Vendor Changes

[Conleth]

Have empty vendors turn off. Change color. Something. Anything. It's very frustrating for those folks who are not self sufficient (for whatever reasons) to run around looking for basic stuff and open pack after pack after box after crate and find lots and lots of absolutely NOTHING but AIR. Where are all the stocked vendors?!


Now this would do nothing to anyone, but help. You don't even have to have them *poof*...just code them so their names change color, for example (so that instead of yellow we'd see a grey name). Because I personally am getting repetitive stress injuries from doubling clicking hundreds of packs and packs within packs in my search for recall and mark scrolls. Phew. /rant

Thank you for a great game, I can imagine it would be a real challenge to keep all us demanding folk happy!
Cheers

 

[Gilmour]

Actually a very good idea,

like if empty and/or no goods restocked for XX time colour em purple or some other obvious colour.

+1

 

[Piotr]

Have empty vendors turn off. Change color. Something. Anything. It's very frustrating for those folks who are not self sufficient (for whatever reasons) to run around looking for basic stuff and open pack after pack after box after crate and find lots and lots of absolutely NOTHING but AIR. Where are all the stocked vendors?!


Now this would do nothing to anyone, but help. You don't even have to have them *poof*...just code them so their names change color, for example (so that instead of yellow we'd see a grey name). Because I personally am getting repetitive stress injuries from doubling clicking hundreds of packs and packs within packs in my search for recall and mark scrolls. Phew. /rant

Thank you for a great game, I can imagine it would be a real challenge to keep all us demanding folk happy!
Cheers

Two words; Vendor Search...

 

[Gilmour]

I don't think one thing should rule out the other

 

[Conleth]

Two words; Vendor Search...

Two more words for ya: not helpful!
Here I'm feeling word wealthy, here's two more yet again for ya: ROLE PLAY

Hop on ATL and do a search for mark scrolls. A vendor search that is. Then resort to running around trying to find them with the plethora of empty and unstocked vendors on the shard.

I stand by my post, particularly as no player could yell 'nerf' to such a thing and it could be incredibly helpful.

 

[Piotr]

 

[Gamer_Goblin]

Sometimes I find a house I like on Vendor Search and want to look through the other vendors.

I like this idea a lot.

 

[old gypsy]

It might be useful (and somewhat amusing) if, after a day of going empty, a vendor's name would automatically change to, "Take this job and shove it".

Edit: "I quit" might do as well.

 

[Conleth]

Atlantic:

 

[Piotr]

Atlantic:
View attachment 38192 View attachment 38193

You want a 'mark' scroll, right?!

As you can see on my picture above, the name of the item you want is 'mark'

So, do not search for 'mark scroll', 'McScroll', 'marking scroll' or 'I want to buy one of those scrolls that allow you to etch the coordinates of a specific location into a rune stone'

Search for 'mark' without scroll.

The first few pages will be marked runes but then comes numerous pages with mark scrolls.

Edit: When you have found the item you want, press the 'create map' button. The map shows you the name of the vendor and the exact coordinates of its location when you 'mouse over' it.

 

[Gamer_Goblin]

LOL On Atlantic it's not just a few pages.

 

[Conleth]

Actually a very good idea,

like if empty and/or no goods restocked for XX time colour em purple or some other obvious colour.

+1

You want a 'mark' scroll, right?!

As you can see on my picture above, the name of the item you want is 'mark'

So, do not search for 'mark scroll', 'McScroll', 'marking scroll' or 'I want to buy one of those scrolls that allow you to etch the coordinates of a specific location into a rune stone'

Search for 'mark' without scroll.

The first few pages will be marked runes but then comes numerous pages with mark scrolls.

I think you're just trying to help me out personally, and I appreciate that.

Now for anyone else who might be looking for a 'mark' scroll, they have to go through countless pages of 'marked runes' because the search is not actually that specific. I don't mind looking for scrolls at all. I DO mind looking through a ton, a TON, of empty vendors. That's my point. I think you might agree that having vendors simply change color, or having their name change color, would be nothing but beneficial to all?

Cheers

Edited to add: For what it's worth, point in fact I did and do enter various search words, including 'mark', 'mark scroll', 'recall', 'recall scroll', 'scroll', etc... Out of curiousity I checked to see just how many hits I would get, and in the case of 'mark' there were 20 pages of runes in line first.

No problem.

I just don't like to click repeatedly on tons of empty bags if I don't wade through a lengthy search list. I don't personally know anyone who does.

 

[Conleth]

LOL On Atlantic it's not just a few pages.

True...I clicked through a few out of curiousity, you get a lot of hits.

Wouldn't having empty or 'neglected' vendors change their color in some way be helpful to everyone?

Cheers

 

[Piotr]

Clicking aimlessly through TONS of empty bags on unmaintained vendors is getting old very quickly, I get that.

Maybe exiling them into the moving crate would be a possible solution.

 

[Gamer_Goblin]

Clicking aimlessly through TONS of empty bags on unmaintained vendors is getting old very quickly, I get that.

Maybe exiling them into the moving crate would be a possible solution.

Just changing their color or name seems a lot easier. And vendors will naturally go empty.

 

[MalagAste]

Vendor Search is good when you know what your searching FOR.... sometimes I like to just shop to see what might be out there for sale that I maybe don't even know is out there.... or maybe I don't know I want it till I see how well it's priced.

I often go shopping without really looking for anything in particular..... and besides we all know that Vendor Search isn't always up to date nor is it always accurate.

I suggested this AGES ago... and I still think it's a valid suggestion. If a vendor isn't really "selling" anything ie if it is either EMPTY or is full but everything on it is "not for sale" (As having shopped around quite a lot it's VERY frustrating to see that people are using Vendors to store all their containers, books and such without having anything "for sale") I've looked several times for some of the Axem books I'm missing.... but 9 times out of 10 when I find the book listed in VENDOR SEARCH... it's NOT FOR SALE!!! Very annoying. So..... if a vendor isn't really selling anything I think they ought to turn some color perhaps green or something otherwise unused when you mouse over them to indicate they are not selling anything.

 

[Smoot]

Actually a very good idea,

like if empty and/or no goods restocked for XX time colour em purple or some other obvious colour.

+1

then how would we use vendors to display wearables? would kindof defeat the whole purpose of being able to dress a vendor

 

[Angel of Sonoma]

i also made this suggestion a long time ago. make the vendors gray if they aren't selling anything. it is quite annoying to search through empty bags. vendor search is great but sometimes i go shopping without anything specific in mind.

 

[Gilmour]

then how would we use vendors to display wearables? would kindof defeat the whole purpose of being able to dress a vendor

I actually meant their name/healtbar, sorry if that wasn't obvious

 

[MalagAste]

I actually meant their name/healtbar, sorry if that wasn't obvious

Name healthbar or just have them highlight a purple or something on mouse over when they are empty... instead of the usual color. Anything to end the constant sifting through empty vendors.

 

[Gamer_Goblin]

Or you know... stock your vendor if you want to play Barbie with it. I think the whole thing should be highlighted.

EDIT: In PINK. Time to start shaming these empty vendor owners into taking them down or stocking them.

 

[Conleth]

then how would we use vendors to display wearables? would kindof defeat the whole purpose of being able to dress a vendor

Use mannequins instead? Though I'm not sure of their rarity. If reintroduced would they get nerfed?

Or just have the vendor names and titles change name and/or colour. Someone had the great idea here of having a vendor name say 'I quit' or 'Take this job and shove it' which is pretty funny. I just thought having the colour change might be easier to code.

I remember back in the day if vendors weren't paid (often hehe) they'd suddenly shout 'I regret nothing' and vanish into thin air. hehe That was fun. But folks complained, too.

Cheers

 

[Conleth]

... the whole thing should be highlighted.

EDIT: In PINK. Time to start shaming these empty vendor owners into taking them down or stocking them.

I thought about that! Some folks might purposely leave vendors empty to draw attention, which doesn't really hurt anything either. Not sure what's easier to do, but something...anything to let us know that they're empty would help TONS.

I, seriously, absolutely no joking here, have gone out shopping and stopped mid stream because I got tired (wrist/hand...and tired of it being MIND NUMBING hehe) and gave up. And I usually have a TON of patience.

Cheers

 

[OREOGL]

Is this really an issue? I mean when I run into an empty bag I right click. Problem solved.

Aside from this I use vendor search for whatever I need so I do not run into any.

18 years of dealing with an Unstocked vendor and now we need to color code them? Let's be serious, I don't think I could even suggest this with a straight face.

 

[Gilmour]

when I run into an empty bag

And if that "when" is 90-95% of the time, that doesn't bother you? Let me ask, do you play on Atlantic? cause it's far less of a problem on Atlantic, as IE. luna vendors are not allowed to stand when empty as there is no shortage of people wanting a Luna vendor. but on pretty much all other shards, house owners let vendors stand cause there is no real new demand for new vendors.

 

[Conleth]

Is this really an issue? I mean when I run into an empty bag I right click...

What do you consider an issue? As a test I ran around opening totally random vendors (which I often do anyway) and less than, less than ten percent are stocked. This is status quo.

I love the vendor search, but like all searches it can and does pull up false hits (see the 'mark' and 'recall' scroll discourse above if interested).
Cheers

 

[Conleth]

And if that "when" is 90-95% of the time...

It's just about that. I ran around yesterday to have a look, and most are empty. (As I thought, OK, perhaps it's my imagination...) But no, roughly 90 percent are empty and many also have not for sale items such as Christmas and other holiday bags, and BODS stored on them. They're marked as such. (Nods to MalagAste.)
No problem.

Just a simple (I presume) addition to coding to make it a bit easier for everyone, without offending anyone.

Cheers

 

[OREOGL]

What do you consider an issue? As a test I ran around opening totally random vendors (which I often do anyway) and less than, less than ten percent are stocked. This is status quo.

I love the vendor search, but like all searches it can and does pull up false hits (see the 'mark' and 'recall' scroll discourse above if interested).
Cheers

To be clear(er) this is not an issue.

Bringing up false hits doesn't produce a map to recall to. Go to the next line.

 

[Conleth]

To be clear(er) this is not an issue.

Bringing up false hits doesn't produce a map to recall to. Go to the next line.

Not an issue to you. Fair enough.
Go to the next line? That I don't follow. If you mean...ignore false hits and move on? Sure, and I do. (Even when there are many pages of hits.)

Still an issue. To me of course.

Perhaps we should all just stop posting ideas and give the devs nothing to ponder, hey wouldn't that be a good plan?
Cheers

 

[OREOGL]

Not an issue to you. Fair enough.
Go to the next line? That I don't follow. If you mean...ignore false hits and move on? Sure, and I do. (Even when there are many pages of hits.)

Still an issue. To me of course.

Perhaps we should all just stop posting ideas and give the devs nothing to ponder, hey wouldn't that be a good plan?
Cheers

Let's look at this objectively. You are stating you are running around searching vendors that end up being empty.

I've provided why it isn't an issue for anyone, including you.

If you're still running around searching random vendors for what you want after they put in the vendor search, then it's a problem with how you are looking.

So let's stop with the straw man argument, and move on to something more productive.

 

[MalagAste]

And if that "when" is 90-95% of the time, that doesn't bother you? Let me ask, do you play on Atlantic? cause it's far less of a problem on Atlantic, as IE. luna vendors are not allowed to stand when empty as there is no shortage of people wanting a Luna vendor. but on pretty much all other shards, house owners let vendors stand cause there is no real new demand for new vendors.

Um..... I have to say that you are full of Poop. I will have you know that shortly before the new expansion I went "shopping" my way on Atl and I can say that litterally 60% of the Vendors in LUNA were EMPTY. 100% EMPTY... or full of bags/boxes/etc that you can't buy because NOTHING was really for SALE.

Obviously you don't really shop in Luna or you only pick a few shops. VERY select few. There were 100's of EMPTY vendors.

 

[Conleth]

Let's look at this objectively. You are stating you are running around searching vendors that end up being empty.

I've provided why it isn't an issue for anyone, including you.

If you're still running around searching random vendors for what you want after they put in the vendor search, then it's a problem with how you are looking.

So let's stop with the straw man argument, and move on to something more productive.

My friend, with all due respect. Clearly you misunderstand my post. I am referring to a multi faceted issue. One facet being large numbers of hits on vendor search results when looking, for example, for recall or mark scrolls amongst other things.

Another facet being that there are a preponderance of vendors who are utterly empty. The vast majority of them. If you don't wish to take my word for it I kindly invite you to peruse a large number of random vendors. Large number, and random being the operative words. By my count, it's at about 85 percent empty.

Now...empty or no, and mega hits on vendor search or no...why on earth you care about a 'non issue' is beyond me.
Cheers

 

[OREOGL]

My friend, with all due respect. Clearly you misunderstand my post. I am referring to a multi faceted issue. One facet being large numbers of hits on vendor search results when looking, for example, for recall or mark scrolls amongst other things.

Another facet being that there are a preponderance of vendors who are utterly empty. The vast majority of them. If you don't wish to take my word for it I kindly invite you to peruse a large number of random vendors. Large number, and random being the operative words. By my count, it's at about 85 percent empty.

Now...empty or no, and mega hits on vendor search or no...why on earth you care about a 'non issue' is beyond me.
Cheers

I'm addressing to you why it isn't an issue. This is not a facet issue, it's a user issue. Items are listed according to price.

 

[Ox AO]

I did a vendor search last night spent over an hour looking for a repair deed. I'm ending up transferring the repair deed rather then dealing with that vendor search.

 

[Gamer_Goblin]

It is an issue. Empty Vendors are a problem. Shopping is fun on UO and the empty vendors are becoming a problem. If you don't shop, obviously you're going to have a different opinion.

For those of us that like to Shop and use Vendor Search, it's a problem. We're telling you that it's a problem.

 

[Gilmour]

Um..... I have to say that you are full of Poop. I will have you know that shortly before the new expansion I went "shopping" my way on Atl and I can say that litterally 60% of the Vendors in LUNA were EMPTY. 100% EMPTY... or full of bags/boxes/etc that you can't buy because NOTHING was really for SALE.

60% is much less emptiness than 90-95% pretty big difference is you find goods on 4 out of 10 vendors or if you find goods on 1 out of 10 vendors, no?

 

[OREOGL]

It is an issue. Empty Vendors are a problem. Shopping is fun on UO and the empty vendors are becoming a problem. If you don't shop, obviously you're going to have a different opinion.

For those of us that like to Shop and use Vendor Search, it's a problem. We're telling you that it's a problem.

This is ridiculous, no one here has claimed they didn't use vendor search to get their items except for the people randomly running around looking for things.

 

[OREOGL]

I did a vendor search last night spent over an hour looking for a repair deed. I'm ending up transferring the repair deed rather then dealing with that vendor search.

What shard?

 

[MalagAste]

60% is much less emptiness than 90-95% pretty big difference is you find goods on 4 out of 10 vendors or if you find goods on 1 out of 10 vendors, no?

It's still FAR more clicking than ought to be necessary if I could just avoid the empty ones all together. Imagine the time and energy savings.

 

[Hannes Erich]

The devs must view things as objectively as possible. We should strive to as well. But this isn't math. It's a game, designed to satisfy a broad audience. An engineer with few people skills will try to solve every problem by employing objectivity, but great game designers must be more than engineers.

There's a bit of, "I'm a window shopper," "But, I'm a search user" going on here, which is beside the point. Vendor Search solved problems for me, but if some people still feel there's an issue with the way they enjoy playing the game--and if alleviating that issue, subjective though it may be, will not harm the way I like to play the game--then I hope their issues get alleviated.

Most MMOs treat the five or six year mark like passing out of midlife. It's when players begin to see fluffier QOL features, features that aren't designed to please everyone, but to make loyal players or niches within a playerbase feel more appreciated. That's it. Not exactly worshiping at the altar of pragmatism, I know.

But I don't come into these threads reacting like some kind of drill sergeant anymore, because ignoring these subjective appeals isn't sound and reasonable, within a genre that relies so heavily upon retention. It's not good game design to ignore appeals based on their subjectivity alone. Especially after 18 years, I strongly suspect the devs understand this, regardless of whether all of you do.

Unless the drill sergeant routine can also pay all the bills of the studio, and keep it in the black, you're in fact not being objective.

Vendor Search has improved the game for me immensely, and I would still use it even if so many vendors weren't empty. But Vendor Search did not replace the occasional pleasure of window shopping, and wasn't designed to do so.

People can't help what they like and what they prefer. Please don't forget that this is a game.

 

[MalagAste]

Exactly right @Hannes Erich, I like the Vendor Search when I'm looking for something in particular... but more often than not when I go shopping I don't really have anything in particular I'm looking for.... I just like to shop. So I just look at everything there is for sale if I can find vendors... which means if you drop your rune somewhere I'll probably go there... If you have a shop in Luna I'll probably pass by it once or twice... and look at the vendors. If they are perpetually empty I'll get annoyed and never really bother to look at your shop again.

 

[Kojak]

it's too bad you're not on Catskills, I have lots of axem books

 

[MalagAste]

it's too bad you're not on Catskills, I have lots of axem books

I have visited Catskills on occasion. I'm only missing a few books and I continually look for them. Drives me nuts when I vendor Search for them and find some listed ..... but you can't buy them as they are not for sale.

I'm only missing:

The Book of Circles
Kodeks Benmontas
The Second Age of Darkness

 

[OREOGL]

It's still FAR more clicking than ought to be necessary if I could just avoid the empty ones all together. Imagine the time and energy savings.

Com'on man, energy savings?

 

[Conleth]

...energy savings.

Right. It gets tiresome.
Cheers

 

[OREOGL]

Right. It gets tiresome.
Cheers

The whole game involves typing and clicking unless you are bank sitting.

I'm fairly certain if you weren't right clicking a bag you'd be doing it in something else.

 

[MalagAste]

The whole game involves typing and clicking unless you are bank sitting.

I'm fairly certain if you weren't right clicking a bag you'd be doing it in something else.

Well I'd rather be buying from a shop rather than just clicking open a bunch of empty bags/vendors. I'd rather be mousing over things and deciding to buy or not to buy... I'd rather be skipping all that unnecessary and disappointing clicking and saving my precious little time for actual shopping.

 

[MalagAste]

How about if I put it like this... Perhaps this perspective will make it a little more clear... Lets say I have a couple hours to kill and I decide to spend it shopping in Luna on Atl.... and lets say your shop is just on West side of the Northern Luna Entrance... I pop in to Luna and start shopping by leaving the East Gate and start with the Vendors to the North of the Eastern Entrance road... But instead of doing much shopping I'm wasting 40 min of my shopping time or more opening a bunch of empty Vendors and empty bunches of bags on empty vendors not really selling anything but just full of bags of empty bags... well I am not going to get to YOUR vendor because I wasted 40 min of my 2 hour shopping time looking at NOTHING at all.

Whereas if the vendor highlighted for me Purple or Pink or something indicating to me that I needn't waste my time there as they were "empty not selling anything"..... then I might have had 40 more actual shopping minutes to get to your Vendor where I might actually buy something.

 

[OREOGL]

Well I'd rather be buying from a shop rather than just clicking open a bunch of empty bags/vendors. I'd rather be mousing over things and deciding to buy or not to buy... I'd rather be skipping all that unnecessary and disappointing clicking and saving my precious little time for actual shopping.

1. Use vendor search.

2. If you are shopping around just to shop, then the exercise is going to be the same if they're empty or full.

3. I don't even know how you can argue it being a time crunch. Hell you don't even have to close them if they're empty, you just run on to the next vendor and they automatically close.

4.

 

[OREOGL]

How about if I put it like this... Perhaps this perspective will make it a little more clear... Lets say I have a couple hours to kill and I decide to spend it shopping in Luna on Atl.... and lets say your shop is just on West side of the Northern Luna Entrance... I pop in to Luna and start shopping by leaving the East Gate and start with the Vendors to the North of the Eastern Entrance road... But instead of doing much shopping I'm wasting 40 min of my shopping time or more opening a bunch of empty Vendors and empty bunches of bags on empty vendors not really selling anything but just full of bags of empty bags... well I am not going to get to YOUR vendor because I wasted 40 min of my 2 hour shopping time looking at NOTHING at all.

Whereas if the vendor highlighted for me Purple or Pink or something indicating to me that I needn't waste my time there as they were "empty not selling anything"..... then I might have had 40 more actual shopping minutes to get to your Vendor where I might actually buy something.

You're exaggerating a number to fit the argument. If you're not running up and saying vendor view and then moving on if they're all empty then you're doing it wrong.