Market Area Improvements (04/16/2012)

[Stanislaw]

http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/threads/42956
http://static.finalfantasyxiv.com/to...7e70ad7985fa72

* The following adjustments, scheduled for patch 1.22, are in development and subject to change.

• Patch 1.22 will introduce a number of improvements to market areas.
  
  • The following locations will be added to each city’s market area:
    
    • Limsa Lominsa Mercantile House
    • Gridania Mercantile House
    • Ul’dah Mercantile House
    In addition, the current item search feature will be moved to the locations mentioned above, and will take place through designated NPCs.　This change will allow players to directly purchase items from any city’s market area.　For example, a player in Gridania would be able to search for and purchase items from the Ul’dah market area by speaking with an NPC in the Ul’dah Mercantile House.
  
  
  
  • “Market Guide” NPCs will be added:
    
    In addition to using the existing market area entrances, players will be able to speak with “market guides” around town to travel directly to each Mercantile House.
  
  
  • It will now be possible to search retainer wares by typing item names into the search field.
    * Search results will show all items that start with the entered term.

[Patriarch]

Ah, almost 2 years later!

[Corrderio]

I'll never understand why they thought a seperated market system was a good idea in the first place.

[Izzy]

Still kinda sucks you'll have to perform 3 different searches to check all 3 cities, but hey, better than nothing!

[Corrderio]

Only thing that concerns me is if you can search from the current entrance to a ward if people will even bother to use the guides.

[Patriarch]

In addition to using the existing market area entrances, players will be able to speak with “market guides” around town to travel directly to each Mercantile House.

This intrigues me...

Will we be able to just poof ourselves to the AH's in Uldah/Grid/LL without having to teleport?

[Raldo]

The "Mercantile Houses" are just the search points in each city, so no, you won't be teleporting anywhere except within the city. I'm a little annoyed that this makes it seem like they won't all be right next to each other, but I gather that's due to "addressing server slowdown" because people all cluster up in the same spots, and that's the shitty solution.

[Niiro]

Until there's a universal shout channel or a truly useful, focused search function Ul'dah is still gonna be the crowded mess that it is.

This at least helps with having to scour the wards for one that isn't full just to be able to summon a retainer and sell things (nvm the ward that benefits what you're selling).

[Malekos]

Only thing that concerns me is if you can search from the current entrance to a ward if people will even bother to use the guides.

I assume this means the item search will no longer be at the entrance...only at the mercantile npcs:

In addition, the current item search feature will be moved to the locations mentioned above, and will take place through designated NPCs.

I'll never understand why they thought a seperated market system was a good idea in the first place.

I'm pretty sure it was to combat gold farmers and people who manipulate the AH. Half (or more) of the originally released game was designed around thwarting RMTs...never mind that it made for a shitty game.

[Lucavi]

I'll never understand why they thought a seperated market system was a good idea in the first place.

Being different to be different? O_o

That and the fact that the game was initially made for China.

[Spider-Dan]

The primary benefit of this new system is that if you are a WVR/LTW and you can't get your retainer into the overflowing Upper Tailor's Row in Ul'dah, you have the option to place it in Grid or Limsa (if you want to avoid the extra tax).

The system should really search all three, but... baby steps, baby steps.

[Hellfury]

Enough babysteps already, how brutal can it possibly be to create a system that pulls all three cities simultaneously and sorts on price in some kind of "shell"?

[Egon]

I won't be happy with Markets until they remove retainers.

[Raldo]

With as many problems as the Ul'dah area is having, the issue is likely "server limitations", not so much that they can't do it, but if they do, it'll probably take down their shitty servers with a bunch of slowdowns and/or crashes.

[Izzy]

I won't be happy with Markets until they remove retainers.

This is me.

Please stop trying to be different. Put an AH in like every other decent MMO.

[Izzy]

*double post*

[Croy]

This is me.

Please stop trying to be different. Put an AH in like every other decent MMO.

Too bad we already know that the retainers are returning in 2.0. The question is in what capacity and role since Yoshida has also mentioned revamping the market system as close as possible to an AH.

[kisada]

what's the rationale for them being in 2.0?

[Croy]

what's the rationale for them being in 2.0?

Simplest answer? Money, they make a good avenue for additional additional revenue in game and was the primary reason (imo) they were even implemented in the original premise of the game. But who knows maybe their function will extend beyond the market ward in 2.0. They are already additional storage in game and Yoshida commented about how there will be a UI tab for your retainer that says if something sold. Maybe they will also be caretakers in your house while you are gone. The actual market itself is supposed to change as Yoshida said he hates the current aesthetics and structure, maybe you can setup a personal shop with your retainer and decorate it while the retainer functions as both a storage and posts items to be sold. There are plenty of reasons they could stick around but will they actually be expanded as such and will it gimp a proposed AH? Honestly if they can make a centralized market ward instance (None of this split city crap that we still have although this current change is very welcomed) and you get all the normal search and buy options of an AH what does it matter that the retainers are still a part of it?

[Raldo]

This is the first I've heard of them "for sure" returning in 2.0. Personally, I hope Dalamud lands squarely on the Ul'dah market wards and wipes all those fuckers out.

Because of money? Just offer additional storage boxes or something -- no reason to tie them to an NPC.

I see no point for them in 2.0.