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Aeris

Merchant Interface Changes And Dumps

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This has been suggested many times in the past, or at least an alternative version of this suggestion, but I couldn't find any active threads when using the search function. This suggestion contains parts of what I'm looking for however: http://forum.wurmonline.com/index.php?/topic/88890-merchants-to-show-exactly-what-they-have-sold/?hl=merchant

The problem
The current merchant interface is pretty stripped down as well as slightly confusing (in my opinion). To manage it you have to right-click "Manage traders" (which in itself is confusing since there is a distinction between traders and merchants). That presents you with a box containing some text and some information about the merchant. The information is presented on a single line and if you go outside the box you have to sidescroll to read it all. If you want to see what is left on the merchant you check the box named "Manage prices" and click send. After that you're taken to the merchant's item list.

The item list is presented in alphabetical order and the QL, DMG and price are displayed to the right of the item name. The list is not re-sortable (I'm happy it's presented alphabetically nowadays though and not randomly like before, and that the name of the item is shown. That's a great improvement so thanks to whoever fixed this!).


The suggestion
Create an interface for the merchants that is more intuitive and that you can control a little bit more.

One idea would be to present general information about the trader (such as "Last Sold", "Sold Month", "Sold Life", "Ratio" and "Free Slots") in a separate grouping since those are all things you can't modify. The information which is currently printed on the "Managing merchant" page should be moved to a separate page which you prompt with a button, since you'll most likely not be interested in reading it everytime you manage the merchant ("Merchant Info").
The options for "Dismiss" and "Manage prices" should be separate buttons that you click on, instead of checkboxes. They would be in a grouping clearly separated from the non-modifiable stats, together with the "Price modifier" field and the "Use Local Price" checkbox which would have a confirmation button ("Send"). The confirmation button would not close the window.

The current presentation of the item list is good, I would like to see a sorting function on it though and add a field called "Seller" where the name of the seller can be entered (to aid those of us who share a merchant with others).

Another thing I'd like to add to merchants is a button that creates a dump of its current inventory ("Dump Inventory"). Nothing too fancy, a text file similar to the one you get when making a skilldump would be perfect. With a txt-dump it'd be possible to check what's sold since the last dump and what hasn't. There should also be a button that closes the window ("Done").


Explanatory pictures
I created some pictures in MS Paint of what I had in mind, to make some of the things more understandable:

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Image 1. Suggestion for the general interface

OlsZ8uz.png
Image 2. Suggestion for the inventory dump


Additions
If anyone has a suggestion of a better grouping or whatever I'm interested in seeing more fancy sketches in the thread =P

Edited by Aeris
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+1. We always need more flexibility and options when it comes to management settings. I also approve tossing the current checkmark feature for both dismissal and price management.


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Please remove the checkbox to dismiss. Or move it away from all other checkboxes. I almost actually dismissed a full merchant with enchanted tools and some rates today. Luckily I am so cautious because of it being so close to the manage prices option I saw it before submitting.

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What is the most common reason you open the manage window? I think the answer to that questions is to check sold information and available spots. The next most common reason is to change prices. 

 

Manage price window:

- Sort by ascending or descending order for: item name, price, and damage.

- Edit prices without having to click on separate boxes. Since no denomination can exceed 99 (well gold but who is going to spend 100+ g) typing something like "00036099" is sufficient information to communicate 0g 3s 60c 99i. We could also type something like "0g 3s 60c 99i". Java should have regular expression tools to parse such a none number value. Mixing in the letters does make it easier to read but not easier to input. Although, we aren't inputting thousands of numbers so the 10key friendly version's efficiency may not amount to a noticeable difference.

- Tab key (or some other key) to jump cursor focus to the next price change field.

 

 

Random changes:

- Dismiss merchant needs to be far more inconvenient to click. Put that little box in the most obscure place you can imagine.

- Change "trader" references to sell merchant.

- Change either window size and text wrapping so all information is displayed without having to resize the UI. Respect the 640, 480 resolution!

- Change the description to be gender specific or alternate the gender references in the description.

- Rewrite the descriptions for brevity and correct grammar. I made an attempt here and a more skilled writer could do better.



General information:

A sell merchant sells anything you give him to other players. Coins earned from sales are held on the merchant and 

you physically trade with him to collect them. 

Merchants must be placed inside a market stall or building and where no other creatures but you stand. 

She will appear where you stand.

If you change kingdom the merchant will stay with the old kingdom and you loose it. 

A merchant and its writ stay on the same server. Further, if you change server the writ will temporally disappear till you return.

Merchants may disappear if they sell nothing for many months. 

Upon leaving both items and coins held on the merchant leave with him.

 

Dismissing a merchant will destroy all items held on him. He immediately leaves and takes all of his inventory.

 

Pricing information:

Custom pricing will always override other price settings. 

Using local prices means the merchant will use her local supply to price items instead of default pricing.

A price modifier is a multiplier applied to either a default or local derived value.

Last sold is a measure of the number days, hours, and minuets since the merchant's last sale.

Sold life is the total sales earned since placing her.

Ratio is a measure of .....

Free slots is how many more items you can place on the merchant. This value can go up as he sells more frequently.



 

Cool changes that don't fit as a UI rework:

- independent item specific instructions to only sell to a customizable list which might include: a person, friends, village, alliance, kingdom.

- Display the name of the deed where the merchant is placed (if it's placed on one).

 



 

Data Dump:

How should it be formated? I've advocated for a CSV format because there are many premade programing tools to parse that kind of data. After reading the OP's post I released there are better human readable formats. I'm not sure what is better. You could make a little script to parse any human readable format. Where as, the other way around you can't make computer focused more human readable (without using a computer to do so).

 

I'd want to see every specific detail on the management window in the data dump.

 


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Self-bump (almost as sad as a public self-highfive)

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Love the idea - as for the data dump: I would go with xml personally. They can be viewed neatly in your browser and doesn't require excel.


 


(I mean, technically a true CSV file CAN be viewed in any text editor, but it will look quite ugly)


Edited by bp1986
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