Trade Deputies
 

Due to an increase in deception and unreliable trade information I have created the official role of "Trade Deputy" so that players have a reliable source of trading information.

What will they do?
Trade Deputies will be expected to provide honest and fair item evaluations, oversee trades and maintain a online availability. As a deputy, members will be expected to wear their tag whenever possible. Ideally we will see approximately 6 deputies with 2 of any given member online to provide trading advice.

Who is in charge of this?
I have entrusted the current Events Admin, Tashkin, with the responsibility of organizing and leading the Trade Deputies. This responsibility includes scouting for new deputies who can follow the role outlined above and finding a candidate to take leadership of this new official trade group so that he may focus on administrating the staff team.

The buck stops here
This is a fledgling effort to maintain some trade security for all GK members, as a result the constraints are not known. However, Trade Deputies will not be responsible for scams. As always, Graal Police need to be contacted about scams. If a player feels the advice they were given by a Trade Deputy resulted in their loss (unfair trades) they should consult with another deputy. If one or more trade deputies find the initial official estimate to be largely erroneous they will notify the Police Administrator and Assistant Manager, Stephen.

Would rep+ but I must spread love :o

Great idea.

Things are really that bad, huh?

I personally think this is a great addition to the server. It should help players when they aren't sure about a trade they want to make. It will be on players to ask us for help. If you do not want our help and decide to make the choice on your own we will hold you responsible for your choices. This is a great feature for players that do not understand the prices and should help prevent players from being ripped off.

** Wish I could rep because this is a great feature.

The internet told me I have to be a great wizard in order to be a good trader and I am not a wizard.

Sounds like a position that could be completely avoided by tasking FAQ with this "job" instead. Therefore I feel it is redundant/stupid.

I personally feel that FAQ should be more focused on game play not pricing of items. Maybe they could have a general idea, but knowing prices isn't a part of being a FAQ. That is my opinion though and I am FAQ on GK.

I agree with Fowlplay that this job could simply be done by a FAQ, so it's a bit redundant, but I see no harm in the new position.

Prices and stuff has always been bothering me, I hear something is valued this and that but how can it be so when the only way to obtain items on GK is through players.

The players themselves set the prices, there isn't really a set price on anything but gems and stuff that you can actually spawn. Right?

That's the way an economy works.

That is why I don't see why there is need for something like suggested here.

As long as the Trade Deputy is trustworthy (and well informed) there is no downside.

Do a prize is right event for the position. ;)

if players are so stupid that this position is actually needed.......jesus.
perhaps if players get scammed it will teach them some common sense, which must be in high demand if this position is actually needed.
having your hand held through the trading process defeats any positive learning that might occur.

As nice as this would be, it generally doesn't work, when they've fallen and scrapped their knees for their stupid mistake, they cry and screech like banshees for a safety net.
Very rarely is there a true situation where any sense of moderation is truly necessary.

My thoughts exactly.

There is no common sense to be gained from being scammed. If your doing a trade and you have no idea what the prices are, how are you supposed to know you were even scammed? Until you find out later when you go showing off your golden kryss that you got from your old RoW.

The only learning process i have ever seen is asking respected members of the community what the price is, not by getting yourself scammed, and now that there is a trade deputy, newbies and oldbies alike will be able to tell who can be trusted

I remember on UN when some guy transformed into a boat, then a lighthouse, then a house.. and all sorts of things. He scammed me for my hat saying he could duplicate it.

I didn't give my hats away to -anyone- after that.

I don't see why this position is even needed. If you aren't sure about a trade, don't do it? Ask other players in a mass message. The majority of the time there are other players watching the trades and will step in and say "Hey! Unfair trade!".

This is only making players think items are more/less on biased opinions of a select few of players. Although you will still get biased opinions no matter who you ask.

Pointless in my opinion.

gk has no players

It's just building up to that awkward moment when you realize your server is 50% Staff Members.

and then 50% idlers

I laughed pretty hard at the guy transforming part. but yeah get hat scammed one time and it teaches a good lesson. i'm sure everyone has been scammed out of a hat at one time.

What sort of administration will be in place to govern these deputies?
I'm afraid that a small selection of the elite members of the community will be in charge and responsible for the market value of items. I can see the possibility of corruption.

None ^^

Anyone may apply, although I don't anticipate we'll need more than 6 deputies. The current process is that Tashkin asks me to add a player he thinks is appropriate. I then make a judgement call based on my experience with the current playerbase. If I feel a candidate is unreliable they are not added - this has already occurred.

If players are concerned about biased trade information originating from specific trade deputies they may contact me. I created the group so that they may better inform curious players; it would be entirely counterproductive if this team attempted to "fix prices" in the economy. A new team would be created. Let's see how it turns out and we'll go from there. If we run into problems we'll do some form of voting (although I want to avoid a popularity contest... popular !== reliable)

Do we still have them? Since there are alot of new players playing GK we could need a few

It has proven difficult to find reliable leaders for the Trade Deputies.

It's a good thought, but seems like it would lock the economy on what ever the "deputies" tell people prices are and wont fluctuate ever.

Well we need better spawn rates for scrolls and rings, then maybe better usage for diamonds, to get them important again, at the moment nobody wants something else then ECs.
People already forgot about plat and diamonds.
So maybe Tig can fix some things.

I'm pretty much always on, and I have a fair knowledge of prices of items, considering a lot of people ask me for price checks. I guess consider this my application for trade deputy, if you're willing to have me act as one.

I would also offer my help, since im online every day and know about prices and such.

As much as I'd like to back you up Nico, I'm on 12+ hours a day and I never see you. Being online on other servers doesn't count, I'm a GK only kind of guy, and you haven't been very active as of late.

I don't like the idea of trade deputies. Position can easily be abused to affect prices for theirs or others benefits. Players have always just asked more active and experienced players online for prices and had no problems, the issue comes when there's no one online to give guidance. A site dedicated to item valuations including Street/Vendor/Mats prices would be better imo. The 'deputies' input would be better served there than in-game.

This.

Agreed.

Who wants to constantly update rated values on a website? :confused:

This