Mall Idea - helping shoppers

[Casay]

Wow, you would have think I'd found this forum sooner! I hope I'm not repeating what's been said here before as I've not had a chance to read through all of the threads.

After having spent a lot of time on CND and taking people around to the various shops and teaching them how to shop it seems there's some need for this information to be out there.

We all know how confusing it can be since the numbers in the main mall area have nothing to do with the shop numbers.

For starters, I'd love it if all of us could request that MA at least make the North and South teleports called North and South MALL teleports. Better yet, a TP to the mall itself. Many people don't realize there's an inner ring of shops / windows. They run in and out of a few from the outside and give up.

During my first visit to the mall I didn't know most of the items were for sale and didn't know to click on them for info/price. I'm certain, after having talked to other people they do the same thing. Most think that items can only be purchased through a shop keeper.

I'm suggesting, that when you're bored to take the time to promote the Mall area in the control room and offer a mini tour and help to anyone that may need it. Let them know about the North and South teleports; how to get to the mall from them; that there's an inner circle to the shops where the windows are; that they can purchase most items in a store by clicking on them and clicking on the buy item icon. I think if the shop owners start doing this here and there other CND residents will also help.

There's a lot more that needs to be done to the area but only MA can do it. Until some changes are made by them to make the area less confusing the best we can do is promote the area and help people learn to shop.

Maybe a monthly mall party/ promotion with some shop owners hanging around to help people.

Casay
Shop #22
PS -My shop is still glorified storage at the moment although I do have a few small items in the window. I mainly decorated it to add to the hallway.

[Sally]

what a Really nice post,

I have to admit that when going around the mall it is often quite hard to work out what each shop is selling as there front displayes are often sold out or dont have an idea of what they are selling in them.

I tend to use entropia directory to find the exact areas / for some reason my computer really lags around the mall area as well ;(

This has not puit me off though.

[mandread]

I think it would be nice if you could put banners above the shops with the shop name and it could be a item that crafters could make. same with a mall sign out side in the outer ring area about the inside shops.

[Casay]

Yes, using the Entropia Directory is of great help. Many people I've ran into didn't know about it.

There is a great need for many signs in and around the mall area. As it is there's no TP that says "Mall" and once you do find the area it's hard to move and to figure out on your own. I have a long and growing list of needed improvements to the mall. MA is the only one that can make the needed changes. I personally feel the whole area needs a huge overhaul as it wasn't designed very well in the first place. It is one of the most un-intuitive 3D spaces I've ever been in.

Unless the area undergoes a huge change to include signs and such the best we can do is inform and help shoppers. Thus the reason for my initial post.

Casay

[Epictetus]

I appreciate your comments and your help Casay. We've been begging for signs since the shops were implemented. I guess MA is worried about favoritism, but it doesn't seem that hard to say "send us a .jpg, so and so size, and we'll paste it above your shop."

Part of me feels we will get some type of content creation system in the future but it could be years away.

[Casay]

You mentioned favoratism. Have you noticed all the nice new signs that say Shops, the maps on the walls, arrows showing the way to various sections and exits in the area under New Oxford?

None of this was there at first and now there's a lot of signage to and throughout the underground area. How come they get it and we dont especially if you've been asking for it for awhile?

The mall on CND is as much / more of a maze than that area. Imagine what happened to me: Go to CND to shop with a friend - took the flight up specifically to shop, had ped in hand. Get up there, can't even find a TP to any 'mall' although we know one is there somplace. Finally, someone in the cr told up to use the N or S teleport, we enter, head the wrong way down a hallway. 50:50 chance of going to mall dome area or hallway to apartments or pilot area. We 'finally' found the mall. Entered a few of the shops from the outside, most were empty or blocked. Eventually we discovered the inner hallway and the 'windows'. Went into several stores until coming across one that had an arrow pointing to a yet undiscovered downstairs area. Finally figured out we could buy most of the things we were looking at as we'd been looking for shopkeepers too. We finally gave up in total frustation. The fun of it was gone. We left, ped still in our pockets.

I consider myself to be pretty familier with 3d VR worlds and navigation and the like since I used to design them. Again, this is the most un-intuitive space I've ever been in. *Wishes that MA would let me re-design the mall or be a part of a total overhaul of the area - will provide references :-)*

If I had such a hard time I can only imagine what happens to other people. I just hope after this discussion we can take a few minutes here and there to help people learn to shop and use the area as is for now.

[The Creature]

Send them an email with your plans hehe

Maybe they will take head but i think it should get better as more shops get filled - then all we need is a constant flow of people Say a TP in hte middle????? yeah right

[The Ripper]

I know what you mean casay, i must admit the first time i saw the mall i was a little overwhelmed (got use to it now though :P)

But it would be good forbetter signage... I had thought maybe when they implemented the ad panels that maybe they would allow advertising displayed on the panels to be customizable so that we could put a shop sign (or hanger) on the panel and place it on the front of the shop....no such luck so far.

we can keep sugeesting and keep suggesting...eventually something may happen but i aint gonna hold my breath :P


Rip

[P-J]

The simple fact is that most of the shops are empty and we aren't getting the people through the shopping area.

A TP in the middle - especially a TP from Eudoria would be a real boost to the shopping element of this environment. For most people putting an extra 50 Ped onto the price of a shopping expedition isn't worth the effort

But a CND TP in the middle of the 'dance floor' ...that would at least be a step in the right direction.