The Great NPC Merchant Debate

Newcomers wouldn't even encounter an NPC merchant until they get to Soltown and even then they are generally just looking for arrows and maybe some basic reagents, which can easily be stocked on the public vendor there or on local vendors at good prices.

As someone who fell prey to predatory practices of some players when I first got started, I voiced my opinion that when LAMP acquired a lot in Soltown that it be used as a place to welcome new players, not take advantage of them.

As such, the vendor on our lot there will have reagents and other basic supplies at very competitive costs.

Players are the economy, not NPCs.

 

It's a great sentiment, but I also wonder how many players find themselves in need of more arrows, for instance, before even leaving Solace Bridge Outskirts. There's currently a blacksmithing vendor there to accommodate them but if that changes and they're left thinking the only way to get arrows is the tedium (to some, I actually quite enjoy crafting) of the starter how-to-make-arrows quest there, that seems potential to be a huge turn-off.

 

Yeah, getting stuff early on is already inconvenient enough, even with NPC merchants. An omnipresent public vendor with global sales for commodities would be greatly appretiated to resolve this matter.

 

Many people must have played a completely different game that I have been. There are literally quest markers to Soltown in the game I played with a centrally places set of trainers and merchants, and literally beginning quests that take you through the basics of crafting. This was before Soltown had a public vendor.


And, this isn't directed at any one person in particular, but anyone who tries to make an argument about what is "helpful for new people": Talk to me when you routinely run mentoring groups and actually list buy orders on the Soltown and Ardoris NPCs for new players to use, and also place items for sale that isn't a means of conning new players out of money before they know the economy. I have heard many people try to use a "for new people" argument, but not a whole lot of people willing to inconvenience themselves to help new players.

 

My first few days playing were spent entirely at Solace Bridge Outskirts. Took me more than a week to find Soltown.

Considering people give up from the game roughly 2 hours in, I think Outskirts QOL should be greatly improved.

 

It's true that the beginning quest takes you through the crafting basics, and it's also true that in my talking to new players, and watching first time players on twitch, that many find it a frustratingly tedious aspect. I've seen a stream where the happiest moment a player had was when they were told you could just buy arrows from the NPC merchant that was 50 meters from the NPC that gives the arrow crafting quests. I've seen folks fall in love with the idea of making their own arrows as well, and if it cost more it's still worth it.

I'm of those that agrees that these changes (in part) aren't new player friendly, and I spend a considerable portion of my game time helping new players with builds and explaining skills and specs, I livestream tutorials and answer questions, I spend hours every week stocking 68gp zone scrolls in 10 stacks, placing buy orders for single beetles at prices higher than other vendors sell for, thousands of food listings in 10 stacks and at cost.

I do all those things and more and none of it is what qualifies me to have an opinion on how changes are going to affect new players. Likewise, not doing those things, they take a great luxury of spare resources and time if nothing else, doesn't necessarily mean somebody's input on the subject is uninformed or unwelcome.

 

The main point I was trying to make is, I've seen multiple times in multiple threads where people make a claim, "for to help new players" as if that is an end-all be all argument that needs no further clarification or expansion. This is why I said that comment was directed at no one in particular.

The goal of a debate should be appeal to logic with explanations of what works, and what doesn't work, and why.

If Solace Bridge is the one place where NPC merchants is necessary, then so be it if it helps get people out of that zone with a positive experience and into the game proper. But I don't think an argument for keeping NPC merchants selling all goods always - outside of solace bridge - is that it helps new people.

 

Same here - I didn't get he concept of zones at first and thought I was leaving the game when I was leaving Solace Bridge Outskirts. I climbed mountains and swam rivers to try and find a way to Soltown
So even though I'm a crafter at heart, I didn't make any arrows in Solace Bridge Outskirts, because I simply didn't have the carrying capacity to carry around ore, wood, feathers, crafting tools, mold and fuels. Without that NPC vendor I would have been helpless.

Ysold.

 

So appears that NPC merchants are gonna be around for good.

On the stream this past Friday, at 01:01:20, Elgarion mentions that his current plan is to make NPC merchants available to place on player lots and within basements/dungeons. I imagine this work wouldn't be done if the goal was to get rid of NPC merchants in the long term.

Just not sure how this will be a positive thing for the player economy, we'll see if the intention is to tie the NPC merchants into the economy somehow.

 

Best solution in my opinion is:

Instead of getting rid of NPC merchants, keep them as global commodity vendors. So basically they can sell everything they sell now given there's supply from players. When a player sell commodities to NPC merchants, there will be "suggested" price, and the option to make your own price. You get the gold as soon as anyone buy your items from the NPC with a slight tax margin.