Trade System Overhaul

[Abronsyth]

The current trade system is perfectly functional on a very small scale, but large scale it becomes very difficult for users to use.

Right now there are separate files for the trade system itself and viewing recieved trades. This isn't really necessary, and it makes things more confusing to use. Using different functions on the same file would be more straightforward. i.e.;
.../trade
.../trade/inbox (recieved trades)
.../trade/outbox (sent trades)

Then the system itself needs some help. Users should be able to send open-ended suggestions, or even accept one-sided trades. Trades should also be combo-friendly. So by this I mean...
Open-Ended Suggestions: A user offers a pet/item/currency without specifying what they want in return (but they do have the option to include a message). The other user cannot just accept the trade, they must make a counter offer. The first user who made the offer can choose to accept it, or send another counter offer (which the receiver could then counter, or accept, or cancel).
One-Sided Trades: A user can send another an item/pet without asking for anything in return...a gift, if you will.
Combo-Friendly: By this I mean that a user can do something like offer 3 items and a pet for 2 pets. Or 200 currency for 2 items. Etc. You do not NEED an item, or a pet, or currency, involved. You can do only pets, only items, or only currency. On the other hand you can also do a combo of pets and items, pets and currency, items and currency.

These changes would make the trade system significantly more user-friendly, and more useful. It expands what the trade system can function as, allowing users to breed pets to sell for profit, or sell items they've collected, buy from and barter with other users.

Making it more streamlined increases user-to-user interaction and improves the website's economy, which helps promote activity.

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So here is how I'd envision it being set up:

Page: .../trade
This is the starting page for the trade system. Admin defined text can go up here or whatever.

(table:)
Incoming Trades | Outgoing Trades | Start New Trade

Open Public Trades [search option to seek specific items/pets being offered]
(table)
Trade Title | Date Made | User

Click on trade to see that specific trade.

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Here is what we would see when viewing any specific trade (both private and public trades are stored via ID)
../trade/viewtrade/{ID}
Trade Title
Trade message from the sender (whether a counter offer or 1st time, etc).

Offering:
(table)
Pets | Items | Currency
Pet Name (click to visit pet's page) | Item Name xQuantity | Currency Amount and Type (if multiple on site currencies)

Make Offer | Accept* | Cancel

*Accept is only an option if the user who sent the trade chooses to make it available
If no pet/item/currency is offered then under that part it will just say "None"

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So let's say we choose to make a counter offer OR just send a new trade in general:
.../trade/offer/{$ID}*
(show the offer here if we're making a counter offer)

[Select Pets] | [Select Items] | [Select Currency]

Trade Title: [textbox]
Message: [bigger textbox]

[ ] Require counter-offer {auto-checked for YES}
[Submit Button]

*ID only shows when making a counter offer, otherwise it's just .../trade/offer

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Now once we hit the submit button we go to the confirm page. Have to make sure everything is correct.

../trade/offer/confirm/{ID}*
"Please check below to make sure this is correct:"

You Are Offering...
Pets | Items | Currency
Pet Name (link to pet's page!) | Item Name XQuantity | Currency Amount and Type

[Confirm Button]

And then the trade has been sent.

*ID only shows when making a counter offer, otherwise it's just .../trade/offer/confirm

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I think that mostly covers what I'm attempting to illustrate.

Basically trying to make the system easier to use for users. Also a "report this trade" option would be great (if a user includes a bad word/language in their trade message or something).

[kristhasirah]

I support this

[aquapyrofan]

Doesn't it already support open-ended trades in the form of partial trades?

[Abronsyth]

Not that I recall. When I had a site up and running the biggest complaint I got was that users needed to include an item during trade if they were trying to do a partial trade.

[Kyttias]

I had my own solution to this partially done, got frustrated with it, and quit. I don't know how some sites make it look so easy.