Purchase silver, assets and trade skills

[Starstarfish]

Before assets, the sub-par weapons were used as training one, a stepping stone between using wooden and proper ones.

As I've said many times the only judgment on a better economy shouldn't be weapon sales/use. There are a lot more skills/roles/crafts to consider.

Have assets and the new post silver purchase economy led to improvements in other crafts, as ICly what I gather is that 2-3 PCs in any areas is a "saturated" market now.

[Puciek]

Before assets, the sub-par weapons were used as training one, a stepping stone between using wooden and proper ones.

As I've said many times the only judgment on a better economy shouldn't be weapon sales/use. There are a lot more skills/roles/crafts to consider.

Have assets and the new post silver purchase economy led to improvements in other crafts, as ICly what I gather is that 2-3 PCs in any areas is a "saturated" market now.

Which has always been the case, nothing new. Past 2-3 people, you have to compete hard. Or maybe make the best of out your apprenticeship, rather than rushing to master.

[Geras]

Yah I guess the real trouble is that with just 1 there's no one to teach you, but with two the second rate guy gets 0 business.

[Puciek]

Yah I guess the real trouble is that with just 1 there's no one to teach you, but with two the second rate guy gets 0 business.

Compete! Burn the other guys shop down, have him removed from merchants for fornicating with a goat, have him exposed as the member of brotherhood he isn't, besmirch his goods as tainted by mage filth. Or just go out there and sell, because the vast majority of sales on TI are face-to-face, just have to go out there and make people buy your stuff, it works. And hawking of goods is so underused, while it's about the best darn way to get sales on TI. Sure, you can set up shop, fancy it up and fill it with stock, wait for people to come. Or you can go out there and actively sell, which has much better results.

[Geras]

"Compete! Burn the other guys shop down, have him removed from merchants for fornicating with a goat, have him exposed as the member of brotherhood he isn't, besmirch his goods as tainted by mage filth."

Except then you're masterless again.

[Puciek]

"Compete! Burn the other guys shop down, have him removed from merchants for fornicating with a goat, have him exposed as the member of brotherhood he isn't, besmirch his goods as tainted by mage filth."

Except then you're masterless again.

When you have a trade master then you are still in training, and you should be sharing in profits, at least some of it (not much, not even close to half but some), with your master as you work together on the projects. Of course once you grew out of it, and you don't have relations good enough to just keep working together, well, let the pillaging take place . Those are all rp avenues that barely any merchant executes now, I am sorry to say. When people will embrace the idea of masters and apprentices, instead of treating a craft as "race to 75" a lot of those problems resolve themselves.

[Starstarfish]

When you have a trade master then you are still in training, and you should be sharing in profits, at least some of it (not much, not even close to half but some), with your master as you work together on the projects.

I have never had a time when I had a Merchant where there was a "Master" PC who was active in my crafting area around to teach.

Those are all rp avenues that barely any merchant executes now, I am sorry to say. When people will embrace the idea of masters and apprentices, instead of treating a craft as "race to 75" a lot of those problems resolve themselves.

Except the truth is ... whoever can make the most things is seen as the most "legit" crafter. If you do not actively pursue staying ahead of the curve any person who come in higher than you will be quickly seen as the "better" crafter. This is even more true now if you are a Freeman and Gentry will automatically enter into the Guild ahead of you in line.

[Puciek]

When you have a trade master then you are still in training, and you should be sharing in profits, at least some of it (not much, not even close to half but some), with your master as you work together on the projects.

I have never had a time when I had a Merchant where there was a "Master" PC who was active in my crafting area around to teach.

Those are all rp avenues that barely any merchant executes now, I am sorry to say. When people will embrace the idea of masters and apprentices, instead of treating a craft as "race to 75" a lot of those problems resolve themselves.

Except the truth is ... whoever can make the most things is seen as the most "legit" crafter. If you do not actively pursue staying ahead of the curve any person who come in higher than you will be quickly seen as the "better" crafter. This is even more true now if you are a Freeman and Gentry will automatically enter into the Guild ahead of you in line.

Ahead of what line exactly? Did I miss some "order craft queue system" that I should be using? Because I just find people who want orders, or not, and nag them to death till they buy something, works bloody well, whether he had 2 masters to compete with, or when was alone.

But if you just sit and wait for people to come to you, well, can't help you there. As for finding a master, you also have to go and find one, can be done, been done. That master doesn't even have to share your trade to have a good master-apprentice relationship.

[Starstarfish]

Because I just find people who want orders, or not, and nag them to death till they buy something, works bloody well, whether he had 2 masters to compete with, or when was alone.

Except ... not everyone is going to enjoy that. And if you become the "Tupperware Aunt" who constantly hustles people to buy things, eventually people will stop wanting to RP with you.

As for finding a master, you also have to go and find one, can be done, been done. That master doesn't even have to share your trade to have a good master-apprentice relationship.

If they don't share your trade and the skill - they cannot train you. You can have a wonderful relationship, but that doesn't fix the being able to teach you aspect. I sort of feel honestly that helping people find a Master and assigning them one should be the work of the Merchants Guild.

Putting the onus on new players to the game trying to figure out the code aspects of crafting, the TI specific rules like coloring stringing and the 59-char rule, in addition to needing to responsible for their own training is putting a sort of large entrance wall into stepping into playing what is in many games sort of a base stepping stone role - being a crafter of some kind.

I feel like something that would be helpful would be replacing the old jobs system with something where ... vNPCs might need some things you could sell them from time to time or on a timer. A way to like ... get things off-grid. Or setting up the Tradepost Repository to "buy" things and set them for sale like the Brotherhood Pawn Shop does via code. And have it cleared out every once in a while. vNPCs not having an economic impact or voice is a bit of a weirdness IMHO.

[Puciek]

Then don't hustle them 24/7. I swear you are just looking to poke holes, not actual solutions, ignoring the fact that we have many people who are very successful at doing their trade, some via shops, some via hawking, and without being called a Tupperware aunt. And if you don't enjoy going around and selling stuff, well, figure out another way to make coin as a merchant. Or maybe play a merchant that can't sell a thing, anything wrong with playing an incompetent one.

And yes, off-trade master CAN speed you up from your trade. How? With money so you can them spam craft. Not as elegant as actual teach and pool but works as well. Can also introduce you to his clients, sell your goods using his own connections and everything else a normal master of trade can do. Just that instead of using the teach command they provide you with materials.

You can absolutely ask merchant GL to help you, but still, you have to be proactive about it, not just sit and await someone to come and find you. This applies not to just merchants, but to every single aspect of this game - actively seeking what you want is the key. Waiting for everything to come to you, and have someone else do the lifting is going to lead to bitterness and disappointment. And no, getting silver out of NPCs won't change it, which is also why the old style paws how for thieves doesn't exist anymore, as the only thing it solved was that a robber in-house took everything, including paper pulp (true story) as they could be sold to NPCs.