Gear Seems Harder To Get

[*Strawberry Jam]

First off muling is as I see it bad role playing. This is a role playing server, or I wouldn't have considered it and I don't think many people would have come if it wasn't heavy on role play. It stops people from blurring the lines between what happens to their character and what their player wants for personal gain. Muling might make sense if this was an action server.

Secondly I think it's a very good idea to have consignment merchants. Sigil is a city of great planar trade, and there are factions heavily invested in this practice. The books mention that there is a good working relationship between the Indeps and the Fated. They need each other and support each other for mutual benefit in trading. Automated trading should be taxed, maybe a flat fee plus a consignment percentage on the items sold. This would actually serve two purposes:
1. Player merchants get to sell without needing to idle forever.
2. It helps remove gold from player circulation.

Third I think if you level up a caster from scratch you are in for a big surprise. You don't start out with your best spells, you cast maybe 3 spells before you need rest again, and psion only has 2 powers and 2 power points. Both have 1d4 hp and can easily be thrashed by bats alone.

I think it's much better for players currently to engage in the npc quests, which is what I did when I started, along with some roleplaying which gave me experience rewards too. I would do my rounds of supply tasks, riddles, and so on and then sit down and talk to people. It's a good way to establish your character, if that fails you can still ask an npc caster to cast protections on you.

I also want to point out that I have haggled more than just a few times and I would encourage people to do it more often. =)

[*Strawberry Jam]

Additionally, I always leave it up to the buyer to haggle if they wish to. Depending on the item, they'll get an IC response and additional banter! Generally though, it's not the merchant that would offer to haggle, it's the buyer who would offer a counter price. What merchant is going to undercut themselves?

I guess that depends on the culture, some would say it's an insult if you don't haggle. Actually there is a gate town portal to a plane that only opens after bargaining. ^^;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xpzyk8Uo3E

[*Riddleofmind]

There is no merchant RP to speak of.

We were setting up the Lost and Found stall as few times and were offering high quality equipment and loot for free (Xao RP).

All a costumer had to do is to come up with a story where they telod us how and where they 'lost' said item- it does not even have to be a lie, just make something up, RP away.

I think over the three or four days we ran the stall we only gave out 3 items. We hoped to inspire players to tell stories, perhaps go into their characters backgrounds, motivations ect.

Sadly most just wanted to dump gold on us and when coin was not accepted moved on.

It was a bit sad.

[*Strawberry Jam]

That's a shame, I seem to have misplaced my holy avenger +7 recently, maybe you've come across it... ^^;;

[*Altair]

Awwwh, I'm sad! I loved the idea of that stall, but I never seemed to find myself around when it was properly open. I saw it set up a few times. Please don't get discouraged. Maybe people just weren't clear on what was being asked?

[*rapsam2003]

I tried leveling Tia as a non caster class right off when I made her.. and yeh... this server aint for that. >.> Ya get magic and level... er... ya get a buddy with magic and level.. er.. ya find some magic gear on the quick... I guess?

This is kind of the nature of Planescape in general though. On the Prime, non-magic items are fine; because it takes more effort to produce magic items. In the Planes...there's so much trade implied that it doesn't matter. One thing that's really useful for new players in terms of buying gear is the early quests, I'm finding. For example, going to the Under Sigil merchant for both The mind flayer in the Foul Olde Spirit and for Layla the Herbalist gives you an Alchemical Silver weapon and a Cold Iron weapon. That's +2 enchantment and harms the respective race for that weapon material.

Some how ya gotta get some magic any way or yer gonna have a bad time. Not an impossible time.. mostly just ah very slow one.

Is that such a bad thing though? I know some people want to level alts quickly, but still.

But maybe there is a bit of solution there. New players finding patrons or other PCs that have been around for a while to work for? Get those social engines going. Maybe instead of PC merchant mechanics, have more of a PC made quest system or some way for PCs to advertise personal things they need done that low level PCs can do? This also might help bonds between characters.. get them more established.

This is a great idea. WE should have this.

My ideal merchant experience would be one where I would not have to sit around and do literally nothing for hours.

One way this could be accomplished is if I didn't have to actually sell my own items.  It would require the work of the development team one way or the other, but if Clangeddin could whip up some special UI for a Free League Trading Board where people could put items up for sale and stuff?  That would be ideal for me as a merchant.

Even this was literally just an advertising board, where the person said, "I have these items for sale", it would be much better than sitting around for hours.

And if as a merchant you want high activity, why not come up with some theme "events" while being a merchant? Discount tickets, lottery for everyone that has bought with at least X amount of gold, I don't know... garlic festival for all the vampires? Merchandize doesn't need to be the main event, it can be  supplementary avenue while trying to keep other characters around with a daily theme.

I think this would do a lot to make merchanting fun for people. As it stands, merchanting is almost an AFK activity, as I understand it.

Junathoraxus is always available for merchanting (basically just to help newer players out).

One thing I have noticed is that it is very rare to have any players by anything other than top tier. I have a ton of 'electrifier fodder' which I would happily sell cheaply to newer/younger players, or even give up for RP if someone can IC convince a dragon they are worthy.

I'm very interested in this. PM'ing you.

KEMO auction house is a well-tested and used system that could make lower-tier gear easier to circulate.

This, honestly, as a new player would make things so much more convenient for me. I don't have rich friends (yet), and I'm also not the kind of guy to beg friends for money. But if I could buy/sell some lower tier items, then that would help me achieve my PC goals.

[*Jelkia]

Is that such a bad thing though? I know some people want to level alts quickly, but still.

Uh.. I guess it depends on if ya want quick levelin or not? O.o Dunno there's ah global yes er no to that... but.. sounds like some of the folks here might have troubles with other folks levelin too fast? Sorrta can't tell why anyone would care though. If ya don't like levelin quick.. then don't? If other folks want to level quick instead.. good on em.. yeah? Can't really think of ah good reason to roadblock folks who wanna hit quick 30.

It stops people from blurring the lines between what happens to their character and what their player wants for personal gain.

Uh.. if ya say so. Sorta feels more like.. manufacturing difficulty that really only creates tedium in the guise of enhancing some sorta RP focus over ah focus on class/character building... but.. doing it badly an from the wrong direction. The rules in place an all.. so I guess its whatever. Doesn't matter that much in the long run. Just feels sorta silly is all. Unless ya enjoy tedium in yer gaming.. then good on ya. ^.^


Back on the merchanting stuff, could there be like.. built in chests or tables in the Bazaar booths that would maybe handle some of the work for folks? Maybe merchant stalls with ah bit of coding to help attach an update bags.. or help assign prices er something like that? Just.. make it all ah little more streamline or something for folks wanting to sell stuff??

If not.. then an auction house style system would be pretty great. Lose ah little RP that way.. but they're ah pretty successful part of most MMO style games.

[*rapsam2003]

Uh.. I guess it depends on if ya want quick levelin or not? O.o  Dunno there's ah global yes er no to that... but.. sounds like some of the folks here might have troubles with other folks levelin too fast? Sorrta can't tell why anyone would care though. If ya don't like levelin quick.. then don't? If other folks want to level quick instead.. good on em.. yeah? Can't really think of ah good reason to roadblock folks who wanna hit quick 30.

There isn't a reason (good or bad) to my mind to roadblock folks, but neither should your character be able to "manufacture power". You get what you get. That's part of RP'ing. It's not as if you cannot overcome the fact that you were not able to get that extra special drop.

On a personal note: rushing to 30 seems like it would ruin the RP experience, and this IS a RP server. It's about the journey, to me, not about the ending. If it's your "500th alt", then whatever.

If not.. then an auction house style system would be pretty great. Lose ah little RP that way.. but they're ah pretty successful part of most MMO style games.  

Since merchanting should secondary (even from a RP perspective), I don't think much RP value is lost overall. I mean, it's not as if D&D has EVER had merchant only classes (except for NPCs), and I don't think the server should have that.

Also, check these out, folks:
KEMO Auction/Consignment System
KEMO Storage System

The server already uses several KEMO mods, so it shouldn't be a huge deal to implement more.

[*Nimiane]

I've had my stalls open for hours at a time, and there's just some nights you don't get business. Like tonight, I had one customer over two hours. Though, the RP was quite fun and there was some amusing back and forth. I love that element. Several PCs and I used to chill in a stall in the bazaar and set up a keg and just have a grand time hanging out between sales. I also find joy in helping out people with the items they want and need. So that element, it's great. Some people stick around and RP, others don't.

Additionally, however, I've completely run out of gear for the "Lemon Chest" I also put low level stuff in for newbs. Yeah, it sells. Whether for electrifier fodder or for early adventurers. But the thing is, when it comes to low-tier goods, if you're buying items as well as selling it's just not worth it unless you go out and find it yourself. People expect to be payed more than to 300gp the NPC merchants will give yet want to buy that same low-level for the same price (300gp-500gp). So really, there's only profit to be made in the higher tier gear that sells for more.

That being said, I don't classify my character as a merchant. I'm not 100% invested in that role, and neither is my character. That isn't to say that it's a bad idea, I think lotterys and stall-events are a grand idea. I think for many, it's something done when one hahs a schedule free of RP. ICly, they're a planeswalker who happens to open a stall now and then to offload stuff and make a bit of jink. Because, let's face it. Selling goods is pretty much the only way to make money on the server.

Edit: I apologize if none of this makes sense. Been up 24hrs.

[*rapsam2003]

That being said, I don't classify my character as a merchant. I'm not 100% invested in that role, and neither is my character. That isn't to say that it's a bad idea, I think lotterys and stall-events are a grand idea. I think for many, it's something done when one hahs a schedule free of RP. ICly, they're a planeswalker who happens to open a stall now and then to offload stuff and make a bit of jink. Because, let's face it. Selling goods is pretty much the only way to make money on the server.

I'm fairly certain that most folks feel this way. I mean, you don't create a character in D&D in order to be a merchant. (*cough*We have NPCs for a reason.*cough*) As such, why not cut through all the extra stuff that makes the process tedious? That's why I like the suggestion of KEMO's Auction Board mod.