Every online game needs a working in game market. This game should be not exception. Existing way by Merchant (bought through Dark Matter = mostly for your money), or via game admin PM (or you broke the rules) is flustrating and limiting. It is bad move from Ogame developer side, as they can acquire much more money from quest system.
What does mean "In game market"? It is system, where players (pls.) can bought and sell theirs goods, they produced in game. So, they can get the resources they need, from someone who wants to sell it.
How should it work? Only resources can be bought, not a ships. Four Space station markets (next only SSM) (499 systems - for each 100 system one SSM) will be in each galaxie. The nearest SSM you will choose, the faster you can receive your goods. You can see list of any of these SSM and you can choose from which you will buy something. But if you will buy something from very distant SSM, it will take time equally to its distance. Every SSM will have limit for place a buy/sell order (for example 50 for each sell or buy). For this purpose will be every SSM upgradable via pls. donations (Ikariam - shared isle resources). Pl., which has donated resources, will be enlisted - anyone can see how many they spared for upgrade. Each upgrade level will raise the buy/sell limit (this can be rewarded with a achievement). SSM will have own delivering ships, which will be untouchable by pls., so nothing cannt be stolen. (Maybe we can discuss about this in future - like the market ships will have very strong defense fleet as support and only those very very very strong pls. will be able to atack them and stole their goods.)
How to avoid its misusage? There will be something like fair-play safety script. You can buy/sell your goods in moveable course 3:2:1 (metal:crystal:deuterium). Moveable in each part only by 0,2 - 1 point. For example metal for deuterium will be sold in course from minimum of 2,2 : 1 or maximum of 3 : 1 and so on. So no "bad" pls. will use it to support unfairly someone else (multiaccount, newbie pls. support). You will get only if you pay - fairly.
Advantages:
+new game element "merchant", as you can be only miner or fleeter (or variation between it)
+more freedom, as till now you have only paid option or Admin PM option for trade
+game economy and pls. devoloping will drasticaly raised
+game popularity
Disadvantages:
-?
Some adds here:
Crimson King: Yes i mean this and couple of other authors, when i put the word "market" to the search column.
Rule n. 5 (Pushing):
It is not allowed for any account to obtain unfair profit out of a lower ranked account in a matter of resources.
Pushing is, but not only limited to, these examples: resources sent from a lower ranked account to a higher ranked one with nothing tangible in return a player crashing his fleet into a higher ranked one for the higher ranked one to keep the Debris Field, and thus profiting from it. Trades must be completed within 48 hours.
For all exceptions (like ACS splits, bounties, recycling help...) a GameOperator needs to be informed via TicketSystem: http://support.ogame.org
So, if i couldnt make it in 48 hours (instalment trading), i will break a rule. If i want exception, i must inform a GO.
"What are the limits per level of the building? Why should a uni pay as a community to upgrade the building?"
Limits per level could be something like this : 1st level - 50 (buy/sell) orders, 2st level - 75 orders, 3st level - 100 orders, ... Equaly to amount of playersm playing on that uni, of course.
"Why should a uni pay as a community to upgrade the building?"
Like i wrote, i have seen this in Ikariam. People can see, how many resources have someone spend on this purpose, where entire community will profit from it. Of course, the upgrade can be paid only from one player. But together, it is something like noble action and can unite players. In fact this can only bring more communication to them, either some fun and chalenge (like "our SSM is the most upgraded one, your is only small") and should be rewarded equally.
"Is the cost to upgrade all buildings or just a specific one?"
All one SSM will be an original, so each one can be upgraded. For example one will be on level 4, one on level 2, other on level 7 and so on) . All players, if they wants to raise the limit of buy/sell orders, must do something for it. Together. The more players can place an order near theirs planet, the bigger chance they will not be forced buy from distant SSM, so it will spare them some time (and time could be important).
I think, it really matters to bring some element to game, where players could do something together without a knife on theirs neck (aliance attack..).
"How does this guarantee more trading between players if players can still sell certain res for the minimum allowed in the uni when others can get better rates from the Merchant?"
This is like, when someone will illegalize alcohol or smoking. There will be smuggling for sure. But if it will be legalized, everytime afore your eyes, everytime if you want to drink or smoke, the smuggling will be minimized.
Merchant is not for free As logical conclusion, the popularity of SSM wil be 99% and 1% for Merchant.
Crimson King:
We can do the limits per day as a optimum criteria with anytime option of deletion your own proposal. By adding a sell order, your offered resources will be taken and conserved in SSM. Spaming with sell orders or making the SSM as your store will be then only stupidity (because anyone can buy it anytime). Apparent spaming via buy order will be violation of game rules.
The buy/sell order limits are only for SSM upgrade solution, so the players can cooperate to achieve bigger SSM and get theirs resources faster. It is described in "how it should work"
"Just because the community upgrade thing works in Ikariam.." Of course, players should tell me if it is good idea or not. I liked that option in Ikariam, so i have recommended to trade system - as something new what can be used for cooperation
Simple context trade system can work too. Advantage of this action will be less work for GF. But why not to design something, what will do more among the players? Cooperation, communication,...
What does mean "In game market"? It is system, where players (pls.) can bought and sell theirs goods, they produced in game. So, they can get the resources they need, from someone who wants to sell it.
How should it work? Only resources can be bought, not a ships. Four Space station markets (next only SSM) (499 systems - for each 100 system one SSM) will be in each galaxie. The nearest SSM you will choose, the faster you can receive your goods. You can see list of any of these SSM and you can choose from which you will buy something. But if you will buy something from very distant SSM, it will take time equally to its distance. Every SSM will have limit for place a buy/sell order (for example 50 for each sell or buy). For this purpose will be every SSM upgradable via pls. donations (Ikariam - shared isle resources). Pl., which has donated resources, will be enlisted - anyone can see how many they spared for upgrade. Each upgrade level will raise the buy/sell limit (this can be rewarded with a achievement). SSM will have own delivering ships, which will be untouchable by pls., so nothing cannt be stolen. (Maybe we can discuss about this in future - like the market ships will have very strong defense fleet as support and only those very very very strong pls. will be able to atack them and stole their goods.)
How to avoid its misusage? There will be something like fair-play safety script. You can buy/sell your goods in moveable course 3:2:1 (metal:crystal:deuterium). Moveable in each part only by 0,2 - 1 point. For example metal for deuterium will be sold in course from minimum of 2,2 : 1 or maximum of 3 : 1 and so on. So no "bad" pls. will use it to support unfairly someone else (multiaccount, newbie pls. support). You will get only if you pay - fairly.
Advantages:
+new game element "merchant", as you can be only miner or fleeter (or variation between it)
+more freedom, as till now you have only paid option or Admin PM option for trade
+game economy and pls. devoloping will drasticaly raised
+game popularity
Disadvantages:
-?
Some adds here:
Crimson King: Yes i mean this and couple of other authors, when i put the word "market" to the search column.
Rule n. 5 (Pushing):
It is not allowed for any account to obtain unfair profit out of a lower ranked account in a matter of resources.
Pushing is, but not only limited to, these examples: resources sent from a lower ranked account to a higher ranked one with nothing tangible in return a player crashing his fleet into a higher ranked one for the higher ranked one to keep the Debris Field, and thus profiting from it. Trades must be completed within 48 hours.
For all exceptions (like ACS splits, bounties, recycling help...) a GameOperator needs to be informed via TicketSystem: http://support.ogame.org
So, if i couldnt make it in 48 hours (instalment trading), i will break a rule. If i want exception, i must inform a GO.
"What are the limits per level of the building? Why should a uni pay as a community to upgrade the building?"
Limits per level could be something like this : 1st level - 50 (buy/sell) orders, 2st level - 75 orders, 3st level - 100 orders, ... Equaly to amount of playersm playing on that uni, of course.
"Why should a uni pay as a community to upgrade the building?"
Like i wrote, i have seen this in Ikariam. People can see, how many resources have someone spend on this purpose, where entire community will profit from it. Of course, the upgrade can be paid only from one player. But together, it is something like noble action and can unite players. In fact this can only bring more communication to them, either some fun and chalenge (like "our SSM is the most upgraded one, your is only small") and should be rewarded equally.
"Is the cost to upgrade all buildings or just a specific one?"
All one SSM will be an original, so each one can be upgraded. For example one will be on level 4, one on level 2, other on level 7 and so on) . All players, if they wants to raise the limit of buy/sell orders, must do something for it. Together. The more players can place an order near theirs planet, the bigger chance they will not be forced buy from distant SSM, so it will spare them some time (and time could be important).
I think, it really matters to bring some element to game, where players could do something together without a knife on theirs neck (aliance attack..).
"How does this guarantee more trading between players if players can still sell certain res for the minimum allowed in the uni when others can get better rates from the Merchant?"
This is like, when someone will illegalize alcohol or smoking. There will be smuggling for sure. But if it will be legalized, everytime afore your eyes, everytime if you want to drink or smoke, the smuggling will be minimized.
Merchant is not for free As logical conclusion, the popularity of SSM wil be 99% and 1% for Merchant.
Crimson King:
We can do the limits per day as a optimum criteria with anytime option of deletion your own proposal. By adding a sell order, your offered resources will be taken and conserved in SSM. Spaming with sell orders or making the SSM as your store will be then only stupidity (because anyone can buy it anytime). Apparent spaming via buy order will be violation of game rules.
The buy/sell order limits are only for SSM upgrade solution, so the players can cooperate to achieve bigger SSM and get theirs resources faster. It is described in "how it should work"
"Just because the community upgrade thing works in Ikariam.." Of course, players should tell me if it is good idea or not. I liked that option in Ikariam, so i have recommended to trade system - as something new what can be used for cooperation
Simple context trade system can work too. Advantage of this action will be less work for GF. But why not to design something, what will do more among the players? Cooperation, communication,...