Item only shard transfer mail box - might improve economy and population

Would it be possible to add a shard transfer mail box for specifically items?  This would help fix a lot of problems.

1. Retain newer/returning players by allowing them to tackle champ spawns with lower risk of being raided.  We want them to be able to earn PS which are essential to progressing in this game if they can’t afford it due to the high cost and high demand for them.  Before animal taming, PS scrolls were more affordable.  Now, it could take a new player months of farming to pay for a set on vendor search.

2. This would increase population in other shards

3. It would help balance out the economy by spreading out the population in each shard.  It will also balance the wealth among old with shard shields and newer players.

4. Allows players to purchase items in any shard and have it sent to their home shard.  Players can now sell items on their quiet shard knowing full well other players from populated shards can easily buy them.  This essentially transforms the economy to a “global economy” rather than majority of the economy based in one or two shards.

5. Players can pick a server closer to home and meet other players who live in a similar time zone.  Players won’t have to work as hard to find others who can play on their same time/schedule.  It will be easier for guild members to host guild events without having to exclude players from different time zones.

6. Reduces players from getting scammed by having to trust UO veterans who own shard transfer shields to move their items across shards.  It is also inconvenient to have to schedule a transfer with someone.

7. Increase the amount of mythic tokens sold in store since players will start making characters on other shards

8. You can even add a fee to transfer each item and limit one item per day?  100k or 200k per item will provide a gold sink to help with the ever growing inflation. 

 

If the original idea isn’t possible, how about:

1. Make shard transfer shields account bound but tradable.  Vet’s still get a reward worth 200+ millions, but now new players can eventually earn this reward by buying it off other veterans.  Other veteran rewards are tradable, so why not?  Might be hard to implement though…

2. Reduce the cost of transfer tokens to $3-5 dollars.  I’m ok with spending that amount just to transfer items across shard without having to get someone else to do it.  Anything more than that, probably not.

3. Make shard transfer shields a UOstore sellable item at a higher price.  People can still buy character transfer tokens if they only plan to do it once.  If they want to jump between shards, they will need to buy two premium shields or wait until their account reaches 15 year vet reward status.

4. Make power scrolls shard bound the same way masteries are.  (This will probably create a lot of chaos initially though...might not be a great idea)

IIRC the devs have given a solid "no" to all of these suggestions in one form or another. 

Why cant newer players go out and farm PS themselves and sell them like everyone else? 

Fat said:

IIRC the devs have given a solid "no" to all of these suggestions in one form or another. 

Why cant newer players go out and farm PS themselves and sell them like everyone else? 

I get raided every time I try to do a champ spawn because I play during peak hours on the most populated shard.  Other players are farming on low population shards and having the scrolls transferred.  I don't have that luxury without spending a lot of real life money for transfer tokens, nor do I have shard transfer shields.  I also don't know anyone who is willing that do the transfer and is someone I can trust.

I'm not trying to complain so I hope I don't come off that way.  I'm just trying share some ideas in hopes that it will actually improve the game and the economy.

Imagine being a new player who wants to play a warrior.  Having 7x GM with ok gear, do they really stand a chance against raiders?  How many times do they have to get raided before frustration kicks in and they just quit?  How long will it take for them to farm gold in PvM just to pay for a 50mil tactics PS?

What I'm suggesting is something that does already exist in game, it just requires either $$cash or a trust worthy friend with shard xfer shields.  Why not make it slightly more affordable while reducing the risk of scams??  There is currently no rule against a player from "promising" they will transfer items and then not delivering.

Fat said:

IIRC the devs have given a solid "no" to all of these suggestions in one form or another. 

Why cant newer players go out and farm PS themselves and sell them like everyone else? 

they have to have a paid account with them in order to collect the PSs

I think all of these were excellent ideas.

I'm really over the whole nostalgic UO murderer, raider, vets-owning-the-game, culture.

If they want new players and new people to establish a place in UO, then help cater to that new culture.

Otherwise, this game is just Ultima-Murderers-and-Vets-Online. lol

In the words of Willow Rosenburg, "Bored now."

I would like them to do *something* about shard transfers than the current policy of watching all the shards but Atlantic die off. If the choice is go to Atlantic or quit I'd pick quit.

I love your mailbox idea!  You brought up so many good points in your post that make total sense.
Some i'm not so sure about though.

Power scrolls as well as primers should absolutely be transferable.  Being transferable brings a whole new spark to PvP for some of these dead shards.  Without them hell,  you might as well close that shard down.  My stance on shard bound items is as follows.  If it can be obtained on any shard it should be allowed to transfer.  If an item is only generated on that shard then it should be shard bound.  Yes that would include EM items (to protect the history of that shard).

Don't put it in the UO store!  The UO store is evil!  All it does is take away content that could otherwise go into the game for us to enjoy.  Why are forged metal of artifacts not a BoD reward?  Anyways,  I would prefer something lilke your mailbox idea be obtainable through normal gameplay.  Chain Quest,  Boss drop or even a vet reward (5th year maybe) just dont put it in that damn store! lol

Lieutenant_Dan said:

I love your mailbox idea!  You brought up so many good points in your post that make total sense.
Some i'm not so sure about though.

Power scrolls as well as primers should absolutely be transferable.  Being transferable brings a whole new spark to PvP for some of these dead shards.  Without them hell,  you might as well close that shard down.  My stance on shard bound items is as follows.  If it can be obtained on any shard it should be allowed to transfer.  If an item is only generated on that shard then it should be shard bound.  Yes that would include EM items (to protect the history of that shard).

Don't put it in the UO store!  The UO store is evil!  All it does is take away content that could otherwise go into the game for us to enjoy.  Why are forged metal of artifacts not a BoD reward?  Anyways,  I would prefer something lilke your mailbox idea be obtainable through normal gameplay.  Chain Quest,  Boss drop or even a vet reward (5th year maybe) just dont put it in that damn store! lol

I'm so with ya on the store. Easter gift/spring gift? Maybe, when they can get to it. Maybe next publish. Store? Oh wait, we got time to add all kinds of stuff to that all the time. 🙁 It's either subscription or F2P. You don't just add them together and rip us off. Typically F2P you buy things the subscribers get for free.

Sorry I couldn't disagree more about transferable PS, primers......  if it can be obtained on all shards it should at least be considered to be made shard bound.  If you can get an item on your home shard why aren't you?

From the perspective of a low population shard it looks like players come to farm Power scrolls for example but they live on Atlantic or at least the PSs go there to get a higher price.

I think easy and unlimited transfers between shards is one of the main reason we have "dead shards".

One of the trade offs to living on a low population shard is no crowds or lineups for spawns but fewer people to play with or buy from you. I have no problem with someone changing home shard or a quick trip for a special event with friends but it is becoming commuting to work and then home again. Some one who is only on a shard to do farm power scrolls or primers is not a member of the community and as such no help in keeping the shard "alive".

The whole issue of transfer between shards should have had and really needs some deep consideration as to its long term effects on the game and its survivability. If it is as I think driving the "dead shard" effect and Broadsword is not going to close shards we have a problem. Is the plan to make the "dead shards" bedroom suburbs for the more popular ones?

Sorry if this seems rambling but this is one of my "hot button" issues 

@Tim there are more people on the "DEAD SHARDS" then people want to admit.  How many houses are in Luna and Castles, those take a paying account each to hold.  The less populated shards have become farms for PSs and are still controlled by a select group of people that take them to Atl.  The Primers are shard bound if I remember right.  UO has already stated shards will not be merged/shut down unless they can come up with a way to bring everything over from the less populated shards to 1 west coast and 1 east coast shard and not have anybody lose anything.

Yes Bilbo I know but I feel anything that makes shard transfer easer if not though out carefully for the long term effects will only make it worse. 
I do trust the people a Broadsword but given the choice of standing by what I said to customers and going under I know what my choice would be. If they had a high profit margin EA would still be running things.

PS I live on Pacific and we are not dead until I am.

Power scrolls ARE available on the smaller population shards, they're just not on vendors where they can be bought and taken off shard. They're sold to folk who play the shard through general chat.