Architect Archive
Thread: When Hologrinding stops, Harv sales drop (candles did not do it devs)
Downbeah wrote:
Niklesnitz wrote:
The only reason I am against harvesters not having a lifespan is because they require to many resources to make, thus making the price high. For havesters to decay and eventually become useless, they would need to reduce the resources needed so that we could charge less and make them more appealing as a repeat buy
Huh? They sell for LESS than a sweet weapon with a good damage slice. For the price of a kickin set of composite you could buy 10 freakin fusions or something. To the average player that I know of, it's nothing to go drop 30k on a harv. I spend far far more credits on weps, armor, vehicles.
Sevardos,
Eventually your steady flow of business on furniture will run out, will it not? Since nothing we make decays, it's always out there, there are only so many you can sell, and there certainly are not enough newbies coming into the game togenerate newcustomers. New jedi unlocking and creating crafters perhaps, but once again they will eventually allhave there quota of harvs and housesnever needing to buy from an architect again.
Depends on your belief in the state of the game - is it dieing, or is it still growing? It's not just new players - it's also server moves and players who quit and come back. As well, unless they completely botch it, SOE will see a huge surge in subscribers with the space expansion driving in more and more monthly customers. If that doesn't happen (that is the purpose of these types of expansions), then the game IS on a downward spiral.
That being said, I'm not saying that we don't need to continue adding spice to the profession. New furniture, new structures, CONSUMABLE GOODS, etc - that is required if for nothing else, to ensure a profession doesn't become stale. I want consumables, I make a great business doing weapon PowerUps and would never give it up. Adding something like that would be fantastic for Architect profession ... but you'll still sell harvesters, housing and furniture. This shake up will be good for the profession - it will seperate the crafters from the get-rich-quick schemers.
My humble 2 creds.
Niklesnitz wrote:
Astev_Aris wrote:
You maintain your car, but it still has a lifespan, no? Perhaps if you spent a lot of money maintaining your car, replacing every major component as they wore down and broke, you might be able to keep it going for many many years, but IMO, the amount of money required to maintain a harvester is not representative of this kind of maintenance - it'smore like oil changes and alignments.
Also, what we're trying to achieve here is some kind of repeating income for Architects. Miner maintenance does not currently accomplish that.
Liking current maintenanceto oil changes and such is not represntative to what actual maintenance you pay on a harv. I don't remember having to ever change my oil everyday my car was in service.
The only reason I am against harvesters not having a lifespan is because they require to many resources to make, thus making the price high. For havesters to decay and eventually become useless, they would need to reduce the resources needed so that we could charge less and make them more appealing as a repeat buy.
Add in the regular maintenance on them and power requirements...having to go buy more harvesters when your's die is a very unappealing venture.
Like others before me, I have to disagree with your assessment of maintenance. You may not have to change the oil in your car every day, but you have to put in gas every few days and perform regular maintenance on the machine. And even after that, the car will eventually degenerate to a state that is beyond repair unless you are extremely dilligent in your maintenance and take impeccable care of the vehicle. The miners we make, on the other hand, will never degenerate to that state, and this is the fundemental problem which bothers me.
If you feel that the price of the harvester is already prohibitive enough, you should (as others have also mentioned) refer to the cpu cost that people pay for weapons over and over and over and over again. Harvesters are a freakin' bargain as far as I'm concerned. Still, ifyou feel that something should be done to make this easier on people, a better solution would be to lower the maintenance rates on the harvesters and have them decay as proposed here. That would essentially divert some of the money which is currently going to standard maintenance into the pockets of the Architects, while also making the specter of "harvester decay" a little easier for our customers to face.
Downbeah wrote:
Another idea I have is to make harvester powerups. A diff type of powerup could increase the extraction rate by 1 or 2 for 1-5 days depending on quality.
I like the idea but one problem is harvestors are already running at rates that were not intended. There is already (and will be much more so after holo grind) allot more supply than demand when it comes to resources.
Only way I think it would be doable while not breaking the game, is the powerups would have to be made with a huge amount of resources, yet last very little time. This could be useful for people who need to get every last bit of a very good resource.. at a very high cost to them by having to purchase the powerups
Here is another idea:
Remove the need to use raw power on a harvestor and instead have it require a special type of item (maybe some kind of fuel cell), craftable by Engineer III (for a small cell) up to Master Architect (for industrial cell). Architect level cells would have a better power to cost ratio. Newbies would still want to buy Artisan fuel cells because they are much cheaper.... or make it so only architects can create the cells, but personal harvestors would still be able to use raw power.
To make these power cells, you would need allot of wind, solar or radio-active power mixed in with other ingredients to make a container for example. Person would buy it and insert it into a harvestor or factory.
Definately the way forward.
I agree with the concept of harvester decay. The analogy of putting gas in your car every day and it still not lasting forever is a good one. Adding more items that decay and cost only a couple of thousand will not help a lot.
Just my 2 cents
Not to step on your toes or anything, but what about the GCW? Aren't Architects supposed to be the suppliers of turrets and bases which can be seen as the 'ultimate' consumable? It seems to me that is a pretty key thing, though I do sort of like the power source thing, it would also make it difficult for your average player (would these powerups only be required for architect made stuff, as anyone using a 'personal' extractor day 1 wouldn't have the ability to make them...hence chicken before egg syndrome)
Perhaps the 'real' way to go on this would be to say that Architects need to be more involved in the GCW since that is viewable as a limitless sink for all things resource related. i.e. Turrets, minefields, defense shields, ion cannons (maybe involving JTL?)
Datchery wrote:Not to step on your toes or anything, but what about the GCW? Aren't Architects supposed to be the suppliers of turrets and bases which can be seen as the 'ultimate' consumable? It seems to me that is a pretty key thing, though I do sort of like the power source thing, it would also make it difficult for your average player (would these powerups only be required for architect made stuff, as anyone using a 'personal' extractor day 1 wouldn't have the ability to make them...hence chicken before egg syndrome)
Perhaps the 'real' way to go on this would be to say that Architects need to be more involved in the GCW since that is viewable as a limitless sink for all things resource related. i.e. Turrets, minefields, defense shields, ion cannons (maybe involving JTL?)
I've got an idea no one will like. lol:
When they start the war, make it so harvesters and houses can be destroyed by the opposing faction. Now before you get your panties in a bunch, listen to the rest of the idea. You should also be able to defend your cities with turrets, mines, walls and NPCs. The turrets, mines and walls should be made by architects. They also can be destroyed.
This would solve many issues. One of them being that there are too many player cities. Player cities that are too small and/or with a lot of inactive members would be destroyed.
Important items should be able to be saved in the bank (safety deposit box). This would be a good way to drain off some of the trillions of credits that are just sitting out there.
This would also give everyone much more to do. Increasing interest in the game.
Anyway, I see the flame throwers now. Let the commando flames begin.
Perhaps the 'real' way to go on this would be to say that Architects need to be more involved in the GCW
