Gems

[Vogar Eol]

I've noticed a resurgence in interest in gem buying lately. After some research, I learned about Diamonds, Canary Diamonds, Blue Diamonds, and their uses with Dusty Tomes. Have any other changes gone in recently that require other gems? Are people just stockpiling for eventual crafting/enchanting?

[chad878262]

No mechanical benefits outside of the diamonds. For me personally I conceived of Finneaus a little over a year ago and being a gem merchant is just a part of his RP. Can't speak for others, but there is no reason to think any further mechanical benefit will come from gems in the future. There is nothing I have seen to indicate this, but that by no means should be considered a 'staff statement' as there could be any number of things in the works that I am simply unaware of.

[aaron22]

i hang on to gems and will buy/sell them occasionally for the same reason chad does. its all RP stuff. it has a meaning and use a resource that the game has to further enhance aspects of the character.

if these become a mechanical resource, then the external value would increase even if internal value remains the same.

it is cool to know there are others that do similar things.

[Tsidkenu]

And what they're not telling you is that there are 2 (3?) Npc gem merchant that you can sell gems to for more than you can actually buy them from other NPC merchants. Thus, giving PCs 2 or even 3 times as much as they could otherwise sell them to NPC vendors for will net you a profit in the range of 30-50%.

[aaron22]

HAHA!!!

but....

there is no gem merchant in Uruk Lurra.......

yet?

i dont plan....
i plot... <insert/evillaugh>

you can quote me

[Alurianna]

My character (Captain Vala Reyer) is trying to set up a few gem trade routes. So now she is learning what she can about the gem trade and which ones are valuable or rare etc.

[Tsidkenu]

This is simply a case of players (moreso than their characters) come to the realisation that any gem which can be sold for less than 1300 gp (the vendor's max price) becomes potentially lucrative profit, especially if you go and throw a high Appraise skill and/or Trade Domain/Guild Thief Reputation to move the margin further in your benefit.

[chad878262]

Because it couldn't possibly just be for the RP?

Broad generalization is never accurate... Finn has ~18 appraise and no Guild Thief. The gem merchant thing is not something I spend time seeking out so much as post when someone is looking for a gem and keep a stock of them in storage for if someone is looking for a specific gem type. I assumed the specific gem merchants were relatively well known at this point and high appraise is obviously a benefit for epic vendors far moreso then the relatively minimal gain from selling 'junk' gems for more money.

So no, I would not say it is a case of "players (moreso than characters)" doing anything. While some players probably do such things I haven't seen an explosion of gem trading threads (honestly until Aaron posted I thought I was about the only one currently going the route of gem merchant). I definitely do not use it as an RP way of shafting other players, if that is the thought process.

[samb123]

Because it couldn't possibly just be for the RP?

Broad generalization is never accurate...

A lot of times, it's mostly accurate.

[Tsidkenu]

Are you suggesting that the server's players haven't yet figured out that you can buy, say, an alexandrite gem from the FAI dwarf for 650 and then sell it to the specialised gem merchant for 850+, let alone buying them from other players for easy profits? Because I'm pretty certain they have, and have been doing it for a considerable period of time now

[chad878262]

I haven't checked the buy/sell from multiple merchants and no one else has posted an issue before now, but I'll push it to Chambo and Valefort to ensure it is addressed.

[aaron22]

Are you suggesting that the server's players haven't yet figured out that you can buy, say, an alexandrite gem from the FAI dwarf for 650 and then sell it to the specialised gem merchant for 850+, let alone buying them from other players for easy profits? Because I'm pretty certain they have, and have been doing it for a considerable period of time now

i am aware of such things, but YAWN.. that sounds super boring. its like questing without xp rewards. na.. ill kill mobs and open chests.. now that is fun.

[Akroma666]

I haven't checked the buy/sell from multiple merchants and no one else has posted an issue before now, but I'll push it to Chambo and Valefort to ensure it is addressed.

So if you by say 5 gems from a merchant then spend 20 mins adventuring to the shop to sell them.. I don't see a problem.. it's trade.. trade is a good thing and should be fair game and allowed. You build a toon to develop gold, fine. It's no different than digging through dungeons for cheasts, just a different play style.

[samb123]

I haven't checked the buy/sell from multiple merchants and no one else has posted an issue before now, but I'll push it to Chambo and Valefort to ensure it is addressed.

How is it actually an issue that some folks might make merchant characters whose goal is increasing their gold? Now, to be clear, I have never done this. (I find the whole idea boring.) I just don't see what the problem would be with folks doing it.

[chad878262]

If the only gems they are buying is the random gems sold to NPC merchants by other players who are unaware of the specific gem merchants or can't be bothered to travel to one, there is no issue. However, if there is some NPC merchant selling gems for less than other NPC merchants buy them for in unlimited quantity that is not a different play style, it's an unlimited gold exploit.

Buy low/sell high mechanics with NPCs don't work in an environment like this except in very unique/controlled situations because it creates infinite gold.

I don't *think* this is an issue as my understanding is only the gem merchants have their own standard supply of gems. Thus there is no infinite gold exploit here as there have been in other situations in the past. If there is it absolutely is an exploit and should not be done. It's basically god modding NPC's (because if a DM was controlling them they wouldn't purchase nor sell unlimited supplies of gems. There simply would never be that much demand for Fire Agate's or whatever)