In this article, we’re going to look into a new, modern way to complete payments for goods and services within the DemocracyCraft server.
Beware, Enchanted Arsenal. Created by Inalite with the goal to introduce a new method of transactions amongst the community. It completely replaces physical stores, like chest shops, and it all becomes digital. Oddly enough, you don’t even need to be online to do any of the steps to place and receive an order.
To be completely honest, I didn’t know of this way for payments. In fact, Inalite got in contact with me and introduced me to their business. Additionally, they asked me if I wanted to write an article on it, and me being the new-business-idea “junkie” I am, I couldn’t refuse.
The website is quite simple; a list of items (armor, weapons, etc). You add them to your cart, and you complete the order, just like you would in real life, on a digital store. I asked Inalite about their inspiration, expansion plans, and their thoughts about this new way to place orders becoming the norm in the future.
Already, other players saw the potential of a system of payment like this, and created their own versions. To me, it seems that this way to do transactions has already spread like the plague.
CastoloGR: What inspired you to create a store like this?
“The inspiration for Enchanted Arsenal came from the lack of in-game shops selling enchanted armor and tools to players. Additionally, NooknCranny orders are no longer fulfilled. This made me realize there was a market gap I could profit from while solving the problem of enchantments for players who don’t want to bother gathering the experience and books needed to enchant their armor.”
CastoloGR: What does it offer more than a regular chest shop? Why should players choose this, instead of a chest shop?
“At the moment I am writing this, there are no in-stock businesses that sell enchanted armor and tools because the demand is so high that many businesses struggle to keep up and maintain stock. Enchanted Arsenal, however, doesn’t need to keep stock as it crafts, enchants, and upgrades the armor once your order is confirmed, then ships it to you. Furthermore, you can customize the enchantments you want on each armor piece. For example, some people want thorns on their armor, while others don’t. Chest shops generally don’t offer this choice, while Enchanted Arsenal does with the click of a button. Moreover, /find does not specify the enchantments on items in the GUI at this point in time, increasing the convenience of online shops.”
CastoloGR: How does it work? Walk us through the entire process from buying, to having items delivered.
“We work with a glorified Google Form that has a nice UI. Essentially, the client enters their information, selects the items and enchantments they want, and attaches proof of payment to the order. The order is then sent via a Discord webhook to EA’s #orders channel, where an employee will verify the payment then create the items in the order and send the parcel via RedEx to the customer. Afterward, a DM is sent to the customer notifying them that their parcel has been shipped.”
CastoloGR: Any plans for expansion? For more items?
“We do have some plans for expansion, such as adding coupon codes to our store and including other enchantable items like crossbows. We also want to make the process for customers to specify if they want the items to be renamed or have armor trims more intuitive, as currently they do this via the notes they can add to their order.”
CastoloGR: Do you believe that if players get to know this way to create shops, more people will create systems like this?
“I am sure many businesses will consider creating e-commerce sites if players become accustomed to using them. They can charge more for the service and convenience, as well as have a higher profit margin. I especially see Luxury Businesses (art, custom items ect…) and Car Dealerships adding e-shops to their portfolio of income sources, as this will make them more flexible with their customers.”
CastoloGR: What does this store-type offer to the roleplay of DC? How does it enhance the experience of a normal player?
“I believe that Enchanted Arsenal offers a more engaging roleplay experience than current chest shops because we have a direct connection with the customer via Discord if they ever have a problem, and vice versa. With chest shops, you just /find , go there, buy, and you’re done – no interaction, no experience. Finally, /find is so ineffective for searching for enchanted armor and tools right now that it’s simply much more convenient to use Enchanted Arsenal.”
So far, this business-idea, which has been implemented, and from what I know it already has happy customers, is the one that excites me the most in DemocracyCraft. I know it takes away from having a physical store, and that if many people decide to create shops like these, it creates a monopoly and will make physical locations not worth it anymore. But, the roleplay of DemocracyCraft is not only about doing similar real life things, in-game. It’s also about using your imagination, and enhancing your experience at every turn.
This is my favorite idea to improve the roleplay of DemocracyCraft. It can work as an extra tool for people to complete transactions. Inalite said it themselves, that /find has flaws that systems like theirs, fix: No more using /find for an item, going to the location, only to find out that the item is not what you wanted to buy or sell.
Furthermore, this system can work and maybe help physical shops and /find evolve and improve. Maybe players will push the Government and staff members to take action and fix the /find flaws, so that the system becomes balanced between the two payment ways.
