Merchant Customizing - Rules

General discussion of in-game events.
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Fellborn
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Merchant Customizing - Rules

Post by Fellborn »

Few simple rules on what can be done for customizing items when done by GM Merchants.
  1. We are able to change both an item's description, and its show description when you look at it. As an example see below. The bold, underlined text is the "description" while the italic, underlined text is the "show description";
    Example:
    You take a closer look at a fine white rimeveil scarf that you are wearing ...
    A length of cloth to be worn about the neck in order to help keep the cold out, or simply for fashion.
  2. A maximum of 10 words before the "noun".
  3. A maximum of 10 words after the "noun".
  4. We cannot change the core components of an item. No changing a sword with an iron pommel for one with a gold pommel. Even if you supply a gold ingot.
  5. We can change component items when they're not part of a finished item. When they're used to put together an item however, they will not change how that final items look so do not do this unless you want an altered component item as a RP tool.
    Example of combining:
    • a fancy knife handle with runes of death and destruction
    • a copper knife blade
    • Would make, (quality) (base material of the handle)-hilted copper knife
  6. We cannot change the noun of an item. No changing a longsword to a shortsword, a glaive to a bill, a backpack to a rucksack, and so forth.
Feel free to post questions if I've not covered anything, and we'll get the answers updated to this post for future reference.
Last edited by Fellborn on Fri Dec 03, 2021 11:26 pm, edited 3 times in total.
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Avedri
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Re: Merchant Customizing - Rules

Post by Avedri »

More for Rias,

Can you explain why no "long" descriptions? I've seen some floating about?

Also can you give an example of 3?
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Fellborn
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Re: Merchant Customizing - Rules

Post by Fellborn »

Avedri wrote: Wed Jul 21, 2021 3:53 pm More for Rias,

Can you explain why no "long" descriptions? I've seen some floating about?

Also can you give an example of 3?
By "short", I basically just meant how the base description looked like. I removed "short" to avoid confusion.

Example of 3 added. Hopefully that makes sense?
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Karjus
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Re: Merchant Customizing - Rules

Post by Karjus »

Are alternative nouns for weapon types ever going to be a thing, when the list expands? IE, several weapons use the same base but have a different name, for style, would it be possible to get items changed to a different noun for the same base? If that makes sense.
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Fellborn
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Re: Merchant Customizing - Rules

Post by Fellborn »

Karjus wrote: Wed Jul 21, 2021 4:09 pm Are alternative nouns for weapon types ever going to be a thing, when the list expands? IE, several weapons use the same base but have a different name, for style, would it be possible to get items changed to a different noun for the same base? If that makes sense.
Definitely one for Rias.
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Avedri
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Re: Merchant Customizing - Rules

Post by Avedri »

Fellborn wrote: Wed Jul 21, 2021 4:07 pm
Avedri wrote: Wed Jul 21, 2021 3:53 pm More for Rias,

Can you explain why no "long" descriptions? I've seen some floating about?

Also can you give an example of 3?
By "short", I basically just meant how the base description looked like. I removed "short" to avoid confusion.

Example of 3 added. Hopefully that makes sense?
Got it! Thanks for the prompt response.

With the absence of noun change I do think a cool festival wagon idea would be plain unique noun items essentially that work as alter fodder. For example an overgown or bonnet.

Thanks.
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Rias
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Re: Merchant Customizing - Rules

Post by Rias »

Long descriptions (aka "shows" or "look descriptions") are fair game. I generally make people do two different requests: one for altering the short description, another for the long description. That's just my preference to keep the line moving at alteration events so everyone gets their turn in as timely a fashion as possible.

==========

An example of what I think Fellborn is trying to say with 3: Let's say I've got a buckle I've had all fancied by a merchant up to be used for a belt:
look buckle
You take a closer look at a large cat-etched copper belt buckle held in your right hand ...
The likeness of a cat has been etched into the front of the large, ostentatious copper buckle.
I've had both a custom short description and a custom long description set up for it. Then I use it as a component to make a belt via leatherworking:
look belt
You take a closer look at a bandersnatch leather belt that you are holding ...
Helps keep the pants up.
It has the following minor components:
a large cat-etched copper belt buckle
a copper rivet (x2)
So the altered short description is retained when you see the buckle listed as a minor component of the belt, but it's not obviously apparent via either the long description or the short description. Also, the long description has been lost - there's no way to see that anymore now that the buckle is a minor component of the belt item. So I think the bottom line is: Don't get an altered long description for an item that is going to be used as a minor component for another item. Short description alterations are retained, but may not be as obvious or integrated into the item as one might like since they're down in the minor components list.

While probably confusing things a little, I will note that MAJOR components - items that are ATTACHed to other items step-by-step, rather than automatically consumed when mkaing an item - CAN be looked at to see their long description. Let's get that same fun cat etching on a shortsword blade ...
l blade
You take a closer look at a cat-etched copper blade that you are holding ...
The likeness of a cat has been etched into the side of the blade.
Again, it has both a custom short description AND custom long description. But since it's considered a MAJOR component that is attached by hand to another item in its own specific step, it will retain all its properties and can still be looked at even after it's had a crossguard, grip, and pommel all attached to it and become a shortsword:
look shortsword
You take a closer look at a copper shortsword that you are holding ...
The shortsword is light and well-balanced with a broad blade, though it lacks somewhat in reach.
It is comprised of the following major components:
a copper sword crossguard
a copper single-hand sword grip
a copper sword pommel
a cat-etched copper blade
It has the following minor components:
some tiny pine wedges (x2)

look shortsword's blade
You take a closer look at the blade component of the copper shortsword ...
You take a closer look at a cat-etched copper blade component of: a copper shortsword ...
The likeness of a cat has been etched into the side of the blade.
It has the following minor components:
some tiny pine wedges (x2)
The same could be done with the pommel, grip, or crossguard, because those are all major components that are ATTACHEd together to make a greater whole, rather than minor components just used up as part of another process (like rivets, buckles, tiny wooden wedges, etc. tend to be).

In either case (minor or major componenet), it may be better to have the completed item and then ask for it to be altered at that point. So, get the belt put together with a standard belt buckle, and THEN have a GM alter it if you want the fanciness of the belt buckle to be noted in the belt's short and/or long description. Or get the sword put together with a standard blade, and then have a GM alter the finished sword. Not to say that GM alterers can't alter a finished product to note the fancy component item more prominently too. If you happen to have a component and not a finished item when a GM alterer is around, by all means have them alter the component for you - you can always have a future alterer update the finished item to more prominently note/describe that particular component. Just remember that minor components WILL lose their long description, so I'd advise against long descriptions on minor components.

If this is all very confusing: Just wait until you have a completed item before getting it altered, rather than having individual components altered before they're put together.

==========

Regarding alternative nouns for weapons - that could possibly be a thing eventually, with some kind of list of pre-approved alternatives. For the time being however, we're sticking to the hard "no changing the noun of an item for any reason" rule, just to keep things simple.
<Rias> PUT ON PANTS
<Fellborn> NO
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Talyn
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Re: Merchant Customizing - Rules

Post by Talyn »

it's only for components not already seen descriptions. so if you wanted a sleek steel rapier that wouldn't happen or perhaps something with a fancy hilt. It only goes when you look at the weapon itself?
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Firerose
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Re: Merchant Customizing - Rules

Post by Firerose »

I'm confused by short description and show description. Why are they different?
Wouldn't it be easier to call this the item's name?

I'm used to different terms. Description is what you see when you look at the item. Name is the name of the piece. People see both when they look at what you're wearing/holding.
Is this right?
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Rias
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Re: Merchant Customizing - Rules

Post by Rias »

@Firerose:

Different people and games use different terms - not a lot we can do about that. Here in COGG we have:

"Short Description": This is the short description of an item you see listed as items on the ground, in containers, held in hand, worn, etc. This is the one you use to target items with various commands. Example: "an iron-hilted steel dagger"

"Long Description": AKA "show description" or "item show". This is the longer descriptive text when looking at a specific item, or when someone else shows it to you via the SHOW command. Example: "The broad steel blade of the dagger is roughly leaf-shaped, broadening somewhat above the hilt to then narrow sharply toward the tip. Soft leather has been wrapped around the grip for both comfort and show. Set into the pommel is a tiny emerald."

==========

@Talyn:

You can reference the sleekness of the rapier or or a fancy hilt in the short description if you want. My long-winded post was just to say that people probably shouldn't bother getting individual item components altered, but instead wait until the item is completely put together. This way the effort won't be lost when the altered component is used up to make the end result item. So don't alter that individual hilt item you have beforehand - get the rapier put together first, and then you can get the rapier altered to describe or reference any of its components.
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