Evaluate,Value,Assess,View and merchants

[jmordetsky]

I'm new...and chronically confused so bear with me on this one.

I have a new merchant character and I've noticed I can do different things with objects...I can value them, assess them, evaluate them etc

And all of these actions will give me information about the object...

But if I go to a shop, I can only view them? How come?

I can't seem to get value #12 to work ever.  Is the way it is supposed to be? If so, is that realistic? I'm thinking if I go to a store, and I see an item, I should be able to value it to see if he's over charging right? Same goes for evaluate and assess...

Thoughts?

[krelin]

You can't "value" an item that is not in your inventory...  Over time, though, as your value skill improves, you'll be able to start recording known values of items you trade in frequently.

[Anonymous]

Yeah, that's always been something I wished was different about the NPC merchant code.

It'd be great to be able to hold the item so that you could get a grasp of what you might be able to craft out of it, or maybe get a feel for the quality of it (codewise using the value skill).

I've blown lots of sid buying something I was sure I could probably craft into something else only to find that I was SOL.

[jmordetsky]

I agree...its a bit pants, because if you were looking at items in a shop it would pretty well be the same as if it was in your inventory because it would be in your hands.

Is there a code barrier for this? Or is it the chosen way for things to operate?

I think value should work at a detriment in shop lists, as obiviously something in your hand you can feel, shake, look inside, tap, etc. where as something in a display case, on a shelf, whatever you wont have any real sense of it except sight.

Whereas dealing with PC merchants they will sometimes let you hold it... which is kinda merchant like. But if every NPC merchant let their customers hold or touch things theyd be robbed out the kazoo

[God]

I prefer to think that in the shops of Zalanthas the npc merchants do let you hold their things, especially when your considering bartering and stuff. In Bazaars and old-fashioned shops thats how it was. Actually, that's how it still is today.

I'm not sure I would even buy something if they wouldn't let me feel it first, to make sure it doesn't fall apart or have any cracks, ect.

But maybe your right, they would get robbed too much.

[HaiWolfe]

The idea, then, would be that customers of NPC shops should be allowed to virtually hold the items for sale through use of the value, assess, etc. commands.  I think this is a reasonable suggestion.