An empty tent, in the bazaar, with an IC Board in it.

[jmordetsky]

I see merchants all the time, clanned and indy hanging out in taverns doing business.

Now, I don't have a problem with this. I love PC PC trade. But...

What I would like to see is a centalized place in the bazaar for it. Just a tent, with an IC board that people could hangout in if they wanted to buy or sell materials or goods.

Ideally, it would be great if instead of going to salaar to sell the new shiny mace I just crafted, I could go to the open trading floor at the bazaar and hang out during the day.  At the same time, before going into Salarr to buy a shiny new mace, I could stop into the trading floor to see if anyone was selling one.

The message board would allow people to place IC posts like "A fat dwarf was here selling shiny maces, word around the floor was that he usually around in the early hours of nekrete."


Last but not least, the tent should be big enough to house mounts.

Why?

Well, because I remember back in the day I played a wandering obsidian merchant. I would mine, mine, mine, then I would stock up my Kank and me and my buddy would roll up the Tuluk and sell the rocks at a higher price then we would get in nak where they were more common.

The problem was, our goods were so heavy, we had to set up shop with our kank outside the tavern there and hawk goods. Letting the tent house kanks would let nomads and such trade in heavy goods.


What do you think?

[Marauder Moe]

Why do you need a tent?  Just go to the bazaar, pick a spot, and shout that you're selling something.

[Xygax]

Yeah!  This could be just like the bank in UO!  And people could write scripts for their MUD clients to shout "WTS GM-crafted wooden spear, psi offers.  Also, check out clan website at www.merchants-of-allanak.org!"</sarcasm>

In all seriousness, I don't think a central selling place like this would suit the tone of the game.  If you want to sell in the bazaar, then go there and do that.  Plenty of hawkers spend their days in the bazaar.  But I don't think a communal selling-area like this would work out all that well, ICly.  Taverns come close enough to serving that purpose, I think, for our purposes.

-- X

[Ktavialt]

Yeah!  This could be just like the bank in UO!  And people could write scripts for their MUD clients to shout "WTS GM-crafted wooden spear, psi offers.  Also, check out clan website at www.merchants-of-allanak.org!"

I'm not one that bites the hand that feeds me (ie. thanks for all your work
on the game) but that seemed like a low blow. That sounded like a pretty
generic idea, not ripped off of some other game, whether or not it suits
Allanak. Not like all the merchant houses couldn't have an agent there
looking to knock off anyone that harms their own business.

- Ktavialt

[Xygax]

Oh, I'm not saying it's a rip-off...  I'm just saying I could see the idea sliding in that direction (probably not to that extreme of course, but that's sarcasm for ya).

-- X

[Many Faces]

I'm in support of the tent, but not so much the board.

[jmordetsky]

Yeah!  This could be just like the bank in UO!  And people could write scripts for their MUD clients to shout "WTS GM-crafted wooden spear, psi offers.  Also, check out clan website at www.merchants-of-allanak.org!"</sarcasm>

In all seriousness, I don't think a central selling place like this would suit the tone of the game.  If you want to sell in the bazaar, then go there and do that.  Plenty of hawkers spend their days in the bazaar.  But I don't think a communal selling-area like this would work out all that well, ICly.  Taverns come close enough to serving that purpose, I think, for our purposes.

-- X

Oh, I'm not saying it's a rip-off...  I'm just saying I could see the idea sliding in that direction (probably not to that extreme of course, but that's sarcasm for ya).

-- X

Okay Sarcasm aside, I see your point, but it's Arm and I doubt we will be seeing World Wide Auction shouts anytime soon.

The reason just going to the Bazaar sucks, is that it's like, well, 50 rooms?

So what you are really saying is I should completely limit the chances I have of finding another PC by hanging out in a 50 room span instead of one or two?

<sarcasm> But yea! Thats great, we can all just wander each room of the Bazaar asking random NPCs and PCs we happen to cross paths with if they have the goods we're interested in.

Or maybe I could just macro e;e;shout I'm Selling Gurth Shells!!!" from one side bazaar to the other?

While we're at it, lets make the Bards Barrel as big as the Bazaar and see if more people interact there! Wooo!
</sarcasm>


Because, that would last for like what, 30 seconds? Pretty much the way it does now, and then PCs will post a message on the IC board in the tavern about how they selling bandages or grass or whatever and everyone will meet up there.

As to not having a board on the tent in question, we all know if it doesn't have a board, the posts will go on the tavern board. The idea here is that if you were interested in PC to PC trade, going to the "tent" would become a forced habbit if you wanted to know who was selling what when and where.

[Intrepid]

I'd just stand outside Nenyuk's if I was trying to sell something.

Or go to the Barrel and ask people there.  It's worked like a charm everytime so
far.

[Xygax]

Yeah, standing outside Nenyuk is a great idea, or pick an apartment complex to haunt, or as Intrepid also suggests (and I mentioned above), use one of the taverns.  They're much smaller than 50 rooms.

-- X

[Marauder Moe]

I wouldn't have a problem with OOCly designating one particular section of the bazaar (either just outside the bank or just beyond the entrance) as the "PC market".  It shouldn't be coded with a tent or a board or anything, though.  ICly its the same as the rest of the bazaar.

[jmordetsky]

Taverns don't feel gritty enough to me for large amounts of trade. Plus I don't the owners would love if elves clattering with shells and skins came in just to hawk goods.

I'm thinking of something along the lines of the "Cluttered Salarri Selling Floor" in the north. It would be great to have a room like this open for PC trade.

I mean, it's just a tent until PCs agree that it's a place to do business so I would imagine just picking a room in the bazaar would suit. It's more about the consenus to trade in a spot then it is the coded room.

But the tavern works. *shrug* whatever.

Outside the bank is a really good idea.  Maybe even one of the corners.

[mansa]

I used to stand by the entrances to the bazaars.

[jmordetsky]

I used to stand by the entrances to the bazaars.

Thats sort of my point, you're standing at the entrance, Marauder Moe is near Nenyuk, I'm in the secluded corner (cuz I stink!), if it's not a specific coded place it will always be all over the place and as a result it will generally be the taverns.

Maybe it's better as the taverns as it keeps everyone together.

[Xygax]

Why should the PC population have a place segregated from the NPC population?

-- X

[Intrepid]

Thats sort of my point, you're standing at the entrance, Marauder Moe is near Nenyuk, I'm in the secluded corner (cuz I stink!), if it's not a specific coded place it will always be all over the place and as a result it will generally be the taverns.

Maybe it's better as the taverns as it keeps everyone together.

Also: Never underestimate the power of a bored imm.  Although this has rarely
happened to me, they have done things comparable (but not identical) to bringing in
npcs to haggle for interaction's sake.

[Marauder Moe]

Why should the PC population have a place segregated from the NPC population?

-- X

Playability reasons?

We already do it anyway.  Does Amber company of the Borsail Wyverns have NPC members?  Does Obsidian Fist of the Byn?  Do NPCs ever sit at the coded bars and tables in any of the taverns?  Do NPCs live in any of the automated apartments?

I think designating one room of the bazaar as the PC-trading room is only a minor OOC nudge but would be a great help for PC to PC economy (and get a lot of the trading out of taverns where really it doesn't belong).

[The7DeadlyVenomz]

I like the spirit of the OP's post. I encourage more PC to PC sales. However, I, personally, do see the Taverns as a perfect place to do trade. I think it works out well that the Tavern is the place to drink and trade and such. It makes them valuable.

[Xygax]

I disagree with the assertion that trade doesn't belong in taverns.  I also think that, while playability is a goal worth aspiring to, this change would yield a great enough degradation in play -quality- and atmosphere as to be not worth the sacrifice.

-- X

[RunningMountain]

Why should the PC population have a place segregated from the NPC population?

-- X

Don't we already do this with taverns and specific IC rumor boards in the taverns? I don't see anything wrong with the idea. It's the same concept as having rumor boards in the taverns, just in the bazaar and in a specific place where PCs can post and not clutter the rumor boards in the cities with lumber for sale, or obsidian being mined for 50 'sid a piece for PCs, etc.

[jmordetsky]

I disagree with the assertion that trade doesn't belong in taverns.  I also think that, while playability is a goal worth aspiring to, this change would yield a great enough degradation in play -quality- and atmosphere as to be not worth the sacrifice.

-- X

I thought about this, and I think there is merrit to keep trade in the taverns.

I don't feel that this is realistic, (in fact I feel that is utterly unrealistic, especiall when people are selling birds and snakes and food and dung...) but, the original post was for the sake of playability in the spirit of creating more interaction between PCs.

And for the sake of playabilty, it's probably better to leave it in the taverns. Reason being, why have 1/2 the PCs in the tavern and the other half at the trading floor? It would just seperate us more. We're already divided over the Gaj and the Barrel and Traders to the point where we see bored nobles coming to the Barrel, which is generally unrealistic. I would however, never fault them for this as I have been a bored member of the nobility sitting Traders being, well, bored.

That being said, the first time I see a PC merchant getting harassed for hawking goods in the barrel, I'm OOCing Gax's quote.

:twisted:

[Xygax]

Hawking is different than quietly trading in a tavern.

Also, selling birds and dung is not appropriate for taverns, either.

Simply because some people don't know what behavior is appropriate for various areas doesn't mean that all behavior that seems even vaguely like what those people are doing is wrong.

-- X

[jmordetsky]

Also, selling birds and dung is not appropriate for taverns, either.

-- X

Thus the need for a bazaar, taking us back to a discussion of playability, which was the point of the original post.

[The7DeadlyVenomz]

Go about it in game.

That would be my suggestion.

It wouldn't be that hard, I wouldn't think, and plenty work to occupy an entire character concept.

[John]

I'm in support of the tent, but not so much the board.

Then you're in luck. Kurac sells tents in all of the major towns and cities, so save up enough 'sid and go buy one.

I am dead serious with that suggestion. I got the char idea a couple of days ago to do this very thing myself. I've tried it in the past. It's hard. It's damn hard. But I think it's worth the effort as well. I want to stay entirely IC. So I will. I'll spend the long haul getting a reputation for what goods I sell and where I sell them. I'll tell people where I've set up shop.

As to not having a board on the tent in question, we all know if it doesn't have a board, the posts will go on the tavern board. The idea here is that if you were interested in PC to PC trade, going to the "tent" would become a forced habbit if you wanted to know who was selling what when and where.

Do an experiment. A PC trader that doesn't post on the tavern board. If you try with me, I'm sure PCs will eventually get in the habit of heading to bazaars at different times, looking for PC traders.

Thats sort of my point, you're standing at the entrance, Marauder Moe is near Nenyuk, I'm in the secluded corner (cuz I stink!), if it's not a specific coded place it will always be all over the place and as a result it will generally be the taverns.

I think this is just something you have to train PCs to do. I think having one specific area in the bazaar isn't the best option. I think a better option IS to do it all over the place. And absolutely refuse to sell in taverns "I'm on my break. Piss off. I've had a hard day. I open up in the morning at the bazaar around X if you want to buy from me." There are ways to let the PCs know you're selling in the bazaar. Will your 0 day newbie merchant be able to be really successful? Hell no. But then, he shouldn't be either.

[Xygax]

Unfortunately, the code doesn't allow you to build a "camping tent" in the city.

-- X

[John]

Unfortunately, the code doesn't allow you to build a "camping tent" in the city.

-- X

Any chance of this getting changed then? After all, a ton of people do it. And there's enough PCs that if you put it up in an unrealistic spot, they'll come and say something.

[The7DeadlyVenomz]

Maybe you should change that, or else, create a new item-type called selling tent, just for selling stuff? You could assume that such a tent is more guady and perhaps comes with display shelves or some other such. It could cost just a little more than common tents, and could be bought from a tent size to a pavilion size, something so heavy you'd require a HG to carry it. Perhaps tents should save when they are droipped, so that crashs will not oblitorate them.

[jmordetsky]

I could have sworn I saw a tent set up in the rinth once. It was during an RPT.

[Angela Christine]

I'd go with a rug, not a tent.  The problem with a tent, especially a tent that is there all the time, is that PCs have to walk right up to the tent and "look in tent" to see if there is anyone there.  PCs in the tent shouting something like "Travel cakes!  Getcher travel cakes here!" will only be heard by people standing directly outside the tent.  In the open you can be seen by people up to three rooms away, and heard by people one room away.

Buy yourself a cheap rug, drop it in the market near a well-traveled area, and then IMEDIATELY sit on it, or else a sticky fingered NPC might pick it up.  Most rugs can seat several people, so if someone comes along and wants to sit and discuss things with you they can.  If you are feeling particularly brave you can even put a few sample items on the rug with you, so people can look at the rug to see what you are selling, and "get <item> rug" to pick up and examine items.  I -think- the rug would keep you safe from the NPCs that pick up random items left laying on the ground.  PCs could still grab stuff off your rug and run away, but they can do that anyway when they ask to look at an item.


I once had a stonecrafter sitting on a virtual rug outside the Gaj (this was before the rug seller NPC in Allanak) carving and selling stone goods.  I figured working stone would be too noisy for a tavern, even the Gaj.  Drop desced around me were a pile of stones and a few stone items, including a stone lantern that I was using because it was night time.  Sure enough, one elf did walk by, pick up the lantern and run away . . . but just one.  I did get plenty of interaction and several paying customers.  

I probably got more "walk by" customers being outside the Gaj on Caravan Road than I would have gotten in the Bazaar.  But if you were near the bank or the most popular entrance you'd probably get some traffic, especially once people got used to PCs being there.  



Angela Christine

[Cegar]

I kinda like the idea. It can be extremely annoying not to find any traders because the PC's are scattered all over the damn place. Perhaps the templarate decided to tax all independent merchants in the bazaar and keep them in one area so that they can collect that tax (entrance fee) or something. Regardless, I think that something like this would have a more positive impact than negative. The bazaars all feel somewhat dead in a PC way... like I'm dealing with NPCs.

[Anonymous]

However, this does bring up a question...

How come the market can't be more compact?  Why not have 8 rooms with a stall, a stand, a tent, and a guy on a rug  in each instead of having 49 rooms in a rough block with an occasional wandering hawker?  Shouldn't it be crowded rather than sprawling? noisy rather than an occasional shout?

[Cale_Knight]

Shouldn't it be crowded rather than sprawling? noisy rather than an occasional shout?

Funny.

To me, the 'nakki bazaar is the most successful area in the game when it comes to generating the intended feel and atmosphere. I really do feel like it's a bustling, crowded place.

I love the bazaar.

[The7DeadlyVenomz]

I love the bazaar.

I concur. Nothing is wrong with the baazar. This is a market area for a city of 500, 000 people. That's a lot of people for a 8 room market.

[Anonymous]

I guess so.  I just wish more people used it.  I can't count the number of times I've gone through and it's been completely empty of PC life.

[The7DeadlyVenomz]

Be the change you want.

I do agree, to an extent. I supremely wish that more thought had been put into the construction of Allanak in the beginning. The Gaj is a great place, but I find it terribly odd that it is so far away from Byn Headquarters, considering that it is primarrily a Byn Tavern. The Trader's Inn is a noble's hangout, and yet it truely should be planted dead in the middle of the Baazar, not around some confusing circle. The Barrel is fine where it is, actually. It fits right in there.

That said, be the change you want to see. There is no reason a Tavern can't spring up in the Baazar. There's already permenant buildings there. Making that tavern more traderish than the Trader's Inn would highly encourage more PC trafffic in the Baazar.

[grog]

I do agree, to an extent. I supremely wish that more thought had been put into the construction of Allanak in the beginning. The Gaj is a great place, but I find it terribly odd that it is so far away from Byn Headquarters, considering that it is primarrily a Byn Tavern. The Trader's Inn is a noble's hangout, and yet it truely should be planted dead in the middle of the Baazar, not around some confusing circle. The Barrel is fine where it is, actually. It fits right in there.
.

Thus making it exactly like a real city.  Sometimes you get places that just don't make sense.  Esp. when building permits are at the whim of powerful Highlord and his servants.  

Allanak would likely have more taverns, but I'd like to see our playerbase grow before we do something like that.

[The7DeadlyVenomz]

I agree again with reality, but once again I only speak for playability's sake. It's not bad now, just somewhat dispersed.

[Anonymous]

I agree again with reality, but once again I only speak for playability's sake. It's not bad now, just somewhat dispersed.

[Aldiel]

Why do you need a tent?  Just go to the bazaar, pick a spot, and shout that you're selling something.

I'd like to see this more, actually.  I see people selling at taverns, but I've never seen a PC merchant trying to sell goods at the bazaar.  I would about soil myself with glee if I ran into a PC doing this.

[Aldiel]

Actually, I think the Gaj is in a good place considering it's right across from the stables.  There is a shady tavern in the rinth for that type.  As for the traders it's at the heart of the city, how perfect, and there are other places for nobles, anyway.

[Folker]

First of all, while the author is mentioning tents, and boards, and coders, and so on, all he really asks is a 'spot' preferrably in the Bazaar, that is reknown to 'all PCs and NPCs as the trading spot. It doesnt have to be segregated from the vnpcs, it just has to be a spot that PC's 'KNOW' as the location where the PC merchants tend to set up shops and sell off their wares.

Can vnpcs come to shop there? Absolutely, can vnpcs come to buy the wares? Absolutely! And if some PC merchant would rp out haggling with an vnpc and then junk that carefully crafted metal engraved helmet, kudos to him! Can the houses send employees there as hawkers to alarm the agents of PC characters tradin' their wares, singling them out from vnpcs for their exceptional low prices, good quality, etc? Absolutely. Can the houses send in vnpc there for the same purpose? Absolutely. Can PC merchants come there with obsidian, wood, dung, meat, etc ? Absolutely.

So basically, it allows merchants to sell things in a way that is 'not' (in my opinion), acceptable to sell in the tavern, atleast not en masse. I would understand a tinkerer going around the tavern once or twice a day, yelling out some things he's selling, and then either calming down or leaving. I would not understand a PC merchant arriving in the tavern and yelling out that if anyone's interested to buy wood, they should talk to him. The merchant 'would' leave an IC conversation of some two people discussing that merchant as the source of good wood as advertisement, but he wouldnt be using the taverns as ... well, a bazaar.

Setting up and discussing orders? Sure, absolutely. Haggling and tradin' in more unique or more complicated made things that are usually not sold in bulk in the tavern? Sure. Selling 5 kank's worth of bulk material without a pre order in the tavern? Suuure, if you know there's 'someone' there in dire need of it. But going there in hopes of getting dozens of different customers? To be honest, it's my personal opinion, that the taverns are not the right environment for that.

So in short, I'm all for a certain 'theme advertised' spot in each city that would hint people to swing by it every now and then in hopes of stumbling into a thing they want, pc or vnpc whatever. It can be done by a single character aswell, just not as easilly and not as permanently, afterall is it fair forcing a character to continiously spend time 'alone' waiting for the spot he chose to become popular and attract other merchants/customers, while being without all of that ... in the middle of a bazaar?

[Agent_137]

Why should the PC population have a place segregated from the NPC population?

-- X

PLAYABILITY.

[Cegar]

For me, the bazaar always seems kind of lifeless... it has nice echoes and NPC's with hawking calls... but without any PC's it just feels... like it is populated by robots. Personally I would love to see an area specifically known as an independant trader's outpost with weekly auctions or anything like that.

[jmordetsky]

I think I have found a soul mate in Folker.

I'm just going to PM you my posts from now on and have you flesh them out.

Sorry Sarah, you're out.

[John]

I supremely wish that more thought had been put into the construction of Allanak in the beginning. The Gaj is a great place, but I find it terribly odd that it is so far away from Byn Headquarters, considering that it is primarrily a Byn Tavern....

Also remember that Allanak and the different uses of different places have evolved over the years (just as a real life city would). I'm fairly certain that when it was first OOCly built, the Gaj wasn't the Byn's tavern.

And yeah. Completely agree with "be the change you want."

[cyberpatrol_735]

Code Select Expand


>Enter tent
You are taxed 20 coins and enter a large, carru-hide tent.

Inside a large, carru-hide tent
You are inside a large, carru-hide tent, there are many people here, mostly virtual NPCs who rule the world with an iron fist, watching you commit crimes and blame you for it immediately, but otherwise, there are a few PCs here.
A small desk sits here near the entrance.
BillyBob Thorton stands here, leaning up against a wall.
Joebob sits on a small rug here.
The fancypants templar is here, sitting at a small desk, collecting taxes.
>think Oh shit, I forgot all of my money.
You think Oh shit, I forgot all of my money.


Or even better, a harder thing to code, but when you Leave the tent, based on what you buy, you get taxed a certain percent, just an idea to negate the all goodness of a PC tent in the bazaar.

[ibusoe]

I like the original idea.  It's not perfect, but it certainly has merit.

[spawnloser]

I like the idea too, basically.

I think someone should do it IC, though.

[Folker]

I think I have found a soul mate in Folker.

I'm just going to PM you my posts from now on and have you flesh them out.

Sorry Sarah, you're out.

And just to screw with Jmordetsky some, I'll post a point that generally disaproves his idea.

Basically, an introduction of such a spot would considerably weaken the merchant's role. At the moment, from my observation, finding an individual whose trade is in such a sync with what you do and what you need is a stroke of luck. Especially if that trade is a production of something rare, or something you need extram quantities of. Such trading relationships are not frequent, very beneficial, and tend to put your character in sometimes 'severe' dependancy on the supplier.

Such relationships and conversations are better done in the tavern or in more private rooms, because once this connection is established, characters tend to find themselves in mercy of the merchant (a rough way of putting it admittedly), and it is so much easier to get blacklisted or just passed over in quiet subtle conversations like those. Because then, the merchant selling you his good stuff is not just a business transaciton, make it and forget it, but it's a personal favor extended to your character, and your favor extended right back.

All that would if not dissapear,  considerably deminish, for it will turn merchants from influencial suppliers, to wholesellers. And in wholesale, such trading is 'so' inpersonal, the whole merchant side loses it's oh so needed inner socium empire building abilities, for the cost of better income and a feeling of actually being a regular merchant, and not a mini, or a really large kingpin.

[RunningMountain]

I thought the major merchant houses were wholesellers. I mean salarr, kadius, kurac. They all have npc merchants who sell to anyone in both cities, in luirs and even in red storm.

[Cegar]

The large, important transactions will still be done person to person, but I think that this will have more of the street vendor, "Five knifes for ten 'sid! Finest quality in the bazaar!" atmosphere. I never see enough independant PC merchants.

[RunningMountain]

Sure they will. So what's wrong with a rumor board in the bazaar to post specific merchant only things about. Instead of cluttering the rumor boards in the taverns? So Joe is looking for a nice razor sharp obsidian sword, I'd rather see it in the mercantile board in the bazaar then in the city-wide rumors in the taverns.

[Tuannon]

Does Amber company of the Borsail Wyverns have NPC members?

No..

[Ghost]

Does Amber company of the Borsail Wyverns have NPC members?

No..

I think they do.  Er... Were not there someone as commander over the sergeant and liutenant rank?

But who cares?  What does it have to do with the idea of having a tent for independent PC merchants and a board for them?  I love the idea indeed.  I don't think a PC can do this all by himself, and a PC would not really want to do this alone anyway, if he is not a part of a house or an ortanisation.  Because once the PC is dead, the tent would be over.  Which would not make any sense.

[Marauder Moe]

Does Amber company of the Borsail Wyverns have NPC members?

No..

That was a rhetorical question in response to Xygax's post about PC-NPC segregation.  :roll:

[Anonymous]

Does Amber company of the Borsail Wyverns have NPC members?

No..

I think they do.  

They do.  And, to the players' credits - they RP with them.

[Marauder Moe]

Does Amber company of the Borsail Wyverns have NPC members?

No..

I think they do.  

They do.  And, to the players' credits - they RP with them.

You ever spar with them, though?  Do they ever come out on slaving runs?

[Ghost]

Okay, it is getting more and more derailed.  The point is, there is a segragation in the game between PCs and NPCs.  It is supposed to be minimal, but it is there.  And I think adding a tent in the bazaar and adding an IC board there just for the independent PC merchants will not destroy everything.

Okay, that is what I think about it.  Good idea J.

[Aldiel]

I wouldn't mind just a big, empty pavilion to be constructed in the bazaar, but I wouldn't want a board there because then people wouldn't spend their time at the pavilion, but instead at the bar, drinking, letting the board do all the work for them.

[Flaming Ocotillo]

Why should the PC population have a place segregated from the NPC population?

-- X

If.. you put NPCs in the area and VNPCs in the desc of the area, then..... I'm guessing this is no longer a PC segregated location, right? Isn't that how taverns work? And with a board?

You're welcome.

[mansa]

I'd go with a rug, not a tent.  The problem with a tent, especially a tent that is there all the time, is that PCs have to walk right up to the tent and "look in tent" to see if there is anyone there.  PCs in the tent shouting something like "Travel cakes!  Getcher travel cakes here!" will only be heard by people standing directly outside the tent.  In the open you can be seen by people up to three rooms away, and heard by people one room away.

Buy yourself a cheap rug, drop it in the market near a well-traveled area, and then IMEDIATELY sit on it, or else a sticky fingered NPC might pick it up.  Most rugs can seat several people, so if someone comes along and wants to sit and discuss things with you they can.  If you are feeling particularly brave you can even put a few sample items on the rug with you, so people can look at the rug to see what you are selling, and "get <item> rug" to pick up and examine items.  I -think- the rug would keep you safe from the NPCs that pick up random items left laying on the ground.  PCs could still grab stuff off your rug and run away, but they can do that anyway when they ask to look at an item.


I once had a stonecrafter sitting on a virtual rug outside the Gaj (this was before the rug seller NPC in Allanak) carving and selling stone goods.  I figured working stone would be too noisy for a tavern, even the Gaj.  Drop desced around me were a pile of stones and a few stone items, including a stone lantern that I was using because it was night time.  Sure enough, one elf did walk by, pick up the lantern and run away . . . but just one.  I did get plenty of interaction and several paying customers.  

I probably got more "walk by" customers being outside the Gaj on Caravan Road than I would have gotten in the Bazaar.  But if you were near the bank or the most popular entrance you'd probably get some traffic, especially once people got used to PCs being there.  

Angela Christine

I love this suggestion, and would gladly see it somewhere in the Armageddon Documents.

[John]

Unfortunately, the code doesn't allow you to build a "camping tent" in the city.

-- X

Any chance of this getting changed then? After all, a ton of people do it. And there's enough PCs that if you put it up in an unrealistic spot, they'll come and say something.

I bump this request now that AIM is finished.

[Cavus]

Now I don't have enough time to read all pages, but here are my thoughts.

Up until now, for what are Imms encouraging us?
Let me tell you the answer. PC-to-PC interaction.

When people complain about cap of shops, what do Imms suggest us?
Go sell those to PCs.

In this respect, why don't you Imms support this kind of idea which would only increase the PC interaction?

First of all, an auction house is not out of  RL world imo. If there is a trade, there will always be someone simulates it. Also this IC board thing can work. Why?

Because that tent or building is where all people and traders hang around, so word will spread among them like "HEy did you hear that blad encked dwarf is selling a cool sword with a very cheap price. They say that he regularly visits here every bla bla day of week...."

So I support this. Put an NPC selling some drinks in there, and maybe some trade goods. Also that room should have some counters (workbenchs), then hang a board similar to the ones at taverns. PEople come and drops a message  there.

This way people will interact with the right person more.  You cannot use Taverns for this purpose because that place is for whoring. People won't like to see traders shouting around for selling goods. That place is not bazaar. Since noone is able to shout and sell things inside tavern, then dropping a note on board is not actually %100 IC.

Last thing, this won't hurt game environment, so no need to say no. Someone should write up a room and submit to MUD.

[The7DeadlyVenomz]

A recent thought bears promise, I think.

Has anyone ever thought about using Tradesman Street, which lies directly beside the Bazaar, as a focal point for PC trade? It's a focused area without a lot of getting-lost-to-find-it involved.