Architect Archive
Thread: An economical fix for architects (works with city implementations)
I've been an architect since beta and knew the problems would surface when I put out my first price chart comparison and asked other architects if they would be selling their structures for a min of 3 to 5 cr per resource used. Many architects had not even constructed more than a small house or a factory at that time, and most thought it would be very easy. Hardly any had experienced what it would be like to sell items (with the 5k restriction on bazaars) to others, much less what it would feel like when they had to create large scale items which required tens of thousands of resources - and then fail on them!
When swg hit live, architects were undercutting one another and selling for as low as 1.5 to 2 cr per resource used. Now that the bazaar rates on resources have stabilized to roughly 3 to 5 cr per resource (depending on the type), many of us figured our problems would start to iron out. Unfortunately, they have not. What is occuring now is that the customer base has no clue as to how many resources an installation costs to build and even when told, most don't care. All they state is that so and so sells his for this amount.
Because of the problems we are having and will continue to have I propose the following fix:
NPC Realtors
Allow Architects the ability to sell to an NPC Realtor for a minimum of 3 to 5 cr per resource used. Allow the realtor to fluctuate the price based on the market demand. If the demand is high then 5 cr per resource used would be used. If it is low, then 3 cr per resource used would be the amount. The realtor however, would sell the house for 2 cr higher than what he or she purchased it for.
What does this do for us?
It allows us the ability to sell houses for a bare minimum of 3cr to a realtor when the market is bad and sell it for higher to players when the market is in demand. Players can complain at us about prices and then when they go to a realtor, they find that the same house we were going to sell to them for 4cr per resource is being sold for 7cr per resource by the realtor. They would quickly change their minds. In any case we would have an outlet to sell to and wouldn't be stuck dealing with very rude players.
We are currently the only profession that cannot sell their lowest house, lowest factory on the bazaar. The only item we can sell on the bazaar is a personal harvester which many do not want or need. With NPC realtors, SoE could implement a buy-in feature that would be accessible with city made structures and allow people to purchase small amounts of surrounding land in the form of lots. There is so much that can be done here but this is just an idea.
Never gonna happen. Has to be a 100% player economy or all professions need NPC buyers. Things are rough for us, but they are just as rough for all artisans who aren't masters. Do you think a player starting today as weaponsmith can make any money? They would kill for an npc buyer who would give them anything for a low quality gun they make.
The only fixes I think we can get, and thus should ask for are:
1. Increase demand for houses by giving them bonuses. Let a person's primary residence heal their wounds without the need for medic skills or an entertainer. Make owning a home be required before you can have a player mount or a vehicle (or give us new structure stable/garage that people must own).
2. Give us new structures that players actually want.Combat structures that are destroyable. A bunker or tower that can be placed anywhere, not just battlefield. A turret that can be placed by peoples homes or extractors for defense....
We are never going to get NPC buyers for our goods, we are never going to get a % of the maintenance fee. The devs will not change basic game mechanics for 1 profession. We need to find solutions to the problems that fit within the current framework.
Mkappus wrote:
Never gonna happen. Has to be a 100% player economy or all professions need NPC buyers. Things are rough for us, but they are just as rough for all artisans who aren't masters. Do you think a player starting today as weaponsmith can make any money? They would kill for an npc buyer who would give them anything for a low quality gun they make.
The only fixes I think we can get, and thus should ask for are:
1. Increase demand for houses by giving them bonuses. Let a person's primary residence heal their wounds without the need for medic skills or an entertainer. Make owning a home be required before you can have a player mount or a vehicle (or give us new structure stable/garage that people must own).
2. Give us new structures that players actually want.Combat structures that are destroyable. A bunker or tower that can be placed anywhere, not just battlefield. A turret that can be placed by peoples homes or extractors for defense....
We are never going to get NPC buyers for our goods, we are never going to get a % of the maintenance fee. The devs will not change basic game mechanics for 1 profession. We need to find solutions to the problems that fit within the current framework.
1. This won't work well at all. I don't know of any of those that started on my server Radiant that still needs a house. Oh, they may want an upgrade house but there are very few people that still need houses and currently houses do not degrade. If they did degrade, then people would not purchase them. As for forcing people to buy homes in order to own a vehicle well that doesn't sit well with me at all. That's definitely not going to happen.
2. This doesn't help the current profession at the moment and even if something similar to this were implemented, it would be well down the road when the economy was already hammered like it is now. In otherwords, this type of fix would come too late for it to be any good.
A 100% player run economy will never work. We've all stated this many times over and it's already failing and showing signs of major failure. If things don't get fixed for the architects soon, expect a mass uprising and exit for many of its ranks. Will this help out the profession anymore? It will only make players that do want structures ultimately upset because the few architects remaining won't be able to handle the load.
Padashar
First, I think we both agree that demand needs to be stimulated. We are just disagreeing on how best to do that.
On my server things aren't great, but one can survive as an architect if you collect your own resources. If you don't collect resources you are pretty much out of luck.
What we need is an increase in demand. Your solution is to create NPC demand. I don't think the develops 2 months in are going to scrap their idea of a 100% player economy. If things persist this way for 6 months, maybe we will get a few architect missions that are to supply so and so with a medium house.
I must also say that I disagree with you about how broken the economy is. I think the economy is working 100% correctly.
1. You have too many architects per server, over supply of sellers.
2. You have low demand for goods, leads to worse over supply.
But I do agree that our profession is at a disadvantage as far as ability to generate income, and something should be done to increase our earning potential.