Making FM "Web-searchable"

Alright, we have had quite a few suggestions on the topic of owls and the problems concerning searching FM.

However, I have an alternative solution, that:

• wont stress the server much
• wont disturb the economy in mesos or NX
• will still have players searching FM for the item they need

Solution:
I suggest we implement some sort of SQL code in the game, which allows info from the FM shops to be pulled out of the game by the staff.
Then we make a webpage where you can look through a database of all the items currently for sale in FM. (This is not alot of work, I could probably make this half asleep)
The catch is that you will only be able to see Item name & Price.
You wont be able to see Shop placement, Shop name or Shop owner.
We add an ingame button that directs you to the webpage, for easy access.
We limit seaches to a maximum of 5~7 searches per IP and account a day.

How will this affect FM use:
This way players are still forced to roam through FM to buy a specific item or buy an owl.
This would also solve the problem with players not knowing prices of items, and would help further stabilising the economy, and help less newcomers getting ripped-off.

This is not nostalgic!?
But it is though! This solution have many similarities to Basilmarket, which had a big influence on trading in GMS.

Feedback
Please give me some feedback, I've been thinking of this solution for a very long time.

 

I don't believe a few SQL codes is considered alot of coding, and the webpage should be easy enough imo.
Anyone from the community could probably do this.
Hell, I could probably make the webpage.

Getting ripped off is real, has happened to me quite a few times.
Sure I could have put more effort into finding out the price, but having a fulltime job and school makes me not wanting to spend too much time figuring out what shit is worth.
Sure would be nice to just type the name of the item to see what shit sells for..

We could add an ingame button that directs you to the webpage, so anyone should be able to find it.

Let's put up a maximum of 5~7 searches per IP and account a day?

 

I'm sure the programmers here are competent enough to make this.
Else we could always outsource this part.

This is how I would do it:

Spoiler

Every time "Open shop" is clicked an SQL line will be executed sending Character name (which will be used as ID), Item name, Item count & Item price
An timer in the database will delete the items if the shop is not re-opened within 24 hours.

Every time the shop is manually closed, or if it is being altered, then items will be deleted from database using SQL code.

 

A great positive impact would be the goal yes.

Does the client never get updated? Kimberly

 

Yeah, I wasn't sure how to interprete your comment haha.
I seems the server is very 50/50 split about change.
As much as I wish we could all agree on this matter I must respect the fact that much of the community doesn't want any change.
FM being a shitshow was just part of old school MS.

 

Yeah. Just scrapped that idea, we already have the forum, which people barely use, they are not gonna suddently start using a website outside the forum.

 

Thanks for your input. I do respect the fact that many people here want to keep everything original.
But I also think your incorrect in the statement that this suggestion would kill any form of merchanting.
Maybe you haven't played any other mmo games before, but I can tell you that there is plenty of games that makes use of a similar system while still allowing for great merching. Also much better than the slow experience old school maplestory offers.

 

This flatlinning you describe is not what you see in games with similar systems.
I'd say maplestory 2 is a pretty good example if you have played that. The prices are very competitive, and sometimes you can find the same item for 10x times the cheapest price on the market, simply because people want to progress in the game and therefore need their items sold quickly. The same mentality is present on this server too.

 

The only way this would work if is a proper searchfunction is implemented, so for example, you could search for a claw that has 50+ att and requires less than 5 dex.
If it doesn't support scrolled items and such I don't think it would see any use.
Alongside auctions there would also need to be support for buyout prices.