We need an AH

[Tsuga]

While I like the idea of AH because it cuts out the whole "middle man" of traveling into the wards to find your items (I liken it go getting something from a vending machine, vs. going to the store to get something), that is not the main reason I would prefer an AH over Market Wards.

My main problem with the market wards is that we are limited by:

a.) retainer capacity of each ward, and
b.) the abysmal draw distance in regards to character models in this game.

The search function solves point b.), in regards to going in and picking up a single item from a starred NPC, but if that was the true intention of the market wards all along, then why wasn't an AH installed in the first place? It's the same system, just more streamlined. The market wards exist because the devs assumed that we would like to browse through a mob of NPCs to find an item, and that entire mechanic is undermined by the flawed draw distance.

Point a.) is my biggest problem with the market ward system. Nearly every time I want to go to set up my retainer to sell something in a ward, it is filled. I'm a weaver, and the tailor's wards are ALWAYS full. Every time I want to get repairs the Menders Row is full. Sure you could argue that I could send my retainers to Limsa, or Gridania, but those wards are empty for a reason. NO ONE IS THERE. Even if someone was there to buy my shit, what's going to happen when this game theoretically relaunches and gets hundreds of thousands more subscribers? The wards will be IMPOSSIBLE to get into if you don't have a macro running to reposition your retainer every time it gets booted, or if you can't spend the time to refresh it every damn day.

The solution to all of the flaws of the market wards would be a linked Auction House between all of the cities. It may not be absolutely necessary now, but when it comes time for relaunch, I don't think the flaws of the current market wards will be any more acceptable as they were at launch.

Edit:

No we do not.

Current Marketward Transaction

Enter wards
Search for Item
Find Seller
Go to ward
Pick up Item

The quickest you can do it is approximately 30 seconds. The longest I've ever searched for a specific item is less then 2 minutes.


FFXI > Blind Auction
Run to AH
Search through item lists for item you want
Find item you want (100 Listed)
Check Item History
Bid for item 10% lower then item history:
wait 5 seconds
Fail
Bid for Item 5% lower then item history:
wait 5 seconds
Fail
Bid for item same as last item History:
wait 5 seconds
fail
Re-check Item History, Recent item has been sold since last checked. 15% more then one before it.
Bid for item same price as new last one sold :
wait 5 seconds
Fail
Bid for item 5% more then last one sold:
wait 5 seconds
Success, Item delivered to inventory.


WoW
Go to Auction House.
Filter through items you want. See that everything in your level is posted for prices that are way above your characters possible gold at your level.
Find one that is decent. Bid on it.
Wait 2 days. Lose Bid.
Look again
Find new item. Bid.
wait 4 hours. Win Bid.
Wait hour for item to deliver to mail box.
Find mailbox to pick it up.


Auctions Fail. The only difference between the Marketward and an Auction house is the marketward has no Auction. Blind or Timed.

Now for WoW they do have a buy it now but guess what.

Search for item
Buy It Now
Go to Mailbox
Pick up Item

YOU STILL HAVE TO GO PICK UP THE ITEM.

Your entire argument is based on the assumption that anyone wants a system exactly like the ones present in the games that you listed above.

I don't see how anyone could argue that being able to BUY the item that you're searching for right from the search menu would not be faster than starring it, zoning, running to the starred NPC, selecting it, looking through their menu for the item at the price that you want it at, and then buying it.

Edit 2:

Last point -
There's no reason the Market Ward couldn't exist along side an AH. Similar to the "Rolanberry Market" in XI, there will always be mules standing around. imo, the market wards are the perfect place for that to happen. If people want to shop and vend that way, or certain goods are sold that way more frequently, then it can exist along-side an AH. Hell, the AH could be taxed more than mule vending as a price for convenience or something (just throwing that out there, not as a point of debate for some all problem solving system that I have in mind or something).