Could it be posible to have a vendor stall outside the market? Although it makes more sence to be inside the market, since nobody hangs arround inside it, it is very easy to miss a PC vendor.
I'd prefer players do their shopping in the market. For one thing laying out lots of items tends to cause lag, so it's best kept out of the already somewhat graphically intense main Mistlocke area.
Anything for reducing the lag i guess.
I might have an idea for an alternative. Howe about a market stall with a chest besides it? Players would lay the items in the chest, PCs would open the chest and browse the items. And causes no more lag than 2 or 3 placeables.
I think people should just use the market place! Maybe we can add some system to have a visual cue when a PC merchant is within selling wares for anyone in the square to see.
Would it be possible to link the internal signs with a couple external ones? A PC merchant could then: [Hangs up sign on the rungs outside of the marketplace] and waltz inside to do his business. It'd be assumed he takes it down afterward.
in the meantime spending ten gold for a sending, assuming what you are selling isn't "rusted chainmail"
I'd like to give my input as a the player of a PC merchant
Selling in the market is phenomenally boring. Its not like I play a merchant to see little golds tick up on my gold counter. I'd rather not sell, than sit at the wall, praying someone come in.
Selling outside is fun. You get to chat with people and gossip. I had a lot of fun sitting at the zig, welcoming new characters and gossiping on recent events.
Quote from: LiAlH4;244485Would it be possible to link the internal signs with a couple external ones? A PC merchant could then: [Hangs up sign on the rungs outside of the marketplace] and waltz inside to do his business. It'd be assumed he takes it down afterward.
I wish I could still sell outside, but this helps with the problem somewhat. If the signs were highly visible outside, this could work. You rent a stall and a sign appears outside, one which does not otherwise exist with a short message on it.
Maybe when you rent a stall beggars or workers or guards will say around town:
"(Renter's name) has opened (Stall's name) at the Marketplace!"
"Teli Freeborn has opened Teli's Potent Potables at the Marketplace!"
No, it would be very annoying to have a NPC spamming messages. Would drive people away from the square.
I insist the chest suggestion is a good solution.
Trading should be done in the marketplace. If you wish to gossip, talk and do other things while trading-- Move about. Talk, tell people you've wares to sell, use your eyes to see who might need your wares. It's how I solved it from time to time when I played Ashvale.
Selling in the market makes sense and is cool. But still, standing there all alone is oooh so borring. I am acturly in favour of this.
I don't think there is a problem, trading in the market makes sense. Successful merchants will circumvent this by being more mobile and interactive, which is a good thing. If you want a 'visual cue' you can pay someone to make a sending for you, which is more interaction. I'm sure there's more to go on.
Maybe have a notice that, in it's name, says things like "X has opened Y in the market", one for each stall. It pings "An update!" or something when the name changes, or even just have it in the examine description.
Quote from: derflaro;244625I don't think there is a problem, trading in the market makes sense. Successful merchants will circumvent this by being more mobile and interactive, which is a good thing. If you want a 'visual cue' you can pay someone to make a sending for you, which is more interaction. I'm sure there's more to go on.
I don't think that is fair. Sitting down and talking to folks is interactive. Being in an empty building which may see 4 or 5 visitors an hour is incredibly boring. I love the immense variety of loot on the server. Trying to sell a +1 suit of armor is easy. Trying to sell a magical trinket which casts a few minor spells is not. The only way to sell the majority of loot on the server is to lay it out and let folks browse. It seemed like people enjoyed browsing through the trinkets.
Can't say I shared this problem at all on the few merchants I played nor those I saw reach longevity. Some tedium is pretty inevitable.
To me laying things out seems to encourage people to just examine what they like from a distance and only speak if they want a price. Ultimately nothing really prevents someone from laying their stuff outside if they want to that badly anyways.
Markets spring up in places where people frequently congregate; location is important for business.
If people are not hanging around in the market, one must then ask one's self; 'Where are the people?'
This is usually followed by merchants moving.
If PC merchants see people congregating, and want to set up shop in the area, I don't see the trouble with dropping a couple of makeshift stalls somewhere. It makes sense. Or, alternatively, NPC's - or PC's if they feel inclined - should be doing things to bring adventurers into the market. Perhaps sales, or new stock, or a gladiatorial arena with naked elven women, or something.
+1?
Quote from: derflaro;244681Can't say I shared this problem at all on the few merchants I played nor those I saw reach longevity. Some tedium is pretty inevitable.
I never found setting up shop on the Zig steps tedious, it was fun!
As of this moment, there are two PCs selling their junk sprawled out on the floor in Mistlocke square.
Nice idea about the market, but the stall signs aren't exactly vital to setting up a stall. People are still going to do it where they want.
And one of them as done this constantly even with warnings from the guards.
Yeah I would suggest that if you want to lay your goods out, then do it in the market. If you want to interact with people, just stand in the square as a spruiker, and make slightly misleading statements about your amazing wares to get people's attention... and then show it to them in Barter if they engage with you.
Or better yet. Have your PC go set up shop in the market, and hire another PC to spruik for you to encourage traffic.
Alternatively, an NPC spruiker could be set up to advertise stall rental in the market (for an additional fee of course!). Essentially they would parrot back a simple phrase for a set time period at a duration that isn't too spammy. This NPC could even be an Ymphian Parrot!
I really like the new market space and feel it should be used more. I think the more merchants utilise it, the more traffic it will get.
EDIT: "An Ymphian" not "a ymphian" ... stupid consonant masquerading as vowel made my grammar confused.
The only time I've actually played the role of a merchant was back in the Underdark, and I was selling 'Good day' and hugs, because my character was bored. The part I found fun was hiring people to advertise for me. It worked fairly well, for wares stupid as this!
I understand the desire to reduce lag, but along those lines would something like the Ilmater freebies in the square be frowned upon?
If the market is going to be where PCs set up though, I like the idea of a sign appearing out front to let players know.
Also something to get people in the door on a more regular basis would be nice. Most every item I have found can not be sold to NPC merchants for one reason or another, so not a lot of traffic there. The supply trading halfling is cool, but I'm not sure how many people bother. Maybe a merchant or two who's stock changes on a regular basis would get people coming in to check.
I'm guessing that with the new server and all the work that went into Mistlocke, the DMs want to see it used the way they had planned...
But markets are irrational and unpredictable! It makes sense to have a marketplace inside for the career merchant/vendors, just like the Ziggurat had. But for itinerant adventurers (and actual player-characters, "meta" though it may be...), it makes sense setting up in high-traffic areas.
A villager looking to buy new pots and pans knows exactly where to go. An adventurer in the market for a new magical sword wouldn't go to a fruit vendor.
I suggest putting a stall in the town square - if you really want to discourage it, just make the price nontrivial - 30 or 50 gold for ten minutes.
I am casting my vote for a stall in the square... without one, it's going to be a constant battle for as long as the center of the setting is Mistlocke.
There are wild camp-style gathering quests that go there now for food supplies/meat. it's a much better market than the Zig as the PCs, NPCs, a sending station and a quest are together. It actually gets busy! That said it should be clear that trading the odd thing shouldn't be illegal, otherwise you'd have PCs renting stalls to sell a single axe or whatever, and the signs would always be out of date. There's just too few PC stalls if it gets busy.
Three stalls is usually enough, there aren't actually all that many merchants at any one time really. I think the new market is great and the sending system makes it easy and convenient for merchants to broadcast wares and advertise their presence.
Just submit to our new overlords and use the Market as intended! Once you start making it the only place to go, it will become THE place to go. There is evidence of this already occurring.