Auction House

Suggestions
21

I already suggested a ‘Billboard’ kinda system like this, listing shops, and their items, by owner. For Settlement Owners to place in their town somewhere, near the portals in and out of town.

But for the ‘Waypoint’ system, there is already a ‘System’ people can do for that. Namely, people can craft Location Tokens. Craft many of them inside the store, named after the store, then place them in a shopstand for 0g or 1g. And hope no one is an asshole and ‘Buys’ them all when you aren’t paying attention.

I can not see this being done well, because it relies on trust, with no punishment if the trust is broken. The two ways I see this being done is, through the Request Baskets, which A, requires the shop owner to FUND the basket with a budget. And B, the person ‘selling’ the resources, to not find some other store that is ‘buying’ resources at a higher price.

The second way is through trading, which can get very scammy very quickly. It relies too heavily on trust from both people, and if someone gets scammed, or the buyer/seller subtle makes the deal look good when it’s actually not, the other person can’t do anything about it.

You can’t ‘Hire’ someone for a job, where if they don’t do the job or destroy your stuff you can sue them and throw them in jail or punish some other way. If you befriend someone, and they don’t deliever, your out of luck. Or take advantage of your lack of knowledge on the prices everyone else is using to sell you a cheap resources for higher price, then again your just out of luck.

Creating a shop with someone else is a very very iffy situation, based very heavily on trust, and also on other factors. Like both people being Active, and working together, and liking each other, and playing at the same time most days.

It really doesn’t work out most of the time. We’ve SEEN that it doesn’t work out, most of the time. Most of the shops in the game are DEAD. Not 1, or 10, but MOST shops. You say you know 3 big shops, that’s THREE out of HUNDREDS of THOUSANDS of shops and players, across multiple worlds.

3 are the exception, not the rule. Just cause 3 are doing okish, doesn’t mean it’s right or normal, or even an ok system. After all, they are probably just a group of friends irl, or through other games, working together. Not everyone has a dedicated group to play a game with, especially not long term.

22

More functionality to the beacons I’m 100% okay with, as long as you have to go to the beacon to read it.

You say no central list is anti consumer. I disagree. Anything that allows for easy databasing of stock and prices is anti consumer.

If this happens, prices become consistant across all shops. Once that happens, prices will skyrocket. Then the game becomes Neverwinter.

No large databases, it would destroy the game. The footfall based economy is brilliant, don’t ruin it.

And, YES, you ARE supposed to run around for hours looking for what you want. That’s the game.

23

I’m really split on this topic. On one hand, I love the current system. Exploring shops is a great experience and helps keep smaller shops running. It creates a great feel of a real economy going on and breathes life into cities. On the other hand, I’ve become insanely wealthy on every mmo ive ever played using an auction house system and I love doing it that way:p

1 Like
24

We will have to disagree I cannot believe they want us to run around to the same places over and over again to check prices every time we need something. That is not the game in my opinion. It adds zero to the gaming experience. Why would they want players to do this?

I have not played Neverwinter so I cannot comment on that specific example, but I do not understand the logic that with perfect information prices rise. That fits no economic model I have ever heard of. With perfect information the price hits an equilibrium where supply meets demand. So again on this point we will have to just disagree.

I will say that I will fully support any group of shops that does provide information on availability of product and prices even if it is outside the game. I would much rather spend 10 minutes looking at a website than hours running around to find shops and then to see if they have what I want and then compare prices.

I think in the end the only people hurt are the smaller and newer shops. No one even knows they exist.

25

I strongly disagree with this statement. I think it adds a very serious element to the game. I’m a big fan of the current system. The only reason I’d be in favor of a database at all is because it would make me a very rich man. But to say that the current set up doesn’t add anything to the game is just wrong.

26

The entire quote is important

How does wandering around to the same places over and over add to the experience?

27

I am also in favor of the current system, without it I wouldn’t have visited even half of the settlements I have. And the current system allows for both, if you don’t like to run around and look for a deal or even something rare that most stores don’t have in stock just stick with your set of preferred stores, it just mean that you might miss a deal or have to wait a bit longer to get that power coil.

If you add an auctionhouse as described above it kills this system that encourages exploring peoples builds.

I would like to see some improvements around spreading information in game, like signs that can contain location information and as mentioned earlier maybe heatmaps can be used for active stores.

Another improvment would be some system that penilizes dead stores, all these empty stores with no supply makes the settlements feel dead. You shouldn’t feel like you are running around ghost towns.

1 Like
28

I’m not able to play for the next 2 weeks(ish), but when I get back I’ll show you guys what can be done. Using the existing systems, not circumventing any mechanics and with very limited black magic™.

What this game needs to be more user friendly is more creative users… i can see a profit opportunity and i sorely hope someone else gets to it before i can. But if not, keep an eye on ultima aqua for my return :sunglasses:

29

Not if you’re required to physically visit the store to purchase from it.

But why should the game have to encourage exploration? If people want to explore, they’ll explore. If people want to build, they’ll build. The game shouldn’t force anyone to play a certain way, right?

30

Because more people will explore if it is encouraged and the game will be better for it. It’s not forced, that’s not what encourage means. The current system doesn’t require you to explore unless you absolutely have to have the best available price, else you can stick with one of the large stores which are easy to find in the capitals.

1 Like
31

Well there are obvious exceptions to that statement, otherwise we’d all just be making everything ourselves without limits (and it would essentially just be a building game).

For me personally, I wouldn’t want an auction house at all, otherwise it just becomes “who can undercut the last person that posted, so their items get sold first”.

I’m the sort of person that doesn’t shop around much to find the best price, so if I find something that I want at a price that I think is reasonable (which can vary depending on my wants and needs at that particular moment), I will go ahead and purchase it. An auction house will kill off those chance opportunities.

3 Likes
32

Yes it does because it creates a database of prices that will make prices consistant and then cause inflation.

You think things like sap and sweet beans are expensive now? Wait until players can easily find and buy up all the stock.

Have that great, out of the way store where you find great prices? Not anymore.

Databasing prices have destroyed the markets of every MMO they have touched. If you want markets a useful resource for anyone other than the top players, databasing can never happen.

Btw, why dont you guys just set up signs at you shops with menus?

You guys are trying turn an exploration and creation game into Gleam Tycoon.

1 Like
33

You are right you do not have to explore for shops. My point has been people will stick with what they know. I am going to use the stores where I am familiar with the people and can count on them for good prices and keeping items in stock. I will basically decide based on the prices of this small sample versus a larger universe. So the only people hurt are the new shops or the many I have never heard of. Will I maybe pay more? Possibly, but my time is also worth more to me than spending the entire time I have to play the game looking for one item.

If I do this, then my coin never goes to a new shop as I am not going to go out and look for a new shop. When I am going through portals or crossing planets, I am not stopping in shops to see what they have. Since I have no plans to open my own store this probably does not matter to me the same way it does for other people. I will stick with what has worked now and in the old universe.

Also a good number of shops do advertise here and on discord. Those that provide good information do get my and other peoples attention.

34

There is one difference and that is regen (well once they fix it). Nothing it is a limited resource. Everything in the game is infinite. That makes a difference versus a closed system with only so much of a resource per planet or region. You cannot corner a market when there is always more and there are no significant barriers to entry (all you need is an axe, shovel, hammer and a shop stand).

35

No auction house please!

The game focuses on exploration, the current shop system supports that.

It is very cool to be exploring a far -off corner of a world and find that someone has put a shop stand on their doorstep with some interesting offerings!

Keep the flavor, please.

at least that is my vote.

3 Likes
36

Then why didn’t Amazon cause all prices to rise? Why are they so much lower now?

1 Like
37

I’m all in for AH. Currently I don’t buy anything and I don’t sell anything. Why? Because the prices I see are either ridiculously high everywhere, or they differ so much that when I sometimes see lower end ones, I can’t tell if they are good enough, or am I just being ripped off a little less. Same with selling stuff, if I can’t tell what are worth base ingredients, how can I set correct price of the item?

Simple example, raw rubies I saw were about 950 each, compactor advanced power coils about 12k, the math just does not add up, if end price is less then sum of components (not including spark) there is simply no point t in trading at all. You may say it gives you opportunity to look for good occasions… Well, if I wanted to simulate real life… I’d just live it instead of playing games.

AH would regulate the market, and make it easy to get stuff I may be willing to buy.

2 Likes
38

You know video games are not the real world, right?

I don’t an army of 25cents/hour labor to mine gleam for me.

AHs would destroy the game.

39

And prices would go up even higher when you no longer have to compete or drive footfall.

Anything that hurts footfall is bad for the game.

40

If you’re going to make doom and gloom predictions, provide proof.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but the top 5 most played MMORPGs all have auction houses and they are the top 5 played MMO’s, so clearly, the markets weren’t “destroyed.”

edit I’ve played MMO’s where an auction house implementation has driven down costs.

If you had to physically visit the shop to purchase the item, footfall would be fine.