*I haven't seen a big thread focused on this issue, so I'm making one. I'll edit in more problems/fixes as they are suggested to me via this thread.*

 

The problem: The Galactic Trade Network is absolutely terrible. The UI sucks, the search features suck, posting an item sucks, searching for an item sucks. It basically sucks as an entire entity. I'm not bashing Bioware, Starwars, EA, or LucasArts. I'm simply being honest. Those of you familiar with WoW will remember that they had a very good auction house which was not only functional, but user friendly as well. No, I'm not sucking Blizzard's nuts. I'm being honest. No, I don't really want to go back to WoW, I'm not leaving Star Wars quite yet, and you can't have my stuff.

 

*A note to the fanboys who will inevitably defend the current implemented Galactic Trade Network*: Please don't. I beg you. There isn't anything good about it to defend, you make yourself look like a blind fanboy, and you aren't doing the game any good. This game isn't flawless, and it needs suggestions so that things can be fixed and the game can be improved.

 

With that disclaimer out of the way, let's get to what the problems are and how to fix them.

 

The problems and how to fix:

1. The drop down categories(armor type, rarity, level reqs, etc) should be for NARROWING DOWN EXISTING SEARCHES, not confining what you may search for. Which brings us to #2.

 

2. We should be able to search by name FIRST. I should be able to type in exactly what I'm looking for, click buy, done. It's that easy.

 

3. If I'm listing multiple same-item auctions, PLEASE have it memorize what my price was. If I'm leveling up my crafting skill and I made 20 Random-Blue-Chest-Piece-of-***-Kickery, please for the love of all that is Star Wars let me only name my price once rather than making me type the price in 20 times. That is way too many clicks and key presses.

 

4. Include an armor SLOT drop down. Helm, gloves, chest, legs, etc. If I'm looking for a Purple Medium Armor level 47 BOOTS, I shouldn't have to search through pages and pages of chest pieces, leg pieces, and helmets to find it.

 

5. This is going to be an extension of #1 and #2. Without being able to search for items by name, we can't truly have a free market. Part of being in an mmo is a player controlled market. Love it or hate it, there will always be those who find it truly fun and rewarding to make gold(or credits) through buying low, selling high. In short, playing the market. If you don't like the idea of players making money through the Trade Network, I suggest you get over it. Whether you like the idea of government-controlled prices, or you are just too lazy to practice and get good at it yourself, you can't stop it. Even if players have to sift through pages and pages and multiple tabs of items, they will still find ways to do it, even now. It's part of this genre. It's difficult, time-consuming, and high-risk, but can be rewarding. Sounds pretty balanced to me.

 

6. PLEASE LET ME SHIFT-CLICK AN ITEM TO INPUT IT'S NAME IN THE LITTLE BOX SO I DON'T HAVE TO MANUALLY TYPE IT.

 

7. Can't filter for Orange or "Custom" gear.

 

8. Can't ctrl+click schematics to see what the finished item looks like in the dressing room.

 

9. GTN should save your last search upon window close.

 

10. Companions returning from missions auto-close your GTN, mail, and vendor windows, causing you to lose your work. Should automatically go to "Pending" when those windows are open.

 

11. Some of the items are currently being listed under the wrong categories. For example, Underworld Trading Fabrics are being listed under Diplomacy.

 

12. The current system inserts a "1" when the default price is deleted. This means we have to type the price we want and then delete a useless "1" that we didn't ask for.

 

13. Implement a "Not already-known" checkbox. When searching crafting patterns, it lists all of them, even if known already. There should be an ability to filter the patterns so we DON'T see the ones we already know. It would also be nice if we could filter patterns for specific slots (if we are looking for only chestpiece patterns, we should be able to filter so we ONLY get chestpiece patterns).

 

14. Someone mentioned there was a 50 item cap for listing auctions. Really? This definitely needs to be increased.

 

15. Currently, we go AFK while using the GTN. This should not happen.

 

That's everything off the top of my head, please feel free to comment and I will add your suggestions to the post. Let's give BioWare some good ideas on how to change the Trade Network and improve this game! If you want to be negative and troll, I don't have much to say to you. But thanks for the bump.

Edited January 6, 2012 by Divinati

Reserved

Here's my list of GTN complaints taken from my larger post about overall bugs/issues here:

 

 

• Can't search by name on the GTN without completing filters first
  
• Can't shift+click an item in your inventory to search for it on the GTN
  
• Can't filter by gear slot when searching the GTN
  
• Can't filter for Orange or "Custom" gear when searching the GTN
  
• Can't ctrl+click schematics to see what the finished item looks like in the dressing room
  
• GTN should save your last search upon window close
  
• Companions returning from missions auto-close your GTN, mail, and vendor windows, causing you to lose your work. Should automatically go to "Pending" when those windows are open.
  

 

GTN is just fine as is thank you very much

GTN is garbage. all the issues you listed are true. please just allow me to search by name without all that prereq bs. thx

GTN is just fine as is thank you very much

 

You're even okay with some of the items currently being listed under the wrong categories? Like Underworld Trading Fabrics being listed under Diplomacy?

gtn is just fine as is thank you very much

 

lol no its not thats the problem

I'd really like the ability to search for something by name. This is probably the biggest problem with it in my opinion.

 

I'd like it to stop inserting a "1" when I delete the default price I want to sell something for. It just means I have to type the price I want then delete a useless "1" that I didn't ask for.

 

I'd like it to know what I have on sale already, so when I sell 10 items that are the same, I enter the price once, then it remembers that price while I'm setting up the next 9 sales.

just make the interface and utility like eve online. it's a tried and tested system.

 

search function, buy orders, margin trading, 90 day orders, shift click item to browse market data, etc. oh and price history graph, for the love of god.

 

edit: and there has to be a better way to manage buying and selling. using the mail system for this is just annoying. also, for a fee, users should be able to browse their cargohold and put items up on the market, instead of ferrying things from ship to gtn.

Edited January 5, 2012 by Darth_Gao_Gao

Well, as much as I love the game, I have to say it GTN really does lack in every area, to put it nicely. I would like to see the whole thing redone, I don't like any of it.

You're even okay with some of the items currently being listed under the wrong categories? Like Underworld Trading Fabrics being listed under Diplomacy?

 

Is that where they are found? No wonder I couldn't find them.

Total noob question but where is the Galactic Trade Network?

GTN is just fine as is thank you very much

 

Is this your first MMO?

Yeah, I agree with all of this. The GTN is really painful to use. It's not a game-breaker, but the GTN really needs to get improved if players are really expected to play a good economic role in this game. Right now it's way to hard to find what you're looking for, which means it's hard to sell things as well. It's also hard to sell things because comparative pricing is a nightmare and search is pretty broken. It's going to be important for longevity and in-game economic health to get this improved.

Total noob question but where is the Galactic Trade Network?

 

open your map, and on the legend filter thing on the lower left, click the GTN option. then walk, run, or mount your way to the market area of whatever planet you are on. you should then find the icon, which is a big credit icon (like the vendor icon but it has a box around it), on your map. note that nar shaddaa is a neutral market separate from the GTN, so while you will have access to cross faction goods, it won't be connected to the main market hubs that the other planets use.

Edited January 5, 2012 by Darth_Gao_Gao

One of my main complaints if finding crafting patterns. It lists all of them, even if I know it already. There should be an ability to filter the patterns so I DON'T see the ones I already have. It would also be nice if I could filter patterns for specific slots (if I am looking for only chestpiece patterns, I should be able filter so I ONLY get chestpiece patterns).

 

The GTN has its uses, but it also has extreme limitations, which makes me not want to even use it, most of the time.

8. Can't ctrl+click schematics to see what the finished item looks like in the dressing room.

 

in what game can you click a schematic and see what it looks like?

its pretty terrible.

8. Can't ctrl+click schematics to see what the finished item looks like in the dressing room.

 

in what game can you click a schematic and see what it looks like?

 

So what you are saying is that you don't want Star Wars to implement anything new, and you want the game to only take existing mechanics from other games and redo them. Sorry, but please get out of my thread. Personally, I like new developments, no matter how small. New developments are what take this gaming genre forward into the next generation, and I would like to see Star Wars at the forefront of that generation.

One of my main complaints if finding crafting patterns. It lists all of them, even if I know it already. There should be an ability to filter the patterns so I DON'T see the ones I already have. It would also be nice if I could filter patterns for specific slots (if I am looking for only chestpiece patterns, I should be able filter so I ONLY get chestpiece patterns).

 

The GTN has its uses, but it also has extreme limitations, which makes me not want to even use it, most of the time.

 

This is one of my main issues currently as well. There's no in-game way that I am aware of to identify a schematic as one that you already know. If you try to open the crew skills window to check, well, that won't work, since the game will only let you have two windows open at a time - and to get to your specific "manufacturing" crew skill detail panel, you first need to have the MAIN crew skill panel open. So, GTN + main crew skill window + specific crew skill window = 3 windows, which is obviously greater than the 2 window limit.

 

I could be missing something, and if so please let me know, but for now the only system I can think of to identify already known schematics while browsing the GTN is to keep a separate, out of game list going of all of my known schematics. Either that or have to close out of the GTN every time I see something I may not know, check my skill panel, reopen the GTN, reapply all my drop downs and filters and search again - which, really, no thanks.

THIS is constructive feedback. Thank you.

 

I cannot agree more with 7. I want the ability to select Orange gear ONLY.

 

/signed

Edited January 5, 2012 by Thaltom

I think that BW should defff fix this but it's not terrible... its still usable i guess. So I guess what im trying to say is that BW has a couple other things they need to fix before this but as everyone hits 50 trade is gonna get way more important and it's important that there is a good economy supported by a functional auction house that makes it not such a chore to make money.

My biggest gripes are:

-not being able to search by item slot

-slow to respond when refreshing a page

-sorting issues (even when sorting by level req, orange items appear around lvl 1....)

-issues getting kicked out when a companion comes back from a crewskill

-not being able to see my character sheet to get stats on my mods (having to quit out, push C, remember what I need to upgrade/if its an upgrade, look it up....annoying)

12. The current system inserts a "1" when the default price is deleted. This means we have to type the price we want and then delete a useless "1" that we didn't ask for.

 

Hey Bioware, you give us the name of the guy who did this, keeps putting a 1 in, and we'll leave you alone. Just throw him out of a car in front of us and drive off. We'll stop complaining for a day or two and you can get some work done. Just give us this guy.

 

(I kid I kid, but seriously, you should publicly fire this guy, it would be great PR, the fans would be delirious for a day! The 1 is gone! THE 1 IS GONE!!!!)

 

I'm kidding! But seriously...you gotta fix this.

Edited January 5, 2012 by TumblerSW

This is good constructive feedback I've been wanting to make a post like this myself for some time now but lack the necessary skill to do so. Thank you for making this post, I hope Bioware will take some if not all of your suggestions to heart.