Is the vendor system definitely done for?

[hooden]

Having just obtained a vendor after the "purge" about a month ago, I have come to practically love vendors. I really do not see how they are being removed because peope do not use them. So, I guess I'm asking are they definitely getting removed? When I first got a vendor I thought it was great because I am not one of the people who like the idea of sitting idle while selling stuff. I played old EQ and people, including myself, had to spend hours in Gfay to look for an item or make a sale. I am absolutely in favor of something where my wares can be up more consistently, and I cannot believe that because some vendors have overpriced items that the system would be scrapped. There are other ways to get people together to buy stuff, and while still having city vendors stay put.

Not only that, but there is no problem with vendors selling stuff overpriced. A first-semester business student could tell you that a free market system doesn't mean name your price. If these people are serious about selling their items, they will price them accordingly.
And if you just think people are storing items, then just make it a rule that you cannot do that. It could easily be deterred, and spotting it isn't going to be difficult.

Honestly, I just don't see vendors as being anything but an asset, and having seen it first hand, I know they can work to the benefit of both buyers and sellers alike.

 

[Wiz]

They are an incredibly unfair system, quite simply.

 

[hassan]

they favor people rich enough to get a merchant in the first place ;(

 

[Allielyn]

and they lock out people who are rich enough now, but can't find a free one in an open spot.

 

[hooden]

I could see how they might be called unfair (at first glance) in the sense that not everyone can get one (I didn't have one when I started). But also, does a lvl 20 really need stuff on auction 24/7? I know I didn't have much at that level, and when I did get mine I was around level 50 maybe and I had a considerable amount of items in my bank. And by no means was I rich, and I would certainly not consider myself rich even now.

Nonetheless, if the goal is to get more people together to sell, I am quite sure it can be done many ways while still keeping vendors in place. As I said before, I really would dislike (I cannot be alone on this one...) the idea of a Gfay type zone again.

One other thing is how are they really incredibly unfair? I know not everyone can get them, but people can still acquire them since people quit, people might give them up and some might choose not to re hire them. Personally, I see them as a great asset, as I've mentioned, because we can offer people what they want, when they want to buy, and they can choose to buy from me or the vendor next to me. If my stuff doesn't sell, I lower prices. I strongly support the vendors in that they strengthen the free market on SOD.

 

[Garison]

I love vendors. Having to auction for stuff is difficult at times, I find. Most often I don't even know what I'm looking for or even that an item exists. I see unique items on vendors and I buy them. Hopefully the new system would also implement something like this.

 

[hooden]

and they lock out people who are rich enough now, but can't find a free one in an open spot.

Even if some people cannot get one, should the others be gone? Do they stop benefitting the server because everyone does not have one?

 

[Wiz]

and they lock out people who are rich enough now, but can't find a free one in an open spot.

Even if some people cannot get one, should the others be gone? Do they stop benefitting the server because everyone does not have one?

Yes.

Using your argument, I could randomly give 1/20th of the people on the server a super-uber 2:1 weapon. It would "benefit the server" because you'd get some more powerful tanks who would group with you and they'd get loot that they'd sell to you and etc etc etc etc etc

In reality it would benefit the 5% that got the item and screw everyone else, which is exactly what the current vendor system does.

 

[hooden]

and they lock out people who are rich enough now, but can't find a free one in an open spot.

Even if some people cannot get one, should the others be gone? Do they stop benefitting the server because everyone does not have one?

Yes.

Well, how are other people not benefitting? I've sold about 9k worth of middle of the line stuff (i.e. nothing was worth more than 5-600pp). Without the vendor, I can't really see how I would get that stuff sold because, like I said, not everyone wants to/can sit around and sell stuff.

Honestly, I would love to start seeing more explanation as opposed to simple "Yes"'s and unsupported statements.

 

[Wiz]

and they lock out people who are rich enough now, but can't find a free one in an open spot.

Even if some people cannot get one, should the others be gone? Do they stop benefitting the server because everyone does not have one?

Yes.

Well, how are other people not benefitting? I've sold about 9k worth of middle of the line stuff (i.e. nothing was worth more than 5-600pp). Without the vendor, I can't really see how I would get that stuff sold because, like I said, not everyone wants to/can sit around and sell stuff.

Honestly, I would love to start seeing more explanation as opposed to simple "Yes"'s and unsupported statements.

Please see my edited post.

 

[Haphesto]

How about letting vendors have multiple masters, say up to 5 (for space reasons). The vendor would remember who stocked which items and give the corrosponding plat to that person when they claimed. Instead of a payment system where 1k = 10 weeks, vendors would simply absorb a small % of the plat from anything sold. Vendors are a huge convenience for the buyer and seller, saving the auction channel from constant spam. I'd like to see them stay in some form.

 

[Marumm]

When I was level 24, I could find it worth my time to sit at the bank auctioning off 5pp-20pp items for a while. Now that I've gotten a few more levels, it no longer seems like a very efficient use of time. I've got bags full of 10pp-ish items because I don't want to sit in SNP for hours /auctioning off flameseer gloves and spiked ratclubs. I was hoping that the vendor revamp was going to expand on the current approach, but make it more accessible for casual players.

As far as promoting greater interaction, the marketplace solution would definately do that, but I don't think the interaction would necessarily be meaningful. Most of my face-to-face transactions consist of someone popping up a trade window in my face followed by a 'thanks!'. I'd be willing to sacrifice that for a system that promotes efficient and fair trading.

but people can still acquire them since people quit

Yeah, but you have to wait what, 10 weeks? Hell, I've been keeping an eye on Ramblo/Kambing's vendors for some time now but he's got the same stuff for sale as he did before his ah, indiscretion. The current system is bunk; everyone on the server has things to sell, but only a small fraction have access to the resources to do so effectively.

How about letting vendors have multiple masters, say up to 5 (for space reasons). The vendor would remember who stocked which items and give the corrosponding plat to that person when they claimed. Instead of a payment system where 1k = 10 weeks, vendors would simply absorb a small % of the plat from anything sold.

Right off the bat I'd say I like it. Sort of like how antique stores have several dealers under the same roof. The only downside to a pure commission is that people would have the ability to 'sit' an item at the vendor for free and just take up space. There needs to be a time-based fee to keep everything rolling; maybe it could be a weekly fee deducted from their bank account automatically.

 

[MystikRavyn1512]

I dont see how the common player really benifits from the vendors. You have to go through all the vendors to see what everyone has their prices at. Then there have been times where someone asks if someone is selling *item* and ill respond "Ive seen someone in Erudin selling it" "Which one?" "No clue" I feel vendors do nothing for me because of all the time wasted searching through every vendor for 1. the item and 2. best price. If auctioning was sent to the auction channel then atlease people could make hotkeys for items or just say "Selling mid lvl gear for casters"

I see vendors nothing more than a legal bot. You loot stuff or you tradeskill stuff, your not allowed to bot doing those things, yet your allowed to bot to sell them. If a vendor bot is legal can i have a tradeskill bot? Can i have a foraging bot?

With the auction channel if you dont like the spam then put it in a different window and minimize it or just turn auctions off. Or set up an auction channel in something like IRC.

Are the ones who are dead set on vendors people who came into the game post-Luclin? Or has these people become so dependent on the Bazaar?

 

[Arif]

Our server serves about 350 people, maybe 400. I get lots of low cost items that I will not spend the time on auctioning. However my vendor allows me to sell stuff to new players. I know this because I claim and get 100pp back and the 100pp items are still there. Vendors don't seem fair at first because they don't come up for sale often. If you lowered the amount of time they could be rented for or upped the cost of vendors you would have more turnover and could eliminate the unused ones. Also having vendors in so many cities makes it tough. I understand, vendors will be eliminated. That will certainly reduce my fun in the game and auctioning for hours at a time for 15pp an hour is not fun. You say Wiz that most sales go on in auction but I have had heavy action on my vendor with no tells or anything. To me it feels like a nerf, but of course, you are the boss.

 

[Haphesto]

I dont see how the common player really benifits from the vendors. You have to go through all the vendors to see what everyone has their prices at. Then there have been times where someone asks if someone is selling *item* and ill respond "Ive seen someone in Erudin selling it" "Which one?" "No clue" I feel vendors do nothing for me because of all the time wasted searching through every vendor for 1. the item and 2. best price.

As opposed to not even having the opportunity to see those items because the sellers are offline.

 

[hooden]

I dont see how the common player really benifits from the vendors. You have to go through all the vendors to see what everyone has their prices at. Then there have been times where someone asks if someone is selling *item* and ill respond "Ive seen someone in Erudin selling it" "Which one?" "No clue" I feel vendors do nothing for me because of all the time wasted searching through every vendor for 1. the item and 2. best price. If auctioning was sent to the auction channel then atlease people could make hotkeys for items or just say "Selling mid lvl gear for casters"

I see vendors nothing more than a legal bot. You loot stuff or you tradeskill stuff, your not allowed to bot doing those things, yet your allowed to bot to sell them. If a vendor bot is legal can i have a tradeskill bot? Can i have a foraging bot?

With the auction channel if you dont like the spam then put it in a different window and minimize it or just turn auctions off. Or set up an auction channel in something like IRC.

Are the ones who are dead set on vendors people who came into the game post-Luclin? Or has these people become so dependent on the Bazaar?

Saying people don't buy them is nothing farther from the truth. I make sales every day and I never make anyone buy from me if they don't want to. To say vendors waste time is almost mind boggling when you consider how much people sell and the time it saves them.

Here's an example:
Say I'm a lvl 55 ranger in a group in Lasanth. I could sit in that group and auction some items of various value from 10-100pp. Now if someone wants one of my items for 40pp, I'm gonna have to leave a group, get a teleport, run to them, find them and arrange a meeting ground. Now you can darn well bet that selling that item in this way is gonna take place during a cold day in hell because these low cost items just aren't worth this sort of time. Vendors are a great time saver.

 

[Wiz]

The argument that everyone benefits because you sell to everyone is simply and plainly untrue. YOU benefit, and occasionally one of the people who won't ever be able to compete with you as far as selling items goes buys something from you at a fair price. I imagine you would like the current system a whole lot less if you didn't happen to be one the priviledged few to own a vendor.

 

[Mean Gorilla]

Wow!

I'm completely blown away by the mention of nerfing vendors. I don't even own a vendor, but I've bought plenty from them. To me this feels like a step towards the stone age. Gfay worked in the old days because it had over 100 people in the zone and it ran 24/7 because the population of the servers allowed it. Now if you take our server and you attempt to force us to trade face to face, you have to consider that usually there are roughly 150-250 people online during regular hours. Also, consider different gamers play at different times. If you elminate vendors, you essentially take out late night gamers' ability to interact in the market, because if hes not on in the daytime, hes not going to see these /auctions.

One of your earlier arguments against vendors was that vendors were selling items over the price that you believed to be a fair price, but economics takes care of people who over-price their items naturally. In a free market, if its priced too high, you aren't going to buy it.

Overall, I think doing away with vendors is a very bad idea as it will severely restrict trade on the server. You are arguing that not everyone is going to have a vendor....well not everyone is going to have the best charm in the game either, but you know what?...they have a chance to get one and are not deprived that chance. By taking the vendors out, you will deprive a lot of people from exposure to items. In general, a majority of people like to browse. Sometimes they don't even know what they are going out to buy, but when its all said and done they bought something. By taking out the vendors you take away their ability to shop when they want and in essence force them to shop 5-9pmEST when the most people are online and /auctioning.

 

[hooden]

The argument that everyone benefits because you sell to everyone is simply and plainly untrue. YOU benefit, and occasionally one of the people who won't ever be able to compete with you as far as selling items goes buys something from you at a fair price. I imagine you would like the current system a whole lot less if you didn't happen to be one the priviledged few to own a vendor.

While I do enjoy the benefits of owning a vendor, I also enjoy purchasing at other vendors on my own time. I know this because yesterday I bought a spell from a vendor. I also bought something for my friend a few days ago. I also browse the vendors when I'm in town. All of that has nothing to do with the fact that I own a vendor.

 

[Wiz]

The argument that everyone benefits because you sell to everyone is simply and plainly untrue. YOU benefit, and occasionally one of the people who won't ever be able to compete with you as far as selling items goes buys something from you at a fair price. I imagine you would like the current system a whole lot less if you didn't happen to be one the priviledged few to own a vendor.

While I do enjoy the benefits of owning a vendor, I also enjoy purchasing at other vendors on my own time. I know this because yesterday I bought a spell from a vendor. I also bought something for my friend a few days ago. I also browse the vendors when I'm in town. All of that has nothing to do with the fact that I own a vendor.

and occasionally one of the people who won't ever be able to compete with you as far as selling items goes buys something from you at a fair price

Did you completely glance over this or something?

The fact that people without a vendor sometimes buy stuff from vendors does not change the fact that the vendor system is horribly unfair. Or would you be peachy with everything if I took your vendor and gave it someone else?