Row house with a shop window

I don't want to have to run into buildings to see if they trade and in the case of row houses they don't have a yard.
Instead how about the bazaar feel of bustling markets? A row house with a big wooden window hatch, which when the vendor/player opens the shop, folds in and display the vendor/player so that you can trade with them without necessarily having access to the house.
Think market stall in appearance.
Like this image which I shamelessly stole from down thread:

 

I thougt something like that, as I run through Ardoris, searching for "my" NPC (whom I did not find) and figured, that they may have also be hidden in houses. Without name tags for those or Journal entries like in Ultima Online a la "You see ..." it is hard to find unknown NPCs at all and to interact with them.

 

That would be fantastic. Awesome idea.

 

This would be a great goal to expand towards after Episode 1. Having a row lot will limit my exposure to trade, even with a sign out the front.
A simple shop window would help a lot.

 

My idea wasn't a shop window, but a window shop.

The first floor is a little sunk in and has two pillars holding the second floor. It has a small kiosk/market stall next to the door. When the vendor/player opens the board you stand in the street and haggle with the keeper in the house.
That way one could have a really tight bazaar street with shops on both sides, or a busy market square where all the rows around opens up as well.

 

Vendors will be outside (mostly), so you won't have to run inside to deal with them.

But the idea is still a good one. Does that force all players to get this style of house to compete economically? Afterall, what else are other players going to do at a person's home if there's no vendor?

Great idea, but we probably also need to consider a few moves in advance before just throwing it in there.

 

Originally I had hoped for something like that with a small stall perched under an awning, but Portalarium seem to have dismissed that because of a 'lack of space' on the lot.

​

^^^^^​

Portalarium doesn't want to mess with this guy ​

 

They should revisit this idea. Ardoris seems custom made for shops like this one.

With the clear emphasis on "Village" level lots going forward into Episode 1, I think this may get more attention. It seems to me that 85% of the houses in the game at launch should probably be Village level. As we move into E2 and beyond, the demand for Town and City will increase and the devs can adjust availability.

 

Love the pic.
But I think most would love to sacrifice space on the first floor to be more accessible.
And for Portalarium the benefit would be more sales of basements etc

 

yes but I want to be able to put them into that kiosk (from the back door).
That way everyone knows where they will be. Plus You could have alleyways with just a thin 2m alley and bustling bazaar.
Or western town feel with a dirt road with housing with walkways and easy access shops.

Don't think so, but I guess it depends if you are competing with a close neighbor, then you might need to. But I'd think that would be a good thing, both selling and shopping would be easier.
Now most row citizens will of course not be geared vs selling instead they will be residential, and so it would be a perfect way of swing the difference at a glance, you can also easily spot open vs closed shops.

any other considerations you can think of? We'll except for the always existing rev time limit....

I don't think so if you are looking at lot sales - rows are the most sold ones. It's only going to be the lotrush pledger people that are more at village. The majority is add on rows and in game non paying players will buy row for gold first before upgrading etc.
They will need to expand some city centers to accommodate this business model.

 

I'd like to see storefront house types at all lot sizes. Currently the only "shop" style house on the Add-On Store is the house which is used for the Fire Lotus Tavern in Owl's Head, which requires a Town lot.

Sure, you can decorate other houses to be shops, but I'd rather have a structure that can scream "BUY STUFF HERE!" so that players know that 1) they can enter this structure, at least on the first floor, 2) there may be goods available that they'd like to purchase, 3) I don't have to place my vendor on the front stoop like a dog, barking to all who walk within ten feet of him/her.

 

Sorry, I misspoke. I was thinking row lots when I said village.

 

I see the appeal to the idea / but somehow ... districts comes to mind / and the need to create a "business" and residential district

 

Yep these were called "stalls" in medieval cities,

 

This is jumping from the other conversation (mmorpg article) - this reminds me of those small booths in shopping centers in the US ... could there be the option to buy a "booth" to sell items ... a stand alone shop

 

They're called Kiosk's.

Having a cart or a make shift stand would be a great idea too.

 

Btw you can find a lot more pictures of city stalls, as well as garden scenes, artisans, etc in a medieval book called the Tacuinum Sanitatis.

http://www.pinterest.com/ellie75/medieval-tacuinum-sanitatis/

Stalls and shops pictures:
http://larsdatter.com/merchantstalls.htm

 

I like this idea! And if we could add shop windows for other buildings too, that'd be awesome =)

 

That is an awsome idea! I suggested being able to place vendors on doorsteps like the UO days

 

Of course your vendors should go in at night to get sleep, also at lunch and tea, and hide from the rain if there's no cover :>