to performing this. That is that now with the way things are after the CU (and I always thought should have been part of the Merchant Profession pre-CU) is that merchants now (and have always) needed to be able to defend themselves while surveying and placing/checking their harvesters, factories, and vendors.
This is a defensive option that I'm suggesting that be added to the Merchant profession. Such features as:
Being able to wear armor (say reconnaissance armor)
Melee Def bonuses
Ranges Defense Bonuses
Dodge Bonuses
Etc.
Merchant Profession should do just that. Make it easier and cheaper for crafters to be able to craft and sell their wears easier and cheaper which it does as I said but is missing one VERY important feature to performing this. That is that now with the way things are after the CU (and I always thought should have been part of the Merchant Profession pre-CU) is that merchants now (and have always) needed to be able to defend themselves while surveying and placing/checking their harvesters, factories, and vendors.
This is a defensive option that I'm suggesting that be added to the Merchant profession. Such features as:
Being able to wear armor (say reconnaissance armor)
Melee Def bonuses
Ranges Defense Bonuses
Dodge Bonuses
Etc.
There really isn't any harm in making a master Merchant (Defense wise) nearly a tank. Just make sure they're not as good as the tank professions so it's not taken as a Defense bonus profession primarily. Such as having the bulk/majority of the bonuses be at level 4 and Master level Merchants.
This way we won't be a quick incap/DB or simple time wasting triple incap by the easiest of creatures and making us never place harvs on the harder level planets.
This way we won't be a quick incap/DB or simple time wasting triple incap by the easiest of creatures and making us never place harvs on the harder level planets.
Salebow
Wed Jun 01, 2005 3:44 pm
#2
LOL if i need to go check my harvies or fusion gens, i take my alt master rifelman or my knight out. but yes i know how you feel.
Boba-Eck
Sat Jun 04, 2005 8:13 am
#3
Dear Sir,
I am currently employed in your Mos Espa branch, and am on the management training programme. I feel it would greatly benefit both myself and Bloggs' Trading Co. if, in addition to customer service techniques, sales forecasting and personnel management, said training programme also included coverage of such skills as intermediate self defence, basic weapons handling and terrain negotiation.
Whilst these may not immediately appear to be of much benefit to a sales person / store manager, I can assure you that our stockroom is a very hostile place, full of exceptionally aggressive stim packs and camp resource containers, which would sooner trample all over you than just sit there like they're suposed to.
Yours faithfully,
Bob-a Eck
Management Trainee
Dear Mr. Eck,
The management team here at Bloggs' has received your letter re: additional training and have given the matter some serious consideration. Unfortunately, in this case, we must inform you that we are unable to extend our current training programme in the directions suggested; we feel it to be more in our interest that our staff be trained in techniques and disciplines geared towards the selling of goods, no matter how aggressive the goods in question may be.
Kindest regards,
J. Bloggs
CEO
Athello wrote:
Make it easier and cheaper for crafters to be able to craft and sell their wears easier and cheaper which it does as I said but is missing one VERY important feature to performing this. That is that now with the way things are after the CU (and I always thought should have been part of the Merchant Profession pre-CU) is that merchants now (and have always) needed to be able to defend themselves while surveying and placing/checking their harvesters, factories, and vendors.
If merchants / crafters want to be able to tend to harvestes in dangerous areas, they should spend skill points on combat skills. Much like if a doctor / scout / smuggler / etc. wants to sell their crafted items themselves, they also have to spend at least a small amount of skill points so they can place a vendor.
Given the skllls awarded to merchants (at least the skills that were awarded when I played one), it looks to me like they were intended to be like real-world merchants - intermediaries for people wanting to buy and sell items. You're a ranger, wanting to sell a load of freshly harvested meat, you find a vendor specialising in that and offer to it. A doctor needs the avian meat for buff packs? He seeks out the same vendor and buys from it.
Ideally, the merchant profession, rather than becoming vaguely combat related, should be given the tools to manage vendors like a real business; consignments, supply chains, standing orders with known suppliers. That way, get the people kitted out for dangerous ares going to the dangerous areas, and get the people who know how (and want) to deal with the sales processes deal with the sales processes.
Ufed_106
Mon Jun 06, 2005 3:54 am
#4
You're spot on there, Crafter and Merchant professions are too close together!
The merchant should be about buying and selling goods, travelling around the galaxy meeting suppliers/buyers and setting-up contracts. Crafters should focus on the building, that way they can spread their skill points over several elite professions. But instead they have to waste them on becoming a merchant so they set up a vendor.
The problem is when you start out and grind you don't know or trust anyone, so you are forced sale your own goods to make sure you don't get ripped-off. What we need is a list of dedicated and trusted Merchants on every planet and city, listing what they buy and sale!
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