Global Trade HQ changes

[riquet_76]

Why the game doesn't "lock" what you want to buy as soon as you push on it instead of having to change the city...get into his market...push to buy it...and find out that's not there already? If the product is locked by another person, you won't be able to buy it, if not...lock it and let do the rest...

Is that so difficult to do?

[sundevil1992]

I am utterly amazed that you all managed to make the Global Trade HQ worse.  It used to be I could never find anything I wanted.  But, if I found something, I had a better success rate than I do now.  The llamas must be incredibly dense because they keep apologizing for not having the item in stock.  I spent 15 minutes trying to buy 1 green tea (after a few minutes of trying, I would have bought 10 of them if I could).  Let's see.  I was successful in 0 of the 7 times I tried to purchase one. 

Here is a list of things I have noticed that have made the global trade "fix" worse:

• I am less successful at actually purchasing something now then before.  I would estimate my success chances of actually purchasing an item under 10%.
• The application has crashed and exited me back to the iPad screen.
• The lag is worse now when entering another city.  There are times the screen crawls trying to zoom into the city's market.  
• Coupled with above, pressing on an item for sale doesn't always register.
• It takes significantly longer to receive a response that the item is no longer available.
• You like to shove Steel and Wood down my throat.  Really?  Why do I want to see so much of the 2 materials I can quickly make? 
• Sometimes, when I click on the global market, it displays items then quickly says Nothing is For Sale.  This happens a lot.  I especially love it when it does this "feature" when I finally see something I want.
• Coupled with the above statement, the market windows sometimes just changes after being rendered.  It's like you guys are toying with my emotions.  Even better is when I try to refresh and I get the same screen again.  No soup for me!

I am at the point where I don't want to play anymore.  I was actually enjoying the game and taking my time building the city.  I am at level 30 right now with about 520k citizens.  Since I can't buy any items, I can't even complete a disaster challenge in a day (and please don't get me started on how you all Nerfed the rewards).  

I have played a few Freemium games and I have generally purchased somethings here and there.  Unfortunately, not a penny from me until I can successfully use one of the main components of the game:  the global trade.  There are a zillion suggestions from the user community.  I ask that you not be stubborn and embrace these ideas to correct this horrific design flaw.

[ikahtree]

I get how a search option could be difficult because the speed at which things sell. I think the most frustrating thing is finally seeing what you need, and it takes 20 seconds to load to an empty trade market. Btw: this new update has slowed down the loading time. I can barely buy anything. So, I'm barely playing.

I think if I clicked on "nails" and someone bought the nails before me, automatically give me all nails to choose from, from other sellers, in a global trade hq window. Instead of the seller's rack without the item.

If I want to see what else this seller has, I could just close the HQ window.

[ikahtree]

+1👏 (@riquet)

[RippenStorm]

I believe the problem has nothing to do with the speed at which things sell or the difficulty of implementing a search filter.

I believe there IS a search filter in play right now that is reducing the list of available items so that the ones I need are not available to me.

Before I built the Vu Tower I saw a LOT of Vu Tower items. Again and again. As soon as the Vu Tower started being constructed, I saw maybe half as many. As soon as the Vu Tower was finished and ready for use, I saw almost no Vu items.

When I need Table, I see almost no Table, and when it finally shows up and I visit that City to get it, it is either not shown or when I tap on it it is magically not available. Later, when I don't need Table anymore, Table is available to see and to obtain.

I can get items I don't need. I can't get items I need. It's that simple and I believe it's done on purpose to try and get me to PURCHASE those items.

EA has to make money. I would buy the game or pay a subscription fee. But I will NOT pay to avoid playing. Buying my next advancement is not "playing" the game. It is paying someone else to play the game for me.

This Global HQ problem makes me want to quit. Congratulations, EA, you've broken a great game.

[Flipmoot]

I have to say that after this update I no longer get ONLY a bunch of metal for 4 days straight. So good job! It also runs smoother now. Still don't get why I'm waiting for the selling city to open. Valuable time going to waste in which someone else snatched the product from under my nose...

[deceived2]

Well, while you are improving the apoearance of the market, and there APPEARS to be more items in the market of the coveted NEEDED nature, like the dozier ones to extend the size of your city, it is NOT the case. If anything, it is more effed up than before you "fixed" it. Now, when you try to go to buy these wonderful wheels, mufflers and that monitor looking gizmo, they are rarely if ever in the sellers inventory. I am spending hours, yes, flipping Hours, trying to get the monitor, etchasketch thingy. Before, I had to go for it over and over and it was not showing as plentifully in the market, but when it did, I was able to buy it more frequently when I went to the holders city. You flubbed this up royally. I can get the other mess with patience but not this thing and truthfully, I am ready to abandon this at level 30 with a 222k population. I have a life, you know. Buying simoleans would make NO difference. I have already all but abandoned the Sims online. You screwed that up so bad. They are all over there aging out and dying. Great job EA.

[deceived2]

Oh and another thing, I have purposely NOT built the Vu tower because I am afraid that all that will happen is catastropic events tearing up the city, then what? I cannot buy what I need now, why in the world do I want to have something tear it up?

[baldeagleseyes]

It would be great if we could ask for what we need. Something like "I would buy  a certain number of an item for that price."

[Ivycrush]

Ok, so now some user is selling 7 x wood for 99998. It appears EVERYTIME I load the global hq!!!!! So, not only has the update totally ignored every suggestion ever brought forth in any forum, it has also left itself vulnerable to hack tools!!! Either that or it's another glitch. So, if there's more than one user doing this it will basically render global hq obsolete.

Fair play to the guy though, at least good old Dan will eventually buy it up.

Anyone else have this problem?