So, for fun, profit, and potential future Lunar magery, I made a Trader. Experiencing the shop system was enlightening. I decided that as I went along, I'd keep track of all the little things that frustrated or confused me, or that I just wanted to see. I realize that Trader shop updates are probably the last thing on any GM's mind, but I thought I'd go ahead and share just in case.
These are in rough order of importance from most to least.
Highly Desired and (possibly) Simple to Implement
- Labeling Paper. It's a common thing to write on a notecard or piece of paper to explain shop wares. Dimensions, charged items, what arcane things do. I would prefer paper because it allows more words -- however, there's nothing telling the customer to read the paper. So either paper that says "READ ME" on it or a way to apply a wax label to a piece of paper would be great.
- Ask guard about [Trader]. At the moment the guards only know shop names. It would be nice if they could also be asked about a Trader by name and would helpfully supply the shop name and offer to lead.
- Guards providing more information. It would be nice if the guards, when asked about Trader/Shop, would also include information about normal shop hours and the name of the Trader.
- Rummaging on surfaces. This would be useful. Sometimes it's just an easier/better way to get information than looking ON or using SHOP.
Highly Desired but Implementation may not be Easy
- Stacks. I'm sure it's been asked for before, but the ability to stock up on identical items (e.g. crafted items!) would be amazing. Restocking a shop with these things can be very time consuming and boring.
- Short notes attached to items. E.g., "a wide cambrinth armband for 3 platinum kronar. Note: Holds 48 mana."
- Item arrangement. Right now items on table rearrange themselves almost at will, and there's no good way to sort them. This would be nice.
- Default to hands. Right now when you sell an item it defaults to items on your surfaces already. For example, if you're trying to sell a sword and there's already a sword out, you get an error message. I doubt this one can be fixed but I mention just in case.
- Deed redemption. Redeeming a deed in one's shop (even just the backroom) would be a help.
- Ledger on correct page. Right now the sales ledger tends to be on whatever page it feels like when you open it. It would be nice if it correctly flipped to the final (most recent) page.
- DG effect on shop. So, of course it would be amazing to keep an eye on the shop from afar, but at the very least it would be nice to have, say, a one-way mirror that lets you watch from the backroom. That way you could hang out back there, do a bit of training, and still keep an eye on things. Plus customers don't always want the shop owner breathing down their neck. Or maybe at least a runner who finds you in town and lets you know someone's just arrived?
- Ledger optionally a different noun. Right now the sales ledger gets easily confused with the trading routes ledger.
- Atmo off. The shop is so full of spam atmo. NPCs shopping + guards searching around. I just want the ability to make things quiet!
- Silencing. Seems hard to do, but it would be AMAZING to be able to have full room control of the shop for hosting events there. Silence ability, peace zone (if it isn't already), and ability to kick people out are the most important.
- Changing rooms. I'd like some mechanic for swapping my shop into a different room if one is available, or even swapping with another Trader. I could especially see this being useful in the Crossing, where people might pay each other for a different spot.
- Long reservations. Right now you can only reserve an item for someone for 4 anlaen. Would be nicer if it were more like a RL week.
- Backroom tables. I just don't see a use for these. The system for placing items onto them is the same as selling items, which means that they aren't easy to use for storage. And I have never remotely seen a need to prepare a table in back with sellable items that I could swap in. I have no real suggestion, just wanted to give some feedback.
Storage Box Suggestions
- Storage box shutting. Right now the box just shuts on its own after a while. Would be nice to be able to prop it open or something.
- Tap/sort items in box. Right now there's no way to tap the items in the box, sort the items in the box, or (I think) look in containers in the box. These are all methods I find helpful for getting to the right things in vaults.
- Max limits. So far I have not figured out what the limit on items/weight is for the box. Would be nice to know. Maybe something to roll into storage books.
- Navesi
PRIMEQ
BENNETTJ13
Re: Trader Shop Suggestions
02/05/2016 09:16 AM CST
For all your informational requests, wouldn't it be easier to revamp price tags and let you write on them? So people can just look on a tag to see whatever you want?
Monster Elec
You hear the distant echo of a savage Horde snarling in barbaric disapproval of your deeds.
Monster Elec
You hear the distant echo of a savage Horde snarling in barbaric disapproval of your deeds.
CARNEY
Re: Trader Shop Suggestions
02/05/2016 09:52 AM CST
I like a lot of these suggestions. Especially the ones concerning claiming deeds in the backroom and labeling. My shop has 80-100 scrolls on the floor at a time and it does get a little confusing. I can imagine the inconvenience it must be going through each one looking for that one you need... To have the notes come up alongside the price when the shop command is used would be great.
ABSOLON
Re: Trader Shop Suggestions
02/05/2016 09:55 AM CST
<<For all your informational requests, wouldn't it be easier to revamp price tags and let you write on them? So people can just look on a tag to see whatever you want?
I don't currently have access to my trader to double check, so some of this may be incorrect since I'm going solely off of memory... but iirc price tags are meant to interact with market stall tables and don't mix well with trader shops, since trader shop pricing functionality is baked directly into trader shop mechanics. I think you may even have to remove a price tag from an item before you can sell it on a table, but I could be mis-remembering that. I suspect it would likely be easier just to expand the current trader shop pricing system to include an optional note instead of overhauling the price tag item to work with trader shops on top of expanding their functionality and keeping them functional with market stall tables.
As for your issues with the back room ledger, Navesi, my ledger always stayed on the page I last looked at even after several days without visiting my shop. That said, I never closed the ledger in my back room, so that might be why?
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I don't currently have access to my trader to double check, so some of this may be incorrect since I'm going solely off of memory... but iirc price tags are meant to interact with market stall tables and don't mix well with trader shops, since trader shop pricing functionality is baked directly into trader shop mechanics. I think you may even have to remove a price tag from an item before you can sell it on a table, but I could be mis-remembering that. I suspect it would likely be easier just to expand the current trader shop pricing system to include an optional note instead of overhauling the price tag item to work with trader shops on top of expanding their functionality and keeping them functional with market stall tables.
As for your issues with the back room ledger, Navesi, my ledger always stayed on the page I last looked at even after several days without visiting my shop. That said, I never closed the ledger in my back room, so that might be why?
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CARNEY
Re: Trader Shop Suggestions
02/05/2016 10:13 AM CST
I have the same issues with the backroom ledger. Its always on the wrong page (usually the page before the current one)and for some reason I can't open it without closing my pack so I don't continually open the ledger in there. I have tried numerous ways to differentiate between the two in the commands but just gave up and now close my pack when I enter the backroom...
ABSOLON
Re: Trader Shop Suggestions
02/05/2016 10:47 AM CST
I used READ LEDGER IN CABINET iirc.
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SQUANTO
Re: Trader Shop Suggestions
02/05/2016 12:48 PM CST
>>I have the same issues with the backroom ledger. Its always on the wrong page (usually the page before the current one)<<
Likewise. Also, great suggestions.
"Brace yourselves, Squanto is going to bleh blah fart fart bleh.." -the player of the character formerly known as Pureblade
Likewise. Also, great suggestions.
"Brace yourselves, Squanto is going to bleh blah fart fart bleh.." -the player of the character formerly known as Pureblade
PRIMEQ
Re: Trader Shop Suggestions
02/05/2016 04:09 PM CST
>>I think you may even have to remove a price tag from an item before you can sell it on a table, but I could be mis-remembering that.
I'm pretty sure you can put it out with a tag (I think I did this with a gweth once by mistake), but it counts as two items and thus takes up more room on the table. PLUS you can't actually get any information from it unless you READ TAG ON X, which let's be honest, people are not going to do.
>>That said, I never closed the ledger in my back room, so that might be why?
I never close mine either, but it's pretty often on like 5/7 or 4/5 (who knows what makes it change total page numbers too).
>>I have tried numerous ways to differentiate between the two in the commands but just gave up and now close my pack when I enter the backroom...
This is what I was doing until I finally just ditched my routes ledger. I tried using "ledger in cabinet" for a while too but changing pages was just too painful.
>>Likewise. Also, great suggestions.
Thanks. I'm shocked anyone read them. :)
- Navesi
I'm pretty sure you can put it out with a tag (I think I did this with a gweth once by mistake), but it counts as two items and thus takes up more room on the table. PLUS you can't actually get any information from it unless you READ TAG ON X, which let's be honest, people are not going to do.
>>That said, I never closed the ledger in my back room, so that might be why?
I never close mine either, but it's pretty often on like 5/7 or 4/5 (who knows what makes it change total page numbers too).
>>I have tried numerous ways to differentiate between the two in the commands but just gave up and now close my pack when I enter the backroom...
This is what I was doing until I finally just ditched my routes ledger. I tried using "ledger in cabinet" for a while too but changing pages was just too painful.
>>Likewise. Also, great suggestions.
Thanks. I'm shocked anyone read them. :)
- Navesi
ABSOLON
Re: Trader Shop Suggestions
02/05/2016 07:10 PM CST
<<I never close mine either, but it's pretty often on like 5/7 or 4/5 (who knows what makes it change total page numbers too).
Ohhh. I misunderstood. I thought you meant it changed between the income, expenses, and... sales(?) pages randomly. You meant pages within each of those listings.
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Ohhh. I misunderstood. I thought you meant it changed between the income, expenses, and... sales(?) pages randomly. You meant pages within each of those listings.
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SCHULTZS3
Re: Trader Shop Suggestions
02/09/2016 04:28 PM CST
>Item arrangement. Right now items on table rearrange themselves almost at will, and there's no good way to sort them.
It's my observation that they have an alternating LIFO pattern.
That is, if the order that they got put on is like this (1 being the first thin put on, 10 being last) when you LOOK/SHOP:
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
Then when it rearranges, it does it like
10, 8, 6, 4, 2, 1, 3, 5, 7, 9
Naniaki Felyran
"I have faith in the current crop of GMs to not screw people over"
>>Actually an opinion cannot be changed or corrected. Nice try back of line.-VERATHOR
>>But it can be wrong.-Starlear
It's my observation that they have an alternating LIFO pattern.
That is, if the order that they got put on is like this (1 being the first thin put on, 10 being last) when you LOOK/SHOP:
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
Then when it rearranges, it does it like
10, 8, 6, 4, 2, 1, 3, 5, 7, 9
Naniaki Felyran
"I have faith in the current crop of GMs to not screw people over"
>>Actually an opinion cannot be changed or corrected. Nice try back of line.-VERATHOR
>>But it can be wrong.-Starlear
