Tailor Archive
Thread: Out of the Box
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Mystyrys
Sat Mar 20, 2004 10:26 pm
#1
What if I don't want to run a shop with or without vendors? What if I don't want to do only emailed custom orders, or sit in cantinas and by starports doing on the spot orders and be just a travelling tailor? What if I have gotten tired of the micro-managing of tell hell and vendor mails and harvesters and factories and multiple houses for storage and vendor stocking and outsourcing for hides and bone and loot comps and...
What if I want to think out of the box?
Until some of the long-awaited merchant features ever get into the game, and until some sort of more manageable storage system is created, and until a true anon is implemented; all this crafter/merchant stuff is too much like a real job. I pretty much dread logging into my tailor character these days. Sure, I make good money at it this way, not a lot, but enough. I don't need to be rich to have fun, but I need to have fun or I have no need to even play. And all this work is not fun. It's just too much micro-managing. I meant to be a casual player. I thought I could be and still be a crafter and merchant. The way things are, you can't be truly casual and make any money at it; not enough to stay in business at that level. But I do not want to start over with a new profession for this char either. I have alts for that.
So what options would be out of the box?
What if I set up a merchant tent with a table, two chairs, a vendor with basic staples in it, and me, my droid and a full backpack of tailoring supplies? What if I had set hours my tent shop was open? If I'm not there, the tailor is out and not coming back, buy off the vendor or come back tomorrow. Just call me the Gypsy Tailor. Maybe while I am there I will tell your fortune. If you cross my palm with money or treasures.
What if I simply parked myself at one of the tents in Bestine or Mos Espa, one of the ones with tables and chairs already in it? Me, a droid and a little advertising on bazaar -- "Tailoring done at the tent behind the starport" with the waypoint...? And only at certain hours or days of the week.
When they implement the new 5 minute shuttles that go anywhere from anywhere... dispersal will begin. People will not be forced to cycle through the current transportation hubs of Coronet and Theed. NPC cities will become more viable as places to conduct business. Merchant guilds could form (not guilds as in PAs, but consortiums of merchants and crafters of a given profession) and could congregate and set up tent bazaars in or near any city they want.
Go to Keren and find weapons and armorsmiths vying for the best tent or awning near the starport. Get there early or lose your spot! Go to Dee'ja Peak and find where several Artisans have set up in the houses near the theater. Stop in at the musuem in Bestine or the house just across from it to find the architects selling paintings and candles, and such.
See where I am imagining? Why do we have to have houses converted into shops stuffed with vendors just to do business? Why do we have to succumb to the demands of the mechanics of the game AND the unreasonable expectations of the consumers that think we do nothing but craft and stuff vendors, but still have all the time in the world to drop whatever we are doing and come running to serve them? Why can't we just simply, pull out a droid, and park our "business" in one of those tents already in a city, near a starport, shuttleport, bank, guild hall, etc? Why make the customer come out to us, way, way afar, far, far away... when we could just go to them? And only when we want to be there?
But old habits die hard.
Think out of the box.
NJ62
Sun Mar 21, 2004 8:08 am
#2
You know, now that I'm starting over on TC, I do have the urge to live a vendor-less existence. As it is, I'm liquidating my Scylla inventory because I want to cancel the second account that is my merchant (now that my fiance is quitting, and we shared the merchant, I can't justify keeping a 2nd account all to myself.) I think my approach will ultimately depend on how the vendor limits fall. I can get maybe 4 or 5 boxes or merchant (the tailor/be combo is not very friendly). What will likely occur is that I use the vendor for BE stuff, while doing custom orders for most of the rest, though keeping a 2nd vendor for normal, unenhanced clothes.
Dex1138
Sun Mar 21, 2004 8:55 am
#3
I actually started to set up a vendor this weekend (see sig). And after 20 minutes of stocking furniture, something that has no variation, I found what I've known all along: This is not fun for me and I have little enough time to make the game fun while I'm around. Hence why I shall remain Tol the Travelling Tailor.
I had a good amount of money before the new Jabba schematics, now I'm beyond comfortable. I make clothes because I want to and I like helping people pick out stuff. I also like to travel and being able to go/stay anywhere and not have to worry about keeping up on my stock is great
I had a good amount of money before the new Jabba schematics, now I'm beyond comfortable. I make clothes because I want to and I like helping people pick out stuff. I also like to travel and being able to go/stay anywhere and not have to worry about keeping up on my stock is great
Akaara
Sun Mar 21, 2004 2:31 pm
#4
I just take a day and make some factory runs of black cloaks, black dusters, gloves boots and black melee defense formfitting undershirts, then I craft a bunch of items by hand, and before you know it, my vendor is well stocked. Then it lasts a couple to 3 weeks so I don't constantly have to restock my vendors.
That way it frees me up to do custom orders and be Mayor.
ChaoKuang
Sun Mar 21, 2004 2:35 pm
#5
I never completely wanted the vendor-life, but I knew if I wanted to make any real amount of money to be able to get by, I needed vendors. But I just want to help people with clothes and chat with them and socialize. 
But that doesn't happen often. You either get the whole "I don't know, whatever" or "shirt" or random bullcrap. I mean, if I go into a store, and I want something, I at least would say "I'm trying to find this sort of thing," or "I want something in blue, not to formal.." etc. But it's like, you get customers in this game that had they acted as such in a real store, I'm sure the workers would take offense with crass behavior, or a customer who asks for help, then turns around and says they have no clue what they want, whatsoever. At all. I'd be like, "Well, take a look around, research, let me know when you have a general idea.*leave*".
But that doesn't happen often. You either get the whole "I don't know, whatever" or "shirt" or random bullcrap. I mean, if I go into a store, and I want something, I at least would say "I'm trying to find this sort of thing," or "I want something in blue, not to formal.." etc. But it's like, you get customers in this game that had they acted as such in a real store, I'm sure the workers would take offense with crass behavior, or a customer who asks for help, then turns around and says they have no clue what they want, whatsoever. At all. I'd be like, "Well, take a look around, research, let me know when you have a general idea.*leave*". Anyway, I digress. I, too, am a casual player. And it's hard being casual trying to balance three alts on different servers, with Zoelie having a business, Zulian being a Master of entertainment(Ent,Dance,Music), and Noonor'oo trying to work his way to Smuggler and Master TKA. So it's really hard trying to balance, because Zoelie has a BE tissue order he's waiting on, he has two houses, two factories, and five vendors to worry about, making sure the maintanence is paid, the power, etc. That's not including the six harvestors taking up his lots for the resource deal he has going that would need him to move them from spot to spot, then there's keeping track of the resources gained and splitting them equally between him and his partner in the deal. x.x; So sometimes, it's not much fun. I get in, work, get out. Wee. All work, no play. Makes me wonder why I play sometimes....heh.
Mystyrys
Sun Mar 21, 2004 4:11 pm
#6
Exactly Zoe. Too much work, not enough free time for just the fun stuff. Once the vendor nerf hits I may be forced to downsize anyway, but for now, I am working to at least minimze the micro-managing. With 4 vendors on two planets, and all of them getting hit hard on weekends, it takes me all week to collect more resources, run the factories again, stuff the vendors in the main shop, then tote all I can to Corellia and stuff the vendors there too. And do custom orders and do bulk orders for crates and reset harvesters on new spots, and check all my storage buildings and maints and all that there. It's exhausting!
I'm trying to find a miner who can guarantee me 200-400k of fiberplast and 50k each of polymer and metal a week so I can at least outsource that task. I already have 4 hide suppliers. I need a team of miners. That alone will help a lot. And if I can find a Novice Tailor who'd be happy to run factories, I am so there. *hands over a weekly paycheck*
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