Curse

Yawgmoth · May 01, 2007, 09:59 AM // 09:59

___

Whole books can be written about why serious trade system improvements are needed, but it's not the place to do so, so better read all please::

## Not an Auction House ##

Let's be realistic. We won't get an AH in GW but it's not that much needed as there can be other possibilities.
My idea is to create a simple system, which should actually be doable without the need of creating a whole new server structure, without the need of server processing power and usage of bandwidth, and without the need of programming complicated search engines, yet nearly as effective as a full-blown auction house.

## A Party Search Extension ##

We all know that using the current 31-character space for advertising items for sale is horrible. But how about using those 31 letters there to advertise you, your mini shop, and making people want to see what you sell? No search engine needed, just type your best
"WTS Perf Golds, Minipets, L0ok!"
"S> Shards,Ectos,Greens <<<"
"@@@ Mods MEGASTORE @@@"
"Every item 2k each CHEAP"

So we are using an existing interface but adding 1 new button [View Items], which works only for posts in Trade section, and it opens a window displaying all items the seller is offering, with prices and [Buy selected item] and [Close] buttons.

## Passive selling ##

Players will have an option of setting up a sale of a maximum certain amount of items (even 7 would be enough, but more is better

The sale will be BuyOut only to make it fast and simple, seller sets up the shop and the gold after sale goes straight to his storage (if not enough room for gold, the transaction simply cannot be completed and the item won't be displayed anymore)

Now there are several factors that should be considered and a couple variations on each, as there's not a simple one best sollution.

1. Where the items on sale should physically be?

-- In your inventory (you choose a bag) a window pops up where you set up the prices and click OK to set up trade announcement and start. This is probably easiest to implement, but limits player to sit (probably AFK) and not change districts, or you'll have to set up again.

-- A new tab in Xunlai storage, used for selling, where you set up prices and click GO, then set up your trade announcement. Ofcourse seems much more comfortable to sell this way. But there come some variations and issues:

2. Where can you be when selling, if the items are in a special selling Xunlai tab?

-- You have to stay in a district, to make your PartySeach post remain - easiest to do because it works this way now. And good enough.

-- Optional, harder to do, requires engine improvements - You can leave town and play the game while your stuff sells, as long as you stay on this character. Everyone would love that but it may be asking for too much.

-- Even more - sell your stuff while offline - your message-link stays for a certain amount of time after you log out.

(the latter 2 options require some sort of disconnection between the character and the Party Search message board engine, they may be not possible at all)

## Accessibility - Let's go Shopping! ##

We know that most people don't even look at the current Party Search panel, so it should be made more accessible and comfortable for everyone to use it. Just as the PartySearch it will work through all the districts of the particualr town you set up your trade in.

One but not the only way of accesing the system would be through the well known Party Search panel, where if you announce a "Trade" it becomes a link to your items in the special selling storage tab // or it opens another window where you set up some items from your inventory for sale.

People got used to using various NPCs for different tasks, so my idea is to add an NPC in every big town, near storage, with a nifty name tag like [Xunlai Trade Center]! This just can't get missed and zillions of players would get extatic about seeing him

And all he would do is opening a "Trade Search" panel (just the Trade section of PartySearch) and offering the interface to set up your sale.

If that's not enough, an onscreen button (movable, possible to disable) could appear when you visit the major towns (ones with that npc and the feature turned on). It would open the same interface as the NPC would, but variety of access options is required for the feature to get instantly popular among buyers and sellers.

## Technical stuff ##

Proposed solution does require minimal amounts of new data to be stored on server per account. In the 'light' version, with no new Xunlai selling Tab, NO additional data needs to be stored when not in selling mode. Only several of bytes of additional data (chosen bag, set prices) need to be processed while in the selling mode.
NO new database structures need to be created, no search engine.
The bandwidth usage should remain at the same very low levels as currently - new item data will be sent only after someone choosing an announcement and clicking [View Items] and it's just a few items, close to what would happen if a player entered a manual trade and showed 7 items.
If the repeated viewing of multiple 'shops' by many players proves to cause problematic bandwidth or server processing time overuse, there may be a need of setting up a time delay between two possible shop views.

I do not know the limitations of the current Party Search engine of how many entries can it display, but i expect it to be a very high number, or else players would be able to crash it even now on live servers.

Another possible issue might be the need of the viewing player to be in the same district as seller, but then, clicking [View Items] should display a warning "Are you sure want to move to district X?" and if yes, move the buyer to sellers district (just as it happens today, but without the need to join sellers party)

## Bonus: Item Links ##

And now for something completely different.

This brilliant feature exists in WoW, and one of latest GW updates introduced clickable Build Links that can be posted in chat, so there might be a possibility of doing the same for any item.

*Make them not work in Local chat but in Trade chat == using Trade chat automatically becomes very appealing for all sellers - every seller wants the ability to show the items they sell in a best way, so they will move to the trade channel for selling most of their wares, which should cut down the Local chat WTS spam to a minimum.

## Need your comments and /Signed votes ##

If you have a reasonable idea of improving it even further while still keeping it realistic, post it here!
Only constructive criticism please after reading whole post, and no offtopic.
Your /Signed posts help bump this thread and increase the chance that Anet developers will see it!

Alex the Great · May 01, 2007, 10:14 AM // 10:14

I like it

/signed

i got to many greens and golds i'd never sell anyways

Dronte · May 01, 2007, 10:23 AM // 10:23

That would be extremely wonderful ^^
/signed 100000 times

MithranArkanere · May 01, 2007, 10:58 AM // 10:58

A:Setting personal shops=afk selling=much less spam.
B:Making the personal shops' names appear in party search=selling across districts=much more possibilities for your stuff to be sold
A+B=Much more people using the party search feature.

Exterminate all · May 01, 2007, 11:20 AM // 11:20

Yes, I really like this idea. I would sell alot of things in the "Store of mine"..

/Signed.

eremos · May 01, 2007, 11:49 AM // 11:49

/signed in principle

I think having stores might be a little complex, (from a buying as well as selling perspective) but if you could simply have an extra tab in party search where you get to list your items, it would also cut down on spam.

It might be tricky to make the trade directly from there, especially when you start selling things for "100k + ectos", so it could perhaps just put the buyer and seller in contact. But that would again remove AFK selling and might motivate people to continue spamming.

Should it automatically remove the listing when someone expresses an interest and give you the option to easily relist?

I really like the concept of having a clickable link to "see" the item in question.

SniperF0x · May 01, 2007, 12:49 PM // 12:49

Shops are so mutch better than spamming all day imo.

/Signed!

Lydz · May 01, 2007, 01:28 PM // 13:28

/signed

An excellent idea! It will kill a few virtual birds with one virtual stone! Me likey :P

OhCrapLions · May 01, 2007, 02:34 PM // 14:34

/signed

this kinda remind me of the trade system that there using in the current Pokemon game lol

SuperDave · May 01, 2007, 03:02 PM // 15:02

I like it,,, awesome idea ^^

/signed

mazey vorstagg · May 01, 2007, 04:37 PM // 16:37

/signed

How will A-net say no to this idea?

Please say yes!

Aggravaar · May 01, 2007, 04:48 PM // 16:48

/signed

Because standing there for hours and spamming the trade channel is not fun.

shrouded^god · May 01, 2007, 05:09 PM // 17:09

/signed

But once again...it wont happen. We've been wanting a way to sell our items other than spamming...and the closest weve gotten is Guru

jamesrt2004 · May 01, 2007, 05:24 PM // 17:24

/signed

agree with most people will make less spam

thunderai · May 01, 2007, 05:36 PM // 17:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by shrouded^god

/signed

But once again...it wont happen. We've been wanting a way to sell our items other than spamming...and the closest weve gotten is Guru

I have been slowly working on something in my slow times XMES, it should be a comprehensive online merchant center that will cover all of the bases.

There isn't much there right now, but I think it looks good. There is not a database behind the system you can view here, but on the test server you can log in, post items and use the system pretty much like ebay.

The Guild Wars Database is pretty complex, and duplicating it is not a small task, Each sword, bow, etc has to be copied into the merchant system so that when you make an item, you select different "parts" and put them together. This eliminates complex descriptions and makes everything look like it came directly from the guild wars interface.

From what I've read above, my system should be desirable (assuming i ever finish it). You will be able to list your item as long as you wish, update its cost, etc as many times as you want. And, you can even select to unload the item and the XMES system will put you into contact with a consignment officer who will purchase the item off your hands.

It will work for you however you want to use it.

system uses:

Known Guildwars layout and styles (locally hosted, no bandwith stealing)
PHP
MySQL

Sk8tborderx · May 01, 2007, 05:40 PM // 17:40

/signed

With ANET wanting everyone to make money by selling to other people, we really need something like this.

Strange Guy · May 01, 2007, 06:02 PM // 18:02

Boo, this is just another version of selliing system in Conquer Online 2.0!

1st, you need to make a copy right for Conquer online 2.0 since this is just another copy of it

2nd, No I have played conquer and I see this is an extremely dump idea for serveral probs:

- Make more and more and MORE people go afk. the system soon enough (maybe 3 months?) will be shut down with full of afker! (Well if you say who care then...uhmm why guildwars have to make a message you have played 3 hours, please take a break?)

- This is just another form of guru selling! Buyer try to find a seller instead of seller try to find a buyer!

- Not efficient since price is set while afk, noone gonna sell the item below the price that most people sell at! 1/10000 buyers accross may buy!

Auction idea is much better! It will not make people stay for days and nights! It will sorts out the kind of items! Make prices much more stable and more important, it provide a wonderful area for BOTH seller and buyer.

/notsign!

gameshoes3003 · May 01, 2007, 10:39 PM // 22:39

The Passive Selling thing has been suggested many times with different titles.
So far, I believe all of them got a majority of no.
Then also, why can't you use the Auction Feature here at Guru?

Yawgmoth · May 01, 2007, 11:49 PM // 23:49

@ Strange Guy:
I have completely no idea what conquer online 2.0 is.
And you have completely no idea what my post is about.
Of course Auction House would be better but we are talking about *realistic* possibilities. If you read my post you should know why AH won't ever be included in GW1.
Got a better *realistic* suggestion than mine? I can't wait to hear it.

@ gameshoes3003:
Every good enhanced trading system in a mmo, including auction houses ARE Passive Selling. This is just the way to go.
Why can't I use guru auctions? They're horribly slow and laggy, selling anything there takes a shtload of time. And we're talking about an ingame system which is fast and accessible to anyone, not under 5% of players population.

HawkofStorms · May 02, 2007, 12:10 AM // 00:10

While I usually get tired of seeing all the "hey guys, why don't they put a auciton house" threads on here that end with "use search noob"...
This is actually a fairly well thought out post. Still probablly going to get closed though unfortunately.

/signed