Vendor Mall - a place with multiple vendors covering the core items most players would expect to see. Typically manufactured from basic resources. Otherwise an assortment of items with a proven history to move quickly. How many of these do you think this server's population can keep in business?
If they stay well stocked and are known to the player base, I would say quite a few. Most tend to die out because they go under stocked or are unknown.
For me, layout is a huge thing. If they're all crammed in a tight space like a small marble i'm less likely to shop there, but in a large marble or large brick/patio or something that size I'm more likely to shop. It also helps to have a display which shows what type of items are on the vendor so I don' t have to scour every last one. Location sort of matters I guess. Personally I despise shopping in Yew, partly because the oversaturation of vendors there and high prices in most places. Vendors located on a road or quick run from the moongate are always nice.
I'm full of righteous indignation! the thread post said this was going to be a poll! Where is my ballot? I demand suffering and damages compesation of a billion gold pieces! (that should help cover a small portion of the debt I have thusfar accrued by purchasing things i can't afford) Also, I do prefer vendors that are either in a well known spot (vendor mall) or are at least in close proximity. I don't really care too much for the specific location. I think it would be great if vendors could be run out of a player town, but unfortunately, due to the nature of the game, significantly high traffic vendor locations mist be close to a town line. Otherwise it is just too easy for attacks to occur and drive away any would be customers. I love the idea of a random vendors located in the middle of nowhere with a rare spell or curious wares. But again with UO's finite item list and with everyone running 3+ accounts there's really no shortage of items and thus such a shop could never thrive.
$$$ Guys are setting up a Mall in Minoc Valley inside a Fortress.. Huge undertaking, not off the ground yet... The problem with a mall or ANY vendor house, it takes more than one player to cover the wide range of goods you would expect from a "Mall". Having vendored most of my career here, I can tell you good vendors are hard to find. A lot of folks who started with vendors at WYNB went on to run their own shops, some still do today, others retired. but it always took more than me to make it great. The problem with one building is that everyone wants to own and run their own shop. There is little to no cooperation. Much like Snap said the other day about CTF... EVERYONE wants to run the flag, no one wants to follow direction and win as a team. Yew Gate would be great for a Mall area, with each house selling their own specialty of goods. Or really any group of houses. The problem is cooperation. Not undercutting each other or stepping into another's specialty. Vendors start cooperating and cries of price fixing go out. But you do need some agreement on what you are going to sell and for how much for the good of the Mall. Look at Ocllo... between Rezon and Les, there is HUGE overlap.. prices are almost dead even. Why do you buy from one and not the other? If selection is the same and prices are the same... its a coin toss. Now if there were cooperation, there would be different selection.. If there were fierce competition, there would be significant price differences... I see a lot of folks talking about vendors and shops and such... How many have run one? Try it... You will find that the prevailing attitude is that shoppers want WHAT they want, WHEN they want it and for the PRICE they want to pay without regard for what it really takes to make all that happen.
Vendor malls are un-UO just as being against Donald Trump is un-American. It's also unfair to our rich 1%-ers who put effort into getting prime vendor house spots, we don't want to kick on the rich lying down in their bone couches. Come on everyone: No vendor malls; get vendor balls!
You can plop a small house down in the middle of nowhere and make it the most successful vendor on the shard. I've seen it. Location, size, etc...make things easier, but they are not the bottom line in any vendor....they're just a shortcut.
