Well it's an interesting idea. It reminds me of those experiments some people have done where they've traded up something small an inexpensive to something like a car or a house or whatever. Of course that also involved personal interaction, charisma and opportunity, so it's not quite the same thing.
Anyway, so that we're clear, were you thinking this would be short-term or permanent in terms of the chest's placement? What happens with the item no one wants to upgrade? What happens when someone decides just to take the high-value item they'd otherwise not have access to get without putting something else in there, or perhaps putting something of lesser value in there? How would you discourage people from using something like this to mule items between their own characters? To be fair, I think most people here are honest and would not generally do something like that, but the temptation of a cost-(and consequence-)free upgrade will be there.
I like this idea. Perhaps it is something a guild could sponser, and that might help relieve some of the concerns... As the newest member of the Angel's Guild I could propose it there. It seems right in line with our mission to help newer players.
If it were done via house placed chest the log would record it all. That should help tack down any offenders. Second does muleing apply?
Correct. Housing chests have a log. You also specified something placed in Center (or some other common/public area), which would not necessarily be a persistent container, so I was being inclusive in my answers and inquiries.
In order for anyone to take the current item they must place a higher (lens) value item in its place. Isn't muleing giving something to another character (of the same player) for nothing? Or at an unfair price?
...based on the honor system alone. Unless we code something specific for it, there'd be nothing enforcing this requirement. We can talk privately about how muling could be achieved, but I won't go into it here. Trust me when I say it would be really easy.
Using a housing placeable in a publicly-accessible section of a guild hall would mitigate most of the potential problems and be persistent across reboots.
My curiosity still remains though on the question of what happens when an item can no longer be upgraded (or no one wishes to trade out)? What is done with that item?
Yes I put up the initial option of this happening either in a house / guild hall / public store, OR in public using a quest chest. It sounds like the quest chest will lead to more potential problems. So I will continue to persue this along the lines of a houseing furniture chest.
Your question about what would happen to an item that can no longer be upgraded. Since I am taking this in the direction of the chest being in a house/ guild hall / shop. My first thought was if an item remains stagnent for a pre determined amount of time (say 2 weeks real time). That the item becomes property of said house / guild hall / shop owner. However I dont think this option would "go over" too well. It could be looked at in such a way that the house /guild hall / shop owner got something for next to nothing out of the deal. So my idea to eliminate that would be......
If an item remains stagnet for a pre determined amount of time (say 2 weeks real time) the item is sold to a pawn broker and the money from said sale is donated to the fund raiser, or deity of the house / guild hall / shop owners choosing. Or the "stagnent" item is donated outright to the fundraiser or deity of the house / guild hall / shop owners choosing. Then a new low price item is placed (by the owner) and we start over again! This way... the house / guild hall / store owner does not walk away with an item for next to nothing.
G-452
I intend to have Dot set up a chest like this in the Saddlebag Pawnshop.... however please do give it a go as well with Angels. And anyone else who likes the idea (if and once its approved of course)
The donation idea is a really good one, actually.
Give it a try! See how it works out.