Architect Archive
Thread: Saving the Profession Decay Solution
But, given that there is absolutely no evidence whatsoever that anyone on the dev team even knows Architects exist, I doubt anything will be done for us. Do they read this board? I doubt it. Do they answer our correspondent's email? No. Do they post on this board? No.
There are those who say that, from the point of view of the Devs, there isn't a problem; eventually the number of architects will balance itself out. The same statement can be made of any unplayable class.
Yes You are thinking of what will make you money, but that is not what the developers should be thinking.
Architects are a working class, the items they make work, the trees work ( except for experimentation ) Whether they make money or not is not the issue. That will balance out as the number of Architects reduces itself to the actual demand for structures. Artificially increasing he need for structures is simply not necessary.
I would hate to see the developers constantly changing the game for every class trying to keep the current number of them in profitable business, they would spend ALL their time doing that. That is simply insane.
I do agree with the new structures idea, and more varied furniture is always a good idea. But more money for architects is not the goal, not from a game perspective. The goal is to make the classes work in a functional sense ( still lots of work for them to do there ). The economy part will work itself out on its own.
Right now there are too may architects and too little demand, the answer is simple, fewer architects.
Valla,
to answer your question... i've been posting here for a long time and i've made my views on structure decay and most architect issues very clear to the regular posters so I didn't feel the need to repeat myself one more time. why is my stating that the discussion is somewhat moot not a valid post?? the devs have stated repeatedly in other locations that they want less money in the game. my comment was related to comments from people concerning removing maintenance and redeed fees from the game. i never called these discussions ridiculous. show me where i did. My mistake here was probably along the lines of being overly honest about what is likely to happen.
Thanks for your thoughts on my post, but really, i think you missed the point entirely.
Oh, and depending on how long it would take a harvester to decay, you would in fact see people leave the mining community. I've talked to miners on my server and there are several who said they wouldn't pay the kinds of prices they did for harvesters that would stop functioning at all, and a few who said that depending on how long it took them to decay they would either pick up part of the architect tree themselves or just stop mining altogether.
So does this mean you are leaving?
Dayln wrote:
Yes You are thinking of what will make you money, but that is not what the developers should be thinking.
Architects are a working class, the items they make work, the trees work ( except for experimentation ) Whether they make money or not is not the issue. That will balance out as the number of Architects reduces itself to the actual demand for structures. Artificially increasing he need for structures is simply not necessary.
I would hate to see the developers constantly changing the game for every class trying to keep the current number of them in profitable business, they would spend ALL their time doing that. That is simply insane.
I do agree with the new structures idea, and more varied furniture is always a good idea. But more money for architects is not the goal, not from a game perspective. The goal is to make the classes work in a functional sense ( still lots of work for them to do there ). The economy part will work itself out on its own.
Right now there are too may architects and too little demand, the answer is simple, fewer architects.
and thank you for confirming... I am thinking of ways to may US money.. You are looking for ways to make YOU money.Fewer Architects means more business for undercutters, the only way you can stay alive in the coming months.
No I am not leaving, not yet, hate to burst your balloon but… (POP! ) 
But seriously, do you think it should actually be the developers job to try and maintaining a profitable business everyone that is currently in one? What if everyone decided to sell coconuts? They would have to install NPC's to buy them, we certainly don’t want that.
To have a real player economy their are going to be situations like this. SWG has only a limited demand for architects. In the beginning there was a HUGE demand for them, and everyone loved that fantasy time when prices should be as high as you wanted and constant orders came in. But that was artificial, the good old days are gone ( or going ).
Now is when reality hits, there is a limited need for architects, prices are going to drop below what people are willing to sell for, people get disgusted and leave. Which is exactly what needs to happen, there sill come a time when the number of architects is reduced to where demand is, then it will be a profitable business again, but probably never as profitable as it was in the early days.
After thinking aobut this I dont believe they should do anything to increase the need for current structures.
...and now I suddenly see where Dayln is coming from.
Interesting and a very good point, you get 5 stars from me 
. I shall have to ponder on this some more... but bed time nowlol.
Perhaps many of the points are valid, but the fact of the matter remains there needs to be some mechanism by which structures, droids, and clothing leave the game. Just as they need money sinks to prevent money from flooding everywhere, you can't have a completely static situation with these items---every structure, droid, and clothing item that is needed already exists. The player based economy grinds to a halt, it becomes another first person shooter game, and anyone over about 13 years of age wanders off to another game (with all the 13 year olds being CH).
The game is fun and addictive. Too addictive, perhaps. But, saying this doesn't mean I'm just trying to make more money for myself. If I was just trying to make money, and I didn't mind being bored, I'd just run crafting missions. I can make ~15k cr or more an hour doing that. Quite frankly, I'm not making any money as an Architect. In over a week as an Architect, I've sold two small houses for 10k each, one wearables factory for 45k, and about twenty torches for 1k each. It would be easier and more profitable to sell resources on the Bazaar.
I'm not into it for the money. I make plenty of real money in the real world. I'm trying to have some fun and do some role playing. Hopefully, I will have a bit more fun now that I have a maxed out Probot to help keep me alive while I search for non-existant carbonate ore. Perhaps, I need to start looking on other planets.
The reason you arent making money is that there are too many architects for the demand. However I do agree that some ( small ) drain needs to happen on sturctures long term.
But the main solution, is to reduce the number of architects, and that will work itself out.
SWG is still a combat oriented game, so that is why people are willing spend insane amounts of money for weapons and armor (and other combat related gear). They need these things, even if they do decay. Most combat characters do not need a house. Most of them don't even need harvestors because they're getting their money from missions (for the most part).
As for miners, which do you think would be cheaper and easier: 1) Going to your favorite architect, plopping down 100-150K for a heavy harvestor and possibly having to wait a couple of days for it, or 2) taking up architecture and build your own heavy harvestors for less money and getting them as soon as they are needed. I'm guessing #2 is what is most likely to happen if structure decay is implemented; either people will stop buying structures or they'll take up architecture to make their own structures (and make them for their friends and guildies, too).
I do like the idea of giving archs a role in the GCW. Though the structures wouldn't decay, they could be blown up or require repair. Perhaps experimentation could be implemented to make stronger turrets and walls as well.
Slim Vargo, Corbantis
i agree to the housing issue of original poster, they should not decay but not be replacable 
agree partly to harvesters, imo they should only loose condition when u redeed them. makes sense and helps ppl out. let them have a sort of condition 100 and loose 2 every redeed.
furnitures should not decay. but yes we need alot more varity, especially plants and paintings and such
Oh, and 1 more thing, that I almost overlooked...
Sorry to say this folks, but in order to make sure that you are not underselling via secure trades vs. other players, you can only sell your deed via a vendor, which checks to make sure you are selling within the guidelines set.. God, AI is a sweet thing.. Because you need Master Artisian, you have the ability to set up a small amount of vendors, but vendors none the less. They could lower the amount it costs to upkeep them, and thus not allow the amount of goods on that vendor affect his/her/it's upkeep as well.
Thus, you are providing several services here..
You are keeping in line with all the other Architects, of course, when all of us are selling at the bottom price, there is NO competition, but hey, SOE COULD change that with random pricing via the Regulatory Service too, kind of like resource shifts.
Like I said earlier though, I not there are gonna be holes in my idea, and I am hoping for some honest critiques here. I would love it if someone would try to expand and improve on this idea. If you don't think this is feasible, then say so, and give reasoning as to why, don't just flame it and walk away. I'm honestly trying to give some ideas that I feel are reasonable, and wouldn't be to hard to implement into the code.
From reading the posts on this profession, I think I can safely say nobody whines like an architect. So far I have heard,
1) We dont want quality to play a part, (like every other profession), its hard finding resources now, it would be too hard finding good resources. Hmmm if a weaponsmith cant find good link steel aluminum he doesnt make laser rifles, he doesnt make laser rifles then he cant sell them, architects dont have these problems.
2) We dont want experimentation, although the thing we most often complain about is price, we want the only thing to differentiate one architect from another is price.
3) We want decay on harvesters, factories ect. Well only miners and artisans use those, you raise their cost and they will pass it along, dont kid yourself that someone who was making 3x credit for low grade or will now settle for 2x, hmmm seems to me architects complaining other architects not charging enough, oh well guess that only goes for architects, Not everyone that makes any other product.
4) Market isnt big enough. How about more lots per person, how about encouraging cross server leasing, I will make a character on your server and let you tell me where to place your harversters on my lots, while you do the same thing for me. Once a week we spend an hour and switch things around.
5) Seems to me not long ago the big thing was PA sponsored architects were doing things cheap for their guild and cutting out the independants, make stuff more expensive and PA's will be all forced to do everything in house, you will destroy the independants.
6) Today's Friday special shows a tool that let us know of the 275,000 registered players only 90,000 houses are placed. Seems to me their is plenty of POTENTIAL demand, figure out how to turn that potential into actual demand.
7) Realize that if 185,000 players dont have houses, they arent really necessary but a luxury item, can anyone tell me what happens when luxury items increase in price? hint, people buy fewer.
8) Architects get every bit as much of a lot of players money as nearly any other profession, they probably get less of a pure combat player, probably some furniture and a house, and a lot more of most artisans money in a shop, furniture, harvesters and factories.
Think of why folks buy houses, status, storage, a sense of ownership or belonging, community ect. Learn to sell to these desires and you will make money. Establish relationships with customers and PA's ect. Offer upgrade discounts, if you buy resources try and do some on barter, do the cross server lease and farm your own resources, no one gets harvesters cheaper than you do.
Architect items are extremely expensive, I pay everyday for each home, harvester and factory I have, some cost me power as well. Yes I know you dont get any of the maintance, maybe you should. But make my house or harvesters more costly and I will run missions only to get my cash, or I will powerlevel a buddy to make me everything at cost. Although im a creature handler and pistoleer I make my own stimpaks for myself and pets, my own powerups and weapon and armor repair tools. I suppose I or a buddy can get high enough to make most of the harvesters we will ever need.
Nyca