Merchant Revamp Idea

[Kinaed]

Do the player support changes in how merchants work?

This poll will run for 7 days. You can select up to two options and revote if someone's rhetoric changes your mind.

[Callista]

I think there should be ways to make your own items, but there should still be a benefit to going through the merchants guild. Maybe it takes time to make your own (sending out for an order?) and isn't as fast as a merchant could be (in theory -- at least not instantaneous to make). Costs 2x as much in materials (and therefore cost is 2x higher, unless you're getting gouged by the merchants)?

With some playing with the cost/benefits, it could be doable to be able to get your own things but still have a reason for the merchants guild.

[Kinaed]

Actually, players can re-tool items for a higher cost than seeing a merchant right now. The only limit? Retooling is not in color. It's a big limit with the game being so much in love with colored EQ. Perhaps we ought to close the forum and poll about letting retool color instead?

In general, it looks like the pbase likes having a merchants guild instead of a decentralized group of RPers playing merchants. I'm not really sure where I sit on the matter, but would like to see some more text-responses before I do anything to any of the guilds... rhetoric in addition to just poll #s to back up people's positions? Please? Thank you!

[Callista]

Take away the color limitation then and that's exactly what you have -- nonmerchants with the proper skills can do the same thing, but at a higher cost. People can either learn the skills themselves, or find others outside the merchants guild (and yes, there are some). It would still require rp and people with those abilities, though, so wouldn't quite fit into the "Let anyone purchase/restring items themselves" aspect, but might be a middle ground?

There's always the IC aspect of it as well. If the Merchants find someone is taking away from their business, that can always be dealt with. Just like doctors who practice without a license or bards without Troubadour approval, etc. But maybe opening up the skills to be ABLE to be used outside of those guilds (or others that are deemed appropriate) would help to aid rp rather than hinder it.