However, I'm happy to report that the Bazaar is finished on the server side. It works in a really nifty way, and I thought I'd share it with you before releasing so you can spot any potential problems. I've thought about it a lot though so I don't expect any. Here goes:
There are categories in the bazaar. When you list an item, it gets sorted into a category automatically. Each category displays the same set of 25 items to all players viewing that category. However, since there can be more than 25 items listed in a category, every minute or so this list rotates to the next set of 25 items. Items that are sold in a given "round" are marked as sold but can still be seen by other players (until the end of the round). The result of this is that you can watch as items are purchased by other people, which I think is pretty nifty, and all items (even just-listed ones) will be seen. This is very much unlike other systems I've seen, where only a certain set of items are displayed and all others are delayed until items from that set expire.
Other notes on the bazaar:
- Items will be remove from the listing if the owner hasn't logged on in a few days
- Your first listed item is free, the rest cost money
- The only limit to the number of items you can list is how much you're willing to pay
- It is accessible via an NPC, like storage