I can’t remember where I was reading it, but a commenter on MOP recently said that the lack of auction hall in The Elder Scrolls Online was a dealbreaker for playing the game. And I know that sentiment is broadly shared across the MMO genre. Heck, even a lot of fans of the game have criticized the game’s trade system (or lack thereof), including me.
But that being said, not all auction halls are equal. We wouldn’t just want a random one ripped out and carried over, right?
Personally, I prefer the auction halls that actually route players to player-run vendors, but that isn’t an option in most MMOs. So if I have to pick an auction hall that actually functions like an auction hall, it’d probably be Guild Wars 2 or City of Heroes. Why? Well, I prefer bid-based systems, whereby people can put in offers on items that don’t exist yet (or are priced too high). Yes, it can result in a race-to-the-bottom if the economy is poorly planned (ahem, GW2), but it also ensures that the prices aren’t being driven by supply only, that there’s a give and take between supply and demand. And GW2’s system actually shows those bottom-up bids, unlike City of Heroes; City of Heroes merely shows the last few sales. Either way, both are better than systems driven only by a few wealthy trade guilds.
Which MMO has the best auction hall system? And what makes it stand out?
Every morning, the Massively Overpowered writers team up with mascot Mo to ask MMORPG players pointed questions about the massively multiplayer online roleplaying genre. Grab a mug of your preferred beverage and take a stab at answering the question posed in today’s Daily Grind!
