Real Auction System

I want to propose a proper Auction system to be added in the game. Not the "Auction house" that is in other games.

Legit, being able to set a time and a date and have players show up to take part in an Auction that is run by another player.

This would separate from the normal Trade Post and would take place probably on the stage that is in every city (i think every city will have one?) or even better, an amphitheater. You would have all the players that want to take part in the audience, while one player presents items to be auctioned.

This can work with all professions. Weapons, boats (maybe the boat auction needs to take place at a river), mounts, siege engines, everything.

Some auction would be specialized, maybe only top tier mounts and have top tier prices, while others have a selection of everything.

This can be done without any new systems added. However, it will be a pain for 2 reasons: Players don't have a way to see all the items that will be presented (and their starting price) and those that run it don't have an easy way to track the money increase for each item.

Again, it can be done, but it would need to use Local chat and keep track of everything while a lot of players that aren't part will talk over, the items will need to be linked in the chat as well.

So, what would a system like this need to work properly?

- An interface where you as a player can see what items will be auctioned (with full stats ofc), the price tag for each and the time and date of the auction.
- Have a separate chat that will appear only during the auction or some way players can put money forward without typing it in chat (maybe like a small UI window where you can see the current bet for the item and the coins you have in your inventory)
- A new building type (the amphitheater) to be build in cities (don't know if this messes to much with the current city layout, if it does, either make it outside the city walls or use another building for this purpose as well)
- Have the Auction be taxed by city it takes place it.

I feel a system like this adds quite a bit for the fun you can have while buying items. Auctions are events, where you meet up with friends and foes and try to outbid each other, meet new players and importantly, meet the crafters of your server.

Does Ashes need a system like this? Not really tbh, but it would really fun to have and provide another thing to do in the cities. Plus its another thing that encourages moving around the map. Maybe you hear that in a city on the other side of the map there is an Auction for rare mounts so you do the journey there.

What do you all think?

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Comments

Noaani

Sounds to me like a shit way to sell items in a game, and is the situation that markets and auction houses were developed to avoid.

If players really want to, there is nothing at all stopping them running an auction with the systems that are in game. In a select few cases, I have seen this happen (items that are BoE, for example), but it is not an optimal means of trade in an MMO.

Schmuky

wait, this would be in addition to the normal trade post, not instead of it

Nerror

Sure, as part of an expansion kind of thing, why not? It's not high on my list of desires to be fair, but if enough people would like it and have fun with it, I see no particular downside gameplay-wise.

George_Black

Sounds like rp

Schmuky

It can have RP elements, but it also can provide a gold incentive. If someone crafts 5 top tier swords, rather than put them up on the marketplace for 1k gold each, they can hold an auction, have the top guild come and bid on them, maybe making more, as the guilds will be incentivized to 1) get them themselves and 2) keep them out of their rivals hands

I think it adds to the diplomatic/social encounters between guilds, with a solid effect on the PvP.

Noaani

Schmuky wrote: »

wait, this would be in addition to the normal trade post, not instead of it

It still has no economic value.

If you have an item, you then have the choice of trying to sell it on the regular market where you are guaranteed to get more for it, or at this auction where you have a significantly smaller potential market.

All that would happen if this were added to the game is that the occasional city with leadership that doesn't know better would build this building, which would then go almost completely unused.

The main benefit to this seems to be either the auction event itself, and the added drama it could create.

Ashes doesn't need either of these. The game is already heavy in regards to things that demand your time while in game (sieges, monster coin events, guild and node wars etc). There is no need to add another to this list. The game also has plenty of means for inter-guild drama, and has no need for any more.

So, basically you are proposing a system to create a second tier marketplace that won't be used, in order to add things to the game that the game already has plenty of.

Schmuky

Noaani wrote: »

Schmuky wrote: »

wait, this would be in addition to the normal trade post, not instead of it

It still has no economic value.

If you have an item, you then have the choice of trying to sell it on the regular market where you are guaranteed to get more for it, or at this auction where you have a significantly smaller potential market.

All that would happen if this were added to the game is that the occasional city with leadership that doesn't know better would build this building, which would then go almost completely unused.

The main benefit to this seems to be either the auction event itself, and the added drama it could create.

Ashes doesn't need either of these. The game is already heavy in regards to things that demand your time while in game (sieges, monster coin events, guild and node wars etc). There is no need to add another to this list. The game also has plenty of means for inter-guild drama, and has no need for any more.

So, basically you are proposing a system to create a second tier marketplace that won't be used, in order to add things to the game that the game already has plenty of.

...but it would be fun

Noaani

Schmuky wrote: »

...but it would be fun

Not enough, not by itself at least.

Anything added to the game needs to be fun as a baseline (at least to some people0, but it also needs to serve a wider purpose.

Monster coin events are an example here. It would be just "fun" to occasionally take over a monster and go on a rampage. however, without a greater purpose to that, it isn't a viable feature to add to a game. Add in the event around it, the need for players to defend their node, the potential risk of losing services if they fail, and all of a sudden, you have a fun activity that ties in to the rest of the game and performs a function that no other activity or system performs.

This is where your auction falls. It is providing a function that is already taken care of, and does it in a worse way, without really adding anything to the wider game that isn't already taken care of.

tautau

I don't think that any 'system' is necessary for this to happen, it can be totally player driven. Just post notices that you are going to sell the unique flying spider mount you bred to the highest bidder in the 'Drunken Penguin Tavern' starting at 10 AM CST Saturday morning. If you want to bid, show up and bid. Hire an auctioneer if you want. Heck, some tavern might manage monthly auctions for 5% of the gross so everyone knows when and where to come.

You could call it roleplay. You could call it fun. If you have a valuable item, you would call it profitable.

Percimes

How is it different from a /trade chat channel? Limited time? Option to bet?

Could this be all in a chat tab accessible only in city?

Taiphee

Schmuky wrote: »

It can have RP elements, but it also can provide a gold incentive. If someone crafts 5 top tier swords, rather than put them up on the marketplace for 1k gold each, they can hold an auction, have the top guild come and bid on them, maybe making more, as the guilds will be incentivized to 1) get them themselves and 2) keep them out of their rivals hands

I think it adds to the diplomatic/social encounters between guilds, with a solid effect on the PvP.

Or 3) make it expensive for the winners 😈

tautau

@Percimes It would be much more immersive and MUCH more fun than something like a trade chat channel. While we may have become accustomed to the efficiency of trade channels in other games, personally I much prefer the Fun personal interactions, even if a bit less 'efficient', and I really hope that is how AoC runs.

ptitoine

I tough only Economic Node could have acces to Auction Houses system anyway. So to me why not if the good are more rare and worth they could be from an event or some kind

Kesyntanth

They tried something like this in either EQ1 or 2 (it's been a long time, don't remember which one), it didn't go well. Even Ultima Online, a predecessor, ended up going with npc merchants with inventories attached.

There will still be plenty of haggling/trading on the various trade and guild channels. I don't think there will be doubt as to that.

A few people have already mentioned it, but, I believe the Economic Metropolis node has a connected AH. Obviously, that's a big choice for the city planners to forego the advantages of the other node types. So, I'd say having the traditional WoW-like AH is a pretty powerful upgrade if they're not making it universal.

Also, we haven't seen these mechanics so I guess we'll see. I swear, I need to make that a disclaimer in my sig or something.

Voidwalkers

This would feel more like a hassle for most items traded in the game, save for a few extremely rare items, e.g. server-unique legendaries that are actually worth auctioning off in such an event-ish style. 99.9% of the time ppl would just want to able to buy what they want quickly & conveniently.

And even in such rare cases, as others have said, you can do it in game without a system.

Schmuky

Voidwalkers wrote: »

This would feel more like a hassle for most items traded in the game, save for a few extremely rare items, e.g. server-unique legendaries that are actually worth auctioning off in such an event-ish style. 99.9% of the time ppl would just want to able to buy what they want quickly & conveniently.

And even in such rare cases, as others have said, you can do it in game without a system.

I am thinking more in the lines of rare mounts and items, crafted stuff. So you spend time crafting some top tier stuff and then have an event to sell it all.

That being said, yea, this can be achieved with just a trade chat. However, I will still try to do it at least once when the game launches. Idk, i like the idea, and it could be quite fun.

tautau

If you wonder how much fun this might be, try this: This weekend go to an actual auction. It could be an estate auction, some place selling old refrigerators, jewelry, real estate, baseball cards, anything. Hang around an hour or so, listen to the conversations, watch the people. I'll bet you a dime that you have a lot of fun, much more fun than looking at an online Amazon auction even if it might be less efficient.

Since the point of playing AoC is to have FUN and since real auctions are FUN, I think that we should not have trade channels and other artificial 'efficiencies' in the game. Just like fast travel makes the game both more efficient and worse, so might trade channels.

Schmuky

tautau wrote: »

If you wonder how much fun this might be, try this: This weekend go to an actual auction. It could be an estate auction, some place selling old refrigerators, jewelry, real estate, baseball cards, anything. Hang around an hour or so, listen to the conversations, watch the people. I'll bet you a dime that you have a lot of fun, much more fun than looking at an online Amazon auction even if it might be less efficient.

Since the point of playing AoC is to have FUN and since real auctions are FUN, I think that we should not have trade channels and other artificial 'efficiencies' in the game. Just like fast travel makes the game both more efficient and worse, so might trade channels.

this. this is my point:)))

its not for efficient in any way. Just another way to interact with other players.

And the thing is, I feel like it would not be hard to implement. You don't need much to make it work. Have a catalog that is yoinked from the normal trade post, a way for players to place bets and an area where it takes place.

Again, it would not be instead of the normally accepted systems. Plus, it would be rare. So, it would be an event. A player made event for other players.

Noaani

tautau wrote: »

Since the point of playing AoC is to have FUN and since real auctions are FUN

Real auctions are only fun if you are not trying to buy anything.

Atama

I played EQ way back in the day, and recall standing in East Commons at the tunnel, yelling for someone to buy stuff, or looking for stuff people were selling. We did things that way because we didn't have a better system. I don't want to go back to the dark ages, when transactions were a real pain in the butt.

This is like a person getting nostalgic about roughing it, and wanting to live in a tent outside instead of a house or apartment. It's fun for about a day before you realize how much it sucks, and realize why humans created civilization.

If you want to do this on your own, there is nothing stopping you. You can do this in *any* MMORPG. Just announce to people you're holding an auction, pick a time and place. Then when people gather, present items and let them bid. Whoever gets the winning bid, you open a trade and they give you the agreed-upon price in exchange for the item. WoW, ESO, TERA Online, you can do it in pretty much any game. The developers don't need to "add" something that is 100% role-playing. You add it, as a player.

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