Talk to the Team: Consignment Merchants

[Amarie Ancalimon]

Presently consignment merchants will return goods to a player’s vault after a time if the item doesn’t sell. There has been talk about either lifting that time limit totally or extending it greatly, and we’d like to know your thoughts on this.

A few pieces of note... Limits on how many items you can have on consignment at once is not up for discussion. This isn’t being considered for change and attempts at starting a discussion on it will be removed from this thread.

Options for “how long” will be limited to one of two time lengths, four weeks or unlimited. Should the best choice be to go with “unlimited”, the items would still be removed from the consignment merchant should the account that the character is tied to no longer have a subscription on it. Details on that and what would happen to the items would be determined after we’ve collected feedback via this thread and determined a course of action.

And this would apply to both “Imperial” and “Player” consignment merchants.

I think that about covers the main points. So the question at hand is

Would you prefer consignment merchants hold items for

• as long as they do now (two weeks)
• four weeks
• an unlimited time period, so long as the person keeps a subscription

[Takora Drakan]

• an unlimited time period, so long as the person keeps a subscription

I think most players, especially the new ones would greatly profit from this. Many players are creating low level items for the new players, and put it on the Consigner that they can purchase better things than the refurbished vendors. I even did that myself for a time, but I stopped because a part of the items would go often back and so clutter up my valut, and so it turned more into an annoyance for me to put back the items on the consi for the new players.

[Zoran]

My preference would be an unlimited time period, so long as the person keeps a subscription

Would any change also apply to the barkeeps in the taverns?

[Jorev1]

choices in order of preference

1. 2 weeks
2. 4 weeks
3. Unlimited ( really hate this idea since the connies will be cluttered with items that just don't sell) I would only go with this option if we are given the ability to search for new items added only;

[Xanthia]

I prefer the 4 weeks myself- and here's why:

I find that some weeks are slower than others and items that normally sell might not sell within the 2 week limit we have now but sell almost automatically on the third week (after putting them back up in the connie) - I'd assume it's because people tend to buy in bulk one week where they are flying off the shelves- and then it takes them a while before they need to repurchase them again.

Another reason why I like the 4 weeks is because like Jorev1 mentioned, if it were unlimited, we probably end up with overstuffed connies with stuff people simply don't want to buy because there might be 0 demand for. And overstuffed connies are not really nice things when you have to sift through all those items to see what's selling. Whereas a month provides a decent amount of time for people to see it, and if it drops back into the vault, it's probably a good indicator that no one wants it- and then it can go to pawn.


And this is based off on sales of keys, portable totes, recharge cells, blighted stuff, scrolls and sunscopes I sell on chaos as a point of reference.

[C`gan]

While I'm more in favor of the 4 week limit, I'd like to also ask if another option could be considered. I know some would prefer items consigned and not sold to return to them. There are also some of use who would prefer to have those things NOT come back to us if they're not wanted. Perhaps an option could be added to the consinger when going through the two pop-ups (how many of this stack do you want to sell and how much do you want to sell each for) to have a third pop-up to ask if we'd like the item returned or pawned if it's not bought within the time limit. It would also require another option in the Customize window where it could be changed from one to the other if, for instance, one item continually fails to sell and continues to be returned, it could be changed over to sell instead or to correct a mistake that we want a particular item to return rather than be pawned.

[Steelclaw]

I'm not too keen on the unlimited retention period. When coupled with no limit to the number of copies of each item, consigners will fill up with stuff that nobody wants to buy and everyone has to sift through.

(That's not to open a discussion nor suggest that a limit on the number of copies of an item even be considered.)

I like the idea of four weeks, at least as long as the option to go back to two is available if the popular consigers get (more) overrun with junk.

[Chasing]

I would go for unlimited in a perfect world, however it has drawbacks

Pros

• Large quantities of items would become available for sale
• Will greatly help ease the acquiring of items as many will be available on the consigner
• Stops vault overloading and vault dropping

Cons

• The backend database will suffer greatly (and I know it will)
• The trade filters won't cope with the amount of items required
• A view all filter (with the current download cap removed) will cause massive data downloads (20+ mins for a connie to load......)
• Maintenance and patch downtimes will increase
• Players will get stuck as they hit their connie slots and then can't add anything else until they either remove an item (lose the % fee cost), or sell a item.
• Indirectly increase the amount of data traffic (downwards) in a accumulative amount.

Yes unlimited is a good scenario in a perfect world, but there are just too many technical limitations to overcome to make it work properly.

[Knossos]

Please no unlimited - it would simply trade one set of problems for another with equal or greater drawbacks to either present(2 week) or 4 week option

My vote is 4 weeks as it gives 100 pct improvement on both availability of stuff on connies and correspondingly less intervention with dumps to vault. Those dumps give opportunity to make the repost/pawn decision or repost at lower price, under player control depending on what comes back as dump.

Knossos

[awdz]

Of the choices, my preference is for unlimited time on consignment. However, I see the ideal as letting the player choose an options at the time of consignment - 1 week, 2 weeks, 4 weeks, annual or indefinite. If you have to keep a date for when it comes off the connie, why not let the player have input when they consign it as to when that date would be?

[Sigi]

4 weeks and the option to go to pawn instead of falling back to vault.

[Whysp]

This is actually not an easy question; especially if the feedback results in just ONE time limit (or lack thereof). I, personally, do a fair amount of "supplying". I put things on the consigners for other people to buy. Having things be returned to me after a set amount of time allows me to consolidate the things that don't sell, and relist them. Or even change up the things I'm offering; since I do only have a certain amount of consignment slots avaliable. By the same token, a limitless listing will allow for more people to look for the item.

The feature I'm actually most interested in wasn't addressed; either in the "is about" or "is not about". I think the thing that really limits the players is the amount of travel it takes to search for what they're looking for. I feel if the consigners were linked game-wide, or even between specific zones, time limit and consignment slots avaliable would be much less of an issue.

[joemarra052075]

The feature I'm actually most interested in wasn't addressed; either in the "is about" or "is not about". I think the thing that really limits the players is the amount of travel it takes to search for what they're looking for. I feel if the consigners were linked game-wide, or even between specific zones, time limit and consignment slots avaliable would be much less of an issue.

This is somthing that I as a buyer would love to see as well, maybe linked the same way they are linking the portal system.

[Shian]

This is actually not an easy question; especially if the feedback results in just ONE time limit (or lack thereof).

This. Honestly I can't really vote. I would love to see a button that chooses between the three. Food for example should be until sub lapses or is taken off as there is a relative guarantee that it will be sold. Things like forms and techs I'd put up for less time or more time depending on whether or not they sell. Armor I'd keep up forever. Someone will want it eventually.

[Guaran]

I'm not too keen on the unlimited retention period. When coupled with no limit to the number of copies of each item, consigners will fill up with stuff that nobody wants to buy and everyone has to sift through.

(That's not to open a discussion nor suggest that a limit on the number of copies of an item even be considered.)

I like the idea of four weeks, at least as long as the option to go back to two is available if the popular consigers get (more) overrun with junk.

This. Unlimited will introduce more problems than it solves.

4 weeks is plenty. If it hasn't sold by then, your price is too high, you listed too much quantity, or there are many others providing the same item.

Also, leaving items up on connie forever, eventually someone could be stuck, unable to list anything, and have to figure out where the items are listed. If they were potentially spread out among different consignors, this would be a pain.

Someone could decide to list 10000 speed potions on new trismus connie (and believe me, someone would). Then what would be the point of a new player leveling that school when they see huge stacks that in their months of playtime never ran out and moved by only a few hundred... would be discouraging against even bothering. Would wind up with a few select "helpful" players basically locking up the market on everything, new players would find 0 point in bothering with craft at all.

I believe the original source of this suggestion came from someone mentioning food on taverns... Perhaps Taverns (only) could be 4 weeks or 8 weeks, and regular connies 2 weeks or 4 weeks.

[Chasing]

Someone could decide to list 10000 speed potions on new trismus connie (and believe me, someone would). Then what would be the point of a new player leveling that school when they see huge stacks that in their months of playtime never ran out and moved by only a few hundred... would be discouraging against even bothering. Would wind up with a few select "helpful" players basically locking up the market on everything, new players would find 0 point in bothering with craft at all.

What you have mentioned here is volume sales. There is always going to be someone that can make things quicker, or in a higher quantity than other players (competition :P). That is effectively a key part of how trade works. If its the cheapest item, fair enough the bulk of people will buy it. There will be some that will buy based on who the crafter was (loyalty to brand).

This probably falls outside the scope of consigners, more along the lines of 'how do you encourage low level players to consign and sell items, and encourage high level players not to mass consign low level items'

[Loc]

I am for 4 weeks.

[Koragan]

I consign at several Chaos NPC and player shops. Most notably Clearport (connie and Tavern) as well as NT. In addition I stock a couple of guild only connies. The reason I stock "a lot of stuff" is for my own use and minimize interruptions to my game play for minor items. I can simply referr people to the appropriate connie/tavern.

I would like the options to consign for 4 week. This would cover most times that I am on the road and don't have ready access to the internet.
So my preference is for a 4 week option, or when consigning to have a 2/4 week option with corresponding charges.

I am against the forever option as it would tend to clog up the connie.
After the consignment period my preference is for the items to drop to vault as I tend to overstock items so that there is only a small chance that items (generally potions and foods) run out. Even though I "overstock" in general, from time to time Strength V, Metal Reapers or other items do sell out.

[Lillyjo]

is it possible to have the option of 2 weeks or 4 weeks for the listing. if so i thnk that would be better, as builders before used to put resources on connie to fall into their vaults after the 2 weeks so then they would be ready to build with the materials.

just wondering.

Lillyjo, Chaos server

[Vasilios]

little late post, but...

Would you prefer consignment merchants hold items for
as long as they do now (two weeks)
four weeks
an unlimited time period, so long as the person keeps a subscription

i vote for all three points..

let players choose one of them for every item

make a new property like "set price" and set days how long you would store things in consigners