Implemented Suggestion: Removal / Change of Dispensers

[Purple Knight]

Making this suggestion as it's my personal opinion, and that of some others I've noticed that we could change the way stores work, I therefore suggest the following.

- Removal of all store-based dispensers
- Reworking how stores get their stocks, whether that be via an area within the CWU warehouses that hold a limited amount of dispensers, and boxes, or some other system entirely.
(I realise if all we do is move where the dispensers are it isn't really dev work but maybe people will comment better suggestions for a different way around it)

I will now elaborate.

I feel working in a store is akin to being an NPC. You scroll a menu, click a button, then use a magical dispenser to pull your several tonne safe out of the tiny slot, there is no roleplay involved in it, no work, so to speak.

I suggest we remove store-held dispensers (personally my idea) and relocate 1 or 2 dispensers into a CWU area, store owners will then have a CWU supply card, just a token to say they're a store owner. They can then request supplies for their store, pay a stock price for it, have it loaded into a box for them to then take back to their store and stow inside containers, this opens up avenues for the following.

More immersive store feel - Store owners will have to judge how much stock to buy, when to buy it, and what their top sellers are to avoid running out of stock too quickly, or hoarding supplies for too long.

Theft - Rebels and other "unsavoury" characters will now have the ability to break into a store, and steal their supplies, IAW the server rules on owner must be online and crime checks met, as well as greed rules.

More realistic gameplay - Now, instead of pulling this item essentially out of thin air, you take it from a container, which holds all your stock.

Ease of CWU workload - This could also have the potential to make CWU's life a bit easier with stock management, as we'll be able to see exactly what is coming out of the city stock, and when, meaning we'll know straight away what to make to replenish it, and not have to sit going through the bartering tab every so often.

Physical assets - Store owners must now hire people more carefully, as all assets are now physically within storage areas, and an untrustworthy employee may skim off the top.

Additional roleplay - Store owners will now HAVE to interact with CWU in order to get their stocks, this means keeping up favour with the faction, lest we deny them stock, raise prices etc, all of which are IC motives for store owners to behave less like NPCs regarding their shops.


While yes, I do see the negatives in this, chiefly being convenience, we *did* vote for a more "hardcore" experience, and I believe this suggestion caters to that. No more perfect pneumatic pipelines running through the city.

 

[Fallizs]

While yes, I do see the negatives in this

there is no negatives in this, it's a big win in every way
it provides more roleplay, you don't need to sit bored in your store to make rent and instead be an actual functioning store owner that needs to strategise products and it's realistic like people have always wanted
this is the holy mary of suggestions (wait for the "it'll be in v3")

 

[boots]

+big support

 

[Marshall]

Yeah, sure, why not

 

[Divine]

I would be so much more interested in managing or running a store if I had to be concerned with logistics. More RP, and stocking certain items as need be instead of an RP loop of

1. "I want XYZ item"
2. /me offers POS
3. Rinse and repeat

 

[MrMindBlow]

While the actual process of getting items to clients is very boring and streamlined, a store clerk can always make it an interactive or engaging process through roleplay but I do agree with Knight that having another system either on top or to replace the current one would definitely help to some capacity.

Big support!

 

[Cengiz]

Big Support to @TheGamingPlumber

 

[Marshall]

While the actual process of getting items to clients is very boring and streamlined, a store clerk can always make it an interactive or engaging process through roleplay but I do agree that with Knight that having another system either on top or to replace the current one would definitely help to some capacity.

Big support!

Where's your mentor badge

 

[Ket]

I think this is fantastic and will definitely show the difference between good store owners and the farming ones. For the short time we had the restaurant on city 8, we did make everything from scratch besides the odd occasion where I'd order bulk of ingredients, essentially this is the same thing and makes a lot more sense akin to real life store management.

Well done Mister Purple Knight.

 

[MrMindBlow]

Where's your mentor badge

no server, no role, no badge!

 

[albertossic]

This was already how slum stores used to work and was abandoned because it was interminably boring to have to walk back and forth to buy something every time anybody ordered anything. It did not result as you might think in people buying stock in advance like a real store would, it just added a lot of walking.


Also, current shopowners are perfectly capable and almost all do include some degree of logistical management in their RP, to the degree to which they enjoy it. This is why the suggestions in the past that led to the removal of this external dispenser system came directly from people who actually engaged in storeRP.

 

[Purple Knight]

This was already how slum stores used to work and was abandoned because it was interminably boring to have to walk back and forth to buy something every time anybody ordered anything. It did not result as you might think in people buying stock in advance like a real store would, it just added a lot of walking.

Well, I did comment on the negative side of this, however if someone goes to buy 1 item then come back, that's on them ICly for poor management, store owners make more than enough money to prevent costs being a reason to not stock their stores enough.

The only permit I can see having an issue with this system of working is clothing, as it's expensive and there's too many items to stock, however that being said, certain things (like coats) will be bought a lot more often on the upcoming arc, so a store owner could just stock up on those, this also gives the MOC a chance to offer out loans to stores that don't have the money to buy stock, generating even more RP !

 

[Fallizs]

Also, current shopowners are perfectly capable and almost all do include some degree of logistical management in their RP, to the degree to which they enjoy it. This is why the suggestions in the past that led to the removal of this external dispenser system came directly from people who actually engaged in storeRP.

where's the logistical management in the system we currently have, you sit there and browse tik tok whilst you stand in your store acting like a NPC, when someone buys something you go to this magical metal box that gives you whatever you've ordered immediately

The only permit I can see having an issue with this system of working is clothing, as it's expensive and there's too many items to stock, however that being said, certain things (like coats) will be bought a lot more often on the upcoming arc, so a store owner could just stock up on those, this also gives the MOC a chance to offer out loans to stores that don't have the money to buy stock, generating even more RP !

it could also open RP to getting cheaper imports from other cities to make items like clothes cheaper (but that's a CCA thing from the looks of it)

 

[Marshall]

no server, no role, no badge!

 

[albertossic]

where's the logistical management in the system we currently have, you sit there and browse tik tok whilst you stand in your store acting like a NPC, when someone buys something you go to this magical metal box that gives you whatever you've ordered immediately

No, you don't?

 

[Marco]

Feels expensive considering every character is going to get their credits reset to lower than 50. With the current system in place, there is zero shrink.

(Shrink being loss of item whether it be due to expiry, theft or damage.)

This change also includes removing every single dispenser, as there is only one kind of dispenser. This change, in my opinion, would be very tedious to manage. It would also give the CWU even more orders to work with, increasing the likelihood of burnout that you already claim is happening.

This system of direct in-person purchase of stock was already inplace with the tailoring industry within the store. During this, I sometimes had to wait days for resources to come through to make a tailored item. If you include this with the catastrophic 300+ items within the bartering menu then it will be a catastrophic headache for anyone to manage.

Cans and Food items are not stackable, neither are clothing items. Electronic items take up a lot of inventory slots as do containers and tool items.
This also means that stores will need to purchase containers and locks for their items


I would much rather suggest that the MOC reduce the amount of permits a store can have to specific types (Tailoring/Restaurants/DIY) than this suggestion.

Tailoring having all the clothing related permits (60+ items) and the ability to custom-make clothes (t4/t6 clothing items)
Restaurants having the non-alcholic/alcoholic/food/ingredients permits
DIY shops having the components/tools/electronics.

And each permit should have the paper permit.


The community did vote for a more hardcore experience, and this does indeed make StoreRP harder.



Unless you have a system like IRL in place, where you click a button on a computer and buy stock and it's delivered to you, this will be annoying as hell.

 

[Inspector Orlok]

Mr House here

As MOC representative I want to say the removal of dispensers isn’t something I advocate, just the removal from stores, which is going to be the case next map, with a few caveats.

 

[Purple Knight]

This change also includes removing every single dispenser, as there is only one kind of dispenser. This change, in my opinion, would be very tedious to manage. It would also give the CWU even more orders to work with, increasing the likelihood of burnout that you already claim is happening

Not really, all it'd do is change the way our workload works, instead of just creating stock from looking through the bartering tab for what's running low, we'd make it either upon having the request, or dispense it and restock it later.

We would still have to do the exact same amount of work regardless, this way it just allows us to account for it better.

This system of direct in-person purchase of stock was already inplace with the tailoring industry within the store. During this, I sometimes had to wait days for resources to come through to make a tailored item. If you include this with the catastrophic 300+ items within the bartering menu then it will be a catastrophic headache for anyone to manage.

The reason you were waiting days for it, is because we had more important things to do than create fabric for loyalist suits, this was during the time of the debt and infestation arcs, both of which took considerably higher priority. Again, it's actually *easier* to manage, as we'd see exactly what's being used up and in what quantities at the time of purchase, and so would be able to restock it immediately if required.

Cans and Food items are not stackable, neither are clothing items. Electronic items take up a lot of inventory slots as do containers and tool items.
This also means that stores will need to purchase containers and locks for their items

This one is fair, though we're able to provide large boxes for transportation, which can fit around 48(?) Items-ish. Several boxes can be loaded onto a trolley for dispersal so storage can be mitigated, as for the the store's storage, that will be an issue, however it gives them reason to spend their ridiculous profits on more containers if they want to hold more stock.


I'd like to hear the input from store owners ideally, if they prefer the idea of a more physical tangible stock rather than what they have in place already, end of the day this suggestion is affecting them.

 

[Marshall]

Feels expensive considering every character is going to get their credits reset to lower than 50. With the current system in place, there is zero shrink.

(Shrink being loss of item whether it be due to expiry, theft or damage.)

This change also includes removing every single dispenser, as there is only one kind of dispenser. This change, in my opinion, would be very tedious to manage. It would also give the CWU even more orders to work with, increasing the likelihood of burnout that you already claim is happening.

This system of direct in-person purchase of stock was already inplace with the tailoring industry within the store. During this, I sometimes had to wait days for resources to come through to make a tailored item. If you include this with the catastrophic 300+ items within the bartering menu then it will be a catastrophic headache for anyone to manage.

Cans and Food items are not stackable, neither are clothing items. Electronic items take up a lot of inventory slots as do containers and tool items.
This also means that stores will need to purchase containers and locks for their items


I would much rather suggest that the MOC reduce the amount of permits a store can have to specific types (Tailoring/Restaurants/DIY) than this suggestion.

Tailoring having all the clothing related permits (60+ items) and the ability to custom-make clothes (t4/t6 clothing items)
Restaurants having the non-alcholic/alcoholic/food/ingredients permits
DIY shops having the components/tools/electronics.

And each permit should have the paper permit.


The community did vote for a more hardcore experience, and this does indeed make StoreRP harder.



Unless you have a system like IRL in place, where you click a button on a computer and buy stock and it's delivered to you, this will be annoying as hell.

Ill take a loan

 

[nath1234567]

Hi! Being someone that spends a good amount of time in and around StoreRP I strongly stand against this. Our stores have personality and a large cast of characters that contribute to the environment and RP around them so I'm not sure I understand the sentiment that the current system is holding back people and making them feel like NPCs, though I have noticed that many players don't bother doing anything with their stores except standing around doing exactly what has been described above.

A change in mechanics is not going to do much to solve this. I feel this suggestion will make Store RP far more tedious. Spawning in items at the counter is a convenience so you don't have to interrupt RP by doing a light 5 minute jog to the warehouse.

Under this system, large stores will need to keep inventory and track the sales of their employees which to me sounds a bit too close to being an actual job for RP on Gmod. The end result also wouldn't be realistic because most stores would have customers sending their money to the boss directly so that he can handle payroll at the end of the pay period. Under this, workers will have to log what they sell and be the ones giving the money that they owe to their boss rather than the other way around. If this can be resolved than I would understand this suggestion a bit more, otherwise this sounds like too big of a headache to facilitate good RP.