If trans trade skill items have such a mild effect on combat balance, then why is everyone so concerned that they remain available to collect in multiples, aside from having already spent credits on them? In fact, if they have such a mild effect, why do people bother getting them in the first place?

Well, I know why: People want every advantage, even the littlest one.

If no one could use more than one trans trade item, then the playing field would be evened again, anyway. Joe Knight can't have more trade skill perks than you, he could only have one, just like everyone else. I have a feeling many of you would be a lot more accepting of the idea if you thought your credits would return to you, and that is why the situation is sad (not your fault, but because it's evolved that way).

Apparently, I am the only person (who uses the forums, anyway) who holds this opinion in any way, shape, or form. Then again, I am one of the very, very few truly brand new players to really discuss things on this forum. That is why I can look at this whole situation from an outsider's perspective.

So not even I think it should be changed at this point (except for the decay), as there would be some sort of rampage.

EDIT: Also, I have a feeling trans trade skill items represent only a small fraction of Lusternia's income. The vast majority comes from credits spent on lessons (for "real" skills), actual artifacts, stuff like that. Just a guess, mind you.

I think everyone else approaches it from the angle of 'Why shouldn't you have multiple trans trade items?' They're not even remotely special, so what other reason is there? You yourself said that people want every advantage, even the littlest one. Littlelest reasons are negligible and don't provide a basis for a change like this.

And heh, the playing field isn't (and will probably never be) even, go read the combat forums sometime and look for locked threads.

Yep, definitely new. Trade skills bonuses are minor, but they're also comparatively cheap. There is no evening of a playing field. Heck, one could argue that the playing field can't be level because of the way that different classes operate. You can't buy a level one artifact of your-opponent's-system-fails, but you can grind out the credits for a wounding rune.

It's just the nature of things. No one has absolutely every benefit that they can use. The ceiling is way too high. Trade skill items don't contribute to that majorly.

By "evening the playing field," I'm speaking only of how many trans trade items someone has, independent of everything else related to combat. You guys seem to think I mean combat overall, but I don't. Minor perks or no, if everyone else were allowed to have four trade items, but you were only allowed to have one, I don't think you would be happy. However, if everyone else could only have one, you would also be satisfied with one.

Now as for your first question, basically, we're at an impasse here.

Me: "Since the items have such a minor effect, why have more than one? It would make the trans items rarer, and feel more special to people who enjoy crafting or base some of their roleplay around it."

Everyone else: "Since the items have such a small effect, why not have as many as we can? We need every edge we can get. Let people do what they want with their credits. Besides, combat is the most important thing anyway."

Apparently the exact same justification can be used for both sides. How circular!

You can get as many trans trade items as you want, just like everyone else. If the crucial point here is that you cannot afford more than one, you'll soon find that there are alot of other things you want and cannot have, in Lusternia and outside of it. If your only response to that is begrudging people their possessions (at least it has that appearance), you're not likely to find much approval, I believe. I'm a tiny bit biased here, of course.

I don't even GET a trans trade item

Without having read the topic (bar half the first post), I'm suddenly left wondering whether shop stockrooms should even prevent decay. RL shops have to deal with products going out of date and becoming unusable, why not us? People would have to shop around for the "freshest" goods, and shopkeepers would have to be more careful to only stock what they can sell.

I will stab you if you made my shop kegs decay.

Aside from things that people need really often, like most refills and recharges, shops would be pretty poorly stocked (if they wanted to make any profit at all). I prefer it the way it is currently, just to keep shopping times as short as possible.

This is something that we have been discussing, very much for these reasons.

I don't think I'm giving too much away if I tell you that the plan is to get rid of shoproom non-decay within the next couple of weeks.

Aww, my poor newly-made kegs

...oi! Please consider that it is normal in general for people to buy large quantities of stock from merchants in the normal practice. I understand the sentiment as it applies to these trans-tradeskill objects, but this would be a splendidly frustrating thing in terms of general shopkeeping!

(Joke!)

Very well. I take it back. You are in fact meaner than Nocht.

You had me taking you seriously for a bit and telling people on IM, Silferras was totally flipping out.

Hehehe! Great!

I didn't believe it, but I was wondering if it was some special second April's Fool day over in Britain or something.

Wow. Harsh devaluation of a 1000 credit 'artifact' (I don't have any myself). And a tough blow to shop owners in general. Seeing as how half of Celest's shops (rough and probably slightly exaggerated estimation) are currently closed down, this will probably wipe out shopowner population there almost completely.

EDIT: That happens when you write a post and go do something else before posting it.

I'm rather surprised at the number of people that took this seriously...

And before people comment on my post, that was just playing along If I had actually believed it, I would've argued, not just whined