Shop Rule Changes?

Subject: Shop Rule Changes? Fri Dec 30, 2016 7:04 am

Greetings everyone,

I keep seeing users drop off the site and becoming inactive. Some even have shops that users are trying to use but can't because of this. Without naming the shops, I'd like to offer some solutions to this problem.

Please vote on the poll above on what solution you like best.

1.) Shop inactivity limits (Closure Method)

A shopkeeper will be required to maintain activity within the shop at a set rate. Activity being defined as their response time to shop requests. If a shop request were to go unanswered for x amount of time, then the shop is subject to closure.

If there are no shops after closure active, an equivalent may be erected by an NPC under all new management.

2.) Shop inactivity limits (NPC Method)

Following along with suggestion #1, instead of closure, the shop is taken over by staff to allow it to function automatically through the use of NPC's. Shop prices will be adjusted to allow buying and selling of materials and an inventory is set up on the same page to contain what the shop has from its transactions.

3.) Rent

Now this is rather fun and interesting way to handle this. A shopkeeper pays rent to keep their shop. A fee per to say to keep the shop open. If a shopkeeper ends up going inactive, their funds will just drain until they can no longer pay rent...

Honestly, I don't like this option despite how fun it sounded.

5.) OTHER
Please post what your idea is!

4.) No Change!
You honestly don't want to see any change at all... well fine then.

NPC Rper Posts : 1375 Poké : 12294 Join date : 2014-08-10

Fine with 1 and 2 (hard to vote when split like this aaa), though I'd suggest that player characters are allowed to set up a similar/the same store instead of it being perma NPC-ran. Not sure if that already was the idea but it was never stated anywhere so.

Subject: Re: Shop Rule Changes? Fri Dec 30, 2016 7:37 am

The way I see this... I don't like to take things like a critic... I'm just thinking aloud. σωσ (maybe I am and just dont like to admit it... idk)

coaster3000 wrote:: 1.) Shop inactivity limits (Closure Method)

A shopkeeper will be required to maintain activity within the shop at a set rate. Activity being defined as their response time to shop requests. If a shop request were to go unanswered for x amount of time, then the shop is subject to closure.

If there are no shops after closure active, an equivalent may be erected by an NPC under all new management.

Minimizing user controlled shops overtime just to erect an npc shop when none of a certain type is present, seems fine. but this seems more of a job then... oh, wait.
(matter aswell, just make shops and then give them to users if they want it. meh...)

Coaster3000 wrote:: 2.) Shop inactivity limits (NPC Method)

Following along with suggestion #1, instead of closure, the shop is taken over by staff to allow it to function automatically through the use of NPC's. Shop prices will be adjusted to allow buying and selling of materials and an inventory is set up on the same page to contain what the shop has from its transactions.

Users make shops... if they cant keep up staff takes temporary control... perhaps a board updater/record checker or perhaps, ehem, 'npc user', could do this part... heh.
(Oh hey! This is what I was thinking... hah! perhaps, if a staff member were to take control... the poke that would of been earned gets partially returned... as a 'sorry for being late' thing or the Original Owner gets zilch... meh)

Coaster3000 wrote:: 3.) Rent

Now this is rather fun and interesting way to handle this. A shopkeeper pays rent to keep their shop. A fee per to say to keep the shop open. If a shopkeeper ends up going inactive, their funds will just drain until they can no longer pay rent...

A seemingly simple charging fee...
(NOPE! Not with this site's current activity... lol... meh)

Coaster3000 wrote:: 5.) OTHER
Please post what your idea is!

Suggestions...
(I'm not the kind of guy to ask for approval... So im not gonna suggest. I have a couple ideas but number 2 is the one I'd suggest... Actually, I'd more likely extend into number 2... 'make the inactive member shops 'adoptable' in a sense'... but I'm probably sure someone suggested that before. :P meh)

Coaster3000 wrote:: 4.) No Change!
You honestly don't want to see any change at all... well fine then.

Honestly, I don't like this option despite how fun it sounded.

The obvious last option is second to last o.O? heh...
(I too don't really like this option if the whole point is to change something...)

Subject: Re: Shop Rule Changes? Fri Dec 30, 2016 8:19 am

Alright, my method is probably going to seem a little harsh, but just bear with me. It's the most direct and most effective solution to this problem, so please at least give it a chance.

I think that we should just straight-up remove the option for users to create their own shops, and archive any user-run shops that currently exist. With all due respect, let's face it, a single user is simply not capable of running their own store. Just take a look at the shop section! There are tons of purchase requests that have gone months without being replied to, and all this does is discourage users from spending their Poke. It's especially terrible when the user really needs whatever good/service the shop provides for plot purposes, or for an event.

Most of the shopkeepers are gone now, so now would be a good time to try something new. I know that there's a few people who are probably going to be furious at me for even suggesting this, but... Be honest. Is having a bunch of inactive stores lying around really contributing to the site at all? I don't think so.

So, what do I suggest we do to replace the deleted shops? It's pretty simple. Just create staff-owned and staff-operated stores with similar or identical functions. Then, appoint one or two active members to ensure that these stores run smoothly. It wouldn't be a very difficult job, so finding people to staff the new shops wouldn't be much of an issue.

If we went through with this, users wouldn't have to deal with waiting ages for purchases ever again! The only real negative I can see with my plan is that current shop owners would be pretty angry, and rightfully so. However, if they know what's good for the site, they'll allow this to happen.

One more thing to address. I distinctly remember the biggest arguement against NPC shops being that generating items for stock is bad, as it discourages people from exploring to find what they want. This may be true, but people need a surefire way of getting items without any RNG involved. Sometimes, it's just not worth the time and thread slot to get that one Sitrus Berry you need! If NPC store items were expensive enough to force users to have to make a decision between scouring dungeons or paying up, it would really add to the site's economy. Also, the stock of said stores could be limited and vary per month, so users would have to occasionally explore even if they have plenty of cash.

So yeah, that's what I think.

Subject: Re: Shop Rule Changes? Fri Dec 30, 2016 8:39 am

Ok, I have been up all night and not in the best mood, but I totally agree with what Scept says. I'm... Not good at explaining but I will try to get my own point across.

With this method, members don't have to worry about the owners going inactive. We could maybe even expand on stores. By creating more stores, we could give members more things to spend on. This could be pretty good for the economy.As it is now, it is really difficult to earn poke, and there is not much to spend on besides for new characters. We could give the members more options to buy from.

On the other hand, poke is difficult to earn, so maybe these stores could be used in a way to earn poke by selling items (at extremely low prizes), or to trade them for other items. If this is an issue, you can make items pretty expensive or look for other ways to earn poke. It should NOT take someone 250 posts in order to make a new character. (Or... You know, around 125 pages. Do you know how long that took me?) Make lots of shops that members WANT to use. Be that they have hard to find evolution items or even Reviver seeds for ridiculous prices. I understand that this could be an issue, but I had to throw the idea out there.

Subject: Re: Shop Rule Changes? Fri Dec 30, 2016 12:41 pm

Rent is a terrible idea. Force-closing all shops including active ones is also a terrible idea; some users have managed shops for a long time with no problem and should not be punished for it - for instance, Kat - so saying "no user can handle running a shop" is blatantly wrong. Doesn't matter how few can do it. Some can, and they should not be punished for the inactivity of others.

Just close inactive shops as needed and introduce some other way to fill the needs of shops that deliver an important service. Taking over important shops with NPCs would work. There doesn't need to be some radical solution like forcing shop owners to pay out of their pocket or closing all shops, and frankly, those are both awful. Never take an extreme route if it isn't necessary. There are few enough shops to easily watch them all and handle them on a case-by-case basis, and if there's even one person left properly using the system, it is utterly unfair to remove it from under them.

I like the idea of expanding the shop system through staff-controlled NPC shops, but you don't need to burn down or repossess every member-owned shop to make that happen.

Subject: Re: Shop Rule Changes? Fri Dec 30, 2016 4:27 pm

First off, @coaster3000

1.) Shop inactivity limits (Closure Method)
A shopkeeper will be required to maintain activity within the shop at a set rate. Activity being defined as their response time to shop requests. If a shop request were to go unanswered for x amount of time, then the shop is subject to closure.
If there are no shops after closure active, an equivalent may be erected by an NPC under all new management.
Answer: Would rather number 2, but don't mind this.
2.) Shop inactivity limits (NPC Method)
Following along with suggestion #1, instead of closure, the shop is taken over by staff to allow it to function automatically through the use of NPC's. Shop prices will be adjusted to allow buying and selling of materials and an inventory is set up on the same page to contain what the shop has from its transactions.
Answer: I wouldn't mind this. If the user just can't find the time for the shop right now, then it's taken over by an NPC, however, they could just receive half the funds they would if they had done it themselves. If the user goes inactive altogether then someone else can volunteer to take it over and start the shop anew.
3.) Rent
Now this is rather fun and interesting way to handle this. A shopkeeper pays rent to keep their shop. A fee per to say to keep the shop open. If a shopkeeper ends up going inactive, their funds will just drain until they can no longer pay rent...
Answer: HAAAA that's a good one....wait you're not kidding? This is a terrible idea. I still run my shop and service despite my inactivity, it's not active because people aren't using it. Why should I be punished because people don't want to use my shop just yet? This would especially be bad since it would drain away at my funds, meaning I can't do anything else with my funds simply because I don't have the time to upkeep posting on average boards. This would result in people begging others to use their shop or give poke so they could upkeep it, people would pity them and do it, then it would grow to the point where nobody has money they're willing to give and they STILL lose their shop.

Second, @sceptile

"I think that we should just straight-up remove the option for users to create their own shops, and archive any user-run shops that currently exist. With all due respect, let's face it, a single user is simply not capable of running their own store. Just take a look at the shop section! There are tons of purchase requests that have gone months without being replied to, and all this does is discourage users from spending their Poke. It's especially terrible when the user really needs whatever good/service the shop provides for plot purposes, or for an event. "
*Clears throat*
Please take a look at "the service" and "the shop" in my signature please and thank you.
"If we went through with this, users wouldn't have to deal with waiting ages for purchases ever again! The only real negative I can see with my plan is that current shop owners would be pretty angry, and rightfully so. However, if they know what's good for the site, they'll allow this to happen."
Yes. I'd be pissed quite frankly considering my characters involved REVOLVE around their shop. If anything i'd think this is WORSE for the site as this is a way of people to earn their poke. I rely on this because I don't have the time to RP here as much. They aren't active at the moment due to lack of interest since people don't have the items needed for it, but when they do get business it's good business. So taking away my shops would basically be holding a middle finger to me saying "Fuck you, you can't play with us have fun taking 10 million years to do anything

Now for @evana

"On the other hand, poke is difficult to earn,"
Exactly why the idea of burning the shops down to replace with new is a bad idea. This is how some users make their earnings when they're too busy with life.

And @LordEV

This man.
Listen to him.

Subject: Re: Shop Rule Changes? Sun Jan 01, 2017 5:13 am

Note to all users, the thread has been split and archived of its previous discussions due to some... unnecessary toxicity towards one another.
If there is something you wish to remain in this thread that was constructive in which was archived by mistake. Feel free to PM me only! Do not repost it!

Warning: If the toxicity levels increase dangerously and it threatens our character's livelihoods again... I will bar this location from all so that our character's live in peace! :3

I will lock this thread

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