"TRADERS' BAZAAR" (20 Day Annual Event)
The goals of this Annual Event would be to once and for all: validate the Traders' Guild purpose in Elanthia; to promote the Trader Profession as being the primary and dominant source for merchant goods and commercial services; to reward long time Traders; to encourage lower level Traders to continue advancing their craft, and to entice other interested parties to join the guild.
A real-world CASH option has been added to make it more viable for Staff to fund and/or justify expending the resources needed to create this Event, or, to merely generate revenue for the company if that is their desire.
Part 1
10 Day Pay Festival for 'Traders Only' who have reached a minimum of 50th Circle
Traders have ten days to make purchases, and may use festival workstations to create their wares.
• Items sold at these "Traders' Bazaar" events are ONLY AVAILABLE TO TRADERS and will NOT be sold by Staff at any other festival or event. This would eliminate the current problem Traders face with the market being saturated with items that are continuously resold and/or re-released.
• Items accessibility is restricted by circle: 50-69, 70-99, 100-149, 150+
(e.g. 50-69 can ONLY buy items in the 50-69 circle bracket, 70-99 only in their bracket, etc. This would give each bracket of Trader unique items for resale. Perhaps this aspect could be handled like Thief FADE weapons, wherein a visible warning is given to the Trader if they handle an item from out of their bracket, and perhaps diminish stats over time). Special "Beneficiary" bracket of items available to all 50+ circle Traders. These items would be for resale or gifting to fledgling Traders who are not yet eligible to attend the event.
• Items sold at these Traders' Bazaar events can be purchased with in-game currency or real life cash (via cash vouchers that can be purchased during event sign-up or during the festival. $1, $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100 in-game paper vouchers).
• Alteration Training - CASH/PLATS - Traders pay (x) US Dollars/Plats to work one-on-one with Trader Guild Leaders (GMs) from across Elanthia who train and authorize them to do alterations. This would be an on-going feature at each subsequent Trader Annual Event. Training would be broken up into categories/sub-categories (e.g. Armor ((plate, brigandine, etc)), Weapon, Clothing, Jewelry, Wedding Items, etc). As Traders complete training in their category choice and pass a GM issued test, they would be 'Authorized' to do custom alterations on player items relative to that category. Staff could impose a "By Province" authorization requirement if they felt it was necessary.
• Unique Item Creation Training - CASH/PLATS - Fluff / Guild/ Armor / Weapon / Tool / Furniture / Clothing / Atmo - (Not to be confused with the items that crafting Traders make with the materials they buy at these events) Unique item creation = items that transcend the need for traditional player skills to be created. Traders pay (x) US Dollars/Plats to work one-on-one with Trader Guild Leaders (GMs) from across Elanthia who train and authorize them to create unique item/s in one or more of the available categories/sub-categories. Cost could be tiered and determined by player desirability. e.g. Pocketed items being more desirable than non-pocketed. Multi-function weapon more than single use... etc.
The creation of these unique items would be dependent upon the materials sold at these Trader Annual Events. i.e. These materials would be very limited, and once the material/s purchased is gone, the Trader can no longer make any of these unique items until they purchase more materials.
• GUILD LEADER PLATINUM AUCTION - EACH DAY - At the end of each day one of the Trader Guild Leaders will auction off 1 unique item. This item can be multiples of a material, a unique set of some sort, an individual item, or even something from their own personal stash.
• GUILD LEADER CASH AUCTION - EACH DAY - Each day following the Guild Leader Platinum auction, a 'CASH' version of it will be held. The items auctioned will be comparable to the Plat version, but only US Dollars (in the form of the aforementioned cash vouchers) will be accepted. Any unused cash vouchers may be held until the next Traders' Bazaar, or converted to a 'Gift of Adventure'.
• Trader 'Special Function Voucher' Transportation Contest - CASH ONLY ENTRY FEE - Traders submit their designs for 'special function' transportation to deliver their merchandise. Can only use creatures / functionality / mobility that already exists in-game (e.g. "A team of flying Dragon Priest Fanatics wearing oversized loot-sacks with bloodlocks", would utilize the flying broom or flying carpet mobility with enlarged bag storage feature and bloodlock functionality). Trader with winning entry has their design made and presented to them. Only 1 winner per event, and voucher can be sold/auctioned/gifted by winning Trader.
• Traders may bring their caravans to the festival grounds to store their purchases
Part 2
10 Day Pay Festival * Player Merchants
• 10 Day Pay Festival open to the public (pricing similar to regular festivals. 1, 3, 5, 7 Day & All Access tickets)
• All merchants are Player Traders
• GMs monitor the event and offer help/intervene if/when needed (perhaps GMs could act as Merchant Assistants for the first couple events)
• Traders may rent pre-built (GM created) tents, and may rent multiples of them, dependent upon circle (50-69; 1 Tent * 70-99; 2 Tents * 100-149; 3 Tents * 150+; 4 Tents)
• Traders may buy their tents (Payable in Platinum or Cash). This option would require the Trader to buy all the materials (from the on-site Tent Vendor), and hire laborers to construct it. A Short/Long description and room layout would need to be submitted and approved first. Storable in either the player's bank or caravan
• Traders may add (rent) 'alteration rooms' to their tents in which to conduct their alterations
• Player crafters may lease tents from merchants so they can sell their own merchandise (perhaps similar to how the Trader Tent Tables work?)
These are just some ideas that have been rattling around in my wee gnomish brain, and probably not well thought out either. Feel free to add, subtract, discuss, debate and/or ignore.
Safe paths and good fortunes!
~Zabadoo Goodfellow
