Player-Controlled Shops?

[Next]

I've recently returned to AO after a long absence and have a few questions about the new player-controlled shops. I don't have Alien Invasion yet but am trying to decide whether or not I should upgrade.

Buying from player shops:
- I've noticed some new search terminals for finding items being sold. Is Alien Invasion required in order to find/buy these items? I'm assuming so but wanted to be sure.
- Is this new shop system being used by a lot of players? What I mean is, is there a nice healthy supply of various items in the system, or are players still mostly selling/buying via the older methods (chat channel, forums)?

Selling items via player shops:
- I read somewhere that the only people who can set up shop are members of orgs that own cities. This is disheartening to hear, is it true?
- If the answer to the last question is yes, how difficult is it for a tiny org to participate in the system (just enough to get a shop set up)? My current org is just myself and a RL friend, I'm guessing that it will be impossible for us to get a shop started?
- Are there plans to allow non-org and small-org members to rent shop space from larger orgs?

Thanks in advance for your answers and any info you can provide. I was looking forward to being able to sell my wares (I enjoyed the bazaar/auction systems in other games I've played), but if it is pretty much an impossibility then I will probably not upgrade to the expansion at this time.

[Randomtext]

-Well I heard a rumor that it was possible to use the Shop Search system without the expansion...but it usually takes hours to find one item.

-Yes, Shop Search is often used by many players, it's a nice way of pricechecking items you're selling on the open market and sometimes hunting for other things you can't find on the channel.

-You need to be in an org with a city to sell off items in a shop.

-Cities cost hundreds of millions so unless your rich uncle died ingame and you inherited his fortune, I wouldn't bet on it any time soon.

-Shops can also be rented out by orgs usually for a small profit or tax on the items you manage to sell.

[Rathorien]

You need AI to use the Global Market Search Terminals

The system is widely used.

You need to have a City with a Market Building to have a shop.

[Lal]

- I've noticed some new search terminals for finding items being sold. Is Alien Invasion required in order to find/buy these items? I'm assuming so but wanted to be sure.

Yup, to find and buy them

- Is this new shop system being used by a lot of players? What I mean is, is there a nice healthy supply of various items in the system, or are players still mostly selling/buying via the older methods (chat channel, forums)?

yes they are used by LOTS of players, to auction and do massive banksales the forums are used more often though.

- I read somewhere that the only people who can set up shop are members of orgs that own cities. This is disheartening to hear, is it true?

Yes, you'll need an org with a player-shop building in their city

- If the answer to the last question is yes, how difficult is it for a tiny org to participate in the system (just enough to get a shop set up)? My current org is just myself and a RL friend, I'm guessing that it will be impossible for us to get a shop started?

It's not like your going to make a ''shop'' eh, its like a bank and to quick-sell stuff, and you'd have to buy your own city, pay for upkeep, find land, buy buildings.. ehm 400-600millisch that is, forget that i think :P

- Are there plans to allow non-org and small-org members to rent shop space from larger orgs?

It's possible, join another org make your own terminal and leave org (and join back to your small org), just one thing the president of the ''shop'' can abbandon your shop (No, you wont loose items, once you make another shop (somewhere) you'll find all your items again)

the orgleader can also set a ''shop tax'' which means 0-20% of all sold stuff, the amount of credits that were made, 0-20% would go to their org bank and you can tranfer the other 80-100% from your shop

[Keldon]

the orgleader can also set a ''shop tax'' which means 0-20% of all sold stuff, the amount of credits that were made, 0-20% would go to their org bank and you can tranfer the other 80-100% from your shop

I am the leader of an org with a city. The commission from the player shops can be set 1%-20%. Cannot set shop commission all the way down to 0% (I tried when my org was just RL friends).

[DragonFire]

Yeah the player shops are great. Ive like many many other ppl have found the items theyve wanted but coudlnt get unless they bought them from the player shops. Its a nice way to make some money if u know what many ppl need and make your pricing the right way. Also a shop near a grid or whompah is a huge plus sometimes. But i guess the forums are a good place too. Mostly seen high lvl stuff sold here only.