Buying and selling
Player stalls, personal shops, and auction houses enable buying from and selling to other players.[1]
- Player merchants will not be able to be placed on ships.[2]
Player stalls | Personal shops | Auction houses | |
---|---|---|---|
Cost |
| ||
Location |
|
|
|
Player presence | N/A | ||
Storage |
| ||
Advertising |
|
|
|
PvP |
|
N/A |
Player stalls

One of the key components of a functional economy is the ability to trade and not having that predicated just on chat. So, player stalls we prioritized to make it in by the 20th. These will be in a functional state to begin with. There will be an NPC within the market area that you will be able to list your goods at and other players will be able to interact with that NPC take a look at the different player shops that are listed and make purchases at those locations. So, this is something I think is very necessary. It's not quite an auction house and the reason it's not an auction house is because you basically have a little bit of a storefront: You go through this list of other players' stores and you can click into that store and you can see a number of different items that they have and you can make transactional purchases on a buy order basis for what they've listed.[18] – Steven Sharif
Player stalls (also called Kiosks and rental stalls) are rentable locations near the unique building in an Economic node[8], in Marketplaces (the constructible building available for placement by mayors of any Town (stage 4) node or higher), or as business buildings on freehold plots.[20][21][9]
- All nodes do have the ability to spawn player stalls. If you're not an economic node and you don't have a market- that's essentially your unique building- then you can construct essentially what is I guess would be called a... marketplace; and that marketplace will then come with certain services and it will come with a certain number of stalls. The economic node as I recall has the ability to construct an auction house and the auction house serves through the economic means the ability to list and sell items and that comes with additional stalls as well for the players.[9] – Steven Sharif
- Players list items for sale at a NPC within the node's market area. Other players can interact with this NPC browse and purchase from player stalls in that node.[22][18][12][3] Player stalls do not require the attendance of the character or for that character to be online.[4]
- Intended to be part of the stall system where your shop can be set up for purchase by quantity, by amount, and value; but also to sell stacks and individual purchases as well.[22] – Steven Sharif
- Player stalls are rentable by node citizens.[4]
- The number of player stalls available are dependent on service building upgrades chosen within the node.[20]
- Player stalls may be utilized for a period of time based on the price paid to rent the stall.[3]
- Player stalls may still operate during node siege declaration. This is subject to testing.[23]
- Player stalls are scheduled for release in Alpha-2 phase-2.[18][19]
- Renting a player stall enables players to provide repair and enchanting services, even when they are not online.[3]
- Players are not able to be attacked or robbed while occupying their player stall inside the limits of a node.[6]
- Bulletin boards that list the items available in player stalls can be accessed from anywhere in the region.[14]
- These give the location of the stall so players can travel there and purchase the items.[14]
- Stall sales are also listed in auction houses.[1]
- This may no longer be accurate.[5]
Personal shops
Certificates to place Personal shops (player-owned shops) may be purchased by citizens and non-citizens from Markets in Economic nodes or Marketplaces in non-economic nodes.[20][5][6][7]
- A player shop is where you have a certificate to essentially create a shop with your character and a little billboard will pop up above you as you sit down for that shop and advertise a custom message that you want say that has to sell things and/or services that are on your person. So players can then come up to you and they can interact with you. So you reside yourself to that shop.[11] – Steven Sharif
- When a character creates a personal shop, a billboard pops up above them with a custom advertisement message for items or services available on that character's person. Purchasers can interact directly with the character to purchase these items or services (as if they were a Vendor NPC).[20][11]
- Once you have a certificate, you can then place your player shop within the vicinity of a node's market- any nodes market. So, basically what that means is you will take that certificate and your character will sit down in place and they will spawn a UI billboard above them where you get to make a brief advertisement of what your shop is, and any player can come up to you and they can interact with your character and see your shop that you have listed goods for and make purchases as if you were a vendor from your shop. So, that's the difference between player stalls and the player shop system.[20] – Steven Sharif
- These certificates allow the placement of a personal shop near the market unique building in Economic nodes, or marketplace constructed service building in non-economic nodes.[20][5][6][7]
- Certificates purchased from Metropolis (stage 6) economic nodes allow personal shops to be placed anywhere in the world, including Freeholds and near POIs, such as Dungeons.[20][5][7]
- The benefit that economic node's markets have over non-economic node markets is that their player shop certificates, when sold from a metropolis economic note, I believe, can be placed anywhere in the world independent of market proximity. So, you could be at a dungeon and set up your player shop there and it's like, "Hey you want to buy some health pots? Grab your health pots." And you could set up there.[20] – Steven Sharif
Auction house

If a Node is the Vassal Node of an Economic Node, an Auctioneer NPC appears in that Vassal Node. The Auctioneer allows players to list non-resource/processed materials in the Parent Node’s Auction House, but players cannot bid on items from this Auctioneer. These resources and processed materials must be stored within an Economic Node in order to be listed in that Node’s Auction House. In order to bid, they must still travel to the Auction House in the Parent Node.[10]
Auction houses are node buildings in Economic nodes.[20][8]
- Auction houses allow items and resources to be listed for sale at a specific node location.[26] – Steven Sharif
- A listing fee will be charged to list items in the auction house.[8]
- Vassal nodes of the auction house node will be able to view items that are listed on that auction house, regardless of node type of the vassal node.[8]
- On a regular cadence, a number of a node's freehold parcels become available to be bid for at auction.[28]
- Integrated auction houses allow players to purchase items directly from remote auction houses.[5]
- Purchases of materials and gatherables will be automatically deposited within the listing node's local warehouse. Players will need to travel to that warehouse to retrieve them. Players wishing to move these items elsewhere will need to utilize the caravan system or other type of transportation.[13][8]
- Purchases of anything other than materials and gatherables will be mailed to the purchaser.[13]
- There may be a taxation difference between auction houses versus other player businesses.[8]
- Items listed in auction houses are also visible in community boards (bulletin boards).[5]
- Data relating to auction houses, such as price history, volumes, average prices, may be available to players via a mayor-constructed service building in their node.[29]
- That's probably how it's going to be surfaced... Your your mayor is going to have to build it for you.[29] – Jeffrey Bard
Auction house locations
Auction houses accompany unique node buildings in Economic nodes.[10]
- Markets in Village level economic nodes have auction houses that allow raw resources and crafting materials to be posted.[10]
- Exchanges in Town nodes have expanded auction houses that allow all goods/items to be posted.[10]
- Economic nodes that have reached the metropolis stage unlock the linked economy superpower.[10]
- Up to two economic metropolises may be linked in this manner.[31]
- Metropolis level economic nodes enable worldwide sale prices for auction houses across Verra.[10]
- Items listed in one linked economic node can be bid on from any other linked economic node.[10]
- Linked economies also connect an economic metropolis and its vassal economic nodes.[5][10]
Business buildings

If you want to offer sales and services to players visiting your Freehold, consider making room for business buildings. Setting up a potion vendor near a popular hunting area of the game may make your Freehold a destination for adventuring players. There are numerous services your Freehold can offer to other players, such as item shops, consumables within taverns, and resting inns. These services can work without the owner being present.[33]
Business buildings are freehold or node buildings that provide items and services to players.[34][35][36][32][37]
- Business buildings can provide services without the owner being present.[33]
- Freehold owners are able to set permissions that grant access to the business buildings' services.[32]
- Currently freeholds have a combined maximum total of six artisan and business buildings that can be placed in addition to a homestead.[38]
- Artisan and business buildings require permits and may incur upkeep costs.[33]
- Maintaining businesses requires licensing and payments to the node your Freehold is associated with. This permitting system allows for a certain number of buildings to be constructed on a Freehold. Permits can be obtained from the same node the Freehold was certified from, and buildings that require permits will have an additional upkeep cost.[33]
Merchant NPCs
Merchant NPCs (also called Vendors) are present from the first stage of node development (Expedition).[40]
- Merchant NPCs are identified by a golden shimmer on their nameplates.[41]
- Merchant NPCs will in general be able to buy items from players.[42]
Player to player trading
There is player-to-player trading in Ashes of Creation.[43][44][45][46][47]
- Q: Will Ashes of Creation have player-to-player trading? Will there be anything stopping me from gifting a friend that's fresh to the game a bunch of in-game money to help them get on their feet quickly?
- A: There won't be anything to stop you from doing that.[46] – Steven Sharif
- Player to player trading, interacting with vendors or NPCs, and the ability to access storage is disabled for corrupted players.[48][49][50]
- The nature of player to player trading already introduces that in an open economy game... that is why we have measures to attempt and heat flag suspicious transactions, active gms and other honeypot systems/agents that will be active in discovering those types of cheaters.[45] – Steven Sharif
Escrow system
- An escrow system is planned to prevent griefing in the crafting system.[55]
- We're going to have a UI... you're gonna put the resources in or they're gonna put the resources in. It'll be like an escrow system and then once [the job] is complete you'll get the item they'll get the money.[55]
Mailing items
- Raw gatherables and materials are not able to be mailed by players.[57][58][59]
- Purchases of anything other than materials and gatherables from integrated auction houses will be mailed to the purchaser.[13]
- Social messages sent via mail will be received instantly.[57]
- It hasn't been decided whether crafted items such as gear will be able to be sent via mail.[60][57]
- From an item standpoint obviously we can't allow mailing to include any type of resource material or raw gatherable because those are central to the gameplay and transiting through the caravan system and economic regions. But it may be possible to send completed crafted items like gear, equipment, stuff like that. But it's something we're still discussing.[57] – Steven Sharif
Theft
There will not be a theft (stealing/pickpocketing) mechanic in Ashes of Creation in regards to living players.[61][62]
- There may be quest related actions that involve some form of stealing, but not of actual items from a player's inventory, where the player is identified as the quest's target via a title or some other means.[61][63]
- That emergent gameplay is obviously the objective behind how can we accommodate a non-static quest-line; and the way you do that is you can apply a flag to a title and whoever holds that title becomes the target of that quest segment. And this can change too because that title can change- different people might rise up in the ranks of different societies and organizations.[63] – Steven Sharif
- Players are not able to be robbed while occupying their player stall inside the limits of a node.[6]
- There is not a theft mechanic for you to walk up to a player that's alive and steal something.[62] – Steven Sharif
Storage
Storage points exist at warehouses within nodes and in chests (storage containers) that can be placed in freeholds and static in-node housing.[64][65][66]
- Sheds are present on empty freehold plots to provide basic storage for materials needed to construct freehold buildings.[67]
Warehouses
- Warehouses were previously defined as default service buildings that come pre-built with nodes.[34][35]
- Cargo for shipment by caravan is stored at the caravansary not in a player's inventory. Stored cargo is visible via the warehouse UI.[69][70]
- Completed items can be accessed by players in warehouses at any node regardless of citizenship or housing ownership.[71][72][73]
- Gatherables and materials may only be accessed in the warehouse location they were deposited in.[74]
- Requisition agents for mayoral buy orders are located at node warehouses.[39]
- Players are prohibited from moving gatherables, materials, and commodities in sealed crates out of depositories within a node following a siege declaration against that node.[74][11][75][16]
- A portion of all gatherables and materials that were stored in successfully sieged nodes become lootable.[76][77][78][15][16][17]
- Whole items (crafted items) are not vulnerable to loss during node sieges.[12]
- Corrupt players are not able to utilize storage systems.[48][49][50]
- Player stalls are linked to that player's warehouse.[12]
- A warehouse ability may enable a player to transfer non-material goods between alternate characters. This excludes resources, materials or anything that relies on the caravan system.[68]
- Personal caravans may be launched from any point of storage (including warehouses).[79]
Player housing storage
Chests are a type of furniture that provides localized storage within a specific house.[81][82][83][84]
- Characters must obtain and place storage containers in their player-owned housing.[83]
- Access permissions can be set to grant family or guild members access a character's personal storage devices.[81][82][85][86][87][88]
- Transfer of resources and materials to alts will only be possible via player housing storage, as this is local to the specific house.[82]
- Different grades of storage containers have different inventory capacities.[83]
- There are restrictions on the grades of storage containers available in different types of houses.[83]
- Players are prohibited from moving goods out of depositories within a node following a siege declaration against that node.[16]
- Gatherables and crafting materials that were stored in in-node housing and apartment storage chests become lootable upon a successful siege against the parent node. These do not become lootable if the node survives the siege- even if the housing buildings are destroyed or damaged during the siege.[15]
- Corrupt players are not able to utilize storage systems.[48][49][50]
- Personal caravans may be launched from any point of storage (including chests).[79]
Banking
- Guilds will have banking/storage/warehouses starting in late Alpha-2 phase-2.[89][90][91][92] This feature was previously scheduled for Alpha-2 phase-3.[89][90]
- There is a roadmap with the guild warehouse having been moved up a little bit. It was planned to be a little bit later- I think it was like March or April, but we have moved that up slightly.[89] – Steven Sharif
- Nodes advance to the first stage quickly. This enables NPC services such as vending or banking items.[93]
- Banking between characters will likely be restricted to furniture and completed items.[88]
Real estate
Players buy the deeds for housing from the node itself, or may buy and sell properties from other players.[94][95][96][97][98]
- The developers are considering an auction-based method for listing new properties that become available for purchase when a node advances.[99] Currently freeholds may be acquired via auction.[33][100][101][102][32][103]
- Housing will have a base price that scales with the number of citizens in the node.[104]
- There is no cap on the price of player-originated housing sales.[105]
- In-node housing will be at a premium, and is expected to be hotly contested.[98]
- The more apartments that have been purchased in a node, the higher the price scales.[106]
- Player housing that is destroyed during a node siege can no longer be sold.[107]
- Freehold plots may be purchased from and sold to other players,[94][108] or can be obtained via deeds issued by a Village (stage 3) or higher node.[33][100][101][102][32][103][109][110]
- We're establishing a real estate market that players can invest in and then sell within the in-game economy, but also they are a resource that's subject to removal through the sieging system as well, so there's a bit of risk implied there but the idea is that this is something for players to strive for.[108] – Steven Sharif
- Housing ownership can default back to the node if the owner fails to pay their property taxes. A balance and penalties will be charged to the new purchaser of the home in the manner of a "foreclosure process".[104]
- Players will not be able to exceed their allotment of housing in the game.[114]
- Rental and leasing concepts are under consideration.[114]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3
- ↑
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Livestream, May 10, 2017 (16:36).
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4
- ↑ 5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 5.11 Livestream, July 31, 2020 (1:34:06).
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 Livestream, October 16, 2017 (59:39).
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5
- ↑ 8.00 8.01 8.02 8.03 8.04 8.05 8.06 8.07 8.08 8.09 8.10 8.11 Livestream, May 30, 2019 (1:26:16).
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Interview, July 8, 2020 (55:05).
- ↑ 10.00 10.01 10.02 10.03 10.04 10.05 10.06 10.07 10.08 10.09 10.10 10.11 Know Your Nodes: Economic Node Type.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 Livestream, October 30, 2020 (1:03:52).
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 12.5 12.6 12.7 Livestream, October 30, 2020 (1:04:59).
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 Livestream, May 10, 2017 (35:16).
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 Interview, July 8, 2020 (57:46).
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 16.4 Livestream, April 30, 2020 (1:14:44).
- ↑ 17.0 17.1
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 Livestream, November 27, 2024 (21:03).
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 2024-11-27 - Development Update with Alpha Two Giants and Demons.
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 20.4 20.5 20.6 20.7 20.8 Podcast, May 10, 2024 (41:42).
- ↑ Livestream, June 30, 2023 (25:05).
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 Interview, January 19, 2025 (1:35:11).
- ↑ Livestream, October 30, 2020 (1:06:09).
- ↑
- ↑ Livestream, March 28, 2020 (1:04:49).
- ↑ 26.0 26.1
- ↑ Unreal Engine Interview, 2017-05-23.
- ↑ Livestream, June 30, 2023 (1:13:53).
- ↑ 29.0 29.1 Livestream, March 26, 2021 (1:15:03).
- ↑ Ashes of Creation - The visuals.
- ↑
- ↑ 32.0 32.1 32.2 32.3 32.4 Development Update with Freehold Preview.
- ↑ 33.0 33.1 33.2 33.3 33.4 33.5 Blog: Exploring the Boundless Opportunities of Freeholds.
- ↑ 34.0 34.1 34.2 Blog: Development Update with Village Node.
- ↑ 35.0 35.1 35.2 Livestream, August 31, 2023 (50:25).
- ↑
- ↑
- ↑ Interview, July 9, 2023 (33:55).
- ↑ 39.0 39.1 Video, August 31, 2023 (25:00).
- ↑ Blog - Know Your Nodes - The Basics.
- ↑ Video, May 31, 2020 (5:25).
- ↑ Livestream, January 29, 2021 (1:11:29).
- ↑ 43.0 43.1 Livestream, October 25, 2024 (53:02).
- ↑ 44.0 44.1 Video, November 30, 2023 (58:54).
- ↑ 45.0 45.1 45.2
- ↑ 46.0 46.1 Livestream, May 15, 2017 (10:32).
- ↑ Livestream, January 18, 2018 (46:56).
- ↑ 48.0 48.1 48.2 Livestream, February 24, 2023 (1:12:24).
- ↑ 49.0 49.1 49.2 Livestream, October 28, 2022 (24:28).
- ↑ 50.0 50.1 50.2 Livestream, April 30, 2021 (1:14:49).
- ↑ Interview, July 19, 2020 (1:12:37).
- ↑ Livestream, November 17, 2017 (38:35).
- ↑ Massively OP, 2017-06-1
- ↑ Livestream, February 9, 2018 (20:40).
- ↑ 55.0 55.1 Livestream, May 10, 2017 (32:22).
- ↑ Video, September 27, 2024 (27:07).
- ↑ 57.0 57.1 57.2 57.3 Livestream, January 29, 2021 (1:14:53).
- ↑ Video, September 6, 2018 (3:53).
- ↑ Livestream, July 9, 2018 (50:16).
- ↑ Livestream, January 3, 2025 (1:23:08).
- ↑ 61.0 61.1 Interview, February 7, 2021 (16:05).
- ↑ 62.0 62.1 Podcast, May 5, 2017 (43:05).
- ↑ 63.0 63.1 Interview, February 7, 2021 (19:00).
- ↑ 64.0 64.1 Video, June 30, 2023 (19:20).
- ↑ 65.0 65.1 Interview, December 6, 2018 (20:30).
- ↑ Video, May 31, 2020 (47:32).
- ↑ Livestream, June 30, 2023 (18:45).
- ↑ 68.0 68.1 68.2 Livestream, 2018-04-8 (AM) (23:18).
- ↑
- ↑ Livestream, October 31, 2023 (1:08:57).
- ↑
- ↑
- ↑ Interview, September 10, 2023 (47:13).
- ↑ 74.0 74.1
- ↑ Interview, July 19, 2020 (41:32).
- ↑ Interview, July 9, 2023 (1:36:24).
- ↑ Livestream, October 14, 2022 (52:31).
- ↑ Podcast, September 29, 2021 (14:21).
- ↑ 79.0 79.1
- ↑ 80.0 80.1 Livestream, June 25, 2021 (22:34).
- ↑ 81.0 81.1 Livestream, January 11, 2025 (2:01:23).
- ↑ 82.0 82.1 82.2 Livestream, July 30, 2021 (1:14:33).
- ↑ 83.0 83.1 83.2 83.3 Video, May 31, 2020 (47:32).
- ↑ Livestream, August 17, 2018 (10:54).
- ↑ Livestream, April 30, 2021 (1:12:33).
- ↑ Livestream, June 26, 2020 (51:58).
- ↑
- ↑ 88.0 88.1 Livestream, June 28, 2019 (1:23:31).
- ↑ 89.0 89.1 89.2 Livestream, January 11, 2025 (58:56).
- ↑ 90.0 90.1 Livestream, January 2, 2025 (2:01:15).
- ↑ Livestream, September 30, 2020 (1:06:14).
- ↑ Interview, August 8, 2018 (17:13).
- ↑
- ↑ 94.0 94.1
- ↑ 95.0 95.1 Livestream, June 26, 2020 (47:32).
- ↑ Livestream, June 26, 2020 (54:03).
- ↑ MMOGames interview, January 2017
- ↑ 98.0 98.1 Node series part II – the Metropolis.
- ↑ 99.0 99.1 99.2 99.3 Livestream, May 12, 2017 (55:01).
- ↑ 100.0 100.1 Livestream, June 30, 2023 (1:12:07).
- ↑ 101.0 101.1 Livestream, June 30, 2023 (14:09).
- ↑ 102.0 102.1 Livestream, June 30, 2023 (13:10).
- ↑ 103.0 103.1 Video, June 30, 2023 (21:22).
- ↑ 104.0 104.1 Livestream, June 26, 2020 (53:41).
- ↑ Interview, July 8, 2020 (33:34).
- ↑ Livestream, May 12, 2017 (52:01).
- ↑ Livestream, June 26, 2020 (1:02:12).
- ↑ 108.0 108.1 Livestream, June 30, 2023 (1:15:34).
- ↑
- ↑ Livestream, May 19, 2017 (32:23).
- ↑
- ↑ Livestream, June 26, 2020 (56:08).
- ↑ Livestream, June 30, 2023 (1:20:20).
- ↑ 114.0 114.1 Livestream, May 30, 2019 (1:23:41).