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Auctions! Not "Auction House"
Was talking to a friend about several of the systems that will be in Ashes, and when we got to the markets, explaining how some of it might work pending alpha and beta, they asked me "What about bidding, like you can do in WoW?" I stopped in my tacks. Why wouldn't we have bidding?
Here might be a fun way to do bidding, without giving it that global AH feeling:
First Option: Open Auctions
Players bring their finest items to the market, weapons, mounts, cosmetics ((Character and Freehold)) etc. to an NPC Auctioneer. These items are held in storage by the NPC and players can continue putting their items in the auction until it goes live. On the bulletin where players can find the different stalls selling goods, there will be a notice for when the next auction will be available. For the maximum crowds, I would suggest either a weekly or bi-weekly auction ((More spread out for players who are unable to play on certain days.))
Players gather around the raised platform of the Auctioneer and once it begins, they will be allowed to open the Auctioneer's bidding system. The Auctioneer goes through his inventory one item at a time, but players will be able to see which item is currently being bid on and the upcoming items. This will allow players to gauge if it's worth staying around the Auctioneer, or to return at a later time once the item they want begins it's bidding. After all the items are auctioned off, the currency is transferred and you may loot your item from the Auctioneer ((Or we can set it up as an immediate transfer, up for the devs and community to decide))
Secondary Option: Private Auctions
((Don't let the name fool you. It's still open to all players, just a way to post your action without "everyone" seeing it))
This one is much more detailed, but no less fun! Just as with open auctions, players give their item to the Auctioneer and they wait for the Auction to begin. Rather than having the Auctioneer stand on a platform throwing out currency numbers on one item at a time, the auctions are moved in doors((Possibly)), and each item is on display. Players can go to that item in real game time and see what it looked like, rather than having to open a separate equip window. Next to the item, you can click on the Auctioneer UI and place your bid. Once the time has run out, top bidders walk out with their items. This could be a full on high-class social event. Master Cooks can prepare a feast and players can talk to each other as they wait on their bids.
Either way I would really enjoy an authentic Auction system. To clarify: These auctions wouldn't be for placing like 100 stacks of rabbit feet, or junk. These would be for exceptionally epic and rare items created by crafters, or found in the world. That dragon egg that dropped off the boss in last night's raid may give you 30 days of flying enjoyment, but maybe you would prefer having a bigger bank account and would save you the trouble of spamming trade chat "WTS Dragon Egg!" It is also a way for those upcoming Master Crafters to show their achievements in a social environment and those players who were outbid for that item can approach the crafter "Got anymore of them mana crystals?!"
Share your thoughts!. Would you prefer one or both of these systems, or would you like to avoid the word "Auction" and anything relating to it altogether?
Here might be a fun way to do bidding, without giving it that global AH feeling:
First Option: Open Auctions
Players bring their finest items to the market, weapons, mounts, cosmetics ((Character and Freehold)) etc. to an NPC Auctioneer. These items are held in storage by the NPC and players can continue putting their items in the auction until it goes live. On the bulletin where players can find the different stalls selling goods, there will be a notice for when the next auction will be available. For the maximum crowds, I would suggest either a weekly or bi-weekly auction ((More spread out for players who are unable to play on certain days.))
Players gather around the raised platform of the Auctioneer and once it begins, they will be allowed to open the Auctioneer's bidding system. The Auctioneer goes through his inventory one item at a time, but players will be able to see which item is currently being bid on and the upcoming items. This will allow players to gauge if it's worth staying around the Auctioneer, or to return at a later time once the item they want begins it's bidding. After all the items are auctioned off, the currency is transferred and you may loot your item from the Auctioneer ((Or we can set it up as an immediate transfer, up for the devs and community to decide))
Secondary Option: Private Auctions
((Don't let the name fool you. It's still open to all players, just a way to post your action without "everyone" seeing it))
This one is much more detailed, but no less fun! Just as with open auctions, players give their item to the Auctioneer and they wait for the Auction to begin. Rather than having the Auctioneer stand on a platform throwing out currency numbers on one item at a time, the auctions are moved in doors((Possibly)), and each item is on display. Players can go to that item in real game time and see what it looked like, rather than having to open a separate equip window. Next to the item, you can click on the Auctioneer UI and place your bid. Once the time has run out, top bidders walk out with their items. This could be a full on high-class social event. Master Cooks can prepare a feast and players can talk to each other as they wait on their bids.
Either way I would really enjoy an authentic Auction system. To clarify: These auctions wouldn't be for placing like 100 stacks of rabbit feet, or junk. These would be for exceptionally epic and rare items created by crafters, or found in the world. That dragon egg that dropped off the boss in last night's raid may give you 30 days of flying enjoyment, but maybe you would prefer having a bigger bank account and would save you the trouble of spamming trade chat "WTS Dragon Egg!" It is also a way for those upcoming Master Crafters to show their achievements in a social environment and those players who were outbid for that item can approach the crafter "Got anymore of them mana crystals?!"
Share your thoughts!. Would you prefer one or both of these systems, or would you like to avoid the word "Auction" and anything relating to it altogether?
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Comments
The difference being that you'd get more exposure in a general chat than at one location, but I suppose the answer to that is how you handle an auction in real life.... you advertise ahead of time.
So say you and your guild mates collectively save up several notable items you want to auction off. You announce a time and place to your community, advertise the auction as you see fit, and then you're good to go come auction time.
If the local markets in the game do work out well, as the Devs are designing them, then I imagine many cities will form their own locally known set times where this type of thing routinely happens. Even with or without built in game mechanics support for it.
Anyone remember the tunnel near the Desert of Ro in EQ where people of different factions game to get her to buy, sell, and trade?
If you dont want people selling junk, then just make it so theres a high barrier of entry: You pay a lot upfront and a 10% cut or whatever. That way people need to "risk" it and people wont add low value items cause they will lose money.
I do not think it is good to have auctions once, twice or 3 times per day (or how others suggested once or twice per week) since we live in different time zones, and don't forget some of us have jobs as well, some with pretty messed up shifts/schedule, so they might not catch most of the auctions (only 1 or 2 per month if weekly or bi-weekly).
Not to mention that as a seller, what do you do if your item is not sold in the first auction? You keep trying, meaning that you need to register your item every auction (several times per day if auctions are held so), situation in which jobs mess up your chances to sell the item.
This is why if we have an auction house, similar to the one in cabal online, would be awesome, and not discriminate between those who stay online 12+ hours per day, daily, and those who play like 2-3 hours per day, daily.
Edit: So the easiest way would be auction house. But the hardest and closest to RP as possible, without being too difficult, would be stalls. A market with stalls selling specific kind of items (1 or more stalls for armours, or 1 for weapons, or 1 for food, or 1 for ingredients, number of stalls per item category would depend of how many items of that category are being sold). And to make it better, have caravans transport beside resources, items for sale as well, so for example if i made 3 swords, put one for sale in my town, and the other 2 give to the next caravan leaving town (or a caravan of your choosing if you want your item to be sold in a certain city), so your item is placed for sale in other cities.
This way caravans would be more important to defend/attack than they already are.