Player Driven auction house system for unwanted data and materials

[Stewart_]

While the idea of a player driven commodity system isn't new, there should be a place to sell unwanted data and materials.

I don't think it would make sense to just add a market commodity system to sell these items, but maybe an Auction house would?

The auction wouldn't be just limited to the system but universal. Data would be free to receive but a small delivery charge for materials ( they are small items, so a very small delivery charge ).

FD could add more synthesis recipes for QoL - for example, a timed buff to FSD speed etc.

This could add to existing game play - some Materials only found in remote systems ( i.e., 6K LY ) which would add another element to exploration. Also be a benefit to Engineers - I'm regularly seeing people asking "how do I find X" for farseer, as an example...

 

[CMDR Cosmic Spacehead]

While such a system would take the annoyance out of some of the silly impossible to find materials, any player driven system will be gamed to the maximum possible.

I think Sandro himself said he didn't want money and materials to be linked.

So I doubt we'd ever see a system where we can purchase materials and data.

 

[Stewart_]

An auction system can be found in DDO and works fairly well. Though, due to the nature of DDO, its harder to grief.. which makes a large difference between Elite and DDO: which could account for why an auction house works better in that game.

If ED expanded the synthesis options ( crafting ) , the unwanted link between materials and money could be reduced...

While such a system would take the annoyance out of some of the silly impossible to find materials, any player driven system will be gamed to the maximum possible.

I think Sandro himself said he didn't want money and materials to be linked.

So I doubt we'd ever see a system where we can purchase materials and data.

 

[Snarfbuckle]

Honestly, why cant we utilize black markets for these items.

Some of them are even ONLY gained through shooting poor traders.

 

[Robert Maynard]

Honestly, why cant we utilize black markets for these items.

Some of them are even ONLY gained through shooting poor traders.

.... because each player is supposed to gather their own materials / data for the purpose of Engineering. Time spent gathering is the currency of Engineers, not credits.

 

[Snarfbuckle]

.... because each player is supposed to gather their own materials / data for the purpose of Engineering. Time spent gathering is the currency of Engineers, not credits.

Which is still a crappy old WoW style MMO mechanics that makes no damn sense.

- Can only aquire X part by blowing up a trader ship....And they dont always drop.
- Above parts are integral equipment of trading ships
- Above parts are standard items into the construction of such ships
- Yet i cannot order those parts online or even claim I need them as spare parts for my hauler...

And let's then look at minerals for engineering.

- I have to mine them
- I have to refine the minerals to get the engineering minerals
- Yet I cannot purchase 200 tonnes of said minerals on the market and shove them through my refinery

And part from weapons and modules

- I cannot buy a weapon, disassemble it and get a few engineering items
- I can on the other hand blow up some poor NPC and hope I blew up his weapons so they dislodge a crystal that is oddly absent from modules I buy and cannot disassemble myself.

It's literally poor game design with 10 year old mechanics instead of we well thought out constructive non-RNG system.

 

[Stewart_]

Yes - - being able to disassemble items is a good idea and put them to use in something else, which would add more to game play and remove some grind.

Though - I don't see why data and materials would be black market items - they are legal items. Black market are for illicit items a particular system. Cmdrs don't get attacked for carrying these items anywhere.

Being able to sell your data and materials I think would add game play as described above.

Which is still a crappy old WoW style MMO mechanics that makes no damn sense.

- Can only aquire X part by blowing up a trader ship....And they dont always drop.
- Above parts are integral equipment of trading ships
- Above parts are standard items into the construction of such ships
- Yet i cannot order those parts online or even claim I need them as spare parts for my hauler...

And let's then look at minerals for engineering.

- I have to mine them
- I have to refine the minerals to get the engineering minerals
- Yet I cannot purchase 200 tonnes of said minerals on the market and shove them through my refinery

And part from weapons and modules

- I cannot buy a weapon, disassemble it and get a few engineering items
- I can on the other hand blow up some poor NPC and hope I blew up his weapons so they dislodge a crystal that is oddly absent from modules I buy and cannot disassemble myself.

It's literally poor game design with 10 year old mechanics instead of we well thought out constructive non-RNG system.

 

[Robert Maynard]

It's literally poor game design with 10 year old mechanics instead of we well thought out constructive non-RNG system.

It was a conscious decision - presumably to avoid players with plenty of credits simply buying top of the line Engineered modifications on day one of release of the update.

 

[Marc_Hicks]

Sandro has already indicated that they are working on a Material/Data Broker contact at various facilities. The way he has talked about it (i.e without his usual caveats) suggests it is probably coming very soon-most likely with 2.4.