Auctions and Introductions

[Tolol]

Well, I just thought about this introduction issue, where players don't know each others names without introducing themselves.

Since I think, that auctions are still quite IC, I'm not sure how this should work in the future.
And as far as I could see, noone has thought about auctions in this matter.

The auctioneer should still be known by name, because if not, you maybe won't find him.

Okay ..  one could say, the auctions could appear in another way in the auction-window.

Maybe   "auction from the middle of the plaza" instead of "auction from Tolol" ... but I wonder if this could work without confusion.


Well ... just another thought on this issue but pretty serious for me, because I always liked auctions very much. (both sides - auctioning and bidding)

[aersixb9]

How about roleplaying that in this universe, you can see people's names above their head? Or am I breaking the third wall? Is it not roleplaying to play like you would if play here if the rules in the world were different? For example, if on Earth everyone's names were displayed above their heads in text, we would be able to walk up to a stranger and greet them by name.

Or is roleplaying trying to keep your current "real world" customs in the game, and bending the game world to match reality? Do you want a reality based game?

As for the auctioneer, that's just a text chat for sharing items, right? So all the characters in the virtual world of, uh, what's it called again?, PlaneShift, have ESP. Nice and simple. 

If you're going to insist on the environment of the game matching your current reality, then perhaps we should do away with the auctioneer entirely?

[Velh Krome]

As I always took it, auction-tab is there for having out of the main-tab what originally belonged to there, but separated for giving it a focus and main free of tradings hence more playing-friendly. Given that I treat it like I do treat things happening in main.

"auction from the middle of the plaza"

If my char wouldnt know the one offering he still may roughly know where the shoutings came from, thus knowing where to look. He additionally may have turned around to look whos auctioning there instantly, perhaps also assuming the guy has the item risen to show it around, offering and praising it.
Being in a dark corner on the north road and catching an auction coming from behind Harn's shack though would always be a bit tricky.

[Anumesa]

How about roleplaying that in this universe, you can see people's names above their head? Or am I breaking the third wall? Is it not roleplaying to play like you would if play here if the rules in the world were different? For example, if on Earth everyone's names were displayed above their heads in text, we would be able to walk up to a stranger and greet them by name.

Or is roleplaying trying to keep your current "real world" customs in the game, and bending the game world to match reality? Do you want a reality based game?

As for the auctioneer, that's just a text chat for sharing items, right? So all the characters in the virtual world of, uh, what's it called again?, PlaneShift, have ESP. Nice and simple. 

If you're going to insist on the environment of the game matching your current reality, then perhaps we should do away with the auctioneer entirely?

Are you serious? Im going to take that entire comment as a joke. 




Anyways......Ive always thought of the auctions and names thing being like an auction with a paddle you hold up. When it says "Auction from Tolol" then Tolol is waving his auction paddle with his name on it, and its easy to identify who made the bid.

[Tolol]

Yay ...

it seems nobody really gives a damn about it. (except of Sen, maybe ...)

Tolol, I had to think on you the last days hearing many - let's say very simple - auctions. Come back and teach those how to make them worth sitting down and listening to them 

I'm sure, the "classic" Auctions, like I did, will die when the introduction-thing comes.
You will not know the seller and the seller will not know the bidders ... if there are unintroduced people around.

(and I'm not talking about these "selling 30 gold-ore" auctions ... )

[Velh Krome]

Well, interesting auctions is another thing. I used to shoot a shortie offering things in a more picturous way, mostly when Auction decayed to a boring list of "Selling 5 goldores 400 each"-shouts. Also I tried spicing the Tab with auctioning items that arent available ingame, but seemed like people didnt care anyway.
However, Tolol maybe you remember when Velh bought from you auctioned glyphs once, still not knowing you. They found each other (one just has to recognize it when a guy 10m away shouts to offer his wares), closed the deal, even introduced and had an easy talk. Whats wrong with it?

You will not know the seller and the seller will not know the bidders

Why would one have to at all? Not every char is interested to know who is buying his stuff, or who was the former owner of his new dirk.
And there surely will be a way to recognize who offers or bids, otherwise trading would be impossible.

[Tolol]

However, Tolol maybe you remember when Velh bought from you auctioned glyphs once, still not knowing you. They found each other (one just has to recognize it when a guy 10m away shouts to offer his wares), closed the deal, even introduced and had an easy talk. Whats wrong with it?

Yay, because I found you with the sign "Velh Krome" above your head ...

but okay, maybe you're right and I see a problem where there is none.

I was just wondering, what would happen if I auction some interesting things at harns and just don't know who has set a bid because there is no name shown ... this could maybe be a problem if some "jokers" bid with staying "anonymous" ...

[Sen]

Yay ...

it seems nobody really gives a damn about it. (except of Sen, maybe ...)

Tolol, I had to think on you the last days hearing many - let's say very simple - auctions. Come back and teach those how to make them worth sitting down and listening to them 

I do, but I didn't understand a single word of aersixb9's post to be honest and thus better shut up. 

The offerings and bids could technically work without knowing each other, nevertheless I would prefer it if those, who place bids, are somewhere around the auctioneer...
But I don't know how the trading without labels would work. In worst case the auctioneer stands in a group of 20 people, so I have to /introduce to maybe 20 people and ask then "Are you the auctioneer?" ? [ Im thankful for any hint to understand how the no lable thing should work at all ]

A workaround would be that the auctioneer stands at some remarkable place, so I can guess who it actually is. But that wouldn't be a satisfactory solution in my opinion.
I guess now I somehow picked up Velh's thought...

Sen

[bilbous]

well the auctioneer could always have a book in front of him with his name as its title and his pricelist as its content....

[Phinehas]

well the auctioneer could always have a book in front of him with his name as its title and his pricelist as its content....

That's your answer for everything, isn't it?

[Tolol]

well, I'm still quite unsure if my problem with this is understood.

Let's make an example ....

I have to auction a really rare item that really anyone wants to have ....

<me>Hear hear, people of Hydlaa ... the steel-merchant is back in town and once again I have something very very special to sell
<me>one of my friends who is a mage, found a way to make my steel stainless with his magic and I'm proud to tell you:
<me>I have 15 stocks of finest stainless-steel for sale.
<me>place your bids please
<bidder1>Heya ... I bid 30.000 Tria for the whole 15 pieces
<bidder2>31.000
<bidder3>35.000
<me>Hear hear ... 35.000 Tria for 15 stock of stainless steel ... do I hear more
<bidder1>36.000 my last
<me>I hear 36k ...

.............

<bidder3>55.000 my last word
<me> see here we are ... 55.000 Tria   ... the first ...
<me> second
<me>aaaaaaaand  .... SOLD at 55k
<me>meet me behind the smith table at Harnquist

-  and now the "waiting" starts .....  -

5 minutes later ... waiting at the smith table with no response ...

<me shouts> The one who bougt my 15 stainless-steel-stock at 55k please meet me at the smith-table

10 minutes later with no response ...

<me>*grumbles*
<me>[Auctioning without knowing the bidders names sucks ... ]

does now anyone have a clue of what I mean ?     It WILL bring problems with unintroduced people and auctions !

Thanks for your time and patience ...

[Sen]

Hmmm, yes, even with standing at a remarkable place and book so a customer can find you (what I also would only see as workaround for a problem we don't have yet...) the initiative must come from the customer.
I better don't imagine what will happen to auctions if one espacially funny person anonymously bids higher in each auction without a will to buy it 
Im not sure what the solution can be, but I already said my opinion about invisible labels in other threads... 

Sen

[bilbous]

well I don't see how that is any more of a problem than the buyer who bids up the price and then refuses to pony up the cash in the trade window, instead tries to get you to accept less. You could always insist that bidders must be in front of you i.e. only accept bids in chat bubbles that you can see.

*Aside to P* My answer to indelicate lemurs is to sit down abruptly when they are standing behind me, squishing them most thoroughly.

[Erisnas]

Perhaps it would be easiest to have a tag appear over their head while auctioning?  Even if it is something like <Auctioneer> in red letters (as the color in the auction channel).  That would greatly help most.  While a place like harnquist's may still have some issues, you would have trouble hearing over the crown anyway so it makes sense.  From then on you would just have to pick out exactly which auctioneer was speaking.  While I know most don't want the tag shown, so if it is possible for it to only show while you have the auction channel open that could be a compromise for them.

[Miaua]

I'm still directly against introducing system... Or at least the kind where you wont know at all who talks. [Random char1, Random char2 and so....]
I wonder whats still so bad on names you don't know in brackets. Its ooc info for players. Every player with at least a little intelligence will understand that.
And to this topic... This can be nicely avoided by another system of introducing.
The auctioneer is able to recognize bidders. Voice, even glance at the bidder can be count as recognized character. [*Auctioneer points to <name> "Klyros in corner bids 12k, who gives more?" Instead of "Random Klyros, same as all other Klyross bids 12k"]
Sure, we have descriptions... But you really dont want auctioneer, who types and checks plenty of other things to check all characters who bids descriptions, right?

Introducing system is nice idea, but player should stay informed about other characters.

Just my opinion, dont slap me too much...