Would you like to see an Official UO Vendor Search System as part of a Booster Pack?

[Tanivar]

Would you like to see EA add an Offical Vendor Search System that would show every vendor,, it's stock, prices, and provide a Gate to reach it's location? EA has all the data , it would just require a window to display the information and an access method to be set up. Perhaps set up Access Portals at specific places like Player Town Banners and NPC Town Banks?

We would be able to find the best prices for anything we want to purchase from another player and could see prices come down quite a bit from the prices seen in Luna.

 

[hen]

Re: Would you like to see an Official UO Vendor Search System as part of a Booster Pa

No.

 

[Tjalle]

Re: Would you like to see an Official UO Vendor Search System as part of a Booster Pa

No.

 

[Martyna Zmuir]

Re: Would you like to see an Official UO Vendor Search System as part of a Booster Pa

We need this as a feature, not a booster. A gate may be a bit much, but coordinates would be good. People might actualy have to learn to use a sextant

 

[HD2300]

Re: Would you like to see an Official UO Vendor Search System as part of a Booster Pa

It shouldnt be part of a Booster Pack, because someone could program this in a week or less. That is how stupid the whole situation is.

 

[Lord Chaos]

Re: Would you like to see an Official UO Vendor Search System as part of a Booster Pa

This would be a great idea and they should just ignore the nay sayers, who doesn't want it because they use the illegal search sites.

 

[Elden of Baja]

Re: Would you like to see an Official UO Vendor Search System as part of a Booster Pa

I've been wondering why they hadn't done that for years. But, that is also a part of what makes UO so great.... how crappy it is.....

*Log onto game*
Man, I really need (x).
Guess I'll go check luna.
*Wonder around luna for an hour*
*purchase many items I didn't actually need*
CRAP, couldn't find it... hmm... guess i'll hope someone dropped some runes to their vendors.
Recalls off runes dropped on ground.
*Crap*
*Crap*
*Crap*
3 hours go by.

Guess I'll start again tomorrow.

 

[covert]

Re: Would you like to see an Official UO Vendor Search System as part of a Booster Pa

Tax on Luna.

 

[Mapper]

Re: Would you like to see an Official UO Vendor Search System as part of a Booster Pa

I've voted for yes, It should be provided through a publish. However a gate to the vendor is too easy, A simple map or coordinates would do.

It would need however a different collection method to what the illegal websites use so that it updates in real time.

 

[Fernadious]

Re: Would you like to see an Official UO Vendor Search System as part of a Booster Pa

It would need however a different collection method to what the illegal websites use so that it updates in real time.

That would only lag the servers.

 

[Merion]

Re: Would you like to see an Official UO Vendor Search System as part of a Booster Pa

It should be a feature of a publish, not a booster.

I don't think it should be too much work creating a fair sytem. I elobareted here:
http://vboards.stratics.com/uhall/222109-suggestion-t-map-system-global-vendor-search.html

 

[Kas Althume]

Re: Would you like to see an Official UO Vendor Search System as part of a Booster Pa

> I think a Vendor Search System should be provided through a Publish. <

Not because of some prices but because of the time saving aspect. Often when iam looking for something iam wasting hours looking for the items i need. Iam sure many vendors never get visited because they are far away from anywhere.

Since every item on a vendor is in a database of EA somewhere, why can't they code a small interface that reads those entries from said database and presents them on some kind of a board (auction house). This way we could have vendors all over the place, include them into proper house decoration and have done with the lagfest that luna has become and the extremly useless vendors there.

edit: i dont want a full auction house. Just a searchable list which gives the name coords of the vendor/house that sells the item i want. No, i dont want to use any illegal site even if it offers that feature already.

 

[Mapper]

Re: Would you like to see an Official UO Vendor Search System as part of a Booster Pa

That would only lag the servers.

Well then it shouldn't be done if there is no way of getting the data right from the server without lag. Relying on characters running around checking vendors is a stupid way for EA to do it.

EA can't manage a website, I can't imagine them being able to handle a system that seems far from automatic to me.

 

[Lord Chaos]

Re: Would you like to see an Official UO Vendor Search System as part of a Booster Pa

I've voted for yes, It should be provided through a publish. However a gate to the vendor is too easy, A simple map or coordinates would do.

Why is that? It should in some way make it just as easy to use non-luna vendors than Luna vendors. If you don't have transportation to a non-luna vendor it would take too long to get there.

Besides it would mean some sort of mapping system which would be harder to develop. Simply make a button that recall/gate/sj if you have those spells to the vendor would be great and make UO a much better game.

 

[Wenchkin]

Re: Would you like to see an Official UO Vendor Search System as part of a Booster Pa

No thanks. It takes very little to look round vendors in person, especially the Luna ones. Or, revolutionary as it might be to some, simply keeping a runebook with your favourite shops in.

It won't drop Luna prices if we had a vendor search. Their owners will simply find it easier to locate stock to resell. Which in turn would make it harder for folk to find bargains, because they'd be bought out by resellers.

There are plenty of better things to devote time to IMO.

Wenchy

 

[Lord Chaos]

Re: Would you like to see an Official UO Vendor Search System as part of a Booster Pa

No thanks. It takes very little to look round vendors in person, especially the Luna ones.

I guess you have a completely different definition of "very little" compared to most of the rest of the world.

But let me guess, you use the rule breaking search sites?

 

[Wenchkin]

Re: Would you like to see an Official UO Vendor Search System as part of a Booster Pa

I guess you have a completely different definition of "very little" compared to most of the rest of the world.

But let me guess, you use the rule breaking search sites?

No, I use my character's legs and go round the actual shops. There's this amazing thing called the brain, which can remember where specific goods can be obtained. Combine that with a runebook and no illegal sites are necessary. If that's too much work for the average player, I hope their employer doesn't expect much in RL

Wenchy

 

[hen]

Re: Would you like to see an Official UO Vendor Search System as part of a Booster Pa

As I said the last time this topic reared its ugly head; I would rather keep that last little sliver of immersion the game has left than use some kind of search engine.

And no I don't own a Luna shop and I have never even visited a search site let alone utilize one.

 

[Mapper]

Re: Would you like to see an Official UO Vendor Search System as part of a Booster Pa

Why is that? It should in some way make it just as easy to use non-luna vendors than Luna vendors. If you don't have transportation to a non-luna vendor it would take too long to get there.

Besides it would mean some sort of mapping system which would be harder to develop. Simply make a button that recall/gate/sj if you have those spells to the vendor would be great and make UO a much better game.

If you want a lower price you'd make the effort to run to a shop outside of Luna, It doesn't take long to run around Sosaria.

I just personally think a gate is too lazy, If your going to do that you might as well have a 'Pay now' button and the item appears in your bag.

 

[Merion]

Re: Would you like to see an Official UO Vendor Search System as part of a Booster Pa

I've voted for yes, It should be provided through a publish. However a gate to the vendor is too easy, A simple map or coordinates would do.

Exactly my point. Allow me to quote myself

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. If an "on-the-fly" approach is to slow, the items could be index during maintance. This would mean the search results could be as old as 23 hours, but I think we could live with that. 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.

 

[unified]

Re: Would you like to see an Official UO Vendor Search System as part of a Booster Pa

> ...Since every item on a vendor is in a database of EA somewhere, why can't they code a small interface that reads those entries from said database and presents them on some kind of a board (auction house). This way we could have vendors all over the place, include them into proper house decoration and have done with the lagfest that luna has become and the extremly useless vendors there.

edit: i dont want a full auction house. Just a searchable list which gives the name coords of the vendor/house that sells the item i want. No, i dont want to use any illegal site even if it offers that feature already.

I agree with Kas.

I'm a little confused as to what Kas and others are saying about "illegal search sites". I do know of one site that lists vendor offerings. Certainly, I will not mention it here, but I did not know that this was illegal since it appears that vendors themselves are listing their offerings on that site. I heavily use that site to search vendors (all in Malas) because I refuse to spend hours clicking on vendors that are empty. In some cases, an entire mall is empty. At least let me know the vendor is completely empty before I waste my time.

I am going to look further into that site, and if it is true that vendors are not actually participating, then I will stop using it.

I do wish UO comes up with a similar system because some vendors charge 10x what something is worth just because we don't know where to find other vendors.

 

[Tjalle]

Re: Would you like to see an Official UO Vendor Search System as part of a Booster Pa

I do wish UO comes up with a similar system because some vendors charge 10x what something is worth just because we don't know where to find other vendors.

Just explore the world and mark runes when needed.

 

[Tjalle]

Re: Would you like to see an Official UO Vendor Search System as part of a Booster Pa

And to the OP.

Where´s the poll option that just says "No."?

 

[Merion]

Re: Would you like to see an Official UO Vendor Search System as part of a Booster Pa

that approach worked back in the day, but nowadays there are hardly any vendors outside of luna and those are not stuffed on regular basis. I tried that for a long time, a but recalling to places where a shop has once been, but is now out of business gets old pretty fast.

 

[Obsidian]

Re: Would you like to see an Official UO Vendor Search System as part of a Booster Pa

Yes, I would love to see an official UO vendor search. I don't think it should be a booster, but should be included in a publish.

-OBSIDIAN-

 

[Picus at the office]

Re: Would you like to see an Official UO Vendor Search System as part of a Booster Pa

There are only a few servers that Luna vendor house owners can still charge money for rent so the belief that "out of market" vendors are missed is not as strong as 5 years back, if your on Napa I'll give you one at my new house for free. I'd like to see something like this but would I dare rank this higher then other issues, not even close.

Let the people who keep the sites going have their collective 5 minutes in the sun, I've never bought a item from them and normally I try to take advantage of them by having at least one item on my vendor rank in the top listed items for the server. They get no support from me in terms of money and, currently, they fill a much needed spot in the game.

 

[Lord GOD(GOD)]

Re: Would you like to see an Official UO Vendor Search System as part of a Booster Pa

No.

I wouldn't want the devs to spend time on something we already have.

 

[Dermott of LS]

Re: Would you like to see an Official UO Vendor Search System as part of a Booster Pa

...

Yes, as part of a publish.

It's yet another of the features that would help bring UO forward technologically. It doesn't have to be an Auction House, or even have gates directly to the vendor, just a reasonably updated searchable database that gives the item, cost, vendor name, house name and closest city.

The Bulletin Board system would be perfect for this with the city-based bulletin boards having the search features and player houses' bulletin boards could be used to link a player's vendor into the database.

The whole idea of the "quaintness" of the lack of technological advances in UO might be nice to a few people, but it does NOTHING to secure the longevity of the game.

 

[Pinco]

Re: Would you like to see an Official UO Vendor Search System as part of a Booster Pa

If devs will make an official vendor search should be better, because every vendor will be listed. If they don't make it, we still use the unofficial ones.

Actually we are not speaking about a theorycal feature, this tools are around by long time, so the question should be: When they gonna make it and starts to chop down the shops business?

Second step should be start to sell gold, resources and items on uogamecodes, so they will earn more money and being able to afford the hire of few more people

 

[Thrakkar]

Re: Would you like to see an Official UO Vendor Search System as part of a Booster Pa

Yes, as part of a publish.

It's yet another of the features that would help bring UO forward technologically. It doesn't have to be an Auction House, or even have gates directly to the vendor, just a reasonably updated searchable database that gives the item, cost, vendor name, house name and closest city.

Signed. But coordinates would be cool too. No need to run around in circles in the woods.

 

[Luvmylace]

Re: Would you like to see an Official UO Vendor Search System as part of a Booster Pa

No, Ea mythic would do better to work on UO ,its content and bugs

 

[Skrag]

Re: Would you like to see an Official UO Vendor Search System as part of a Booster Pa

I play on Atlantic where there are actually still shops and stuff, and hundreds of vendors in Luna. I will NEVER go back to walking around clicking each one of those hundreds of vendors hoping to find one particular item. If they force me to, I will quit.

 

[Zuckuss]

Re: Would you like to see an Official UO Vendor Search System as part of a Booster Pa

I say do it, it will provide a true equal playing field for all sellers. Not in a booster though, not something we have to pay extra for.... this would benefit EA AND the players so they need to make it part of a routine publish.


No more blacklisting vendor competition like on those "other" sites.

Good idea but it could only succeed if they don't try to charge for it. (They can do it easy enough).

 

[Potgut]

Re: Would you like to see an Official UO Vendor Search System as part of a Booster Pa

Yes,

If vendor search sites didn't exist I would be saying no, but since nothing seems to be able to be done about them, the UO economic damage due to them and the ol' UO vendor search way of the game has already been done so the dev might as well join in and create their own vendor search, if anything it will also help draw ppl alway from those other sites too.

 

[Smoot]

Re: Would you like to see an Official UO Vendor Search System as part of a Booster Pa

NO

number one reason is the simple fact that there are so many other more important issues that need to be addressed by the devs. We dont need another system that would take away from there already very limited capabilities.

Reason number two: We dont need it. The system in place is more balanced now than its ever been. Before the search sites, my highest profit vendors werent even in luna, they were at a few gate houses. The popular gate houses have space for very limited vendors compared to luna.

I never even got why luna was so popular; there are hundreds of vendors and before the sites it would be stupid to go there searching through them all for what you wanted.

If you did know a specific vendor that carried what you needed, how was luna different than using a rune to go to the vendor you knew had what you were looking for.

Post vendor search sites: More players were given "top location" vendors -by having all luna vendor easily accessable. Now those not lucky enough to have a gate house vendor could compete (Brit and Yew were the best ones)

If a "global" system were introduced, the price for high end goods would only become higher. I admit that i would also be a small part of this when i had a spare half hour, but know some people who play UO to much would make a full time job of it.

Example: Search the new system for All the vendors in the game that carry an uncommon, or high demand item.

Lets say 3rd year ethies. There are 20 for sale in luna for 3 mil each. There are 10 for sale on non luna vendors for 2 mil each. Go to the cheaper / previously harder to find vedors, buy them, sell on your vedor for 2.9 mil

Result: overall prices will go up and just become about the same. UO would become like a game i will not mention with an "auction house" system.

A non established player would simply not be able to search around and find something for a low price anymore.

As it is, i have a few runebooks of secluded vendors that sell for very cheap. (about 1/3 luna price) I admit once in a while i go to some of them, and see what they have. 10 seeds of renewel for 300k, a totem of the void for 300k, etc etc. I buy them and sell at luna for under lowest luna price.
The difference is anyone could buy them, to be resold, or actually used by someone who couldnt pay luna price.
These deals would be gone entirely if a global vendor search feature were implemented.
Picture if the full-time buyers/sellers had very easy access to finding those secluded, non advertising vendors. Most items in the game would either be priced about the same price as luna vendors, or bought and quickly and easily for luna price.

End result of this change of the market would be a slightly lower price than current luna prices on more common wares (essences, material etc) and a much higher price on things that could be bought out entirely and sold relatively quickly.

 

[Sandwich]

Re: Would you like to see an Official UO Vendor Search System as part of a Booster Pa

Sorry if this has previously been mentioned but this feature already exists on a free shard:

(No, I am not advertising. It's a terrible server anyway.)

 

[unified]

Re: Would you like to see an Official UO Vendor Search System as part of a Booster Pa

Just explore the world and mark runes when needed.

Honestly, do you really think that I am not already doing this? Why do people waste their time giving advice to people who do use common sense?

 

[JC the Builder]

Re: Would you like to see an Official UO Vendor Search System as part of a Booster Pa

The questions for this poll are very biased.

 

[shulginist]

Re: Would you like to see an Official UO Vendor Search System as part of a Booster Pa

Will it ever happen? Hell no.

Mesanna was talking like it might be happening so we will see.

On a side note I for one would love it and the only people who I could see being in opposition of it are luna vendor house owners.

 

[shulginist]

Re: Would you like to see an Official UO Vendor Search System as part of a Booster Pa

We need this as a feature, not a booster. A gate may be a bit much, but coordinates would be good. People might actualy have to learn to use a sextant

One of the ideas that Mesanna tossed out was being able to buy a rune to the vendor house you want to buy something from.

 

[Lord Chaos]

Re: Would you like to see an Official UO Vendor Search System as part of a Booster Pa

If you want a lower price you'd make the effort to run to a shop outside of Luna, It doesn't take long to run around Sosaria.

To find something, yes it does.

I just personally think a gate is too lazy, If your going to do that you might as well have a 'Pay now' button and the item appears in your bag.

But this doesn't make you go and actually visit the vendor. The whole point of the vendor system is that you go visit the place and see it visually. Recalling there (as we already do, if we spend much time getting runes to vendors)

You'd still have to spend some time getting to the vendor, as it would only recall to the house.

I really hate it when peoples ego's are ruining any chance UO has of expanding and growing. In a modern age, this sort of archaic vendor system just doesn't fly anymore.

 

[Dermott of LS]

Re: Would you like to see an Official UO Vendor Search System as part of a Booster Pa

...

I really hate it when peoples ego's are ruining any chance UO has of expanding and growing.

At the risk of derailment, the irony present in this statement is ASTOUNDING.

Yes, I agree with the statement itself, but there is an irony present that is simply amazing for those who know what it is.

 

[Uvtha]

Re: Would you like to see an Official UO Vendor Search System as part of a Booster Pa

Yeah, that would be ok. An auction house, no.

I actually like vendors and large vendor concentration. I think its an interesting part of UO to go around and shop vendors in large places like luna, and also find out of the way places which are less common but still exist. I think its part of the charm of UO.

 

[Skrag]

Re: Would you like to see an Official UO Vendor Search System as part of a Booster Pa

It's archaic and agonizing and one of those things that's embarassing to explain to a newb in Haven.

 

[Skrag]

Re: Would you like to see an Official UO Vendor Search System as part of a Booster Pa

As an aside, I know the usual types around here will go NO, RUNNING ALL OVER THE WORLD WHENEVER YOU WANT TO BUY A THING IS GREAT.

But if the majority of players felt that way, why is Luna THE vendor spot?

 

[Tjalle]

Re: Would you like to see an Official UO Vendor Search System as part of a Booster Pa

Just explore the world and mark runes when needed.

Honestly, do you really think that I am not already doing this? Why do people waste their time giving advice to people who do use common sense?

Ok, I will try one more time...

I do wish UO comes up with a similar system because some vendors charge 10x what something is worth just because we don't know where to find other vendors.

Just explore the world and mark runes when needed.

 

[Smoot]

Re: Would you like to see an Official UO Vendor Search System as part of a Booster Pa

Ill say it again this is just a bad idea for UO for so many reasons. i could mention how it would harm the economy, harm the "community" aspect that is supposed to be the heart of the game, harm new players by making prices even out to all be around what luna charges right now.


Its just bad.

Just take a moment to think about how many vendors there are in UO. I cant even begin to think of an accurate number, but im guessing at least 50,000 on atlantic.

Besides my opinion that its bad for the game, i just cant imagine how this could possibly work for a shard that doesnt have an almost dead population, not to mention the bugs it would probably cause that would never be fixed.

 

[Skrag]

Re: Would you like to see an Official UO Vendor Search System as part of a Booster Pa

Just explore the world and mark runes when needed.

Make me. I don't care if you want to be some kind of masochist who spends hours and hours running around looking at vendors, but you need to realize you're not normal.

"No I'm not Skrag, lots of people love doing this!"

Yeah, that's why search sites exist in the first place and Luna vendors can get away with charging double, right? Because everyone is just like you and hates convenience?

Ill say it again this is just a bad idea for UO for so many reasons. i could mention how it would harm the economy, harm the "community" aspect that is supposed to be the heart of the game, harm new players by making prices even out to all be around what luna charges right now.

Luna prices are high because people will pay a premium specifically to AVOID having to run all over the world marking runes. Ditch the running around and prices will fall, because now those Luna vendors can't charge for convenience.

 

[Warpig Inc]

Re: Would you like to see an Official UO Vendor Search System as part of a Booster Pa

Just need a few runebooks on display other side of Luna Bank from the Gate. Players can drop a rune to outside Luna vendor houses in the book that records players ID, for abuse / childish antics burn. At server up all the runes are deleted form the books. Another way could be a rune container with special purchased runes with timers that delete themselves after a few days.

Most smart buyers do a price check over chat. They then sometimes get a rate better then available vendor supply from an active player.

 

[Martyna Zmuir]

Re: Would you like to see an Official UO Vendor Search System as part of a Booster Pa

An in-game vendor search won't hurt community; vendors do nothing to promote community in the first place. The strip malls that’s are Luna and Zento only promote price gouging and greed, not community. This is a straw-man argument.

To those who cite the ‘economy’ as a concern, I laugh at you. Getting shoppers out of Luna will spread the wealth around far more equitably. Currently, a disproportionate amount of gold goes into the hands of Luna vendors and their homeowners. Spreading it around the facets is a better option than making the uber rich that much more uber.

An in-game vendor search would actively get people out into the world to go to presently unknown vendors. Very few people will wander aimlessly to find a great deal in the middle of nowhere, if they are looking for a specific item the chances drop to zero - they will simply go to Luna due to convenience. OR they will use the "illegal" search sites because it's VERY convenient.

Since ALL this data is already on the servers it is unlikely to cause any noticeable lag, search queries aren't exactly difficult to write and should be relatively speedy. While I am loathe to say that this shouldn't introduce a plethora of bugs...it...well...really shouldn't. If Mythic can't write a simple bug-free DB search query, we may as well end UO now.