Posted previously on the general forums, but I thought this is a more appropriate place.
So I’m an active Auction House user, and I think that while it is a really good system, it’s age is starting to show for a long time. So here are a few sticking points for me:
The fantasy of an auction house implies a place where people from all around the world gather to participate in the most epic transactions known to man. Ancient relics, weapons of unimaginable power or extremely expensive jewels.
Instead I go there every day to sell the moss on the wall that I found.
I then like, most players, just put up a buyout price because the idea of people bidding on my moss to be a bit absurd. And if someone goes a bit after me and charges 1 copper lower than me, them I’ll have to go there the following day, collect all my moss and put it all for sale again.
So here is my suggestion:
This suggestion is in addition to he AH, not a replacement.
Create a real market wherever you want. In that market there will be npcs that sell all kinds of stuff. I’ll then go into the herbs business with my stock of herbs and sell it to the npc.
However the new npc is not a normal one, he has a stock of products that is visible to the players (you might even see it in the shelves, not only in the ui). If he has lots of stock he will try to push the stock out by lowering the prices, he will also lower what he pays to the herbalist. Also, if the speed of sales is low, he will lower it’s prices.
His goal is to have enough stock supply his costumers. He also always takes a cut for himself.
This might also solve the problem of the large volume of npcs selling stuff that no one uses like gray gear. He could instead resell crafted gear.
This suggestion also solves the UI problems of the AH. It could even have a graph showing the oscilatron of the price over time, to inform players if they are having a bargain or if they are losing money.
The items sold to the vendor never return to you on the mail.
Edit:
Here is an example of his logic
His prices
$this->selling_price = $this->value_of_entire_stock / $this->number_of_items;
$this->desired_stock = $this->sales()->from_last_7_days()->sum('number') / 4;
$this->buying_price = min((($this->current_stock - $this->desired_stock) / $this->desired_stock) * $this->selling_price, $this->selling_price * 0.95);
After selling to him;
$this->value_of_entire_stock += $buying_price * $number * 1.1;
After buying from him:
$this->value_of_entire_stock -= $price * $number;