WARDS

[Wolfie]

It's that kind of pig headed stubborness that keeps everyone in Uldah in the first place. Will people get over it, and slowly move to Grid and LL? Maybe... I've seen Grid grow a little and even found items I've needed there.

If you WANT to set up your retainer, you can go there. Your chances of selling stuff goes up at the very laest 1% than the 0% chance you have of selling anything on a retainer not being put out. OH! AND~ you can continue to set up your own bazaar and shout! Imagine that?

On to the idea of auction houses...I didn't play XI long enough to use it much. But wasn't there some kind of problem with auction houses? I'm seriously asking, not cutting down the idea.

Sorry I'm stubborn, but me moving to Gridania would mean that I will instantly lose out on a huge amount of customers, 10,000 gil, and party shouts. There's not even any "trade off" here, it's just simply me losing out on everything with no gain. Why would I ever want to do that, when I can just exploit the crappy system we have now and ensure that everything I need is in Ul'dah?

[Vaer]

On to the idea of auction houses...I didn't play XI long enough to use it much. But wasn't there some kind of problem with auction houses? I'm seriously asking, not cutting down the idea.

Depends on the way you view it.

First, there was a limit of how many things you can sell at once. You get 7 slots. (same as retainer slots pretty much at this point)

At first, an annoyance is that you can't cancel auctions from other city AH's. (They're now all linked I believe so that is not an issue anymore.)

Second, you could not see how much people put up their items for, so you are basically guessing. (some people undercut like crazy or overcharge) This makes it easy to price fix as your only hint at what the item might have been put up for is the price history, which can be manipulated rather easily. (Such as a player overcharging for an item and buying it on his other character to set a precedent)

[Rina-ran]

Sorry I'm stubborn, but me moving to Gridania would mean that I will instantly lose out on a huge amount of customers, 10,000 gil, and party shouts. There's not even any "trade off" here, it's just simply me losing out on everything with no gain. Why would I ever want to do that, when I can just exploit the crappy system we have now and ensure that everything I need is in Ul'dah?

If you can't set up your retainer in Uldah in the first place, what customers are you losing? Your retainer isn't even set up! 10k I can understand, though that's an amount easily made back. There's no way around the airship prices if you're constantly low on Anima. And party shouts...set up retainer and just go back to Uldah? It's just the way things are for now.

This is simply if you really want to set up your retainer for a chance of selling whatever during the off chance you just might not be one of the first people in the MW. 'Exploit' all you want. But if you don't make it, you don't make it, and then you can choose to set up your retainer elsewhere.

[TheVedis]

If you can't set up your retainer in Uldah in the first place, what customers are you losing? Your retainer isn't even set up! 10k I can understand, though that's an amount easily made back. There's no way around the airship prices if you're constantly low on Anima. And party shouts...set up retainer and just go back to Uldah? It's just the way things are for now.

This is simply if you really want to set up your retainer for a chance of selling whatever during the off chance you just might not be one of the first people in the MW. 'Exploit' all you want. But if you don't make it, you don't make it, and then you can choose to set up your retainer elsewhere.

thats what i told him, he doesnt want to listen

a retainer which "might sell stuff if people look in other cities" is better then no retainer at all

and people do buy stuff in other cities, i bought stuff in grid last night cuz i was there and people had what i wanted for sale


id strongly suggest especialy putting stuff up for the company turn ins for grid and LL each week cuz people probly will specificaly look for those there if they are buying them to turn in

[Rina-ran]

Depends on the way you view it.

Second, you could not see how much people put up their items for, so you are basically guessing. (some people undercut like crazy or overcharge) This makes it easy to price fix as your only hint at what the item might have been put up for is the price history, which can be manipulated rather easily. (Such as a player overcharging for an item and buying it on his other character to set a precedent)

Hmm. I think that's the part I heard about it being so bad. But then again, the MWs now is all about undercutting the current lowest price or trying your luck at being the 2nd/3rd highest and hoping that whatever before you gets bought up before someone undercuts you again. Prices just continue to drop and drop with very little hope of inflating again.

The auction house idea doesn't seem so bad. Cause even if people used their alts to hike up the price and then underprice it, there's still a chance a player comes along and sees the item sold for 20k the last 20 times, but decide to try for 500g out of random and wind up getting and underpriced item. Am I right? It sounds like gamble on the seller's end to me. Unless the buyer loses that 500g and not get the item??

[Vaer]

Hmm. I think that's the part I heard about it being so bad. But then again, the MWs now is all about undercutting the current lowest price or trying your luck at being the 2nd/3rd highest and hoping that whatever before you gets bought up before someone undercuts you again. Prices just continue to drop and drop with very little hope of inflating again.

The auction house idea doesn't seem so bad. Cause even if people used their alts to hike up the price and then underprice it, there's still a chance a player comes along and sees the item sold for 20k the last 20 times, but decide to try for 500g out of random and wind up getting and underpriced item. Am I right? It sounds like gamble on the seller's end to me. Unless the buyer loses that 500g and not get the item??

That's sorta right. If someone places an item for 1 gil and price history says it's worth 500k, you would get it for 1 gil if you put that in. The reason people would undercut is to sell faster. When someone purchases an item the lowest price item always sells first. For example, I put an item for 20k that is worth 50k. Buyer pays 50k for it, mine sells before someone who put it for 21k, but I still get the 50k.

Usually people price things like 1,999 (sells before 2,000) or 1,001 (block someone from buying it for 1k so they maybe try 2000 to buy it) to one up people as people usually purchase things with last digits in 0's.

You see the issue here though. While most people are too lazy to try every single combination (such as 1,100, 1,111, 1,200, 1,202 etc), when someone is patient enough to do it the price on something can drop a lot rather quickly, especially if it is a hot item/flooded market.

[Rina-ran]

thats what i told him, he doesnt want to listen

a retainer which "might sell stuff if people look in other cities" is better then no retainer at all

and people do buy stuff in other cities, i bought stuff in grid last night cuz i was there and people had what i wanted for sale


id strongly suggest especialy putting stuff up for the company turn ins for grid and LL each week cuz people probly will specificaly look for those there if they are buying them to turn in

Yes, I see that, and I've been agreeing with what you've been trying to say to them. I'd rather go with the 1% someone might stop by Grid and buy something off my retainer than to have all those items just stuffed away with no chance. I'm not going to bother shouting to sell items...I'd rather be out and doing stuff. Hence I just want my retainer set up (Standing pretty is better than not standing. And yes, he looks very pretty.)

And with the inn down in Uldah so much, sometimes the MW in LL and Grid are the first place people go to when they log in. Just for a "quick check" before they leave for Uldah. Heck, between Ifrit and Moogle fights I sometimes stop by and I see people doing the same. Just for the chance there might be food they want or SB items. I know I've purchased SB items at Grid right after farming tapers.

Grid should be the next expanded MW. Cause right now that's where you go after Ifrit and Moogle and maybe even more soon.

[Kinseykinz]

How to set up a retainer in a 'full' market ward:

1. Rent a stall in a market ward. It cost about 500 gil and you can decorate it to your choosing. Also, no one can oust you if you are in a stall (they do have a time limit however so once your time has expired you will have to repay for the stall or leave) This option is best if you have a high volume of highly desired items you are willing to sell cheap/quick.
2. Find someone in menders row who is actually using it as intended (for repairs). Fix that persons stuff, their if retainer disappears, and you can place yours there.
3. Buy out someone else's retainer, and if it disappears, you can place yours. (Sometimes they are slow to disappear)
4. Convince a friend to move their retainer so you can place yours.
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Now a couple things:
1. I think it's silly to put items up for max price just to 'hold' a retainer. The whole point of this system is that you sell your stuff and get out. Not stay put forever. If you don't have useful stuff for sale, remove your retainer until you do.
2. Last night, there were 123 of one type of belt on our markets in Uldah. Anyone looking for an HQ one was screwed. If you have HQ items to sell, and there are 20+ NQ items of the same type for sale in your town, going to an off-town makes it easier for people to buy/find your HQ item. Trick is to price it THE SAME or even at a modest discount from what it would be in Uldah. People will remember where/how they got a good deal/item and come back.
3. I DO look in off-wards for mats/deals/items. I usually buy more daily from them than from Uldah. (but I am a cook and need odd mats)
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Things SE could do to improve it:
1. Waive Sales tax if you sell items in the City that contains the guild that contains the wares of that ward, as long as you are also selling your items in the appropriate ward. IE Selling Blacksmith-crafted Sword in the Battlecraft ward in LL=0 tax but selling same sword in Uldah=normal tax.
2. Make retainers 'disappear' from markets if they've sold nothing for over 7 days. Even if they still have stuff for sale on them. This will avoid the 99999999999 place holder people.
3. Consider only allowing people to place one retainer per city at a time. So you could still place both retainers but only one could be in Uldah...the other would need to be in an off-city.

[Rina-ran]

That's sorta right. If someone places an item for 1 gil and price history says it's worth 500k, you would get it for 1 gil if you put that in. The reason people would undercut is to sell faster. When someone purchases an item the lowest price item always sells first. For example, I put an item for 20k that is worth 50k. Buyer pays 50k for it, mine sells before someone who put it for 21k, but I still get the 50k.

Usually people price things like 1,999 (sells before 2,000) or 1,001 (block someone from buying it for 1k so they maybe try 2000 to buy it) to one up people as people usually purchase things with last digits in 0's.

You see the issue here though. While most people are too lazy to try every single combination (such as 1,100, 1,111, 1,200, 1,202 etc), when someone is patient enough to do it the price on something can drop a lot rather quickly, especially if it is a hot item/flooded market.

Oh, that first part does make it seem like a pain. I can't think of a way to make that nicer without someone losing out...

Has anyone thought/suggested maybe an actual auction house, with bidding? I suppose I can make a thread for what I'm thinking since I feel like I'm throwing this one off subject. ^^; (ya can tell by my post count I'm new to the forums.)

[Rina-ran]

How to set up a retainer in a 'full' market ward:

1. Rent a stall in a market ward. It cost about 500 gil and you can decorate it to your choosing. Also, no one can oust you if you are in a stall (they do have a time limit however so once your time has expired you will have to repay for the stall or leave) This option is best if you have a high volume of highly desired items you are willing to sell cheap/quick.
2. Find someone in menders row who is actually using it as intended (for repairs). Fix that persons stuff, their if retainer disappears, and you can place yours there.
3. Buy out someone else's retainer, and if it disappears, you can place yours. (Sometimes they are slow to disappear)
4. Convince a friend to move their retainer so you can place yours.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now a couple things:
1. I think it's silly to put items up for max price just to 'hold' a retainer. The whole point of this system is that you sell your stuff and get out. Not stay put forever. If you don't have useful stuff for sale, remove your retainer until you do.
2. Last night, there were 123 of one type of belt on our markets in Uldah. Anyone looking for an HQ one was screwed. If you have HQ items to sell, and there are 20+ NQ items of the same type for sale in your town, going to an off-town makes it easier for people to buy/find your HQ item. Trick is to price it THE SAME or even at a modest discount from what it would be in Uldah. People will remember where/how they got a good deal/item and come back.
3. I DO look in off-wards for mats/deals/items. I usually buy more daily from them than from Uldah. (but I am a cook and need odd mats)
_______________________________________________________________
Things SE could do to improve it:
1. Waive Sales tax if you sell items in the City that contains the guild that contains the wares of that ward, as long as you are also selling your items in the appropriate ward. IE Selling Blacksmith-crafted Sword in the Battlecraft ward in LL=0 tax but selling same sword in Uldah=normal tax.
2. Make retainers 'disappear' from markets if they've sold nothing for over 7 days. Even if they still have stuff for sale on them. This will avoid the 99999999999 place holder people.
3. Consider only allowing people to place one retainer per city at a time. So you could still place both retainers but only one could be in Uldah...the other would need to be in an off-city.

I really like your suggestions. Especially the 1 retainer per city one. I would actually suggest retainers to be removed in a lower number of days...maybe even just 1 if they don't sell anything. I mean, 'hired' help turns in at the end of every day, doesn't it?

I overall just love your post~

But I still feel that more players should try reaching out to other cities. And a congested Uldah may kick that idea through better.