Question to business owners and everybody else - What are your opinions, and thoughts on the current state of Businesses and the changes to them?

[Bounter]

So, as you may, or may not know, @Purple Knight recently (quote n' quote) has suggested a change, to remove Dispensers from inside of stores (https://willard.network/forums/threads/suggestion-removal-change-of-dispensers.13174/) for multitudes of reasons, which, are not important for what I am writing about, although I will mention a few soon.

Regardless, point is, it got accepted, and, as the server's been up for a while, everyone has been able to experience it, either as the Shopkeep, or a normal citizen, or well, anybody who occasionally goes to them.

Main question is, HAVE YOU NOTICED ANY CHANGES? For better, or worse.

Now, speaking for myself? The difference between old and new system is... Rather, minimal. At least, from customer perspective. Why am I saying it? Well, I will elaborate a bit more.

- ONE OF THE TWO REASONS, that the change was suggested, was to "promote more RP" (Reductive statement, regarding Purple's and also @Goulashnikov 's posts under the thread). Reasoning for it, is simple, and reasonable. Not letting Shopkeeps just have a dispenser behind their ass, promotes not only getting the stuff done properly via. RP with, let's say CWU to get supplies to the store, but also, to make interactions of Shopkeep / Cashier x Customer bit more interesting, by conversing, talking with each other, and not just, acting like NPCs. Now... My main gripe, comes from the fact how that hasn't really been the case. Amount of chit-chatting and such, is the same, wether it's me approaching or someone else (even when I try to chit-chat and such IC). People still just, come in, ask what they want, pay, grab it, and get out. Unless I'm missing something, not much has improved. Now, I'm not saying that's a GOOD or a BAD thing, just, it's an observation.

- SECOND REASON, was to make owning a Business, bit more thought-requiring and well, demanding, while also bit more realistic. Again, you can't just grab shit behind of you, so, keeping up a stock in your store, is one of the intended effects of the change. PROBLEM that I've noticed however... Nobody keeps stock, nobody. Like, wether it's due to lack of cash to afford it, lack of STOCK in the STOCKS, or laziness / not caring, it's irrelevant. My experience, except like 2-3 times, has been, that Business Owners STILL just tell you to wait, and go to the closest Dispenser to grab your stuff. Now, IC, you would think it would be a bad thing for these shops, to quote @Goulashnikov

The clear and obvious answer to this is to actually create a stock of items. If you're running to the warehouse for a single item every single time, then you're a bad store owner. You're inconveniencing your customers with your lack of preparedness, and are ICly punished for it.

Issue is however... That nobody's been complaining, or getting consequences for it IC, at least, from what I've seen. The most IC issues with businesses I seen, is guys complaining I'm taking too long in the line, when I was /me-ing and trying to barter with the cashier for things they've got. I think, the reason why despite them IC-ly doing something that would make people not promote their business, people still COME TO THE STORES is because A) Very few stores are open, so people cherish what they've got and B) People are used to waiting for stuff from dispensers ALREADY, and waiting bit more won't make them complain (it was a system for YEARS, so yeah).

Eitherway, that's just my opinion. Overall, changes are okay, I don't mind them as a customer myself, but I want to know opinions of business owners, and other people!

 

[RedHotGinger]

Only thing I have noticed as a 'negative' is that people aren't really stocking anything up whatsoever. All they really do is just run outside and use some far distant dispenser instead. Other than that, I like the idea, just seems like people either won't/can't embrace it in game.

 

[ultima]

all the colours gave me sensory overload so i was unable to read this

 

[Divine]

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[MrMindBlow]

hi, store owner here.

i stock up and sell stuff so no problems here. only thing limiting me from infinite stock is the lack of infinite resources (Arc related)

 

[TheGamingPlumber]

I think stores have changed for the better. The problem is that some people still go to the dispenser for whatever reason instead of stockpiling like a store should.

Another issue I noticed is that some stores are selling a large variety of items rather than sticking to a specific few that they can easily stock and sell to players.

The problem with the stocks is that it is tedious to fill up every item in a 400+ item list (exaggerating, however, it is a lot). Not going to order CWU to be glued onto fabricators 24/7. This current ARC hasn't helped at all, however, all will be changing soon. Not to mention that we have received some better development to stock things quicker and passively

 

[Kamilisha Haijulikani]

i can't comprehend this, the colours are distracting.

 

[boots]

I quite like the thread presentation, and it's got to be one of the more cohesive Bounter posts to date.

Personally I'm a big fan of the change. Stores should have to stock things in their back, and not have a pipeline delivery system straight to every item they wish. It's a small QOL change that does improve roleplay.

I'm eager this week to increase the barter menu's stock. It's going to be a big hit.

 

[Purple Knight]

One thing I will add, is the change that was implemented, from my perspective *has* improved store RP, case in point: @ItsLiam 's store. People sit in there, have a coffee, have a natter, etc etc, where as before, if he were able to just turn around, pull coffee out his ass, serve it and take payment, people might not have been incentivised to do so.

This may be a somewhat biased view, as he owns the primary store in the plaza, and seems at least from my POV, to be the only one constantly active, but I stick by my guns that it was a good suggestion, and that it's just bad store owners that're invalidating it.

That being said, and like Plumber has mentioned, we are aware there are stock issues, preventing stores from actually... Stocking up - but these are due to be rectified soon, so hopefully we'll see an increase in RP even more-so at that point.

 

[FieldersNL]

I don't know, I don't have any credits to spend to get stock to sell shit stuff to shitizens citizens and the lack of cwu stock is abysmal too

 

[MBGhost]

i'd give you an opinion if i was able to buy more than one item a week (i am poor.)

 

[Bounter]

all the colours gave me sensory overload so i was unable to read this

My gamer, less than 1/10th of the text is coloured

 

[Bounter]

I think stores have changed for the better. The problem is that some people still go to the dispenser for whatever reason instead of stockpiling like a store should.

Another issue I noticed is that some stores are selling a large variety of items rather than sticking to a specific few that they can easily stock and sell to players.

The problem with the stocks is that it is tedious to fill up every item in a 400+ item list (exaggerating, however, it is a lot). Not going to order CWU to be glued onto fabricators 24/7. This current ARC hasn't helped at all, however, all will be changing soon. Not to mention that we have received some better development to stock things quicker and passively

Yeah, most stores, seem to go outside to grab stuff from dispensers, and wether it's from being LAZY or just not wanting to, that is the case. They however, don't seem to get IC consequences, so that might be why they keep doing it.

 

[Bounter]

i can't comprehend this, the colours are distracting.

It's literally less than 1/10th of the post. Would you rather have this be an unedited block of white text? THEN I doubt you'd be able to tell the difference between important / worthy aspects, and the rest.

Like seriously

 

[TheGamingPlumber]

Yeah, most stores, seem to go outside to grab stuff from dispensers, and wether it's from being LAZY or just not wanting to, that is the case. They however, don't seem to get IC consequences, so that might be why they keep doing it.

I don't see why i would give them ic consequences. If they still run out to get stock for 1 item then their shop is doomed

 

[Ket]

Hi, I owned a store for the first part of the arc, the few opening weeks.

I found a few issues, but a few positives.

Issues for me was that I completely lacked the funds to bulk order stock and lacked the storage to keep it. Also, supply and demand, I ran out of alcohol and food in a week tops.

Positive, it made people sit around and actually talk, not that this was an issue when we did have a dispenser, people would sit and chat to eachother at the old restaurant I had in City 8 also.

There's plus and negatives to the way it's happened but not the end of the world either way.

 

[Bounter]

I don't see why i would give them ic consequences. If they still run out to get stock for 1 item then their shop is doomed

Well, Goulashnikov's and Purples talking points, where how if you keep going to the dispencer, you gonna get IC consequences of people complaining to your business etc. And not recommending it, which is uh, well, not the case.

 

[Bounter]

One thing I will add, is the change that was implemented, from my perspective *has* improved store RP, case in point: @ItsLiam 's store. People sit in there, have a coffee, have a natter, etc etc, where as before, if he were able to just turn around, pull coffee out his ass, serve it and take payment, people might not have been incentivised to do so.

This may be a somewhat biased view, as he owns the primary store in the plaza, and seems at least from my POV, to be the only one constantly active, but I stick by my guns that it was a good suggestion, and that it's just bad store owners that're invalidating it.

That being said, and like Plumber has mentioned, we are aware there are stock issues, preventing stores from actually... Stocking up - but these are due to be rectified soon, so hopefully we'll see an increase in RP even more-so at that point.

I mean, his store is kind of a cafe / bar, these places will always have people sitting and chit-chatting, since, well, that's kind of the point of these businesses. Even with old system, restaurants and cafes had people chat and vibe with one another.

 

[ItsLiam]

All I’ve gathered from this thread is that you guys need to be more like me.

My store is a clothing/tailoring shop first, but you’re able to sit and chat like it’s a restaurant/bar.

Don’t let anything hold you back from doing the same. You want people to sit around, to roleplay, to just chill. 9/10 people don’t even buy anything they just come to my store to roleplay and vibe.

Just a tip, though. If someone was to just run back and forth and grab it out of their ass, not really my problem, I wouldn’t care less personally. I just know people would love it to be more RP inclusive.

 

[ItsLiam]

Also, a huge note, try to be creative in the roleplay. When I’m tailoring a suit (ask Lekoboi or Rabithunter ) I actually make IC measurements and roleplay writing things down.

Or when I’m selling someone clothes, I actually make it a pitch rather than just “Hey I got this and this.”, I try to be like “Hrmmm I got this, however… I don’t think this is your colour. How about you pick this in this colour? It suits your eyes well and doesn’t make you stand out too much.”