The Players Corner Archive

One nice thing about the top is that it doesn't matter if you have been waiting for hours for the merchant to show, or if you ducked into the tent before the flap closed. You have an equal chance regardless.

Words from the Guru, himself:

Merchant TOPS-2 by GS3-Zulkata
Jan 29, 2001
As for one alteration every month. I am actually more in favor of the merchant using their own limits and not a hard fast rule. Take large events for example. I don't want to see everyone instantly banned from all other merchants simply because they got one that weekend. By allowing the GM to set their own limits, including a totally open time frame, you give the system more freedom.

Let me give some information on the TOP2 system.

<<Benison says, "My miniature anvil pin is currently set to find only people who have not had an alteration done within the last 90 days. If you do not know when your last alteration was please check it with MERCHANT (your name)">>

This is a regular merchant setting, and should only have been used for such. As was noted by the player, Benison soon changed it to this.

<<Benison says, "My miniature anvil pin is currently set to work with all premium customers. Please check your PREMIUM START. If you show an alteration within the last four months it will not point you out due to the four month rule.">>

That is the message for PREMIUM merchants to use. For those who do not know it, I cheated when I built the tops. That message Benison says, "" is totally automated. What that means is when they set the tops for what service they are working on and what limits. All the merchant has to do is TAP the item and it will instantly pass the message telling exactly what they require and how the top is set. Ask any merchant who uses the new system to tell you what their limits are and it will say the exact same thing, word for word with only 3 changes, the name of the new merchant is inserted, the name of the item they spin is inserted, and the time between service is inserted.

The major reason I built them that way was to free up the merchant’s time. Often, what happens is people enter the merchant room at different times. As people enter everyone wants to know, "what are the rules!". The easiest way I could think of to allow the merchant to inform people, while not taking another two or so minutes to type it all out, was to automate an answer system onto the tops.

They can not fudge the message or requirements. There is also one other message you did not see. Let me show you what the merchant sees when they tap it with a totally open setting.

[TOP2] Your small top is set for REGULAR MERCHANT.
[TOP2] Everyone is a valid target. (Value=0 on item)
***this setting would also work for premium work not considered an alteration by Tigermist's rules.***

You say, "My top is currently set to allow anyone to be selected. There are no time restrictions. Good luck everyone."

Thus the tops are currently constructed to allow open alterations for both merchants, and premium service. Open meaning, alterations that do not fit the 4 month rule as posted in premium 13.

GM Zulkata

Ohh, for those interested, here are the behind the scenes notes given to the merchant every single time they tap their top according to if it is premium or non premium.
Regular merchant:
[TOP2] Your small top is set for REGULAR MERCHANT.
[TOP2] Requiring 90 days since last alteration.
(canned message passed to everyone in the room, see above first example in <>.)
Premium merchant
[TOP2] Your small top is set for PREMIUM USE.
(canned message passed to everyone in the room, see above second example in <>.)
reg

Lists go by several different names. HIGHLIGHT the possibilities. That way, when you type "Look" you will see it if it changes. If a merchant is in the room, read the list frequently so that you can see if it opens.

Some possible lists:
list
scroll
worklist
book
checklist reg

One night, I worked on bringing up another little assistant (too much shopping, too little locker space, equals assistants!). Anyway, it was really late when my little wizard was hatched, and she was on her way home when she stumbled on a tent on West Ring Road. She stepped inside, and BAM... the needle pointed at her! She quickly had a very simple alteration made on a cloak that she purchased inside the tent. The whole process was very fast, and after the alteration was finished, she went to bed.

A few days later, she woke up and as soon as she blinked her eyes, she started getting locates, quickly followed by a gang of pets... cats, mice, frogs, she had a freekin' zoo following her! To this day, when I think how clueless she was, I have to laugh. I hadn't told a soul about the little wizard, and not one person knew who she was, so all this attention was truly puzzling. Finally, one of the cats that was following her said "drop the needle and no one gets hurt"! She stopped running long enough to look inside her cloak, and sure enough.. there was the magic needle! At that point, someone whispered and explained that after the little wizard had left, the lady doing the alterations had realized she placed her needle in the wrong cloak. The alteration lady had told the crowd in the tent that she would give a free alteration to anyone that returned her needle. Finally, the locates and pets made sense!

The little wizard immediately made an assist and reported that she had the needle. She didn't expect another alteration, but she wanted to make sure the needle was returned to the rightful owner. She waited, and waited, and waited some more.. no response. Well, it was getting a tad boring, so the little wizard decided she would have some fun while she was waiting for assistance. Clutching her magic needle, she went into the East Tower and spun that needle! That was so much fun, she hit Town Square Central, the Park... anywhere there were people, she was spinning! She experimented with that needle like you can't believe... and I can tell you for a fact, that needle has a mind of it's own!

The little wizard had to leave, but over the next few days, she sure had fun with that needle. The request for assistance was still pending, but it seemed no one was in too great of a hurry to get that spinner back! I think on the third day, the little wizard checked her cloak, and the needle was gone. It was disappointing that the needle was taken while she was asleep, she was looking forward to returning it and sharing all the adventures she had with it.

Anyway, based on my experience, I truly think the spinners are random and can't be "told" to choose a certain person.

Summer

[This message has been edited by Summerlyn (edited 11-12-2001).] reg

I'm sorry I missed out on that, but then, I think if I saw your little wizard out a'spinning away, Aerie would have had a heart attack...

reg