Special merchant

[bcollins87]

Has anyone ran into the special merchant in China yet? He's like a creeper that just roams around the marketplace and if you click on him you get the option to Buy Items. They are actually really cool items that you can only buy with ancient coins. Are there special merchants in all 3 countries?

[igzigpuff]

Yes, all three countries have the special merchant...I had trouble catching up with the one in China, he always seemed to be on the move! 

[bcollins87]

I'm glad I didn't delete all of my ancient coins

[Pam]

My Sim is in love with the special merchant in China, Zhan Su.  He taught her the martial arts, too.  Now they are engaged and she's pregnant!  Interestingly, the pregnancy hasn't shown itself.  I got the lullaby chimes, so I know it took.  She was on a 9 day vacation and I thought she'd have the baby in China, but apparently they don't do anything with pregnancy until they return home. 

[Carl]

Yeah, there are some neat items to be found. I think there's one in egypt that will show all locations of dig sites and relics on the map, much like the collection helper. A good early purchase is the master thief's coin in china which will boost all future coin yields, allowing you to afford more sooner.

The certificates of partnership give an extra 3 days travel time.

[bcollins87]

Are the rewards different in each country?

[Carl]

Some things are the same, but there's some region specific gear to be gained.. it won't be long before I've made a world adventures entry page that covers all 3 locations and the shops for people in the future. Not much help for now but clearly there's need considering how time consuming it is to find them (because of load times)

[PJSim]

If you go to map view the special merchant is tagged.

I had trouble catching up with the one in China, he always seemed to be on the move! 

This shouldn't be a problem anymore.
In the base game you always had to hunt Sims down to be able to interact with them (to finish opportunities) and when they were on the move you couldn't do anything but wait to see where they were going.
But now you can just click on them in map view and choose "Report in" or "Buy" or whatever and they will stop and wait for your Sim to catch up with them. Yay.

My Sim is in love with the special merchant in China, Zhan Su...  Now they are engaged and she's pregnant!

That sounds like Pam alright. Woohooing wherever she goes!

Interestingly, the pregnancy hasn't shown itself.  I got the lullaby chimes, so I know it took.  She was on a 9 day vacation and I thought she'd have the baby in China, but apparently they don't do anything with pregnancy until they return home. 

I noticed this in the manual. Visibly pregnant Sims can't travel and while abroad their pregnancy won't progress.

[igzigpuff]

I wasn't doing a adventure when I was looking for the special merchant, I just wanted to buy some items from him and went to the map view to find his tag and then clicked the location he was at for my Sim to drive over.  By the time my Sim got there he was gone and when I went to map view, he had gone home and my Sim couldn't interact with him since it was late at night. 

[Pam]

My Sim is in love with the special merchant in China, Zhan Su...  Now they are engaged and she's pregnant!

That sounds like Pam alright. Woohooing wherever she goes!

Hahaha!!  Well, you know I like those babies!  One of my traveling Sim sisters had a baby with the Special Merchant in China and the other sister is pregnant by an Egyptian tourist.  I'm wondering what would happen if the one married the Chinese Special Merchant.  He would move into the house and live in Sunset Valley, I guess.  And surely another local Sim would replace him as the Special Merchant in China.  Also, I've noticed that he's off duty after 9:00 p.m.  He leaves the Market and goes home or to the martial arts place.  You can still buy from him if you can catch up to him, though.

[PJSim]

I'm wondering what would happen if the one married the Chinese Special Merchant.  He would move into the house and live in Sunset Valley, I guess.  And surely another local Sim would replace him as the Special Merchant in China.

Or not, considering sometimes merchants disappear. I'd be interested to know what would happen. Go for it Pam, you know you want to!

I wasn't doing a adventure when I was looking for the special merchant, I just wanted to buy some items from him and went to the map view to find his tag and then clicked the location he was at for my Sim to drive over.  By the time my Sim got there he was gone and when I went to map view, he had gone home and my Sim couldn't interact with him since it was late at night. 

Hmm, now I don't remember if that has happened to me in foreign locations. I just made a delivery of vegetables to a Sim in Sunset Valley at 3 in the morning. All I had to do was click on her tag and she was waiting in her driveway when my Sim got there.

I seem to be able to get hold of Sims at practically any hour of the day now, sometimes it takes 2 tries if they're on the move. This is so great, opportunities involving other Sims could be so annoying before because you could never catch them. I've made a delivery to a Sim who was at work also, they just leave work and stand outside.

[Pam]

I'm wondering what would happen if the one married the Chinese Special Merchant.  He would move into the house and live in Sunset Valley, I guess.  And surely another local Sim would replace him as the Special Merchant in China.

Or not, considering sometimes merchants disappear. I'd be interested to know what would happen. Go for it Pam, you know you want to!

I'll probably give it a shot just to see if he gets replaced in China.  The problem I always run into is that my house gets too full when there are 8 Sims, but I don't want to move anyone out or let them die.  Lol.

[Metropolis Man]

My Sim is in love with the special merchant in China, Zhan Su.  He taught her the martial arts, too.  Now they are engaged and she's pregnant!

Okay, did I call this or what? Someone find me my quote where I said Pam was going to Woo Hoo with foreigners constantly. Pam, you are dyed-in-the-wool Hopeless Romantic! 

[PJSim]

Seriously, Pam, you may be the first forumer to play WA. I'll be anxious to get your impressions. Knowing you you'll you'll want to immediately start Woo Hooing with foreigners to start large families. 

[Carl]

LOL That's pretty funny. Pam is the Yin to my Yang. We make a good team because of that. I almost never do that stuff. She's been responsible for so many helpful tips involving relationships I can't count at this point.