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Phase I of Alpha Two testing will occur on weekends. Each weekend is scheduled to start on Fridays at 10 AM PT and end on Sundays at 10 PM PT. Find out more here.
Check out Alpha Two Announcements here to see the latest Alpha Two news and update notes.
Our quickest Alpha Two updates are in Discord. Testers with Alpha Two access can chat in Alpha Two channels by connecting your Discord and Intrepid accounts here.
Comments
Giran port was quite a big trading hub but it wasn't long lived as such, its main attactive was that it was the closes teleport to the very popular zones Catacombs of Branded and Pirate Tunnel/Devil's Island when there weren't teleports directly to those and was a non-town safe place, when most people's level went past 55 it wasn't as attractive anymore. Most private servers used it for the same reason or sense of nostalgia.
Aren't we all sinners?
L2's economy absolutely works with 'just player stalls', as does FF11's old economy actually (though in the case of that game, it's not a 'stall', but the ability to check any player for the items they have placed for sale directly from their inventory), but whereas FF11 only 'benefits' from the Auction House in the old model, Ashes absolutely does not work with just player stalls even if we get the 'you can set up the stall and have some random NPC run it'.
Not even with the FF11 Bazaar method, would Ashes function correctly here, because stalls are tied to the leveling experience intricately, and the leveling experience of Ashes is unlike nearly any other game that most players of the modern era understand.
Ashes is one of those games that needs to tune its First-Time User Experience to a razor's edge, but also wants to have Gear Durability and no town safezones. Player stalls are absolutely not gonna cut it past level 25.
Y'all know I don't like to claim things about this game so early in with certainty, but this time, I'm doing it.
Q: Do you have any specific opinions on how the Markets should work?
A: I do believe player stalls will have their place and utility in Ashes(even past lv 25), far from optimal even with alts like in L2 but still fuctional.
I expect Global chat[Or Trade chat if also global(do hope it is)] to become first thing people will use when interacting with the market, if not having sucess there then will look for local stalls depending on the intended trade maybe check with clan/alliance chat aswell and finally the Economic nodes as the last resort.
Q: Would you prefer larger regional access to Auction Houses (like, a whole nation or two) and stricter itemization, or the opposite?
A: I personally do prefer ServerWide Markets, but have no problems with both local and Regional ones.
I believe GameWide greatly diminishes a server's identity even if an economical one at that, since it's an important aspect of Ashes game design.
Aren't we all sinners?
The market in an MMORPG shouldn't necessarily be a source of a gameplay loop ain and of itself, as it is a tool used by basically every gameplay loop in the game in question. People going out killing need it, people questing need it, people decorating homes need it, people crafting need it.
If a game has regional markets and the gameplay loop of stocking them with materials that region doesn't naturally produce ceases to be enjoyable to enough people, then the entire game will suffer.
As to gamewide markets, they have their place.
Archeages market was kind of interesting. It was faction only, but you were looking at products across three servers. This meant you were all but guaranteed to find even the most random of items, but it also meant no one could really corner any given market (the game didn't attract guilds large enough to dominate three servers at once).
So, to me, like all game design decision, it kind of depends on the rest of your game. Ashes may well have an enjoyable enough gameplay loop to keep many regional markets stocked, in which case that may work for it. However, if it turns out that this loop isn't as enjoyable as was hoped, keeping the games market functioning properly should come before keeping that gameplay loop in the game.
The Auction House (AH) system in Ashes of Creation is designed to integrate with the broader world economy, focusing on localized trade, player interaction, and the importance of caravans. Each node in the game, particularly Economic Nodes, plays a pivotal role in how items are traded and sold between players.
1. Localized Auction Houses
Objective:
To create an immersive and realistic economic system that encourages players to explore, trade, and utilize caravans for long-distance transactions while maintaining localized markets for immediate goods.
What are immediate goods? "Immediate goods" refer to items that players need or want right away, typically for short-term use. In the context of a game like Ashes of Creation, these could include consumables, materials, or equipment that players need quickly for an upcoming adventure, quest, or crafting project.
Description:
Each node will have its own Auction House, restricted to the players within that node’s region. Items listed for sale in the AH will only be visible and purchasable by players who are within the same node.
In terms of accessibility. I just went through the stages of the node to settle on village tier. So Auction Houses would be available in any developed node at the village tier and above.
AH listings are only visible in the node where they are posted. Players will need to physically travel to different nodes to access their markets or use caravans to move goods between regions.
2. Economic Node Differentiation
Objective:
To give Economic Nodes a unique and powerful role in the trading ecosystem by providing them with advanced market systems and bonuses that make them vocal points of the game's economy.
Description
Market Expansion:
I would have it so that as Economic nodes grow, they will gain access to a Regional Market Expansion feature. This allows players in an Economic Node to view and purchase items listed in connected Economic Nodes (via trade agreements) within their region, though at an increased fee or tax rate depending on the distance. This feature promotes the role of caravans for long-distance transactions while still offering a unique trading advantage to Economic nodes.
MArket Reach: This I would have Economic nodes view listings from other Economic Nodes within the same trade agreement region.
Increased fees: Purchases from connected nodes come with additional taxes or fees depending on distance, to encourage physical travel or caravan trade for larger quantities of goods.
Revenue Allocation: A portion of the taxes and fees collected from these transactions funds the Economic Node and its mayor, incentivizing players to invest in these nodes.
Trade Hubs:
Economic nodes will have access to Trade Hubs, which allow faster, safer caravan travel between Economic Nodes. These Trade Hubs can be upgraded as the node levels, reducing risks and costs for moving large quantities of goods. Caravans starting from Economic Nodes will have bonuses such as:
Reduced Risk Caravans leaving Economic Nodes have higher base stats (e.g., faster speed, more defensive strength) to reduce the likelihood of successful attacks. And or cheaper guards.
Lower CostsCaravans traveling to other Economic Nodes enjoy reduced fees or taxes, incentivizing long-distance trade through established Economic routes. Which seems to promote one of the game's main pillars being the caravan system
Player-Owned Marketplaces
Players in Economic Nodes will have the unique ability to open personal stalls or markets within designated marketplace areas, similar to Ragnarok Online's vending system. These stalls will allow players to sell items directly to other players in real-time by-passing AH fees (though the right to put a vendor stall up might cost a set amount of money)
Vending Stall Permissions Only players who are citizens of an Economic Node can open a market stall in that node.
Customization: Players can set their own prices, advertise their stalls with custom signage, and offer discounts to buyers who purchase in bulk.
Market Diversity The vending system encourages diversity in goods sold and pricing, as different players will have different stock based on their playstyle and trade routes. Now I don't know if one can set or create personal caravans or if it's a node incentive. But hey, we're just spitballing here anyway.
3. Node Tier Bonuses:
Objective: To give higher-tier Economic Nodes a distinct advantage in global trade by offering unique AH bonuses and trade incentives.
Description:
As Economic Nodes level up, they will unlock new bonuses and features for their Auction Houses and trade systems such as:
Village Tier: Basic Auction House Standard, localized AH that only works within the node.
Town Tier: Regional Trade Connections Players in the node can browse items listed in other Economic Nodes within the same region, with additional taxes and shipping fees.
City Tier: Advanced Trade Contracts The node gains access to exclusive trade routes with reduced caravan fees and bonuses for moving goods between Economic Nodes.
And finally Metropolis Tier: Global Trade Influence The Economic Node's AH gains access to listings from across the entire world, allowing it to serve as a global trade hub. Other nodes will have to rely on caravans to ship goods to or from this node, but Economic nodes can facilitate trade directly.
Now for one of the most important things.
Dynamic Caravan Integration
Objective:
To tie the AH system directly into the game’s larger economic and caravan systems, ensuring players rely on caravans to move goods between nodes and across regions.
Description:
Caravans are essential to the movement of goods between localized AHs. Players wishing to sell items in distant nodes will need to use the caravan system to transport goods. Economic Nodes gain additional bonuses when running caravans between nodes in their trade network.
Dynamic Pricing: The scarcity or abundance of goods in certain regions will affect prices, encouraging players to transport goods where they are needed most.
Caravan Bonuses:
Economic nodes receive bonuses like increased caravan speed or reduced risk when using caravans to transport goods between connected nodes.
Sorry for the wall of text. But this would probably be my ideal system. Though I would like to see player stalls (Ala Ragnarok Online) in all cities, I reckon it makes more sense for an economic node.
Realized that I was unclear the first time, hopefully it's not needed but...
I meant that player stalls alone or in conjunction with only local markets would not be sufficient for economic play past level 25. This is fairly irrelevant as a whole, because Ashes doesn't intend to have many/any situations where they're the only thing players can rely on.
Got caught up in the L2 discussion, and it probably wasn't fully relevant to even that.