Whole books can be written about why serious trade system improvements are needed, but it's not the place to do so, so better read all please::
## Not an Auction House ##
Let's be realistic. We won't get an AH in GW but it's not that much needed as there can be other possibilities.
My idea is to create a simple system, which should actually be doable without the need of creating a whole new server structure, without the need of server processing power and usage of bandwidth, and without the need of programming complicated search engines, yet nearly as effective as a full-blown auction house.
## A Party Search Extension ##
We all know that using the current 31-character space for advertising items for sale is horrible. But how about using those 31 letters there to advertise you, your mini shop, and making people want to see what you sell? No search engine needed, just type your best
"WTS Perf Golds, Minipets, L0ok!"
"S> Shards,Ectos,Greens <<<"
"@@@ Mods MEGASTORE @@@"
"Every item 2k each CHEAP"
So we are using an existing interface but adding 1 new button [View Items], which works only for posts in Trade section, and it opens a window displaying all items the seller is offering, with prices and [Buy selected item] and [Close] buttons.
## Passive selling ##
Players will have an option of setting up a sale of a maximum certain amount of items (even 7 would be enough, but more is better
The sale will be BuyOut only to make it fast and simple, seller sets up the shop and the gold after sale goes straight to his storage (if not enough room for gold, the transaction simply cannot be completed and the item won't be displayed anymore)
Now there are several factors that should be considered and a couple variations on each, as there's not a simple one best sollution.
1. Where the items on sale should physically be?
-- In your inventory (you choose a bag) a window pops up where you set up the prices and click OK to set up trade announcement and start. This is probably easiest to implement, but limits player to sit (probably AFK) and not change districts, or you'll have to set up again.
-- A new tab in Xunlai storage, used for selling, where you set up prices and click GO, then set up your trade announcement. Ofcourse seems much more comfortable to sell this way. But there come some variations and issues:
2. Where can you be when selling, if the items are in a special selling Xunlai tab?
-- You have to stay in a district, to make your PartySeach post remain - easiest to do because it works this way now. And good enough.
-- Optional, harder to do, requires engine improvements - You can leave town and play the game while your stuff sells, as long as you stay on this character. Everyone would love that but it may be asking for too much.
-- Even more - sell your stuff while offline - your message-link stays for a certain amount of time after you log out.
(the latter 2 options require some sort of disconnection between the character and the Party Search message board engine, they may be not possible at all)
## Accessibility - Let's go Shopping! ##
We know that most people don't even look at the current Party Search panel, so it should be made more accessible and comfortable for everyone to use it. Just as the PartySearch it will work through all the districts of the particualr town you set up your trade in.
One but not the only way of accesing the system would be through the well known Party Search panel, where if you announce a "Trade" it becomes a link to your items in the special selling storage tab // or it opens another window where you set up some items from your inventory for sale.
People got used to using various NPCs for different tasks, so my idea is to add an NPC in every big town, near storage, with a nifty name tag like [Xunlai Trade Center]! This just can't get missed and zillions of players would get extatic about seeing him
And all he would do is opening a "Trade Search" panel (just the Trade section of PartySearch) and offering the interface to set up your sale.
If that's not enough, an onscreen button (movable, possible to disable) could appear when you visit the major towns (ones with that npc and the feature turned on). It would open the same interface as the NPC would, but variety of access options is required for the feature to get instantly popular among buyers and sellers.
## Technical stuff ##
Proposed solution does require minimal amounts of new data to be stored on server per account. In the 'light' version, with no new Xunlai selling Tab, NO additional data needs to be stored when not in selling mode. Only several of bytes of additional data (chosen bag, set prices) need to be processed while in the selling mode.
NO new database structures need to be created, no search engine.
The bandwidth usage should remain at the same very low levels as currently - new item data will be sent only after someone choosing an announcement and clicking [View Items] and it's just a few items, close to what would happen if a player entered a manual trade and showed 7 items.
If the repeated viewing of multiple 'shops' by many players proves to cause problematic bandwidth or server processing time overuse, there may be a need of setting up a time delay between two possible shop views.
I do not know the limitations of the current Party Search engine of how many entries can it display, but i expect it to be a very high number, or else players would be able to crash it even now on live servers.
Another possible issue might be the need of the viewing player to be in the same district as seller, but then, clicking [View Items] should display a warning "Are you sure want to move to district X?" and if yes, move the buyer to sellers district (just as it happens today, but without the need to join sellers party)
## Bonus: Item Links ##
And now for something completely different.
This brilliant feature exists in WoW, and one of latest GW updates introduced clickable Build Links that can be posted in chat, so there might be a possibility of doing the same for any item.
*Make them not work in Local chat but in Trade chat == using Trade chat automatically becomes very appealing for all sellers - every seller wants the ability to show the items they sell in a best way, so they will move to the trade channel for selling most of their wares, which should cut down the Local chat WTS spam to a minimum.
## Need your comments and /Signed votes
##If you have a reasonable idea of improving it even further while still keeping it realistic, post it here!
Only constructive criticism please after reading whole post, and no offtopic.
Your /Signed posts help bump this thread and increase the chance that Anet developers will see it!
