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(Suggestion) T-Map System for Global Vendor Search

Merion

Lore Master
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
At the town hall meeting it has been said (by Derek I think) that a global vendor search, like some websites are offering for the luna region, is interesting but need some careful consideration as not to lessen the worth of certain real estate.

So I have been thinking: how about some central search point ingame, that allows you to search globally for an item. The results are then listed by vendor name and price. You pick one and a map is dropped into your backpack that shows the area of the vendor and a pin, where the vendor is located.

You would still have to find the region and think about how to get there, so vendor houses in town or near towns or moongates would still have a higher value than a house far off in the woods. But the ones in the woods would still have the possibility to lure customers to their shop by discounts.

With the addition of the new randomized treasure map system, there's obviously some code that allows to generate a partial map of any area of the overall map. All you (read: the devs) have to do, is to feed that routine with the vendor coordinates instead of randomly generated t-map coordinates.

Apart from that, the devs "only" need to implement the search, which would only be a database query in a perfect world and some parsing algorythm in a less perfect world. The search could be accessed by a bulletin board or a map at a certain point ingame or at the banks. Even cooler imho, would be some NPC at the merchants guild like 'Ted the Archivar' who lets you browse his documents and maps for a small fee (50gp?) and the hands you the appropriate vendor map. But that's details...

To summarize: I think that using t-map like vendor maps as a result of a global search should address all major concerns about a global search while posing a manageable amount of coding for the devs.

Thoughts?
 
G

Green Mouser

Guest
Nice, but how about it just shows you where it is like the Tmap but no drop?
 

Warpig Inc

Babbling Loonie
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
They just need to put some runebooks on podiums in the Luna area. Boondock vendor houses can place an in house marked rune in the books. Server refresh the books are wiped, but do save them the rune drop all over grind.
 

phantus

Stratics Legend
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
What they need to do is just come up with an in-game system to do what the search sites do already. Enough of the crap ass excuses and bull being spread around with runes and advertising. This issue is ridicuous. Is this a professionally managed game or not? I'm tired of excuses being given to introduce systems that would otherwise be considered common in MMO's because of someone's archaic idea of how something worked 10 years ago.
 
R

RavenWinterHawk

Guest
Nope.
As always.
This game will be ruined with vendor searches.

Same reasons as I always give.

Most recent one. We all know fishing might be a 120 skill.

Notice all the vendor in luna dont have them.

1 player or group of players with a vendor search tool can easily run the board.

This game should be run from your house. Go out explore and learn.

If the problem is FINDING ITEMS. I am for a Wanted System where players can post what they need and merchants can find them.

Im sure that can be abused too but to a lesser extent.
 

a slave girl

Sage
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
I still can't get past the fact that Derek Brinkman feels he has to kowtow to the tiny handful of players who paid thousands of dollars cash money for Luna vendor houses.


So long as this 'we they don't wish to offend this minority of players who have deep pockets' attitude is in play then I can answer most of the questions posed here:

1. No time or money will ever be wasted on any type of vendor search that assists any player who hasn't spent a minimum of $1200 cash to purchase a Luna City vendor house,

and:

2. No, UO is NOT professionally run.
 

TullyMars

Sage
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Interesting idea Merion.
You are definitely thinking out of the box.

What I like about your idea is:
It is in-game and not on a website.
It is inclusive.
It gives a slight challenge to finding that good price.

What I worry about with your idea:
Many vendors don't want to opt-in to something like this.
That slight challenge will quickly seem like an annoyance and then we are on the slippery slope.
No one will be happy, not the nay-sayers of global search, nor the supporters of such an option, and thus it will end up upsetting everyone!

Personally I would like to see just info.
If I could find out the average shard price of an item, the high price, and the low price.
Armed with just this knowledge, I could decide if I want to shop at this store that is accesible and easily located (such as a Luna vendor) or if I should spend the time looking for a more remote vendor with better pricing.
Armed with this knowledge, I could price my wares on my vendor accordingly.
It could accomplish much while avoiding the "Go here, buy this, corner the market, mark it up and sell it"
 

Nyses

Lore Keeper
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
It seems unbelievable to me, that UO still has no in game system to do vendor searches. It is not like there is no daily backup/list of every item on the shard, oh wait, there is.

I mean if a 3rd party app (no, not UO's "Easy" mode) can read the data stream and pick up EVERY IDOC house on every shard each morning, why can't the game programmers give us some type of vendor search tool.

It just hit me. I know now. It will be a future Booster Pack, and for the low low price of only $20, you too can finally seach UO vendors, in game.
 

Merion

Lore Master
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Well, I'm no big fan of luna either, but I'm thinking about shops near moongates or towns. I think it should be an advantage if you own a shop next to, say, Moonglow gate compared to having a shop somewhere in the woods between Yew and Shame.
 

phantus

Stratics Legend
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Well, I'm no big fan of luna either, but I'm thinking about shops near moongates or towns. I think it should be an advantage if you own a shop next to, say, Moonglow gate compared to having a shop somewhere in the woods between Yew and Shame.
Why do you believe they would lose their advantage? Would it not still be easier to go a house at a gate rather than the woods next to Skara Brae for instance? Most of us just want the same function that is currently available to people who use search sites, like me. We are not asking for a WoW type auction house(not that I would be opposed to it.) I also own a luna house and have vendors on 2 other shards in luna. Those vendors have an advantage that no rune advertising is going to suppliment.

Then there is this ridiculous argument that people will use the system to corner the market. It seems people believe this is not occuring already for those that choose to cheat and use the sites. Anyone that thinks I'm wrong isn't paying close enough attention or intentionally sprouting false propaganda crap. When I was in SA beta and found the new requirements for imbuing I looked on said sites for gems. What did I find? Someone had already bought all the gems. Did they use the site? Of course they did. Did they have an unfair advantage over people who didn't? 100% yes.
 

Merion

Lore Master
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
I think they would lose their advantage if you were handed a rune to the vendor as a result of your search.
 

Skrag

Visitor
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
If it's less convenient than the current method we're not allowed to talk about, nobody will use it.
 
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