I always like the store in House D in Dungeon and dragons online (when the game release like 10 years ago) people could go sell there stuff there because AH wasnt ingame. So hardcore people sold there stuff there for what the npc offer. and if you where quick and lucky as a casual player you could get thos items from there (they where in store like 12 hours i think) you couldnt search for items or anything only change cheapest first etc.
Though in DDO you need like 100 diffrent items whit you all the time so this kind of npc merchant isnt for Pantheon.
other then that i want a merchant whit salt fo rmy crafting :P
I like 'old fashion stores'. Every Shopkeeper has its own Building. Not the "Supermarket"-Style, alot MMOs have, these days (like one Building, with ALL merchants n stuff).
Blacksmith should have its own Building, with his Anvil infront of the door, inside, his Son/Wife/Whoever sells Smithinggoods... Similar the other Tradeskills. Also maybe Workbenches there (Anvils for smithing, Loom for tailoring, ...). All nicely seperated, not AIO.
Also, some small Villages our Outposts should not always incl all typ of merchants. I dont think, every Village has its own smith/butcher/jewellery-shop or -workbenches.
Also the Merchants should have faction. Low faction, they maybe sell you stuff more expansive or even wont talk to you, if they really hate you. And also important is, the merchant should keep the items, player sold to them, so other players can buy the stuff.
Screenshots are always nice, Kilsin ;). But "Blacksmith" was just a example. Me, as a Magician/Wizard, im more into Tailoring or Jewellery ;).
I think, in "modern" MMOs, the reason, why maincities dying (best example is EQ2), cause you can get everything, thats avail in FP or Q, you can get somewhere else too... So a big Town should incl (most) of the merchants, guilds. Maybe Mineworker-Guilds, or Treehugers (Druids) or stuff, could be outside of those Towns (really depends how you guys going to make the stucture of the game).
I like going into a tavern and seeing people as well as NPCs using it as a place to relax and chat with each other. There should be some reason for them to gather there though otherwise players will just stand around at random in the zone and there won't really be that level of immersion where players meet just to socialise.
I'm not sure of what would make people gather at the local tavern though? Maybe a weak buff if you hang around there for 30 minutes or something? That would gather players together so they could chat at the local tavern. I wouldn't want the buff to be too powerful though just something small that would attract people for a very small boost.
In general I would like to see stores and merchants with a variety of styles and wares that reflect their locations in game. Elvish armor would be an exotic find in a halfling city, but would be common in elvish lands. Differences in status and rank of the vendor should also be reflected in the quality of the gear. A low level player with little coin would have better luck buying gear off a street hawker whereas a higher level character might commission a weapon at an artisian's smithy.
I am still hoping for a PC bazaar with visually distinguisable areas for each crafting/harvesting profession. Having customizable stalls that would upgrade with crafting level and player reputation would be sweet. Someplace a little more comfortable than EC Tunnel, but not as super simplified as WoW AH.
For NPC merchants I am most interested in seeing a mana merchant. I would expect that store to be vibrantly colored with a wide array of relics and bottled mana on display.
I hope that weapon and armor merchants will NOT make it into Pantheon .
Weapons and armor are typically something that players get by fighting or crafting .
If what the merchant sells is better than drops or crafts then why bother about drops and crafting ?
And if what he sells is worse then nobody buys it .
In either case coding armor and weapon merchants is just a waste of time . A good example are EQ weapon/armor merchants who are totally useless with their overpriced crappy items .
The merchants I hope to see are Inn keepers and merchants related to trade skills (smiths, tailors, alchemists, fletchers, book sellers ....)
I like a few different aspect of shoppes (Old English spelling, thank you very much):
I like a shop that is open-air market style where people tend to congregate. I love the hustle and bustle and the feeling of being somewhere vibrant. This is opposed to being in a shop that feels like a secluded closet with no other players around (because that feels like a single player game).
I also like surprise merchants (if they make sense). Like going way down in the bottom of a cave-zone and finding a dwarf who buys and sells a few things so you can get water and maybe unload some loot.
As for specific favorite stores, I loved the jewelry store in Thurgadin. I loved the rich green carpet and the display counters - it was totally in-tune with the zone's aesthetic and it felt like a real jewelry store.
Kilsin said:Everyone loves shopping for shiny new things, what type of Store or Merchant are you hoping will make it into Pantheon?
The type of merchant that I hope will make it to Pantheon are the stupid ones that travel alone in the dark, fat with coin and wearing little to no armor.
I also hope there will be annoyingly difficult to reach merchants that refresh their inventory with new and interesting but overpriced goodies every few days.
So as far as weapon/armor etc.. instead of using the cookie cutter approach (all merchants sell white grade equipment), make it so the only thing they sell is from the player. There could even be a contract open with a merchant, where if you have enough repertoir with the merchant, they will sell your crafted goods, and the higher your reputation, the better deal (profit) you are able to make. I agree with the above statement about merchants in general, I really dislike the majority of merchants you see with worthless stuff, the only purpose is as a filler for story (it is presumed that a small villiage, or hub will have merchants of some sort). Every merchant should have a reason to be there, and not just as a place to sell your junk.
I like a travelling merchant going around with a mule driven wagon, selling oddities that no other merchant has for sale and, at times and in various locations, no other merchant does. A true specialty merchant with some nice random surprises. One where, when you see him along the road, you'll go out of your way to stop and see his wares, because he usually has some good weird stuff.
I agree with many of the above posters. Shops, markets, and vendors should be tied into the social tapestry more if possible. Rather than, "a place to sell your junk" as VitaKorp3n asserts, merchants can really become a hub of all kinds of activity.
My favorites include both the larger open bazaar style markets with their vibrant activity and the lone wilderness vendor you find haggling on the side of a road in the middle of nowhere.
Great screenshot btw! I really like the rugs a lot (lots of detail and color) great job as always. Also, great altar table in the foreground! I wonder where all the overhead and stock is though.
Near the Qeynos gates there was a merchant that talked about how great his prices were. If you compared him to others you would notice he had horrible prices. I always thought that was pretty funny.
Kilsin said:Everyone loves shopping for shiny new things, what type of Store or Merchant are you hoping will make it into Pantheon?
I hope there are shops that sell the basics of everything, and what players make will be vastly superior, but if player made is unavailable, especially for consumables, I'd like to have shops that sell food & drink, ranged & throwing ammo, or potions & poisons.
So, my vote if I had to pick one? I'll say basic potions & poisons. The others might end up being in the realm of the Summoner class, as temporary consumable items. (ammo, food, etc)
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Now, a opinioned appraisal of the screenshot;
I am digging the style, and the lighting, and the textures. All of it screams simple, high performance and polished, to me. Looks like it's probably a general merchant of some kind, but alchemist is most likely, given the large amount of glassware and stoppered vials.
Having said that, there's a table with weapons between the forge(?) and merchant, and if those are weapons on the leftmost wall.. that's some seriously crude and brutal weaponry! :) Is it a weapon shop? An alchemist shop? A rug shop? General wares?
The open vaulted ceiling seems a bit lacking, it would benefit from a loft structure, even if it was inaccessible, or had a ladder or foldable/retractable staircase that was out of the way. (IMO) The open concept is great, but it seems like a wasted bit of space, given how useful it could be if used in that way.
The telescope/spyglass is interesting, pretty detailed and ornate, it almost seems out of place. I applaud the designers use of area rugs in their interior decorating. hehehe.
Finally, the bookshelf is an interesting touch, makes me wonder if it's pure decoration or indicative of something more meaningful.
Cromulent said:I'm not sure of what would make people gather at the local tavern though?
Perhaps a buff-duration-pause. I believe there's one in PoK in EQ1 these days. This would be an incentive both for people to enter a tavern and stick around without losing out.
On topic: I don't have any specific favorite merchants, but I agree with Lyrina. Spread merchants out in their own buildings/areas customized for their utility. For immersion :)
