Feedback talk:User/Bacalao/Trade

I think this is a good suggestion. Especially the part about splitting trade (and auction house) into categories based on items. That way - if I'm looking to buy a sword, for example - I don't have to wade through one thousand WTS ads for everything BUT a sword just to find what I'm looking for. Instead, I go to trade (or auction house), click on the "sword" tab/category, and immediately have eliminated a few hundred to a few thousand items from my search that don't fit my criteria. Also, incorporate a search feature in the trade/auction dialog window; even just a simple text search would be welcome.

Furthemore, make this mandatory. In other words, don't give players a choice of which category to place their items; make it happen automatically. If you're selling a sword, it will automatically be advertised in the "Selling > Swords" tab, if you're selling a wand, it will automatically be advertised in the "Selling > Wands" tab, etc. This way players aren't able to spam/cross-post their items across multiple categories that aren't appropriate for the item they're selling in an effort to try to get more attention for their sale item.

The whole trading scheme in GW1 is a disaster; spam as long as you can in chat the item you're selling and cross your fingers somebody sees it. All the while having to stand there repeatedly pasting your "WTS item ABC" text to chat rather than playing the game. It's these kinds of attention to small details that can make the difference between an enjoyable game play experience versus a boring grind or exercise in tedium.

Part of the iterative game testing process should focus not only on what is fun or playable but also on what doesn't work. In other words, whenever a developer builds something into the game, thought should be given to taking the possible negative consequences of that feature out to their logical extreme in an attempt to predict what impact it will have on the game experience. For example, if they had done this with the trading scheme in GW1 when developing it, they would have quickly concluded how unworkable it would be to have a few score or more of players all simultaneously screaming out in chat, "BUY MY ITEM!". I agree that you can't always predict everything that will happen, but you can make some pretty good educated guesses if you make the effort. Guild Wars 3 perhaps 04:52, 6 May 2011 (UTC)