Do You Use The Bazaar?

[Witchblade]

Well, the title pretty much sums up this thread. Tell us about why you do or do not use The Bazaar, especially if there's something about it you do or don't particularly like.

[Reiko]

I'm afraid that truthfully I don't use the bazaar, I'm high level but never have much gold for some reason and there's no way I can afford things worth having at my level so I settle with requesting spoils. I just can't afford the things I want and I just can't seem to get the gold for it either.

I'd probably use it more if gold was easier to come by or if the items were more affordable.

[Amaril Torrun]

I think the bazaar is a good thing to have because it allows mods to determine a set amount of gold for certain items of certain tiers, keeping it fair for everyone. While it is basically a place for common weapons and items, people also buy their own creations. Also, the idea of giving gold rewards would become obsolete without the bazaar, since its pretty much the only place where we use it.

[Massacre]

I voted sometimes because I think I will when I have the money to go and buy something neat. I think that the Bazaar is seen more as just something a little extra, it's sort of like a tax return. You do all this work (quests/battles) and you get something later in addition to your spoils.

Hope that makes sense.

[Sword-for-Hire]

I agree with the furry.

Nice to use, but since the new gold implications, its hard to shop there. Not fun seeing 20 posts go unrewarded because your thread partner suddenly dropped off the face of the planet.

[Seether]

...thread partner suddenly dropped off the face of the planet.

Hee hee...like a Zit. <_<;

I use the Bazaar when I have the money and I enjoy the concept of an open market that is usually, and I stress usually readily available.

I had money once too...then I lost it. :)

[Saxon]

The way I see it, the bazaar is a luxury and nothing more to it. Honestly, its a interesting concept, but it doesn't work. With the tier system in a laissez faire sort of way, and with the gold system the way it is.. it doesn't leave that much to offer. Plus, really, when you think about it a great deal of people who get their best armor, or a weapon of some kind like say a gun for example.. its usually done through quest spoils. It isn't really practical to look at the bazaar and say," Hey, I can get this item I want in a quest for free by writing or.. or I can spend gold on the bazaar and have a bottle-necked thread to get it". I'm not trying to be harsh to the people who dreamed up the bazaar, but in truth, nobody in their right mind will spend gold wily-nilly on stuff they can get for free.

There is a glimmer of hope though, and that could be providing service instead of goods. Have a piece of armor that is broken? We can fix it. Want that piece of leather studded? We can do that too! You would have to implement some sort of durability on weapons and armor to actually make the bazaar a needed commodity if you went that route, but it would solve the use of gold and how to attract people to the bazaar. The other thing is that it requires more then a handful of people to run a bazaar, if you think about it. You need merchants, you need buyers and you need sellers. It would be kinda neat if you made the merchant/trader class have the ability to open stalls and become a sort of pseudo-mod for that part of the forum.

Also, there is one other thing that the bazaar could be used for; Crime. Syndicates and cartels could use the place as a form of the black market if one is to know the 'right' people. It could also be the host of several normal quests like being in corone, salvar, and such. You could have a fortune teller player who does readings for people, a mercenary barracks, Hell you could go so far as to have slaves if you wanted to be that authentic. The sky is the limit really, but right now I think the staff of the bazaar has hit a glass roof that needs to be broken.

[Letho]

The stuff from the quest isn't "free". You pay the item with effort and time you spend on writing up a story. Bazaar offers a compromise. If you don't have the time or the inspiration to write yet another adventure story in which your character just happens to stroll into ancient ruins and pulls a Mega Uber Sword from a rock, you go to the Bazaar and exchange some gold for it. Or if you have a tournament creeping up on you and you don't have the necessary equipment. You have to be a hell of a fast writer to type a solo, get it judged and get the spoils approved before the tournament starts. Bazaar is a shortcut, and you have to pay the toll for taking a shortcut.

Bazaar doesn't work if you don't want it to work. Or if you don't need it to work. With the new GP formula you can get 500 gold from a good quest with two or three people. And 500 gold can buy you a sword probably no worse or better then the one you can acquire in a decent quest. It's all in the people's mentality and people generally like numbers, including the ones next to "Gold" in the profile. They fail to realize that most of the quests that are started merely with the idea to "get that sword for free" doesn't get finished because writing something just to get an item isn't the most inspiring storyline.

I use Bazaar occasionally. I think half of my equipment was acquired through quests, while the other half I bought in the Bazaar. I know that most of Rheawien's weapons were bought in the Bazaar. All of Malagen's equipment was bought in the Bazaar. Victor buys a lot of ammo for his gun in the Bazaar even though I could easily make it so that, at the beginning of the quest, he just happens to run into an ammo cache. I usually treat Bazaar as just another RP forum, even though there is little in the way of rewards for such an approach. Maybe if there was more of an IC focus on the Bazaar people would visit it more often.

[Karuka]

My thing about the Bazaar...I know it's located in Radasanth. So it wouldn't make sense for my characters that are currently in...oh...say...Fallien, or even another part of Corone, to go to the Bazaar.

And then I only go if the character needs something.

Only thing I've bought at the bazaar was Karu's vlince clothing and boots.

[Massacre]

Well, you don't need to write out the fact that your character was in Radasnath to go there. It's not like it's a huge event you need to write extensively into your history. Also...

Liquid time. ;)

[Slayer of the Rot]

All of my equipment was bought at the Bazaar. I love dropping in and picking up something new, which I usually do after I see a weapon in some form of media and think, "Hmm...Dan could use that! Somehow." In addition, money has never been a problem. Then again, I've never been in a desperate need for a weapon, heh.

[Amaril Torrun]

Well, you don't need to write out the fact that your character was in Radasnath to go there. It's not like it's a huge event you need to write extensively into your history. Also...

Liquid time. ;)

Or, if you REALLY want to keep it realistic, you could just say that you are visiting a merchant in Fallien, Salvar, etc...

The one in Radasanth isn't THE Bazaar. It is just the most popular and well known one.

[Slayer of the Rot]

Or, if you REALLY want to keep it realistic, you could just say that you are visiting a merchant in Fallien, Salvar, etc...

The one in Radasanth isn't THE Bazaar. It is just the most popular and well known one.

Correct. We integrated international bazaars a long time ago and people rarely use them. Granted, one or two of them aren't finished just yet, but they will be. I'll certainly be using the Merchant's Walkway in Fallien soon enough, and I've been wanting to stop by the Sword and The Song. And Dheathain has a pretty damn unique Synthesis Shop in the works that will allow characters to buy some creative and never before seen weapons.

[Cyrus the virus]

The Bazaar is not in Radasanth, correct. The Bazaar forum is used as just a place to shop, meaning the forum represents any shop you can think of in any region, that sells any specialty items (and offers services) you need.

[Artifex Felicis]

What they said, and I feel kinda sad now. Eh. Go post in the Auction. Special Thingies there!

Yeah, Bazaar is just an open ended forum right now. Could be Fallien, could be Salvar, and everything in-between. Most of the time I don't get a chance to use the bazaar, for obvious reasons. Still, I like to do a smaller bazaar thread in mid thread as it is. Leon hardly ever keeps what he picks up in a thread anyway.

[Saxon]

The stuff from the quest isn't "free". You pay the item with effort and time you spend on writing up a story.

Touche', Letho. But I guess nothing in life is ever free, eh?


Bazaar offers a compromise. If you don't have the time or the inspiration to write yet another adventure story in which your character just happens to stroll into ancient ruins and pulls a Mega Uber Sword from a rock, you go to the Bazaar and exchange some gold for it. Or if you have a tournament creeping up on you and you don't have the necessary equipment. You have to be a hell of a fast writer to type a solo, get it judged and get the spoils approved before the tournament starts. Bazaar is a shortcut, and you have to pay the toll for taking a shortcut.

Alright, I agree that the Bazaar can be used as a shortcut, but it isn't exactly very well traveled. What I meant by luxury is that it is used simply as that; to budget your time. What the Bazaar needs is a change to attract new customers, regardless if its used by a small percentage. Whether its real money or fake, real commodity or false, it is still a business. And business has been bad. I'm suggesting certain things to give it more of an appeal to get players to be attracted to the use of the Bazaar and get it up and running. Right now, whether you look at it or not, it gets about as much use as the Verse did, and that went belly-up. I doubt that the Bazaar would ever do that, though, because it does serve a purpose however small.


With the new GP formula you can get 500 gold from a good quest with two or three people. And 500 gold can buy you a sword probably no worse or better then the one you can acquire in a decent quest.

The problem with that, Letho, Is that most players can think ahead and get that sword along with the gold as a twofer if they really, truely wanted to. That brings me back to the acquirement and offering of various services in the bazaar besides casual trade. Despite a writer's canny ability to think of clever approaches to solve a problem, they generally don't see every angle. Thats where the bazaar can come in. It can help fill the gaps with offerings of upgrades, such as upping the durability of said weapon, and anything else the moderators can come up with. I think the use of player-owned stalls and the establishment of a 'player's market' and welcoming merchant characters to the bazaar with special offerings like a vendor discount and IC suppliers could breathe life into that particular section of the forum. Perhaps it would even bring in something new that hasn't been stated yet, or the welcomed surprise of a self-sufficent economy.

I'm banking on the latter.


It's all in the people's mentality and people generally like numbers, including the ones next to "Gold" in the profile. They fail to realize that most of the quests that are started merely with the idea to "get that sword for free" doesn't get finished because writing something just to get an item isn't the most inspiring storyline.

The wisest and most successful of writers have more then one goal in a story other then the money shot, which is probably a good idea. I recently got back into the writing gig here awhile ago, and I realize what you mean by not finishing quests. Its hard to finish something you don't have a lot of effort or drive in, but thats why there is always time to think it out. As the uneasy agreement stated above, nothing in life is for free. Ever. If it is, theres an angle someone is hoping you don't see just yet. The object of gold is to use it as a token economy. Every society needs it, even if we as players/moderators/administrators are just trying to replicate it. In truth, it doesn't matter how much gold you have if there are no guidelines or competition. Its like trying to buy a car after a nuclear fallout, say a 1967 Chevy Impala. Fine car. Damn fine car. It doesn't mean shit if your the only person trying to purchase it and theres nobody to stand on the sidewalk and say," Daaaamn", as you pass them by.


Maybe if there was more of an IC focus on the Bazaar people would visit it more often.

Exactly. A lure or an attraction is needed to keep players using it. There is no such thing as an economy or business without customers, and it looks like the Bazaar is in need of a major rehaul. The suggestions I've made before are just ideas to help spin the wheels and get people to look around. I'm sure there are a few ideas that several moderators, players, and you yourself are thinking about in particular for the bazaar and it needs to be stated. The only bad idea is one that is never publically stated, but it seems that we as a community are making a lot of head way with our makeshift society. The moderators and administrators are saying as plainly as they can that they are open to ideas, and its time for we as players to give them that ammo. I'm absolutely sure that the Bazaar is a diamond in the rough, we just need to find the right rag to polish it with.

[Massacre]

Note the new auctions, if you watch, there will be items not necessarily found or thought of to be in the bazaar. Perhaps even starting out cheaper.

And yes, while players may be able to get what they want out of the quests, not all players like to write about adventuring and killing. Would it make sense for someone who just wants a sword to suddenly have one as spoils in a quest if they wrote a quest focused on political intrigue? No.

The Bazaar, like I said, can also be considered more or less a tax return. You do the work and gain some benefit and later on you can use that little extra to buy something without as much effort.

Gold should not be handed out like candy, in my opinion, work for your gold and you'll reap the rewards later.

[Artifex Felicis]

Listen to the Advertiser!

Leaves that double your strength on sale now! Keep them away from Dann!

Link in my Sig!

That plug out of the way, I also personally think the bazaar could be better. Used to be so anyway and I want to bring that back.

[Sighter Tnailog]

I would like to see more mods doing mean things to players.

For instance, at the end of a thread they could say that a piece of armor has been broken in the battle, or something like that.

On Tanthanas, I would regularly pull such cheap stunts. And yes, they were cheap. But they did give me a chuckle and kept the players on their toes.

[Andrew]

Back when I was running the bazaar, we didn't have any bottle-necked threads. The only threads that sat unused for a length of time were the ones abandoned by the shopper. And any thread that fell out of use was shunted off to the archive. If'n that's not the case now, well the I am shamed and appalled.

As for what is available for purchase in the bazaar being too limited: Anyone who sees the lists of tiers and weapons and thinks to themselves "these are the only things I can buy," is in my estimation, a sad individual. I sold people clothes, pets, services, repair work, upgrades, and even miscellaneous weird stuff. What was the limit? The shoppers imagination. Pricing any random thing you want to come up with is easy. Just think of a number. Done.

Bear in mind of course that this was mostly on Tanthanas, where things were done somewhat differently. Also, Sighter's posse's habit of doing mean things helped keep up the nonstandard threads.

[Mutant_Lorenor]

I attempted to rob the Bazaar once when the new rp system was put into play and it didn't end up going at all as planned. Suffice it to say my attempt "earned" me a 2-week banning at the bazaar when all of that probably could've been avoided with a simple IM. Anyway as a result of that particularly event I don't bother with the bazaar anymore.

[Sirrus]

I'm submitting some items right now! Buy them!

[Kially Gaith]

Most of Kiallys' strength/ability will come from the Bazaar as he won't age. He is an angel after all.

[Chiroptera]

I'd rather quest for items, even if they are simple. The only thing I could see myself shopping for is something that I'd need at the very start of a quest, but if it's something for a quest than it makes more sense to just have the transaction in the thread.

I also haven't got much of an idea of how much things should cost, so I don't know if I'm rich or poor. Is a gold coin worth about ten dollars, a hundred dollars, a thousand dollars? And how much should things cost? It's too much thinking for me.:~)

[Karuka]

You're fairly rich.

[Breaker]

It all depends on the item for me. I've always liked the bazaar, and appreciate the service it and its staff provide, but recently I've found I use it less and less.

Josh hasn't been to the bazaar yet, although once he has enough cash I might have him buy a bayonet or similar knife there. For simple items like that, I say use the bazaar, it's quick and the only real outlet for the GP you receive from battles/quests.

However, most of the weapons I'm planning on getting for Josh are fairly unorthodox or in some way customized. For highly personal/custom items, I prefer gaining them as spoils. I wince a little everytime I see a three paragraph description of a custom-made suit of armor someone wants from the bazaar, or a thread where the customer "randomly" finds a highly specific item.

If an item is going to be a comprehensive part of your character's storyline, write it in properly in a thread that will get judged. If it's a tool your character needs and would feasibly look for at the bazaar, then buy it. My two cents, yo.

[INDK]

Yes. But only on Thursdays.