Whether we are keeping the Market Wards or eventually getting an AH is something that will be argued about back and forth. Some like the wards, some want AH. I think most of us can agree the search features are severely lacking.

This is a UI mockup I made as an idea for a market search revamp. The current functionality is horrible and thats being kind.

[SIZE="5"]Here is the UI Mockup[/SIZE]

Note, this UI would be accessable from not only going to the market wards entrance, but from your PERSONAL retainers as well and from your main menu. If using the UI from the main menu it would lock out all features except for features of your actual characters inventory and bazaar. No bazaaring retainers/market searches while out in the field. But you could access your characters stuff from it.

Search
Items need to be searchable via text as well as drop down menus. The search bar would have boxes to toggle whether you wanted to search active listings, sold listings, by item name and my seller name.

Class/Job Dropdown
This dropdown would allow you to choose to search for items based on job/class.

Item Type
This dropdown would be specific to NON equip items only (Materia, Raw Materials, Crystals etc)

Item Slot
This dropdown would allow you to search equip items slot (Body, Head, Legs, Feet, Gloves, Accessories etc)

All drop downs would allow you to check off whether you want NQ or HQ versions of the item to appear in the search.

Stat Checkboxes
These boxes would allow you to further narrow down gear, only showing gear that has at least one of the stats you choose on it.

Sellers Bazaar Message
Players would be able to set a bazaar message via the UI. (this message would appear when a search result was highlighted or moused over)

Search Results
Results would show the name of item, quality, quantity the item is being sold in, the price of the quantity, the sellers name [retainers] and the ward it is located in (forgot to add that to the mockup!)

Item Info
A box with all the items info would appear as well after you highlighted or moused over the item in the search result.

Tabs
Not pictured, but there would be tabs for the following [Market Search][Selling][Repairs][Seeking].
  • Market search is the tab I spent time mocking up.
  • Selling would be a tab that would show your personal bazaar, retainer 1 bazaar and retainer 2 bazaar in three separate columns. Sorta like [PB][R1][R2]
  • Repairs would be the same as the above Selling tab in layout, but with repairs instead. MONEY WOULD NOT TAKE UP A SPOT IN YOUR BAZAAR! Also, with changes allowing the player to ask for repairs WHILE WEARING their armor is a must.. I mean really.
  • Seeking would be the same as the selling tab, but with items you are seeking instead. You would be able to list items you want to buy and offer up MULTIPLE items for trade, or gil and items. The reward for the server would NOT take up space in bazaars. You could list items you don't have in your inventory as seeking (Lets implement a database FTW! You would also be able to list as many to buy as you want within the systems/inventory limitations)