Why is it that you can't buy items individually?

[Profyrion]

It's true, Marketplace sorting and search options are 10 steps back.  Other games mastered this a decade ago.  It's almost like Bloodlust didn't want to design a Marketplace at all, so they just created the simplest caveman interface they could get away with.  And they haven't touched it since.

[BourneEndeavour]

On 3/7/2016 at 9:00 AM, qpoljanan said:

 

You don't really seem to undertsand. It's not about selling items 1 by 1. It's by being able to buy how many pieces per stock. If you have 250 pcs of one item put on sale at the market, whenever I buy/click it, there should be a counter that pops up where I type how much I will be buying. For example, I'm short of 12 refining materials to upgrade. So instead of buying an entire bulk that I may not need afterwards, I will only buy 12. Literally almost every MMO has this function. The way the market is right now is so anti-consumer. Yes it's so easy to sell things since people will be forced to buy wholesale, but it becomes a pain when you need only a specific amount.

 

FFXIV doesn't. You have to buy in bulks with a limit imposed at x99. What you're purposing would simply result in people putting up my smaller stacks at significantly higher prices. The whole idea of bulk is by paying more upfront, you get each individual item for cheaper. Whenever I sell something 1:1, I charge a hell of a lot more than if I put a stack of 12 up.

[KamiKaze425]

so for one: I've played many games on both sides of the split system. it's not something "every mmo" does.

 

anyways. I actually prefer the non-split system. Why? Because undercutting will occur FAR more often if you split. With non-split, large stacks are cheaper while small stacks are more expensive. Prices will fluctuate up and down. If people could buy parts of a stack, everyone would pretty much undercut, or only price it to fit on the first page. Unless demand is that high and supply is that low, prices would drop a lot more easily. From a consumer perspective, great. Low prices. But from a seller perspective, where they have limited auction spaces, they spent THEIR time actually getting the items and the funds to sell them, it would suck. The markets would tank and there'd be no point in selling for peanuts

[DrowningEarth]

1 hour ago, KamiKaze425 said:

so for one: I've played many games on both sides of the split system. it's not something "every mmo" does.

 

anyways. I actually prefer the non-split system. Why? Because undercutting will occur FAR more often if you split. With non-split, large stacks are cheaper while small stacks are more expensive. Prices will fluctuate up and down. If people could buy parts of a stack, everyone would pretty much undercut, or only price it to fit on the first page. Unless demand is that high and supply is that low, prices would drop a lot more easily. From a consumer perspective, great. Low prices. But from a seller perspective, where they have limited auction spaces, they spent THEIR time actually getting the items and the funds to sell them, it would suck. The markets would tank and there'd be no point in selling for peanuts

If prices are being undercut, that means current prices are not at market equilibrium. Supply is a function of the seller's willingness to meet a certain price level. 

 

Being able to sell partial/individual amounts out of a stack can only help you as a seller, as it improves your liquidity and inventory turnover.

[KamiKaze425]

1 hour ago, DrowningEarth said:

If prices are being undercut, that means current prices are not at market equilibrium. Supply is a function of the seller's willingness to meet a certain price level. 

 

Being able to sell partial/individual amounts out of a stack can only help you as a seller, as it improves your liquidity and inventory turnover.

you also must consider that not everyone on this game knows the worth of what they're selling. Most people will easily just undercut by a bronze/silver to sell quick without even paying attention. the equilibrium also changes based on the model of the selling system. 

there are reasons why places like costco in the states charge the prices they do for bulk items. Where if you go to a grocery store to get 1 or 2 items, it will most likely cost more per unit. it even applies to all pricing within a grocery store itself. not counting sales, normally the larger size of an item costs less per ounce than the smaller version.

[Emberlynia]

This is a video game not a grocery store. Most items that sell in bulk are not needed in bulk. And as most player do I want to buy bulk of said item because it's 1s cheaper in a lot of 50 when i only need a few. Nope. I'll refresh market and pay the 1s extra because as most players my gold runs low and buying in bulk is not a option.

 

Soulstones "Bulk"50@18s69c=9g34s50c  But i only need 10 because farmed the rest for the upgrade I need that will last awhile. I have let's say 8g.

                               10@18s70c=1g87s        If you actually look at the market there is not that much of a bulk discount listed on anything. Most people in the game are not rich they spend there time and gold farming, upgrading and back to no gold. 

[DrowningEarth]

3 hours ago, KamiKaze425 said:

you also must consider that not everyone on this game knows the worth of what they're selling. Most people will easily just undercut by a bronze/silver to sell quick without even paying attention. the equilibrium also changes based on the model of the selling system. 

there are reasons why places like costco in the states charge the prices they do for bulk items. Where if you go to a grocery store to get 1 or 2 items, it will most likely cost more per unit. it even applies to all pricing within a grocery store itself. not counting sales, normally the larger size of an item costs less per ounce than the smaller version.

There will be a limit to which people can undercut. Your equilibrium is going to be maintained by demand. If buyers are buying up the undercut goods fast enough, prices should stay relatively level, with fluctuations. If not, then there is a glut and prices should fall.

[HeyMe]

On 3/7/2016 at 2:15 AM, qpoljanan said:

Isn't that pretty much common MMO logic that you should be able select either buying a handful of items or buying them in bulk? Wphy is it on the other hand that in the market you're forced to only buy in bulk? I don't want 500 transformation stones, only 1. What's worse is that there's no filter on item quantity, so you're going to slog through pages of 500 something something items because I can't bother with the absolutely horrid crafting system in this game. 

 

This is just bs. 

 

Define "common"  I've played numerous MMO's.  I can only remember 2 that allowed buyers to buy partial stacks.  (One of which being guild wars 2, where I don't think you actually sell "stacks" of items internally.  (which is pretty clever))

[KamiKaze425]

1 hour ago, Emberlynia said:

This is a video game not a grocery store. Most items that sell in bulk are not needed in bulk. And as most player do I want to buy bulk of said item because it's 1s cheaper in a lot of 50 when i only need a few. Nope. I'll refresh market and pay the 1s extra because as most players my gold runs low and buying in bulk is not a option.

 

Soulstones "Bulk"50@18s69c=9g34s50c  But i only need 10 because farmed the rest for the upgrade I need that will last awhile. I have let's say 8g.

                               10@18s70c=1g87s        If you actually look at the market there is not that much of a bulk discount listed on anything. Most people in the game are not rich they spend there time and gold farming, upgrading and back to no gold. 

if there is a stack of soulstones that low in your price range, then you have what you want. i see no problem. then there will be the times 1 stone costs 3s more than the per unit cost of a stack of 50. then there are people who decide to undercut with the 1 stone for the faster turnover. 

it's the system this game uses. and many other games use. if anything, they could just serve to offer more sorting options or UI updates in general.

i see nothing wrong with either purchasing system. just a matter of preference. both have their advantages and disadvantages

[qpoljanan]

2 hours ago, KamiKaze425 said:

if there is a stack of soulstones that low in your price range, then you have what you want. i see no problem. then there will be the times 1 stone costs 3s more than the per unit cost of a stack of 50. then there are people who decide to undercut with the 1 stone for the faster turnover. 

it's the system this game uses. and many other games use. if anything, they could just serve to offer more sorting options or UI updates in general.

i see nothing wrong with either purchasing system. just a matter of preference. both have their advantages and disadvantages

 

That's the thing. I would rather pay 1g87s for soul stones than the 50 with 9g34s50c. Unlike most people that almost 8g difference IS A LOT. This is the primary reason why bulk buying has its disadvantages. It's good for buying dirt cheap items that sell for 50 coppers or less. But if it's for 90 silvers and up, the price of buying in bulk is simply too much for other players with limited funds, especially now that bots sell these premium/end-game materials in huge bulks and it's especially hard to find these items sold individually or at least in small stacks.

[qpoljanan]

2 hours ago, HeyMe said:

 

Define "common"  I've played numerous MMO's.  I can only remember 2 that allowed buyers to buy partial stacks.  (One of which being guild wars 2, where I don't think you actually sell "stacks" of items internally.  (which is pretty clever))

 

Guild Wars 2 isn't part of "most MMOs". It's right there with FFIX as AAA MMOs. I'm talking about most of the dime-a-dozen MMOs. Even SWTOR has this system. 

 

Once again, I bring up Ragnarok Online. The vendor system there was perfect. You see someone sell 10000 fire arrows. The price displayed is price for one arrow, then if you buy, a handful that price is simply multiplied to how much arrows you're going to buy. Even with the taxations at auction here, it's pretty much negligible. It's not like you're going to get bankrupt from selling 3g+ bulks in exchange to paying up a handful of silvers for market tax. In addition to that, the market pace is pretty fast here, so that's one thing the economy does right at least. I can sell most of my items in 5 mins or less...or maybe because I sell them at smaller bulks compared to everyone's item listings that are probably enough to feed a small guild of players.

 

My point here, first and foremost, is player convenience and it is pretty evident that people are willing to buy items in small packages.