Rune Drops Idea

[Beleg Megil]

Most big vendors on Catskills do rune drops to get people to come to their shop. Especially around Luna. Moongates, banks, you see them everywhere. It is effective, but its ugly and really clutters up things. I am not saying it is necessarily *wrong* and I certainly do it as well. I think there is a better way, though, that could still get people to show up to your shop but get rid of the hundreds of runes cluttering up everything.

Perhaps at all the banks, there could be a permanent rune chest. It doesn't have to be a chest, it could be a statue, an npc, a super rune book.... any bit of art as long as it has a menu. Vendors could drop their shop rune in the chest like in a book. Limit it to one rune per location. Runes cannot be removed and will clear at server maint. in the morning. The menu will work the same as a rune book for players with all of the travel choices (recall, gate, sacred journey) and players could add scrolls for their usage.

To make sure vendors do use it and don't drop their runes all over, drop the decay rate on runes not locked down to the same rate as an npc corpse.

I think it would benefit the look, organization and convienience of shards if there was a public access rune storage/use system. I don't know how hard it would be to code or if anyone thinks this would be useful besides myself.

Thoughts or drawback?

 

[Borric]

I would miss the free runes, but I would rather have less trash in towns.

 

[Black Sun]

It's a good idea, but in the interest of keeping people from dropping "blind" runes into the book hoping to lure someone into a trap or otherwise dangerous area, I think it should only accept runes marked inside public houses.

 

[Littleblue]

I don't know if our new EMs are holding community meetings on all shards (or something similar), but perhaps this idea could be incorporated into those meetings without any new coding required.

Shop Owners wishing to have their Rune included in the Merchant Community Runebook could bring their Runes to the meeting (or certain ones designated partially for this).

Suppose it depends on how popular it was, whether or not it would be practical. If it just took a little time, though, might be an idea.

I like your idea as well, and definately would be nice if we had something implemented.

 

[Beefcake101]

This will never work. Only the top 5 or so will ever be clicked on. There are many places and vendor locations. Can not be in list form. Some people will have good traffic while other never get a visit

 

[Black Sun]

This will never work. Only the top 5 or so will ever be clicked on. There are many places and vendor locations. Can not be in list form. Some people will have good traffic while other never get a visit

If implemented correctly it could work with no problem. Rather than a traditional runebook gump we could have a menu similar to the blacksmithing menu that would show 20-30 (or more) runes at once, and each time the menu is opened it would randomize the order in which the runes are displayed.

 

[Morgana LeFay (PoV)]

I would love to see some kind of system like this. I'd also really like to see a player rating system of sorts, so when you open the runebook, it lists the name of the vendor, and gives a 1-5 star rating for the vendor. The rating would come from player votes.

 

[Setnaffa]

Wow! It's been awhile since I heard an actual "new" idea! Especially one that I like!

I like Black_Sun's additional thoughts of Randomized runes and 20 long descriptions per page.

 

[Beleg Megil]

If implemented correctly it could work with no problem. Rather than a traditional runebook gump we could have a menu similar to the blacksmithing menu that would show 20-30 (or more) runes at once, and each time the menu is opened it would randomize the order in which the runes are displayed.

Very good. I was thinking something like that but didn't know how to phrase it.

Also, marked inside a player house is a must. The rating system is a good idea too, but I could see that being manipulated.

But maybe the slots each rune appears in will display the full name of the rune without cutting it off, allowing the rune to be named whatever fits on the house sign.

 

[TheScoundrelRico]

I collect the runes I find littering Siege. I can't tell ya the last time I actually paid for one. I have two rune books I drop them into where I can use them later on...la

 

[Maplestone]

What about a "merchant guild" system that provided a searchable database of vendors (without telling you where they are) and then, if you found something you liked, you could pay 1000gp (to the game), for a rune to the house?

 

[It Lives]

I would love to see some kind of system like this. I'd also really like to see a player rating system of sorts, so when you open the runebook, it lists the name of the vendor, and gives a 1-5 star rating for the vendor. The rating would come from player votes.

So, Just out of spite I am going to rate your shop as poorly as I can. Or I am just going to get my Zerg Zeros to bump my standing. Does Not sound like any plan I would want in place.

As for the original post I say nay. It would be something too easily manipulated.

*I would bet That the same shops/peeps guild/ would monopolize the first page of runes every time.

Unless the team could balance it right it would fail Imo.*

 

[Beleg Megil]

So, Just out of spite I am going to rate your shop as poorly as I can. Or I am just going to get my Zerg Zeros to bump my standing. Does Not sound like any plan I would want in place.

I keep forgetting that lots of people suck and would do something like that, but you are right.

As for the original post I say nay. It would be something too easily manipulated.

*I would bet That the same shops/peeps guild/ would monopolize the first page of runes every time.

Unless the team could balance it right it would fail Imo.*

Not if the code was done in a way that only allowed 1 rune per location and only a rune marked inside of a residence. Also, I'd want it to not be a traditional rune book page so that many more runes could be displayed.

There are always ways to make things work if they are thought out and time is taken in designing it to get it right.

 

[Morgana LeFay (PoV)]

So, Just out of spite I am going to rate your shop as poorly as I can. Or I am just going to get my Zerg Zeros to bump my standing. Does Not sound like any plan I would want in place.

How many players go to a given shop in a week, or a month? How many "Zerg Zeros" do you have at your disposal?

The idea is that pretty much every player that shops with you would have a vote, and only 1 vote. The rating would do nothing other than to serve as some stars in the list. Its up to the players to decide if they care or not. Maybe they could even make it so that you could not rate without a purchase...?

I am just thinking about specific vendors that I know charge as much 3x the value of certain items.

Of course, any in game mechanism is going to be exploited...but when players look at a rating and go 'hmmm...4 stars' and then get to your shop to find high prices and poor organization, your rating would quickly drop.

But of course, anything that any one suggests to make a mechanism better can be turned around to make it worse by people that seek to hinder others' enjoyment of the game.

 

[uoBuoY]

This would not work for me.

Currently I don't pick up a rune, visit the vendor and then return to the bank to get another rune. I get as many different runes as possible and go shopping. Needing to return to the bank after every vendor visit would get very old very quickly for me.

However, the bigger issue would be what marketers call top-of-mind awareness. Runes lying on the ground, although not Martha Stewart tidy, are a great reminder to impulse shop. It's hard to miss a colored rune on the ground. It's a bit like all that junk that retailers place around the checkout line...you "see" and you act! Once you hide that stuff away, runes included, a lot of people will forget about it or, at the very least, not be actively reminded to check out this shop.