value and merchants

dragon wench · Post by **dragon wench** » Mon Apr 26, 2004 8:21 am

The last time I was engaged in an endless bartering session with the mud crab I got to wondering at the point of it all. What I mean is, why did the game developers litter the game with such high-priced items and only two merchants capable of handling them.. and even then not without a lot of work.. After playing games such as Baldur's Gate 2, this does not seem to make much sense.

I then started to think that I don't have the slightest idea what I'm going to do with all of my cash. There are only so many items to be enchanted, so many spells to be bought and made, and so many master trainers to visit (if you like cheese that is

).

So I can't help but wonder if we are even meant to sell those $50 K ticket items. I'm fairly certain that it would be no trouble to survive in Vvardenfell by only selling gear and items worth less than the Creeper's 5 K... (I'm seriously thinking of trying this out with a new character I recently created)

It could be an attempt to achieve some game balance, but most people do sit out the many days with Creeper/the Mud Crab, so I'm not sure this is an effective tactic.... And that again begs the question of why such expensive items even exist in the first place.

Or maybe, as is the case with so much of the game, the developers are trying to appeal to a wide range of playing tastes????

Any ideas?

arno_v · Post by **arno_v** » Mon Apr 26, 2004 9:23 am

It certanly is very irritating, that it cost so much efford to get rid of your expensive stuff.
Mabey the makers of the game tought it would be to easy when you could get money to fast. Because it sure has some pretty advantages, like training a lot, buying some nasty weapens and not worying bout bribing some serious money.
But I think it would be a lot better when the creep and others had more like 50k.

Gwalchmai · Post by **Gwalchmai** » Mon Apr 26, 2004 9:37 am

Seems like there is no need to make more than 5k per bartering session. Once you get to a certain point, the money is useless anyway. I save a few high-priced items to barter with enchanters (to off-set the cost of the enchantments), and the rest just piles up around Creeper's feet. I've even been known to sell 17k-items to the Creeper for only 5k, just because I can't be bothered with buying back the 6th House Bell Hammers I had previously sold him. Also, I am now selling items to merchants who don't give me a perfect exchange rate just to get rid of the stuff. I think only having two high-priced merchants in the game helps to balance the system better. But there is also Mournhold available for a few merchants with more to spend. Other than the expansions, I do not play with any other add-ons or mods, and my characters seem quite happy.

Danbacksli · Post by **Danbacksli** » Mon Apr 26, 2004 10:09 am

there is a merchent in one of the ashlander camps who has an 100 for speechcraft of something and he will take like 5 K items and turn them to like maybe 20 gold. Thats how i got rid of the really expensive items like lordsmail, i had no need for it. Or you could just take a house and stack it with all the unsellables and go look at it from time to time. Thats what i do.

dragon wench · Post by **dragon wench** » Mon Apr 26, 2004 4:37 pm

Of course, there is always the option of not picking up any high-priced item if you don't plan to actually use it, lol!

Well I just made a second character, a Breton spellcaster/fighter and I'm intending for her to play a fairly modest sort of role.. Maybe she'll join House Redoran, as well as the Imperial Cult and/or Legion and thus be more concerned about the financial condition of others rather than her own

I made alchemy a major skill and I plan for her to generate some modest cash by selling potions to Creeper as a starting point... and I don't plant to collect too much Daedric weaponry or other high-priced items.

I have a feeling this may take some self-discipline, but ultimately make for a rewarding game.

Though... *sigh* while I have a hard time playing an evil sort of role I think that might be just a bit too virtuous for me... so we'll see

Bloodthroe · Post by **Bloodthroe** » Mon Apr 26, 2004 7:08 pm

Well of course they put a limit on how much money a merchant carries. Think about it, if you sell 4 daedric weapons you're set for life. I think merchants have a limit to keep you from selling everything in the game too, so that props can stay in the game to make it more life like. I normally only sell soul gems, some of the lesser armor, and potions. I pile up the rare armor in one of the guest rooms in the Ald'ruhn Mages guild and the rare weapons in the other guest room.

However, I too have decided to make an second character that is Evil. My Dunmer will be fire oriented. He being a dunmer will have auto 75% fire resist. Using a dai-katana with 3 second fire damage. A ring that casts fireball 100 damage and I can infinatly recharge it using my other ring that will summon either a goldsaint, dremora, or daedroth in combo with Azura's Star. I'm joining one of the vampire clans. Different clans give you diff spells. I plan to join the clan that gives you extra mana. He wares daedric armor but exculdes the helm as I would always have it. No other weapons just the fireball ring and sword. I think it will be fun to play him.

dragon wench · Post by **dragon wench** » Mon Apr 26, 2004 7:39 pm

@Bloodthroe,
Very true. The thing is though, many people are more than happy to camp out in front of Creeper/Mudcrab until they are able to unload all that Daedric stuff... even if it takes days and days of game time....

So I'm really not sure how much of a balance this is, at most it is a minor irritation for players.
This is a bit like locking your door when you live in an area with an exceptionally high 'break and entry' rate... it only really deters the entirely honest people.

Bloodthroe · Post by **Bloodthroe** » Mon Apr 26, 2004 7:47 pm

Honest? No I just get bored from sitting outside of a merchant as half my game time. If that makes me play as an honest person, I can't help it.

dragon wench · Post by **dragon wench** » Mon Apr 26, 2004 8:24 pm

lol!

Well when I mentioned "honest" I was referring more to the B&E analogy that I made.

I tend to agree, after a while it gets boring and tedious to camp out ad infinitum in front of a merchant, I stopped doing it many levels ago. Partly boredom, partly I just don't need all that gold...

Bloodthroe · Post by **Bloodthroe** » Mon Apr 26, 2004 8:30 pm

Well I do need the gold and I get tired of it anyways.

baileyatbrats · Post by **baileyatbrats** » Mon Apr 26, 2004 10:35 pm

More money than I neeed

I think it was Dragon wench who suggested the recall.mark at mud crab.
I keep getting these 54 and 90 lb daedric weapons and flit back to mud crab island to sell them. I left a deadric katana lying on the gorund for weeks until I could get enough items to ffset the cost and sell it to muddy (mud skipper) the crab.

Now I have 96,000 and don't know what to dowith it. I could enchant something, but the glass sheild has lots of healing in it. I'd like to enchant my daedric tanto, but not with sould trap. Maybe just paralize or something.

Earlier in the game before I found out about mud crab I left tons of expensive stuff lying around.

A lot of those economically depressed areas in Morrowind could do much better if they just went around collecting my garbage.

On a side note. the fletcher mod from morrowind.com (official mod) installs a lady in the foreign quarter in vivec. She has 8000.00 she also has a daedric bow in hand. Not too much other mid level stuff but she's well stocked. Trade mightbe easier with her than with the crab. she's in a big town and all.

btw -someone mentioned underselling stuff. It took me about 15 mintues (more?) pushing the down arrow on the price of a50k weapon to get it down to 10,000 so muddy could afford it. phew.

arno_v · Post by **arno_v** » Tue Apr 27, 2004 2:17 am

I faced the same problem, I wanted to sell an Ebony Mace and it was worth 12000 and I was at the Creeper's. I tried to put something heavy on my mousebutton but it failed caus

. So it took me 5 min only pushing that button, why havent they build something in that you just can type in the amount of money you want to sell. It sure sucks this merchandising system.

Bloodthroe · Post by **Bloodthroe** » Wed Apr 28, 2004 12:20 pm

I really don't sell any of that rare-heavy armor. I just throw all the armor into one guest room at the Ald'ruhn Mages Guild and the weapons in the other. Usually I only sell soul gems, because they are so light and you can get them to sell from the hundreds to the tens of thousands. That and I sell potions to the less wealthy merchant, and sometimes just lesser armor like bonemold.

I don’t waste my time selling daedric items. I just waste my time selling soul gems.

arno_v · Post by **arno_v** » Thu Apr 29, 2004 2:58 am

Why sell potions and cheap armor? I always sell the stuf ordinators wear it's worth much and there is lots of them, if I sell one ebony mace you have to sell about 100 potions to make the same profit.

Bloodthroe · Post by **Bloodthroe** » Thu Apr 29, 2004 10:22 am

Originally posted by arno_v
Why sell potions and cheap armor? I always sell the stuf ordinators wear it's worth much and there is lots of them, if I sell one ebony mace you have to sell about 100 potions to make the same profit.

Well... for starters.. I don’t try to sell potions I just end up making too many. The potions sell for about 200 gold each and I said when I try to make money I sell a Grand soul gem for 40,000. Cost the same as ebony items and I can carry a couple dozen of them for the same weight as an ebony mace. Not that I need that much money. Also… bonemold is what the ordinators ware.

Unless you were talking to dragon wench, ignore this

arno_v · Post by **arno_v** » Thu Apr 29, 2004 12:13 pm

Bonemold is the stuf Hlaalu guards wear, the ordinators wear Indoril isnt it?

lifeishell91 · Post by **lifeishell91** » Thu Apr 29, 2004 1:02 pm

Yes, Ordinators wear Indoril and the Great House Guards Wear Bonemold (except the Telvanni who wear the Telvanni Capahold Helm)

Bloodthroe · Post by **Bloodthroe** » Thu Apr 29, 2004 2:21 pm

right i forgot about indoril, thing abouit that armor, it's supposed to be the best medium, but it doesnt give as much defense as glass armor. why is that?

arno_v · Post by **arno_v** » Fri Apr 30, 2004 3:58 am

I thinks its a mistake in the game. But I have medium armor as a minor skill so I use Indoril inseat of glass, caus it causes me to level and it gives me better protection than glass because my light armor skill is much lower than my medium armor skill.