Selling 24/7 Merchants $$$$

[Umpapa]

OK I had this idea today.

I was thinking that instead of running your PC all day while your at work and also haveing to stand there like a big dummy while you wait for off chance that some one is going to buy a product you have for sell.

How about this option.  I think this would greatly increase the need for non combatant players within the game.   I have 2 options here.


1.)  You could have a command that you choose before you logg off of Planeshift.  This option would activate your chosen Merchant character until your next log on or say 72hrs max.   While in this MERCHANT MODE your character would be just like an NPC.   However the community and you would both benifit from this.  You could sell your wares,  Ie your items that you have made and or obtained.  You just set a price on the item and turn on merchant mode.


2.) If this is to hard to Code then perhaps the Devs or someone could code a website like the one for the current merchant.  You would joing the merchant Guild/Fourm (what ever you want to call it.)  You would be given an ID and a password.   The items you designate online in a Merchant Caravan box would appear on this webpage.  You as a merchant assign it a value and then approve all the prices. Finally you activate the character.  

Just some ideas.   I like the idea of either.  I have played games where you either had to tie up your computer all day or leave it on and take the chance of wearing down your system while you where away at work to sell stuff on your merhcants.   I think that if either of these systems would be used that it would be great.  Less wear and tear on our systems and it gives the Devs total control over all the sells systems.  

*note that you could still have the option to sell and trade in the game normally also.

[Axsyrus]

I already saw this idea somewhere... dunno exactly where though, must be in one of these posts here

anyways, I think there would be _way_ too many merchants like this, whole towns would be crowded with people selling their goods. I think people would rather be able to sell their stuff to a real NPC wich then sells it to other players..

[Umpapa]

I understand what your saying. However like the guild Blood Claw there are going to be many many people that do not want to be a middle man. From what I understand they would rather be the maker and seller.  Who knows maybe if the same person could make and sell the product, it would under cut the NPC merchants prices.   You know promote a feeling of a free enterprize economy.

If you worried about to many characters online at a time. you could do the website version. That would not cause lagg with the online players and still give you a chance to browse for that one rare bargan.

Besides I would rather buy from a fellow player.  So that we keep the money circulating.  A healthy market is a good market.

[Monketh]

I believe that hirable NPC\'s are planned.  No worries man.

[Kiva]

I\'ve heard rumors of turning yourself into a merchant when you log off (maybe we\'ll see this in CB? Ooooo!)

[Xandria]

A wonderful idea Umpapa, but I thought of it before you ... j/k

I asked the devs about this awhile ago and someone said that they would most likely include something like this in a future version of PS (probably not CB though, sorry Grono ).  From what I remember, we talked quite a bit about different ways to implement it, and what kind of limits should be placed on it.  Wait a second, maybe I have an IRC log...

EDIT: Found it!!! See below:

---- #planeshift on irc.freenode.net @ Thu Dec 25 23:01:20 2003 ----

(23:39:47) Xandria: I was just thinking, me being a merchant and all
(23:39:48) V|away: I\'m not 100% opposed to it, however.
(23:39:58) Xandria: if there would be a way that I could set myself to an \"Away\" state
(23:40:11) Xandria: where my character could automatically sell items at a pre-determined price
(23:40:12) V|away: I am sure we will support afk merchants directly.
(23:40:16) Xandria: sweet
(23:40:20) V|away: You will not have to auto-answer all that.
(23:40:20) Xandria: I love you Venge
(23:40:22) Xandria: :-D
(23:41:01) V|away: I don\'t think merchant mode will be in CB, however.
(23:41:06) JacobBrown: while (fps < 0.01) { shout(\" Dude? Lag!\");}
(23:41:07) V|away: Unless JacobBrown feels like writing it.
(23:41:23) V|away: who has that url from the Dude? guy to show JacobBrown?
(23:41:37) Axsyrus: the bot?
(23:41:40) V|away: yes
(23:41:44) Axsyrus: i\'ll find it
(23:41:52) V|away: That was hilarious.
(23:41:57) Xandria: omfg totally
(23:41:58) ***Axsyrus really needs more ram
(23:42:05) Xandria: absolutely HI-larious
(23:42:18) Axsyrus: right on dude
(23:42:19) Xandria: and apparently when I showed that link to a friend
(23:42:22) Xandria: who played SWG
(23:42:23) V|away: The merchant mode is not a one-day task, however.  There is a lot to it.
(23:42:30) Xandria: he was like \"yeah, I know Farglik\"
(23:42:35) Xandria: or his wife, or whatever
(23:42:46) Xandria: in the game, not IRL
(23:42:47) Xandria: whatever
(23:42:59) Xandria: Venge: yes I know, but hopefully by that time I\'ll be part of the team
(23:42:59) ***JacobBrown wonders if he feels like writing merchant mode.
(23:43:05) Xandria: :-D
(23:43:21) ***JacobBrown wonder what merchant mode is.
(23:43:21) V|away: JacobBrown: If you want to, just say the word.
(23:43:46) V|away: 1) GUI for merchants to decide what from their inventory is for sale, and for what price.
(23:43:48) Xandria: it\'s pretty low on the list of things I\'d like to see implemented
(23:43:59) Xandria: but as a merchant-to-be, it\'d be REALLY nice to ahve
(23:44:09) V|away: 2) GUI for players to inspect merchant sale items, see prices, and buy what they want or cancel.
(23:44:12) JacobBrown: for NPCs?
(23:44:17) Xandria: for players
(23:44:27) V|away: 3) Visual way to tell which players are IN merchant mode at any given time.
(23:44:29) JacobBrown: hmmm
(23:44:42) JacobBrown: that sounds pretty cool
(23:44:47) V|away: In EQ, you must be in a certain zone to be in merchant mode.
(23:44:55) Axsyrus: ah, found it
(23:44:57) V|away: I don\'t see why that would need to be a requirement though.
(23:44:59) Xandria: Hydlaa plaza maybe?
(23:45:04) Axsyrus: autocamp 200
(23:45:04) Axsyrus: http://stack.dnsalias.net/~eddie/archives/000923.html
(23:45:10) Axsyrus: *2000
(23:45:15) Xandria: I was always fond of the \"merchant stand\" idea
(23:45:28) Xandria: the one where there\'s an item in your inventory
(23:45:33) JacobBrown: is there an auction mode for merchant mode?
(23:45:35) Xandria: you click on it or whatever
(23:45:37) bum|snowfrolicki: venge, i dont remember that in eq
(23:45:43) Xandria: and it sets up a little stand
(23:45:47) Xandria: and you sit down at it
(23:45:52) Xandria:
(23:45:59) V|away: Axsyrus: that url didn\'t work for me
(23:46:07) JacobBrown: Xandria: that\'s a pimp idea
(23:46:13) Xandria:
(23:46:22) V|away: Yes, I like the inventory item for the \"stand\" also.
(23:46:44) Xandria: http://stack.dnsalias.net/~eddie/archives/000923.html
(23:46:46) V|away: Or perhaps a flag you could wave.
(23:46:49) Xandria: that\'s the link I have
(23:46:56) Xandria: it looks like the site is just down
(23:47:00) Axsyrus: yeah
(23:47:06) Axsyrus: to bad
(23:47:12) V|away: maybe the guy\'s machine is off
(23:47:16) Xandria: hmmm, I think stands would be a little more explanatory
(23:47:17) Xandria: than flags
(23:47:37) Xandria: maybe you could even choose like a couple items to be displayed
(23:47:52) Xandria: on top of the stand
(23:47:53) V|away: ok that took me 2 seconds:
(23:47:54) V|away: http://www.bloodfin.org/modules/wfsection/article.php?articleid=116
(23:47:55) bum|snowfrolicki: thats a cool idea
(23:48:08) V|away: JacobBrown: read that url... hilarious article about a bot
(23:48:18) Xandria: absolutely hilarious
(23:48:21) Axsyrus: I\'ve been afraid of AFK signs since i played ragnarok online
(23:48:30) V|away: Xandria: Stands aren\'t realistic to carry around in inventory.
(23:48:31) Axsyrus: people were clogging up the streets
(23:48:36) Axsyrus: it was really bad
(23:49:18) bum|snowfrolicki: lol
(23:49:23) bum|snowfrolicki: thats true venge
(23:49:26) V|away: In EQ in the Bazaar area, it gets totally clogged up also.
(23:49:30) Xandria: V|away: true, but some games let you carry several thousand pounds of ore on your back...
(23:49:34) V|away: The render lag there is almost unbearable.
(23:49:38) Axsyrus: yeah, and since this game is free
(23:49:42) bum|snowfrolicki: in bazaar area they have stands already there
(23:49:43) V|away: Xandria: I assure you, this game will not.
(23:49:48) Xandria: I know
(23:49:51) bum|snowfrolicki: and you go stand next to em
(23:50:01) Xandria: yeah, the flag idea might work then
(23:50:01) V|away: bum|snowfrolicki: did your memory come back?  
(23:50:20) Xandria: yeah, but then there\'s competition for the available stands
(23:50:24) bum|snowfrolicki: if you turn your clipping plane down the bazaar really isnt that bad
(23:50:24) V|away: You would just have the flag or something sticking in the ground next to you...
(23:50:32) Axsyrus: so how are you going to stop people from clogging up everything?
(23:50:36) Xandria: I think that\'d be a decent way to do it
(23:50:41) Xandria: and it only adds like 10 polys
(23:50:50) Xandria: stands would probably be quite a bit more
(23:50:56) bum|snowfrolicki: its not that i dont remember, i just understand what you mean by merchant mode
(23:50:59) V|away: I\'m not worried about poly count.
(23:51:17) V|away: I just want to design something Talad will approve.
(23:51:24) Axsyrus: heh
(23:51:28) V|away: And carrying around a merchant stand in your backpack will not be approved.
(23:51:35) Xandria: heh, you\'re right
(23:51:43) JacobBrown: rofl
(23:51:44) bum|snowfrolicki: have set up merchant stands
(23:51:47) Xandria: flags would be a good second option
(23:51:48) bum|snowfrolicki: that you can set your goods on
(23:51:52) bum|snowfrolicki: that would be pretty coo
(23:51:58) Axsyrus: merchants ussualy have donkeys
(23:52:00) Xandria: until player-owned buildings come into play...

[Umpapa]

Great just wanted to make sure that some one was working on this idea.

I like my other Idea also. to lessen the lag.. just have the server run you as an AFK merchant mode NPC when you choose the mode.  Then you log off your pc.. the server knows to run you as an npc.   Then when you log back on it would unlock you and you could sell like normal.    This way the merchants would not lagg the system as much.