Any word on when we will get an Auction House?

I am looking forward to the Auction house any word on when it will be available?

We don't really need an auction house, the market wards do everything an AH does except that you have to pick up your item(s).

What does an AH do that you can't do in the wards?

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Originally Posted by Defmetal

We don't really need an auction house, the market wards do everything an AH does except that you have to pick up your item(s).

What does an AH do that you can't do in the wards?

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This

An AH just makes people lazy, with this way of th market wards I feel I am at a mall. . .minus the EMO

At first I felt we should have Auction House, but ever since they fixed up Market Ward, I actually prefer Market Ward to Auction House. I feel it has a lot more possibility this way and can work better. There's still some issues (IE the ward keeps crashing, thus dumping all the retainers). Once the issues get fixed, and gets more feature, it will be better.

I really see that at this point an AH would be redundant I know they want to have a different system and I like it but it can lead to more impulse buys haha

Although I'd almost prefer if you couldn't name your retainers, sometimes its nice to know who your buying from

I agree, now that there's a search function I also prefer the current wards system to an AH. I find it nice to be able to manage your storage and bazaar at the same time.

Well, it would still be nice to have an actual counter with an NPC instead of a bunch of people standing in a line right infront of the market wards... But also, since you asked...

- An AH that connects all 3 cities would be wonderful
- Being able to see a price history (e.g. the AH from FFXI)
- Not having to go between multiple retainers to sell items, instead being able to drop everything at one counter

Just to name a few. =P

Edit: I guess the short version is that the market wards are a (still sub-optimal) way of solving a problem that has already been solved in a far more elegant way.

From what we know, the AH is not a guarentee right now. They are still looking into the impact of the current ward system.

But in all seriousness, with the way the current system is in its current incarnation....we dont really need an AH.

Especialy when you add in all the improvements im sure they still have planned for it.

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Originally Posted by Suirieko

At first I felt we should have Auction House, but ever since they fixed up Market Ward, I actually prefer Market Ward to Auction House. I feel it has a lot more possibility this way and can work better. There's still some issues (IE the ward keeps crashing, thus dumping all the retainers). Once the issues get fixed, and gets more feature, it will be better.

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This. We really don't need an auction house now, and the state of the game is in, this definitely should not be SE's priority.

An Auction House is not needed. The only thing an AH will do is cut a little time of you running to the retainer. But then with an AH you might have to run to a mail box or somewhere else to get your item as well.

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Originally Posted by Defmetal

Although I'd almost prefer if you couldn't name your retainers, sometimes its nice to know who your buying from

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I agree with this, it could help somewhat with reducing the RMT involvement if we knew who each mule belonged to.

I mean, really, the menus are all but an AH, just with the pointless addition of walking for no reason. I'd love for them to just bulldoze the wards entirely at this point, they're a relic of a mostly-discarded idea.

The only disadvantage I'm seeing is the pure fact, that everyone crumbles in Uldah and Gridania/Limsa Wards are more or less empty.

I dunno what effort it would be to connect those 3 Wards into one. But once we getting Airships and better travel chances, the connection between those 3 cities are better. So a workaround would be an airship already.

But all in the all I'm happy with the wards, cept the crashing :O

(I hope there will be new update notes today ;3 )

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Originally Posted by Bethor

The only disadvantage I'm seeing is the pure fact, that everyone crumbles in Uldah and Gridania/Limsa Wards are more or less empty.

I dunno what effort it would be to connect those 3 Wards into one. But once we getting Airships and better travel chances, the connection between those 3 cities are better. So a workaround would be an airship already.

But all in the all I'm happy with the wards, cept the crashing :O

(I hope there will be new update notes today ;3 )

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This could be fixed by linking the wards to every city together

If you could interact with the market wards through the UI instead of having to physically walk into a room full of stationary NPCs it would be much better. We could call it.... the market house, or MH for short.

It would not be an AH at all.

I can't understand why any of you would think the market wards are a better system than an auction house. Do you want this game to fail or to succeed?

I don't know about you, but I don't want to play an empty MMO.

You say the AH makes people lazy.... this is a video game that we're playing on our spare time. I spend my day earning money. I don't want to work on my leisure time.

The problem I have with the Market Wards, is that after I search for my item through the lists, I have to physically go over to the NPC, check it and buy my item.

With an Auction House, I could buy the item directly from the list. It cuts out all the zoning and walking around, which takes up the majority of the time during your purchases.

Instead of taking 20+ minutes to buy new gear, it could take around 2 minutes instead. Why waste your time walking around in the wards, it's not really that interesting now is it?

Still rooting for an auction house personally.

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Originally Posted by KorakeGorgon

The problem I have with the Market Wards, is that after I search for my item through the lists, I have to physically go over to the NPC, check it and buy my item.

With an Auction House, I could buy the item directly from the list. It cuts out all the zoning and walking around, which takes up the majority of the time during your purchases.

Instead of taking 20+ minutes to buy new gear, it could take around 2 minutes instead. Why waste your time walking around in the wards, it's not really that interesting now is it?

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Sorry if I am misunderstanding, but are you saying, it takes you 20 minutes to walk from the entrance to an npc and buy a piece of gear?

Right now, tonight for instance, i went to buy new weaving tools cuz i was too lazy to make my own.
i was in and out in less then 2 minutes, with both a primary and secondary tool in my hands.

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Originally Posted by KorakeGorgon

The problem I have with the Market Wards, is that after I search for my item through the lists, I have to physically go over to the NPC, check it and buy my item.

With an Auction House, I could buy the item directly from the list. It cuts out all the zoning and walking around, which takes up the majority of the time during your purchases.

Instead of taking 20+ minutes to buy new gear, it could take around 2 minutes instead. Why waste your time walking around in the wards, it's not really that interesting now is it?

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Not to mention market wards crash and retainers have to be resummoned, You would never have to resummon an auction house.

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Originally Posted by KorakeGorgon

The problem I have with the Market Wards, is that after I search for my item through the lists, I have to physically go over to the NPC, check it and buy my item.

With an Auction House, I could buy the item directly from the list. It cuts out all the zoning and walking around, which takes up the majority of the time during your purchases.

Instead of taking 20+ minutes to buy new gear, it could take around 2 minutes instead. Why waste your time walking around in the wards, it's not really that interesting now is it?

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That's just it. Some people here are saying they're better than an AH, when the Wards at this point *are* an AH, just with unnecessary walking. You open a menu, search for an item, and look for the lowest priced one - just like an AH, except instead of being able to buy it from the menu, you have to walk for no reason other than it being a relic of the failed Wards system. It being the case that they are essentially Auction Houses, there's no reason to leave pointless walking in.

Well, I don't see the need of an AH right now. But still, at the moment our main problems are:
- We can't tell the difference from NQ to +1/+2/+3 items in the Ward Search List.
- Three wards(grid/limsa/uldah), and at least on figaro, 90% of the ret's are at Uldah, and people don't even bother using Gridania/Limsa wards anymore.
- Crashes(which are the most upsetting thing from all three, as it wipes all the retainers and we can't search when there's nothing, right?)

Cheers.

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Originally Posted by TheVedis

Sorry if I am misunderstanding, but are you saying, it takes you 20 minutes to walk from the entrance to an npc and buy a piece of gear?

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Sorry, I meant gear as in plural. Like when you level up a bunch, and it's time to buy some new pieces of equipment, you need alot of new stuff.

As some poster have said, yes we need an auction house, but as of right now we can live with what we have and SE can concentrate on other more important matters... I mean seriously how hard is it for you to find what you need.

I don't feel the need for an auction house at this time. There are much more important issues which need to be addressed first...... like content.

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Originally Posted by TonyMontana

You would never have to resummon an auction house.

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5 star post.

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Originally Posted by TonyMontana

Not to mention market wards crash and retainers have to be resummoned, You would never have to resummon an auction house.

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Ward crashes have been FAR less frequent since 1.16. I wouldn't really cite that as a reason for an AH in itself. Its a bug, bugs can and will be fixed in time.

With certain improvements this system could be superior to an AH. The main one being if you decide to buy an item fron a retainer listed in the results from the search screen it is delivered to you then and there instead of having to go get it. I love the current system because it serves a dual purpose. 1. the reatainers serve as you sellers in lace of the AH format. 2. The retainers can act as mules without the hassle of having to log out of your main character just to get something sent from your mule.

We do need an auction house for many reasons. It's more efficient, simpler, easier, and to be able to see what other items have sold for only makes things better for everyone. It's a great idea, and it's guaranteed to work... Look at other MMO's, they all have an AH and it seems to work out very well.

AH not needed.

Maybe a way to link all three cities so we can shop wherever we are.

I'd like to see Grid and Limsa functional again. I like them :)

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Originally Posted by Griever

Well, I don't see the need of an AH right now. But still, at the moment our main problems are:
- We can't tell the difference from NQ to +1/+2/+3 items in the Ward Search List.
- Three wards(grid/limsa/uldah), and at least on figaro, 90% of the ret's are at Uldah, and people don't even bother using Gridania/Limsa wards anymore.
- Crashes(which are the most upsetting thing from all three, as it wipes all the retainers and we can't search when there's nothing, right?)

Cheers.

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I agree with you. I rather like the market wards, except for the issues that you pointed out. It can also be a pain trying to sell things at times. Especially if you have a lot of different types of items. Though, I know all you have to do is sell one type of item at a time.

Considering other open issues, they really should work on other content, and not a minor improvement over the market wards that will suck up an engineering team for a few weeks. I'd rather see useful or interesting content like activate the coliseum in Uldah, allow crafters to sign their crafts, allow users to trade more than 4 items at a time, or more than 1 stack of any item, etc.

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Originally Posted by AarosLunos

Ward crashes have been FAR less frequent since 1.16. I wouldn't really cite that as a reason for an AH in itself. Its a bug, bugs can and will be fixed in time.

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"FAR less frequent" = "still happening"?

For the people talking as if the Wards are all that different from an AH in their current form, could you explain how? Yes, you have to walk to the vendor. But the search menu is essentially the same menu you bring up in numerous other games at an AH. You bring up a menu, search for what you want, look for the lowest price, and make the purchase.

I just don't get all these posts saying, "I like the Wards better than an AH" or "We don't need an AH right now" when that's virtually what we have, just a bloated, unintuitive one. And, that being the case, we might as well streamline the process.

Searchable hq would make the wards very close to an ah without a lot of the economic flaws like botting, price flipping and straight spam camping. You can do a lot of damage to an economy with single-point instant procurement methods.

They probably will break down and put one in though. Then the markets are at least a great way to clean up the streets from afk bazaars.

It's been said before, but I'm glad to see most people in agreement here on this. An Auction House, especially an FFXI-style AH that some people are clamoring for is not only unneeded but could be a detriment. The Wards are functioning at a near perfect level of efficiency and ease of use. The only things I could see needing to be done is linking all three wards and letting us see High Quality items on the item search. Though, as far as linking goes, once we get better ease of travel (cough airships cough) that might not be so difficult of an issue. Square should just call the wards "The Auction House" so we can tell people "yes there is one" and move on to more important issues.

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Originally Posted by Peregrine

Searchable hq would make the wards very close to an ah without a lot of the economic flaws like botting, price flipping and straight spam camping. You can do a lot of damage to an economy with single-point instant procurement methods.

They probably will break down and put one in though. Then the markets are at least a great way to clean up the streets from afk bazaars.

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i predict searchable HQ will be the next upgrade to the wards

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Originally Posted by Toornio

It's been said before, but I'm glad to see most people in agreement here on this. An Auction House, especially an FFXI-style AH that some people are clamoring for is not only unneeded but could be a detriment. The Wards are functioning at a near perfect level of efficiency and ease of use. The only things I could see needing to be done is linking all three wards and letting us see High Quality items on the item search. Though, as far as linking goes, once we get better ease of travel (cough airships cough) that might not be so difficult of an issue. Square should just call the wards "The Auction House" so we can tell people "yes there is one" and move on to more important issues.

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I'm dying for an explanation here. You just described an Auction House, not "Market Wards." Market Wards, in their original concept, are dead, and what we have is a rudimentary Auction House, just with walking. It sounds to me like you're *agreeing* that you like that we have an AH-style system now, and are quite happy to have moved beyond Market Wards in their original concept.

Since the implemented changes, I find the market wards to be an excellent work in progress. And, I like that I don't have to re-list items when they don't sell within a given time frame.

Simple tweaks will make this system blow away the conventional auction house, imo. If they make everything else in the game fun and eventful, people will not quit playing the game because of the current barter system.