While each Promoter stand usually has a different setup (main setup themes: crates, potions, food/drinks, books), they sort of blend in with everything. (Best places: London, Gnollberg - visible stock, varied & eye-catching; Worst places: Rushstone - stock is bare and hidden, the fronts are all the same).
To spice them up:
Firstly,
add some silly roleplay elements/attach a story to stalls (that make the Promoters feel 'in motion'), for example:
Secondly,
stands could be a bit more magical/interesting. As of now we already see regular shops that sell potions, books, and food, so the stalls themselves don't attract much attention if as a player you've already experienced Hogsend & London, so they could be more specialized. Some examples:
Thirdly,
specific signs at stalls. Similar as it is in the Badger House Cup celebration event - signs at the stalls with some interesting text. Some possibilities:
Fourthly,
a similar thing might be a message that the Promoter says either in chat when a player clicks on them, or you can hover over it in the selection menu (since there's sometimes both the shop viewing option and housing viewing option & there would be a third option that shows the message if you hover over it).
Fifthly,
more Promoter stalls. As of now there is an option for a player to buy 1 Promoter in each town and some players (me included) have utilized this option, therefore some towns can run out of free Promoters quickly (Portstead only has 5 Promoters).
Gnollberg Port almost never has free Promoter NPCs (and is quite visited by graduates due to chest runs), while right next to it is a dock that isn’t utilized at all and could have some creative stalls (for example, a stall in a fish head form - although that kind of craziness might not be PW’s style). Could even have a Promoter NPC on a boat.
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Why should this be implemented? (Personal Opinion)
As much as Potterworld wants to push players to explore towns via regular quests and reputation quests - there simply isn't that much to explore. (Interior designs often repeat, and most often there isn't a lot of 'story' of the town left for the player after the quests are done - if one even wants to do them.)
Promoters being more interesting might not be a big change, but it would show off some town-specific creativity and add the magic element, which, personally, is what lacks in many of the towns' builds (even though HP and magic/fantasy is the main reason why we are even here).
Currently the kind of magical creativity I personally would love to see is only displayed in events. However, those builds are not accessible for viewing or interaction after the event is over, and players are left with the 'bones' that are the towns (as harsh as it sounds). (In fact, the 'unmagicality' of it can be seen in reputation task vending machine rewards: chimneys, pumpkins, hay, water buckets, coal, stone blocks etc. They may be town specific, but mostly they are simply symbolic.)
To spice them up:
Firstly,
add some silly roleplay elements/attach a story to stalls (that make the Promoters feel 'in motion'), for example:
- A cart has fallen sideways in the middle of a street. The contents of the cart have spilled, the Promoter stands in dismay, and the player wants to approach and buy something from them.
- Promoter A tries to sabotage Promoter B, because they sell a similar item, maybe there is a TNT block with a redstone line with the lever at the sabotager's stall.
- Promoter is by a supply cart and is only just now setting up his stall.
- A promoter's stall (or items - could be turned into a small parkour) is levitating, because someone jinxed them with a levitation spell or a levitation potion was spilled nearby (maybe the stall next to it sells ‘levitation potions’).
Secondly,
stands could be a bit more magical/interesting. As of now we already see regular shops that sell potions, books, and food, so the stalls themselves don't attract much attention if as a player you've already experienced Hogsend & London, so they could be more specialized. Some examples:
- A fortune teller with an open type of tent that you can walk into and feel as if you could ask for a reading.
- A Promoter that sells magical creatures, or something specific and magical creature oriented (a sign saying: 'Owl Supplies Stand' OR 'Exotic Snacks for Owls' or something on that note.)
- Also in towns that are magical: salespeople would probably do some crazy things to make their stalls more noticeable and interesting - some of the colorful tops of current stalls could be in the shape of an item they sell (similar how it is with the cake shop in London, but obviously smaller). Or a carnival themed vibe: a wizard’s hat on top of a balloon/toy selling stall - or a balloon having risen a stall up in the air and so it’s only accessible with a broom/mobility spells.
- A Promoter standing on a small build of a dragon head (could entice those players that sell mob drops or gear). (Or because Greenshore has dragons, and similarly there can be each town’s nearby mob display for one of the Promoter stands.)
Thirdly,
specific signs at stalls. Similar as it is in the Badger House Cup celebration event - signs at the stalls with some interesting text. Some possibilities:
- Advertising slogans "Don't miss your chance, buy now!" or "Hey, come here, take a look!" to mimic the salespeople that shout on streets.
- If it's a specific food/drink seller, there is plenty of lore for food/drink names on the marketplace and those could be used on signs (also considering that Butterbrew Festival is a recurring and important event, there could be a more interesting stall than the one in Ireland.) Also, signs with food names and prices as it is in Wigtown's sandwich shop.
- A casual meme (though I'm not sure if that's PW's style): 'Look at all these chickens' if it's a chicken salesman.
Fourthly,
a similar thing might be a message that the Promoter says either in chat when a player clicks on them, or you can hover over it in the selection menu (since there's sometimes both the shop viewing option and housing viewing option & there would be a third option that shows the message if you hover over it).
- One possibility is that there is a set amount of stands like that, where a player must pay a higher price and they can write a custom message, which is approved by a Prefect (as it is with nicknames) - maybe the promotion stand is for two weeks for those specific Promoters, as to not make it too bothersome for Prefects + maybe the same player cannot have the same Promoter 2 times in a row to allow other players the fun of it.
- If that's not doable, then simply having a set amount of messages a player can choose from (as it is with hats and wands) either town specific (each town's Promoters would have their own set of messages) or there is one message list for all Promoters.
- Towns that are near the sea/waterways have a message(s) that is something like "I hope my supply ship arrives soon, or I'll run out of stock! It’s been so busy this morning!"
- That would make them a bit more lifelike and interesting to click on just to see the messages that players have selected (since hats and wands are also meant for roleplay purposes) & could actually include some of the town lore that is on wiki but rarely appears in-game (only in writing classes/weekly assignments, in my experience).
- Also, could have a generic set of greeting/goodbye messages. For example:
- "Hello, fellow traveller!"
- "Greetings, my fellow witches and wizards, gather around!"
- "Have a nice day!"
- "Thanks for shopping! No returns or a curse!"
- "Don't forget to work hard and earn those house points, young student!"
- Seasonal messages such as “Christmas is not far off, buy gifts early!"
- Towns that are near the sea/waterways have a message(s) that is something like "I hope my supply ship arrives soon, or I'll run out of stock! It’s been so busy this morning!"
- Or if the message selection isn't possible, then maybe each promoter has a specific message. For example:
- "I once earned 100 house points by writing an excellent Herbology assignment!" (And that stand's decorations are Herbology themed.)
- "Looks like you've been on a quest, maybe a butterbrew or potion of (XYZ) will help you?” if there is any Quest NPC nearby (for example, Gnollberg Port or Greenshore Harbour).
Fifthly,
more Promoter stalls. As of now there is an option for a player to buy 1 Promoter in each town and some players (me included) have utilized this option, therefore some towns can run out of free Promoters quickly (Portstead only has 5 Promoters).
Gnollberg Port almost never has free Promoter NPCs (and is quite visited by graduates due to chest runs), while right next to it is a dock that isn’t utilized at all and could have some creative stalls (for example, a stall in a fish head form - although that kind of craziness might not be PW’s style). Could even have a Promoter NPC on a boat.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Why should this be implemented? (Personal Opinion)
As much as Potterworld wants to push players to explore towns via regular quests and reputation quests - there simply isn't that much to explore. (Interior designs often repeat, and most often there isn't a lot of 'story' of the town left for the player after the quests are done - if one even wants to do them.)
Promoters being more interesting might not be a big change, but it would show off some town-specific creativity and add the magic element, which, personally, is what lacks in many of the towns' builds (even though HP and magic/fantasy is the main reason why we are even here).
Currently the kind of magical creativity I personally would love to see is only displayed in events. However, those builds are not accessible for viewing or interaction after the event is over, and players are left with the 'bones' that are the towns (as harsh as it sounds). (In fact, the 'unmagicality' of it can be seen in reputation task vending machine rewards: chimneys, pumpkins, hay, water buckets, coal, stone blocks etc. They may be town specific, but mostly they are simply symbolic.)
