Auction House system to complement existing Market Areas (Discussion) [dev1019]

[Wolfie]

AH: Selling fast-selling, common, and cheap items.
MW: Selling slow-selling, rare, expensive items.

This is almost exactly how AH and bazaars worked in FFXI, Aion, and practically every MMO that had both.

People will naturally flock to the AH to make their quick sales, but when they know they have an expensive, rare item that will take a while to sell, they'll put up a bazaar or shout in trade chat to pawn it off. Nobody wants to re-list an expensive item several times, when you can do it just once in a bazaar.

Even if you have no limits on the kinds of items you can sell in both systems, people will still be doing this.

[Amineri]

AH: Selling fast-selling, common, and cheap items.
MW: Selling slow-selling, rare, expensive items.

This is almost exactly how AH and bazaars worked in FFXI, Aion, and practically every MMO that had both.

People will naturally flock to the AH to make their quick sales, but when they know they have an expensive, rare item that will take a while to sell, they'll put up a bazaar or shout in trade chat to pawn it off. Nobody wants to re-list an expensive item several times, when you can do it just once in a bazaar.

Even if you have no limits on the kinds of items you can sell in both systems, people will still be doing this.

This is an interesting twist on the concept I had.

I think in this vision, your 'auction house' actually would function as a 'commodity exchange'. This would a fast paced place, with people constantly shouting buy and sell orders for various commodities, with the exchange (the in-game mechanics) helping match up buyers and sellers.

I would envision it is people placing buy and sell orders for various commodities, and when a match is made the commodity exchange makes the exchange for the players, automatically swapping items and gil (minus the exchange fee).

For example:
Player A has 67 iron ore listed as sell for 990 gil each
Player B has 52 iron ore listed as sell for 1050 gil each
Player C enters the exchange and buy order for 90 iron are at up to 1100 gil each.
The exchange automatically sells Players A's 67 iron ore to Player C for 990 gil each, and also sells 23 of Player B's iron ore for 1050 gil each.

This is a perfectly viable exchange mechanism, and one that mirrors real world activities.

The principle difference is that this represents a hectic commodity exchange in NY, while the current market wards represent a trip to the grocery or hardware store.

Regarding the "MW: Selling slow-selling, rare, expensive items.", I think that this is following the concept of a boutique store. Only the expensive of beautiful items may be had here. Prices are high, since you're paying as much for the brand-name prestige as the item itself. Items are displayed on beautiful mannequins, and passers-by stare with undisguised envy.

Both of these concepts are valid game designs, and present interesting possibilities.

The only concerns that pop off the top of my head are:
a) Commodity Exchanges may be more susceptible to market manipulation by RMTers and unscrupulous players
b) Item Boutiques command fairly low visibility, and don't provide a mechanism for buyers / seller to converge to a mutually acceptable price.

I'm sure both of these could be worked around, however!

Thanks for the feedback ^_^

[Chione]

AH: Selling fast-selling, common, and cheap items.
MW: Selling slow-selling, rare, expensive items.

This is almost exactly how AH and bazaars worked in FFXI, Aion, and practically every MMO that had both.

People will naturally flock to the AH to make their quick sales, but when they know they have an expensive, rare item that will take a while to sell, they'll put up a bazaar or shout in trade chat to pawn it off. Nobody wants to re-list an expensive item several times, when you can do it just once in a bazaar.

Even if you have no limits on the kinds of items you can sell in both systems, people will still be doing this.

I agree with this and would like to see it stay this way.

While some rare and expensive things do end up on the AH, it is the first place most people go to buy things in FFXI. And if it isn't found there, then they start bazaar hunting. At least bazaar roaming is a lot easier with the wards in this game. :P So finding that prestige piece of gear would take at most, 3 teleports to find what you want if it isn't in the AH. That's not bad for finding a new weapon or gear that you desperately need.

On the flip side, using teleports to find and gather crafting bits or crystals for synth grinding.... not so great. Right now, on our server at least, Ul'dah has become the 'Jeuno' of Eorzea. So it's rather troubling for those of us who don't make our homes there to know that if we can't find it in our city wards we are going to have to make a trip there. And even then, we might end up empty handed, minus a few anima, and with naught but the droning elevator background music of Ul'dah to welcome us.

As for the RMT concern, that will be a concern with any AH type system, as they will always have all day to sit and camp the stalls. There's not really any getting around that unless they simply decide not to put an AH in at all.

To be honest, I'm not sure that's even such a bad idea.

I know the areas already exist for them, but instead of an automated AH, perhaps they could be used for real-time auctions held by players, announced by runners and on these forums with a time/date. I did play a game that had one of these type buildings, with game mechanics assisting both the player selling, and the potential buyers in the audience. I think it would make for fun events and gatherings for those that were inclined to try and get a good deal on something and for those who have mountains of gear piling up that they don't want to just vendor off. The player holding the auction would have to 'rent' the building for the time period which would make up for the listing fee of a normal ah, or the taxes on the wards.

It would take designing a new UI for the seller (for starting the auction, announcing going once/twice, and then sold) and for the buyers (raise bid minimum, double last bid, etc). To make it really shiny, it could even have mannequins or a display table to show the item being bid on. Oh! And they could bring back the auction house music from FF6~