Why are there so many auction regions?

I have a question to the devs or anyone else who might be able to shed some light on this.

Why are there so many auction regions?

I can understand that each planet might want a different auction region (although personally I would merge them all) but why does places like arkadia underground and hell have their own auction region? Do people really favour listing items on these locations rather than selling the good on the planets' auction?

For me there seems a ridiculous number of different regions, especially as most seem not to be used.

matthew said:

I have a question to the devs or anyone else who might be able to shed some light on this.

Why are there so many auction regions?

I can understand that each planet might want a different auction region (although personally I would merge them all) but why does places like arkadia underground and hell have their own auction region? Do people really favour listing items on these locations rather than selling the good on the planets auction?

For me their seems a ridiculous number of different regions, especially as most seem not to be used.

Click to expand...

+1 I would love just a consolidated selection based on planet.

Probably a part of mechanics, and what if by fixing it they'd make regional storages linked too? I would rather have more regions

Technically different planets. At least far as engine is concerned.

Loot Pool.

While I understand the theoretical justification for each planet to have its own separate auction system - it's the same theoretical justification as for landing fees - I'd much rather do without both "features". All they really achieve is to impede play, which impedes players' enjoyment of the actual game.

And yes, I will miss having ark underground storage to keep my nonrefundable (L) items in.

Roughly 9 in 10 times I like having them separate and mostly to avoid planet transfer fees.
But the other 10% of the time I'd like to have a search-all-planets function too.

Svarog said:

Probably a part of mechanics, and what if by fixing it they'd make regional storages linked too? I would rather have more regions

Click to expand...

Long time ago, for a very shor while, you had to use "Teleman's Coins" to go between Rocktropia and Hell. Maybe at that time there was a reason to keep them apart.

For NI and AG, as there was a theoretical time difference by some thousand years it could also explain the local auction (and storage).

Otherwise, I would also suggest regions that, mostly, are planet wide. It would also solve the problem with beginners on Calypso having their vehicles still in Thule.

One thing *against* removing sub-planet local storages though is that many people use them to store junk. Like (untradeable/un TT-able) armor sets they got when buying additional starter packs, or (in my case) fireworks and pets from strongboxes. There probably were a heap of players who got into trouble when Thule got restricted and they had used the storage there for items that did't go into main Calypso storage. (Both Rocktropia and Arkadia have storages in Hell and Underground that can work as supplemental storages, and now when it's free to go to AG then AG storage can be used to extend NIs storage.)

I think it would be more convenient if storage terminal item limit would be set to 1000 for Calypso/Rocktropia/Arkadia, and main planet and sub planet storages were merged. CP, old CND and Monria could still have the old 500 item limit (not to upset the pirates). Or, that CP and old CND could share storage. Other major planets such as (NI), Toulan and Cyrene could have their main storage expanded to 1000, both to prepare for subplanets of their own and also to make them attractive to visit.

As for auction reducing the number of auction zones would make the list way easier to navigate through. Maybe that old CND, CP and Space could be a single auction zone - but on space stations besides CP and old CND local auctioneers there would be restricted to buy and sell Oil, Welding Wire, vehicles under cateogories "Air" and "Spaceships" and thrusters (just a suggestion).

I don't even think all of the auctions work... Global doesn't, and I think some of the sub-planet ones do not (haven't checked in a long time).

Personally I'd rather see a single AH and no transport fees, but that would be too easy on the players and without the transport fees MA would lose one of their s̶c̶a̶m̶s̶ monetization opportunities.

syntax said:

I don't even think all of the auctions work... Global doesn't, and I think some of the sub-planet ones do not (haven't checked in a long time).

Personally I'd rather see a single AH and no transport fees, but that would be too easy on the players and without the transport fees MA would lose one of their s̶c̶a̶m̶s̶ monetization opportunities.

Click to expand...

Global works. Used by mindark for item sales.

I like that the different planets have separate auctions but see no reason why places such as ark underground should have one, realistically no one is going to pay a transport fee from ark to ark underground and I completely forget about ark underground having its own auction so never bother to check it. Given the already spread out player base surely it makes sense to consolidate these areas.

It is a shame there is no way to search all of the auctions in one go. Sometimes can find items on another planets auction that is cheaper even considering the transport costs. Also I might be looking for a particular item to come available on a particular planet and might forget to check that planet's auction regularly. (A notification system would be useful but that is another thread i think).


It has been really nice to read peoples comments on this topic

atomicstorm said:

Global works. Used by mindark for item sales.

Click to expand...

Ah, I didn't realize that. There's no way for players to use it, though, is there?

syntax said:

Ah, I didn't realize that. There's no way for players to use it, though, is there?

Click to expand...

No, because that would render space and motherships virtually useless.

Not to mention the added income MA makes from transport fees.

Rocket192 said:

No, because that would render space and motherships virtually useless.

Not to mention the added income MA makes from transport fees.

Click to expand...

Space is already useless.

Spawn said:

Space is already useless.

Click to expand...

And a pain in the butt for 99.9% of the population.

syntax said:

Ah, I didn't realize that. There's no way for players to use it, though, is there?

Click to expand...

In theory you could get permabanned and all your stuff goes on auction via the ma npc...

auctions should be all merged imo; so you can see items from other planets among the items of the planet you are atm, but marked in red (the same of actual system, but all the items in a unique global auction);it helps a lot when you use auction! is it so hard to do that?