How about making it visible in Main if Players exchange items?
A system message appears to the ones trading anyways at this moment.
The message to others should however have some less precision, like:
"<PlayerA> gave <PlayerB> Weapons and some coinage in exchange for raw materials"
for someone trading a crafted longsword, a dagger, 2 hexa and a tria against 45 platinum ore and a silver ingot.
This in order to keep realism (can all see how many circles and tria he pushed into the other persons hand?)
The message could use the item_category, and eliminate doubles, so it could be done without giant changes to the database.
Advantages I would see in this:
1.) there will be visible interaction between players. no more pure tell-based sales that (imho) are pretty ooc.
Noone IRL (and especially not in the middle ages) would go into a shop and whisper in the cashiers ear what he whishes to sell or buy.
Instead people going into a shop (not a supermarket) usually say good day followed by a statement on what they seek to buy (maybe even some smalltalk).
Neither would such item exchange go unnoticed by other people in the shop or near the exchange.
So I think it would add to realism. Unless the character you play would be blind.
2.) Stealthy and sneaky exchanges of goods would have to take place in dark alleys, like sneaky things should be done.
3.) Hopefully the messages in main would encurage Players to take the general and casual trade-talk into main as well,
instead of hiding it in tells in order to not 'disturb' other players.
If IRL there are others talking near you, you step away a little to give and have more privacy as well.
4.) It also would surely add some spying capabilities into the game, as it then could indeed be seen to all around who trades with who.
This will make it possible to IC-ly spy on other peoples trade behaviours. \\o//This without the need of having to be telling or grouping with the ones spied on.
Disadvantages:
1.) Anyone could see who would trade with who, people who use quest runners would have to find a reason why they would get items for free..
(or take the trade to a dark alley).
2.) Someone could 'spam' the main-channel with trade messages. (but that's easier by sitting and standing up, or by dropping items and pick them up)
3.) some things I probably didn't thik about yet. feel free to add..
Overall I think it would rather add to RP then desturb it.
For slipping items to others unnoticed, there could/should be a '/givesecret' option that would use the numbers behind the pickpocket/sneaking skills.
I found a post suggesting a similar but not quite so obvious measure here:
http://hydlaa.com/smf/index.php?topic=21377.0
Now have a go and break the idea off..
