As it is right now, it's like shouting offer and bids. As long as it's done this way, not using /auction for private conversations, it is fine and reflects the life of a public market.
Of course you can come close to the seller and whisper your offer, or decide to make it public.
Using the name of the seller in your bid can work, but it means that you shout it accross the market place.
Yliakum being a rather civilized place, everyone should be rather aware that shoutings are noisy. That's why when possible they would prefer going next to the shop to see who is around, who is bidding in a normal voice (/say) or may be whispering.
And to know the stats of an item, you have to look at it to evaluate its quality.
It seems that everyone is able do make precise evaluations independently of his knowlegde. But well, it's the way it is. But one should not believe the seller, and come to see merchandise by himself.
If this is discussed, it is that /auctions are too often turning to noise and confusion, with OOC informations mixed to ingame life.
Let's say we have two merchants selling fish. Each one selling to the best offer. since there are no separate shops, they can stand far anough from each other so what is said next to one [/say range=10meters] is not heard by the other.
Each one can "/auction "fresh fish" starting at X Tria", as a sword seller can give the name and average quality. /auction is heard by passing-by people, the interrested ones can come closer, have a look at the fish, evaluate how fresh it is then bid Y Tria. From time to time, the merchant might "/auction "really fresh fish" almost gone for Y Tria" to attract other customers.
what's IC and OOC in this?
the /auction can be kept IC by not giving stats but his personal evaluation of the item compared to the ones sold by a regular merchant like Harnquist for weapons. Fine, good, excellent, legendary...
They can use abreviations and acronysm if they are sure their customers are going to understant them.
-side note: BS can be interpreted a few other ways than Broad Sword, one using B for Bull ...-
To look at the merchandise, you have to rely on the seller. An OOC solution is for the seller to use his description. After all, there are no implemented shops, so the seller is the stall. When not selling, moving around...he should not have an opened stall.
Before stalls are implemented, you could try this system to see if it works, and suggest solutions to possible problems you discover in it. Hydlaa's plaza and Ojaveda's Akkaio dsar are market places, use them and share them.
