Topic

This is how I imagine stores in Glitch

The auctions are great and all, but I would really like to buy a store and own it. I don't know how this would fit in with Glitch, but love my store in another game I play (Kingdom of Loathing).

I have seen other people talk about the desire to own a store. The way I see it there are two options for this: in-game like a house or out-game (is that even a word?) like the auctions.
I like the idea of in-game accessible stores, but not per se physically present in-game like a house. They could be accessible from a few streets in Ur, maybe one per region. You could make all the shops accessible from every region or go for a more local approach with separate shopping area's. Just like the auctions you would be able to search all shops at once (of per area) to hunt for a bargain. But you would also be able to search for the store of a specific player.

The shopping area would be like a portal to the different stores, once you decide what you want to buy from which Glitch you would have to "travel" to the store to make the actual purchase. Maybe a cardboard version of the owner would greet you :)

Pros: no more listing fees and commission, easy to make price adjustments, in-game trading experience
Cons: like a house you would have to pay for owning a store

Posted 18 months ago by Victoria Subscriber! | Permalink

Replies

  • I'd love to own a store, but the way it is now I would always pay the extra 10c for the convenience of delivery.  I like the idea though!
    Posted 18 months ago by Tony Danza, Ph.D. Subscriber! | Permalink
  • A bazaar with people's own stores sounds pretty fun. I might own a store myself...
    Posted 18 months ago by Liridona Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Cons = what do you do when the owner of the store isn't online?  Is this just a vending machine idea?
    Posted 18 months ago by WindBorn Subscriber! | Permalink
  • WindBorn: when you mean by "vending machine idea" that you exchange currants for items without interference of the owner, then yes. Maybe a cardboard version of your avater could guard the store or something :)
    Posted 18 months ago by Victoria Subscriber! | Permalink
  • This is similar to an idea I posted a while back.

    It was suggested there (by Merek actually) that a "shop spirit" (similar to a street spirit) can be hired to sell your items while you are offline, but you need to pay the shop spirit some sort of salary for his services.

    I'd really love to see businesses/stores added to Glitch. 
    Posted 18 months ago by roderick ordonez Subscriber! | Permalink
  • So this would be the auction, but buyers could designate the amount they wanted to buy?
    Posted 18 months ago by WindBorn Subscriber! | Permalink
  • No player owned stores in game for me
    Posted 18 months ago by Phochai Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I'm +1 on player stores. This would make the game more participatory. Right now most of the time I'm just running around doing an occasional quest or just collecting resources just to keep my Glitch from dying or to build a street.  Stores also provide a currency sink.
    Posted 18 months ago by Fokian Fool Subscriber! | Permalink
  • This is a great idea! 
    Posted 18 months ago by NutMeg Botwin Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I'd like to sell my organic produce (fertilized by free-range chickens) at a farmers' market... I know you discerning glitches would pay a premium for delicious heirloom produce, compared to that nasty commercially produced junk full of pesticides!
    Posted 18 months ago by Lilith Subscriber! | Permalink
  • @WindBorn If you want to put it that way, yes. But the way I see it player stores are really different from the auction. The player is more in control of his/her own trade.
    Posted 18 months ago by Victoria Subscriber! | Permalink
  • "player stores are really different from the auction"

    Ok, explain to me because the only difference I see is that the buyer can select the amount they buy. 
    Posted 18 months ago by WindBorn Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I'm not sure how they're different in Victoria's mind, but as she mentioned KoL, here's how it works there (KoL has both)

    The KoL flea market are akin to Glitch auctions in that they are time limited and require a fee to post, but you can only sell 1 item of something (so one tomato). Anyone at any level can buy or sell from the flea market. The mall, on the other hand, requires that you are a certain level before you can enter and a higher level before you can own a store. Once you own a store, you can sell however much of whatever (and players can buy however much) with no fee and the items remain in the store until they sell or you remove them. However, you have to buy the store for a significant chunk of change and you can buy advertising which lists your store & items higher in the search results (so if 20 people sell something for $500, if you have the highest advertising you are listed first of those 20 but behind the people who are selling for $499). Your store comes with a choice of shopkeepers and you can customize their name and greetings (you get a decent chunk of space to post things like sales or other infos). Also, once you post an auction in the flea market, the price remains, but you can adjust the prices in your store.

    How I'd picture it for Glitch...
    Auction:
    * Lots of any amount have to be bought as a lot
    * Anyone can buy from anywhere through the out of game experience/page
    * Fee to post & commission on sale (as it is now)
    * No customization or personalized player experience

    Store:
    * Any amount of an item can be stocked and/or purchased (well, someone couldn't purchase more than was stocked)
    * The store would be located in-game but may have some sort of mail-order mechanism
    * No fee to post or commission on sale, but you'd have to buy the store and maybe pay rent
    * Store customization possible - special greetings, upgradable shelves & display, etc

    To be successful, there'd have to be some sort of store directory where people could search to see what stores had what items. Perhaps a search similar to the auction search. 

    Auction items would likely be higher priced - convenience for those working on a project and needing an item *now* and being unable/unwilling to move, in-game, to the stores. Stores would also become an extra place for folks to store items, which might lead to a number of things listed at the max price allowed as well as a sort of public display case where one could show off their collections. 
    Posted 18 months ago by Vera Strange Subscriber! | Permalink
  • That's exactly what I mean imbri.
    Posted 18 months ago by Victoria Subscriber! | Permalink
  • +1 to player stores, please make sure there are co-ownership/co-op options.
    Posted 18 months ago by The Cat Face Subscriber! | Permalink
  • +1 to stores and co-ops. I'd like to do the decor myself as well. I'd also like an estate agency ingame.
    Posted 18 months ago by KitkatCat Subscriber! | Permalink
  • +1 for co-ops. I would love to share a store with friends!
    Posted 18 months ago by Victoria Subscriber! | Permalink