Late-December Version Update (12/20/2010)

[Freelancer]

Late-December Version Update (12/20/2010)

The final version update of the year will introduce the item search function, which players may use to search through retainer bazaars in market wards to locate specific items. The date and time of the version update are as follows.
â—†Date and Time
Tuesday, December 21, 2010 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
â—†The Item Search Function
This version update marks the first of several that will introduce improvements to item-based searches. The features to be added this time are listed below.
A search option that tells players how many items of a certain type are being sold in the market area with which that item type is associated.

Retainers returned by a search now have a distinguishing icon displayed above their head.

* Searches can be conducted by selecting the item search option at the entrance to any market, or from within any individual ward, row, or den.
With the introduction of the item search feature, it will now be significantly easier for players to locate specific items. We will continue to improve this system with further enhancements such as keyword-based searches, the ability to show the retainers selling an item at the lowest prices for searches returning numerous hits as with synthesis materials, and more. Concrete details regarding such information will be released in future Topics posts here on the Lodestone as they become available.

Nice, but kinda underwhelming.

[jenova_9]

Re: Late-December Version Update (12/20/2010)

still useful, mew.

[Fliegar]

Re: Late-December Version Update (12/20/2010)

Underwhelming? If the Item Search Function does what I think it does, then this is better than the last update! I hate crawling through a horde retainers to find the one lalafel retainer that actually HAS something, stuck in the ass crack of a Galka retainer in the middle.

[Aeni]

Re: Late-December Version Update (12/20/2010)

Nice, but kinda underwhelming.

Underwhelming? This is as close as you will get to an Auction House. The only crappy thing is that if you're running an analysis on price trends and the like you're not going to get an accurate picture with a lot of intentionally overpriced items in bazaars. But this is definitely not underwhelming as it will cut down the time needing to pop into those bazaars.

Unless you liked it the way it was and was one of those players that put very hard to get items and overcharged for them. If so, you don't get any sympathy from me, that gravy train should've derailed a long time ago.

[Balfree]

Re: Late-December Version Update (12/20/2010)

running an analysis on price trends

i wonder if SE is trying to avoid just that?

don't see the point of skipping an AH.

[jenova_9]

Re: Late-December Version Update (12/20/2010)

They could make things better without overcomplicating things, mew. All they have to do is set individual price caps for every single item. That would balance and prevent overpricing. And it's easier for SE to control and edit/update when necessary.

[Aeni]

Re: Late-December Version Update (12/20/2010)

All they have to do is set individual price caps for every single item.

Why would they want to do that? That would be imposing prices on the market. That would be stupid and would immediately cause 90% of their customers to quit the game. Do you live in Cuba or something?


Balfree, you can already run prices trends on data submitted voluntarily by players. That's already happening on YG. FYI there's nothing wrong with running price trends. It keeps players in-line and prevents scalping of players, especially those who are new to the game.

[Dux]

Re: Late-December Version Update (12/20/2010)

I can see why this is underwhelming and I have to agree.

What we have after this patch is a third of an AH. We have the search functionality to tell us that something is there but thats it. It isn't even clear if this search functionality will search the wards in different cities and not just the one you are in, if it doesn't do that it is all but useless compared to Yellow Gremlin even though YGs data is a little stale sometimes. We can't buy anything at this search place, it doesn't even take us to where we need to go to buy the item and we also can't sell anything at this place as all of these things still require manual interaction with the retainer.

Without it being completely broken or city specific I couldn't think of a more under-whelming solution, if they had done anything less than this they would have done nothing at all.

[Balfree]

Re: Late-December Version Update (12/20/2010)

This whole system with physical retainers is simply not necessary...

Instead of retainers we should be allowed slots within the market system to sell stuff.

Then, to buy stuff, you would need to go to the markets and open up a menu where stuff would be available to purchase through an interface.

The solutions SE is implementing are not fixing the issue, at all. For each player that is in the markets, there are two or more physical manisfestations (avatars), this is simply inadequate and cumbersome. An interface to control which items you are selling (with the ability to sell stuff from your stashes and not just your inventory) is the definite way to go.

I am just taking a wild guess here, but I'm under the impression that these wards will be a secondary way of selling your stuff. And there will be a separate system much like in FFXI, for an AH.

So basically that would make the markets the same as what used to happen in Rolanberry Fields (atleast on Ragnarok). And then a city-based AH just like FFXI, maybe having access to other city AH's with comissions as to cover the delivery costs. :p

SE just needs to play FFXI, so they know where to improve in FFXIV.

[jenova_9]

Re: Late-December Version Update (12/20/2010)

well another solution is to learn from Phantasy Star Universe player shop system. People at their apartment could type/search an item they are looking forward, and it instantly pulls up a whole list of player shops and the prices they are selling them for.

That could help people find better deals instead of falling for the greedy tricks of the masses. It also forces greedy people to lower their prices if they want their stuff to sell compared to other players. Leaving the economy in the hands of the players will just repeat greed, cheating and corrupt business, mew.

[Malacite]

Re: Late-December Version Update (12/20/2010)

Maybe this new team will realize that other MMO's have successfully implemented auction houses with little to no issue?

[Aeni]

Re: Late-December Version Update (12/20/2010)

Maybe this new team will realize that other MMO's have successfully implemented auction houses with little to no issue?

The problem isn't a lack of auction houses. I've already said before that the AH already exists in the game. Why they are stalling and what they are planning is something that I don't think anyone has access to but the retainers are here to stay for good or ill and we'll just have to adapt as best as we can until SE finally decides to allow us to use the AH that's already in place.

My guess is that they're still working out network and lag issues and an AH will only compound that issue. Having centralized activities require a robust system in place to handle the traffic that is being localized. Blizzard took many years to get this right with their AH and they still have some issues with it even to this day with both lag and sometimes errors (probably intentionally injected hacks by nefarious players) It's also prone to abuse (i.e., column width cutting off portions of the price so people get duped into overpaying on items)

[Mezlo]

Re: Late-December Version Update (12/20/2010)

Why would they want to do that? That would be imposing prices on the market. That would be stupid and would immediately cause 90% of their customers to quit the game. Do you live in Cuba or something?


Balfree, you can already run prices trends on data submitted voluntarily by players. That's already happening on YG. FYI there's nothing wrong with running price trends. It keeps players in-line and prevents scalping of players, especially those who are new to the game.

What's YG?

[Dux]

Re: Late-December Version Update (12/20/2010)

What's YG?

It is the Yellow Gremlin Website Final Fantasy XIV Database - Yellow Gremlin - ffxiv.yg.com

[Yygdrasil]

Re: Late-December Version Update (12/20/2010)

What's YG?

My nickname. Spelled wrong.