I have a question about banking that I have not seen covered

We've been told that banking will be unlimited but I have more questions about it. As a total virtual pack rat, I want to know as much as the devs feel like telling us about the banking/inventory system. According to the launch schedule, there will be at least 3 towns by R4. If I put something in a bank in Owl's Head will that item be in the bank in the other towns or will I be buying storage at each town's bank? I am not sure which method I would prefer, I am just curious about with way it would work.

 

I don't think we know yet. I'm assuming there's a limit to stuff storable in the bank and a way to buy more slots.

I think it would be interesting if certain materials were considered contraband in one zone or another and had to be physically walked across the map. So if you slay some dragon and recover a "golden fleece", you'd need to walk it all the way to where some master tailor loom is and subject to ambushes or even PvP along the way.

I generally appreciate the convince of having stuff auto freighted around with one global bank access ,but I certainly think in adds an interesting dimension to trade if there are things that are hard to move around for various reasons. This might even include things like hundreds of pounds of iron or w/e.

 

I love the idea of local contraband! *ahem* I mean I would like to see that dimension added to the game not that I want to be some sort of trafficker. I am torn between enjoying lots of depth and the sheer convenience of it all.

 

It's the ever present issue of "realism" and "convenience". MMORPGs have made it standard that putting items in banks had them "travel" with you to whatever bank you next accessed. Even UO works this way.

A more realistic way would be that the Owl's Head bank would store your goods and take your on hand currency in exchange for a Note of Credit. You would then carry that Note of Credit to Kingsport where it could be redeemed for the same amount in currency, you may even have (or be able to buy) a certain amount of item storage in Kingsport, however, the items you stored in Owl's Head would still be in Owl's Head.

Obviously the "realistic" way would cause headahces the larger the game gets as players would have to remember which town they stored what, if and how much storage they have in each town, and then of course are the database issues on the back end since "Banks" in MMORPGs are basically an extra, invisible backpack carried with the character which is accessed via Banker NPCs (For a time, there wa a 3rd party UO cheat program that allowed you to access the bank anywhere because of this) instead of static storage in multiple locations.

It would make the game more interesting to have to cart goods from point A to point B physically instead of simply banking them for the same purpose though, so it will see how it all pans out.

 

The bank will hopefully be nearly identical to the bank in UO. (Limited in what can go in it, but a HUGE amount of stuff fits in there. It is accessible from any town that has a bank, and you see all items in the bank no matter what town you placed the items in the bank.) I just don't see it working well if you actually have to remember what is where and why. It will be waaaaay too much of a PITA if they have the banks very realistic in this manner. "Vendor Buy Bank Guards Recdu Recsu I Ban Thee" heh... The good old days, man.

 

Somewhere around here someone quoted LB from chat about Banks giving you a single container and you can buy more containers with in-game gold. I would imagine they would allow you to buy these with real money too as other games have done similar things.

 

Here is a link to last weeks Dev Q&A

And here is the quote about banking from it:

Question: Is there going to be a "Banking System" and what, if any, details are there about it?
Answer: Yes there will be a banking system. Players will be able to use in game currency to purchase slots at the bank. Each slot can hold a single container in which players can place their items. Higher quality containers can hold more weight of items.

 

I don't know. But I'd sure like to see banking be localized. This would give people reason to travel, create natural shipping lanes and trade routes, and give players reason to hire protection, create shipping contracts, and generally add a layer of depth to the game that would be missed if banking were global.

 

No reason why there shouldn't be safe shipping as part of the banking system (for a price of cause).

 

Sounds dangerous to live in Britannia. I might be safer in DC.
If they don't add this mechanic to the game, people could provide storage in their houses to others if banking were centralized. There still won't be banks in the wilderness or on the outskirts of town.

 

I am pretty sure you will be able to access your items from any bank. Just like you could in UO. Think of the items in your bank box as being in the "internet cloud". I am just hoping everyone is given at least one bank slot for free. I am fine with the option of purchasing additional slots.