Shopping…..doesn’t sound that scary does it? However the sheer number of items and differing Quality Levels available on Rubi-Ka can make for some daunting searches when you are new to the game!

First off let’s explain about Quality Levels a little…

Most items available in AO come in different Quality Levels that are roughly equivalent to player levels (I say roughly because you will nearly always want to be equipping items with QL's higher then your current level, it is a rough guide though).

For example a QL 1 item will require minimal skills to equip, whereas a QL 200 item will require top notch skills to equip, often needing the skills in question to be implanted and / or buffed even for a level 200 player to use.

Therefore when shopping you will be looking for items relevant to your current level, this however isn’t always easy due to the way that the shops work.

The Vendors and how they work
There are two types of vendors on Rubi-Ka, flesh and blood NPC's that sell produce and items and machines called ‘terminals’ that you find in the main shops. Lets deal with the terminals first.

Vendor Terminals

These terminals either sell items in one of three ways.

Firstly there are vending terminals that always stock the same items at the same QL's. Examples would be implant terminals, medical terminals and so forth. These terminals will stock a set range of QL items, that is to say a basic medical terminal will have treatment kits at QL 1, 5, 10, 20 and 30 etc. These terminals are obviously the easiest ones to find what you need in, as what they stock never changes. The Nano formulae vendors always stock the same items as well.

Secondly there are terminals that always sell the same items, but at changing QL's. Examples of this would be the cluster terminals and trade skill vendors in general. This means that you will always be able to find that shining treatment cluster, but at any given time you can’t be sure of the QL's available. When you visit it might have say, a QL10 and a QL35 version available, but the next time it could be QL5 and QL42.

Lastly there are terminals that stock different items at changing QL's. Examples are the weapons, armour and clothes vending terminals. This means that the choice of items available is random and so is the QL, s just because that QL30 Metaplast armour was there the last time you visited, it doesn’t mean it will be there next time.

Types of Terminal
Most of the standard vendors also come in three types, Basic, Advanced and Superior. This equates to the range of QL's you will find within, there is some crossover but a general rule is as follows:

Basic Terminals will stock items between QL1 and 40

Advanced Terminals will stock items between QL40 and QL75

Superior Terminals will stock items between QL75 and 125

Finding what you want
All of the above leads to one thing; unless you are looking for the standard items like treatment kits etc then you are not guaranteed to find the item you want at the QL you want. This can be very frustrating sometimes, especially when trying to build a whole set of implants.

So what can you do to make thing easier?
Well, firstly you can visit as many shops as possible! All the shops stock different items at different times, so just because you can’t find that elusive cluster in Athens or Omni-Trade you can jet across to Tir or Omni-Ent to try and find what you need. There are countless shops in Rubi-Ka, some in very far flung corners, you’d be surprised where some vendors can be found.

If that fails it’s time to start considering how the stocks in terminals rotate. The stock in shops rotates every fifteen minutes approximately. I don’t believe this figure has ever been officially confirmed but it is definitely in that range, however there is a further problem.

The shops only rotate stock when they are completely empty! This can mean that on occasion shops in very busy areas that see a lot of players traveling through can sometimes go for hours, or in extreme cases days, without rotating their stock. This can obviously mean it can be even trickier to find what you need which is why it pays to know some of the more remote locations for shops.

Shop Locations
I don’t have the time or space to list all the shops on Rubi-Ka, (and sometimes finding them is half the fun!) but there are some general hints to finding them. There is usually at least one type of shop in each outpost, some outposts, like Bliss in the Longest Road have quite a selection in fact. Never be afraid to travel a whom-pah route just to check out what shops may be close to the other end.

There is an advanced general store right next to the whom-pah in Newland Desert for example.

There are also NPC vendors in some exotic locations as well.

NPC Vendors
Much like terminals human vendors stock a certain type of item along the same lines as the terminal choices. You will find NPC vendors either outside in zones or inside shops. Unlike the general stores that are crammed with terminals most NPC stores will only have one vendor.

Like terminals NPC vendors also come in the same QL ranges of Basic, Advanced and Superior.

Outdoor Vendors

These vendors also usually offer better prices when you sell to them then terminals do. It is good advice to always seek an outdoor human vendor to sell your mission loot to. These are also the guys and gals that you can find in some bizarre locations, like the tradeskill vendors that have a camp along the bank of the Stret in Aegean, or the three vendors at the War Academy in Athens Shire.

If you see a friendly NPC it’s always worth checking if he or she has anything to say. It’s also worth noting their location and what they sell as they usually provide a handy half-way point between missions / hunting and the civilization of the major cities or outposts.

Computer Literacy and Terminals
Your Comp Lit skill directly effects the price that terminals will offer / charge for items. The higher your skill the better price you will get. This isn’t all that noticeable until you reach higher levels but every credit helps.

Faction and Buying / Selling
If you are Clan or Omni selling to neutral NPC vendors will not yield as good a price as if you traded it to an NPC of your faction.

It’s also worth noting that prices for Omni players in Omni terminals are also better, again it’s not all that much but again every little helps.

Conclusion
So there you go, what are you waiting for? Get out there and shop!