Buying Non-Stackable Items

[sywren]

OK, this suggestions is coming from my unending frustration of constantly going back and forth to NPCs to buy large quantities of pickaxes.

 

My last suggestion was met with indifference, but I know I can' t be the only person annoyed by this, so I have two small suggestions.

 

1. Stack pickaxes

Why aren't they stacked? What advantage does the guy with 400 pickaxes have over the guy with 20? I must be missing something, but I, for one, don't bring more than about 8 pickaxes with me, and only that many for a huge project. It's an emu thing.

 

But, Lordy. How annoying to walk back and forth from the general store. And that guy taunting me..."Would you like to buy 100 pickaxes today?" Yes! Yes I would! 200 actually! I'd like to do all my shopping at once, in bulk!

 

Isn't it good for the economy if I can buy LOTS of items at once?

 

If that suggestion is no good, how about this:

 

2. Items bought from NPC are stacked for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, if you haven't dropped them in storage, you freeze in place until you drop them in a bag. Pickaxes poofing in bags is even better for the economy! And my sanity.

 

And it's sort of funny: "Your bag broke! All of your items have fallen out. You cannot carry these anymore."

[trollson]

Items with a timer for their existance may be outside of the game design at the moment.

 

However there is an interesting idea in this suggestion:

An item representing a set number of a (non-stackable) item

.

For example, an item "Box of Pickaxes" representing 10 normal Pickaxes.

 

Similar things have been suggested before, but here I think there is a feasible implementation:

• The "collection" item represents a set number of an item - no more, no less.
  
• The "collection" item can be used (consumed,opened) to generate the individual items, presumably into a bag at the characters feet.
  

What it wouldn't support:

• Adding/removing single items from a collection - the collection has to be of the set number.
  

Things which could be considered in future:

• Means for a character to generate a collection from a bag. There would have to be some costs involved.
  
• Encumbrance could be the total for the items in the collection, but this may vary (encumbrance is not just weight).
  

Since the "useful" individual items are not accessible without "using" the collection and picking up the items from the resultant bag, it should not impact crisis management.

 

However, if the "collection" item was a general concept applicable to all (non-collection) items, then if applied to non-stackable consumables it would result in changes in tactics. Such concerns could be mitigated by assigning greater encumbrance that the total of the parts - eg., a crate of potions would require additional padding and packaging which increases the weight.

 

The value of collections for stackable items is dubious unless there is an encumbrance saving, and I presume that collections themselves would not be stackable.

[korrode]

I like Trollson's take on Sywren's idea.

 

Accuracy and Evasion potions are a great example of where this could be useful;

 

NPC could sell in 'packs' of ~20. As Trollson detailed, they would not be usable until unpacked, and would unpack into a bag, so making use of such an item in intense PvP or PvE combat would be difficult and risky (i.e. you could step off the bag, as you automatically step forward when you kill an opponent). Also, they could be made so they're not unpackable in combat.

 

The benefit is that the tediousness and annoyance of many trips to the NPC would be reduced significantly. Which is a good thing, as simply walking back and forth from an NPC does not require any skill, it does not provide a challenge, it's simply a bore.

 

Of course acc/eva pots jumps to my mind as a fighter/pk'er, but i've no doubt there's numerous other instances where the same benefit would be provided, and would be appreciated.

[robotbob]

Like the collection system trollson mentioned.

other games used note or voucher type systems for large quantities

Note(1000 pickaxes), its not actually those pickaxes but

can be traded at a bank? tradesman something for the actual items to be placed in storage.

 

Bank building in WS would have an actual use with this idea.

 

The benefit is that the tediousness and annoyance of many trips to the NPC would be reduced significantly. Which is a good thing, as simply walking back and forth from an NPC does not require any skill, it does not provide a challenge, it's simply a bore.

 

 

This would be a wonderful change, boring repetitive tasks are not a 'game'. They turn what should be fun

into some bizarre virtual part time job. (Hauling fps or vials takes me longer than to clean my garage)

 

Isn't it good for the economy if I can buy LOTS of items at once?

 

I totally agree. Means GC poofs at NPCs at a much faster rate.

In all, its a win win, depending on time to implement such a feature.

[sywren]

Oh yeah, this idea is a lot better.