Forums » Crafting and Gathering

The Tunnel

    • 259 posts
    August 16, 2018 7:22 AM PDT

    While this sounds like it could be the title to a horror movie, it’s not. It’s the name given to what became the market place in original EverQuest.

    You see there is an actual tunnel that is used as a connection point between two zones in EverQuest. What makes The Tunnel unique from other places where players and crafters would sell their Ware’s, such as Kelethin, or Tree City as some people call it was that fact that it was a completely neutral area where all Races could meet and conduct business.

    The Tunnel sprang from this need of a neutral location that became the premiere merchant or auction house area, so to speak, for not just original EverQuest but also for the P99/EQ server that I am currently playing on.

    As you can see by this first image there are quite a few people selling their wares in the tunnel entrance.

    In this second image you can see what’s become known as T1 or the first torch section of the tunnel. During the busy time of evening there are to many merchants in the entrance, so people started setting up at the next available area within the tunnel under the first lit up area, first torch. As it became even busier people would move even farther into the tunnel to the next lit up areas that became known as T2 and T3, torch 2 and torch 3.

    When given the opportunity to find a solution to a much-needed problem, in this case it was a safe place to sell their wares, players will brainstorm and come up with a solution. I hope to see this same type of cooperation amongst players and crafter’s in Pantheon after it’s released. And yes the silver colored armor is crafted plate armor that my character made.

    I would prefer not to have just a static type auction house or bazaar. What about you? What type of system would you like to see in Pantheon?


    This post was edited by Shyin at August 16, 2018 7:23 AM PDT
    • 168 posts
    August 16, 2018 7:46 AM PDT

    As a huge crafter, I am also big into selling those crafts. Saying that; there is no way in Hell I wish to sit with a thumb up my arse hawking my wares.

    There is a game world to explore, things to see and do with guildies. Give me a board to read that has "crafts wanted adds" aka purchase orders, give me a method of selling my wares without having to sit in a single place (read that as NOT exploring the world, NOT doing dungeons with guildies).

    There are multiple AH threads and it boils down to a few camps; those that enjoyed this and wish to force their version of socialization at you and those that would rather be doing other things because selling crap really takes a back seat to experiancing the game world. I am obviously in the camp that would rather have a non-physical presence type system. I am perfectly fine with it being more like a classified add where you actually have to meet the person to exchange goods, I am perfectly fine with the personal vendor system of DAoC, and I am perfectly fine with the fully automated AH system of WoW. I am not fine with being stagnant trying to interprit speedy WTS and WTB chat. That is not a game to me, that is torture.

  • August 16, 2018 5:55 PM PDT

    It's funny how I've seen more than one person talk about the Commons tunnel being *the* marketplace on their server.  I suspect it was due to the fact that it was the first crossroads for good and evil factions.  On Tunare where I played, Greater Faydark was also a common place to sell goods. 

    I have mixed thoughts on the whole auction house idea.  I'm definately against a server or large-scale auction house similar to what we've seen in modern MMOs.  I think it takes away from the value of regional commodities and removes some of the "mystique" of value of items that are not native to a region.  I remember at low levels harvesting the minotaur axes from Steamfont and selling them for double their value in the Commons.  At the same time I'm also not a huge fan of a zone being spammed with auctions that I don't care to see or requiring the seller and I to both be online at the same time.

    I think a good compromise is region specific marketplaces that can be accessed at various cities as well as a "service fee" being associated with every sale.  By limiting a market to a region, you are limiting availability of region-specific dropped items and by charging a fee, you are enticing people to try selling their item through other means before dropping them off at the market.

    • 1785 posts
    August 16, 2018 7:06 PM PDT

    I'll play.

    I've said this elsewhere (repeatedly), but I believe that a consignment style sales system (auction house) is needed.  We cannot and should not expect the bulk of players to be able to sit in one place and sell things instead of doing other gameplay activities.  Trying to force everyone into an EC-tunnel mode of selling is only going to prevent players from participating in the economy, and heavily skew economic activity towards those that either make this their primary form of gameplay, OR that have a vast amount of disposable time.

    This isn't that I'm against player to player trading at all - indeed, I support it.  But it cannot be the only method for buying/selling.

    At the same time, a global consignment system (auction house) is an immediate fail.  This is because it forces every single supplier in the economy to compete with every other supplier on price.  It exacerbates supply/demand issues and penalizes newer players who don't have access to rare items to sell.

    Third, I believe that the system we use should add life to the game world and NPC towns and cities.  I'm not talking about a single auction house or market board with a ton of people standing around, but rows of merchant shops and stalls with customers at each.

    So, here's what I want to see:

    1) In each city/town/region there should be some sort of auction house/pawnbroker/market board.  The only listings displayed are for THAT city/town/region.  You don't get to see what's for sale a few zones away or what their prices are.  This allows each area of the map to have its own economy, and allows that economy to support more suppliers.  It also allows enterprising players to travel and buy low/sell high.

    2) In addition to selling things, you can also use the consignment system to buy things.  Need hides to make that sweet leather armor?  Post a buy order up.

    3) Want to sell more things than the basic limit?  You can hire an NPC merchant to buy and sell for you in the same town/city.  That merchant has the ability to buy/sell more things simultaneously and for a lower transaction fee, but you have to pay for the shop space (which you can customize to help advertise your store) and there's only so many merchant stalls in town.  The fewer there are open, the more expensive they are to maintain.  Town full up and you want to open a shop?  Consider moving elsewhere, or wait for your chance.

    4) Want to buy/sell stuff without the fees?  Hang around the market in the town of your choice and advertise in /auction.  You'll get customers.

    • 15 posts
    August 22, 2018 10:17 PM PDT

    Nephele I like some of your ideas very much.

     

    I will say this about EQ. Every town zone had people selling items in their zone as well as the EC tunnels. If you wanted to get the really good stuff you generally had to take the boat from Butcherblock to Freeport and travel or something like that which made it an adventure in itself. That was a fun experience for me on my Dorf pally, going to get my Polished Mithril Tomohawk in EC, then going back to Unrest and using it while being trained to death...

    People won't have to go to an EC like place but it does give the hardcore traders/crafters a place to really sell stuff, a centralized hub.

     

    I really like the idea of consignments to buy things. Especially an npc that offers to buy things at a certain price. I think those should be the only npc vendors in the game, those who buy and sell for players. That would make them necessary for ALL to use and you could perhaps give them something to /say to draw players nearby's attention. "Buying crafting materials!" something like that...There could be a limited list of things an NPC could say so people couldnt go all barrens chat in vendor areas....