Architect Archive

This is an excerpt from an actual conversation I had with someone who wanted to buy a Medium Tatooine House. Please note that from what I've read on this board, my prices are considered cheap. Iconsider them reasonable based on my costs (running27 harvesters, 4 fusion-ion generators, and 1 solar harvester, thanks to a second account and 3 friends).This conversation took place on the Chilastra server, Tatooine, in Mos Eisley.

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Player: Hello there, I've heard you make houses?

Me: Yes, I'm a Master Architect, I can make whatever kind of house you want.

Player: How much do you charge for a Medium Tatooine House.

Me: I charge 65,000 credits. That's 3 credits per resource, with 3200 credits as bufferage for any critical failures (which doesn't even cover the cost of a wall module crit failure)

Player: Holy s#$t, you are WAY overpriced. I've seen people selling them for 25k.

Me: I see. Tell me, do you sell resources on the bazaar?

Player: No, I don't sell them on the bazaar.

Me: Oh, so you just save your resources?

Player: No, I have a list of people I sell them to.

Me: Ah. So, how much do you sell your resources to them for?

Player: I sell them for 3 credits per resource.

Me: I see. So, you sell your resources for 3 credits per, and expect to buy a finished structure for 1.21 credits per resource, not including critical failures?

Player: Look, I'm just telling you I've seen the medium houses sold for 25k. I don't want to pay more than 25k.

Me: Well, I suggest you find one ofthose people selling for 25k, and purchase your house from them. If you want to buy one from me, I charge 65k.

Player: I suppose you charge 15k for a small?

Me: No, I charge 11k for a small. That's 3 credits per resource with a little extra for critical failures.

Player: Man, those go for 5k!

Me: So, you sell your resources for 3 credits per resource, and expect me to sell you a finished structure for 1.47 credits per resource? Again, I urge you to buy your house from the people selling for 5k.

Player: Why you tell me that again?

Me: I'm trying to educate you in economics.

Player: Whatever. I'll buy from someone else.

Me: OK

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This is the kind of mentality an Architecthas to deal with Whoever is selling smalls for 5k and mediums for 25k on the Chilastra server, I wish you good luck Seeing as how I always seem to be 2 days backorded all the time, I'll stick with my prices.

Kristi Morningstar, Master Architect, Chilastra, Tatooine, near Mos Eisley, House Arcanum

hmmm, sounds like some good undercutting business here. I may recreate on this server! Waaahoo!

Yeah, I've dealt with the same thing before. Someone said I was WAY overcharging when I quoted 80k for a medium house. They said they wouldn't pay a cent over 25k because they had an architect on radiant and they knew how much it cost to make. Whatever...

I'm almost Master Architect now (less than 300k xp away) and I've had to solo the entire way there. So, I have to buy most of my resources at 2-3.x credits/unit. I'm only going to charge more once I reach master. I think I might charge 2 million for a generic PA hall and stock a couple of them. When miner charge 400% of their costs (A miner tried to sell at 4cr/unit for ore), then that makes me want to charge 56k for a small house. It's not like 56k is unreasonably priced. It's a luxoury item that only a Merchant requires and people can make 56k doing a day of missions, right?

AndonSage2, I also am on the Chilastra server.You and I sound like we are in the same ball park price wise.

Everytime I am asked what I charge and give my reply, 99% of the time I get the response you describe above. Very rarely do I get anyone to give me an order

I refuse to build ANYTHING that I loose money on. I just won't build. Period. I'll just continue harvesting, and horde my resources till one day all the undercutters discover they can't turn a profit no matter how many accounts or friends' lots they use.

On the brighter side, all those resources I am harvesting are going to build a very nice player city and those who continue to eat their resources in exchange for low ball prices are going to be left in the dust.

There will only be a few on each server who will rise to Urban Planner and pull it off.

Our time is coming

Hmm, sounds aoo familiar to last night.

Player: Can you make me an Equipment Factory?

Me: Sure can, it will cost 45k, that's 3.4 credits a resource.

(I charge 3.4 credits a unit, because some materials are easy to get a hold of, and some other things like ore, are painstakingly hard to get on my planet)

Player: Are you serious?, I'll just wait for my friend that will make one for 30k.

Me: Neat.


Later I see him barking in town for Archies to build him an equipment factory.

I proceed to send him a tell.

Me: If you would like to buy the materials, and provide them to me, I'll make the Equipment factory free.

Player: Sweet, what all door you need?

Me: I'll send you mail with the list.
(Mail sent)

*10 minutes later*

Player: OMG, I can't afford to buy all that stuff from the bazzar, it's too expensive.

Me: hehe, Now see, don't you think 3.4 credits isn't so bad?

Player: I paid 25k for my other factory, and this guy said he's make me one for 30k, but he's not on right now, and i need it NOW.

Me: Cool, goodluck!


Some people just don't get it ever.
=)

Vivyan

Every day I look at the prices im charging and consider raising them more and more... Money goes in my bank, then all goes right back out every time resources shift.

I just laugh, and say "well, go buy from the idiot then."

Really, mostpeople don't blink when they buy armor or weapons for 30-100 credits a resource, but oh some morons out there... sell a house for more then 1 credit a resource, and all of a sudden theyjust have to tell you thatyou're some kind of over charging tyrant. lol

I'm on Chilastra as well. And I too have had conversations similar to this.

On the flip side, however, after educating some people... I've actually made sales (not immediately because of them lacking funds) but those people have later come back because I was polite and informed them. I've also made those deals of making it for free if they bring me the resources and not once has anyone ever come back to me.

I agree that there are a lot of people on our server making stuff for cheap... I heard tell of someone that will make Lrg houses for 50k. I told th e person asking ME to do that to go find the 50k seller cause I wanted to go buy some stuff from him. Didn't get any response *sigh*

Ive had some people tell me recently that they had a hard time getting any architects to build them something. Seems many of us are starting to get tired of the mill and grind(I dont mean exp grind)for little reward of being an architect. Our numbers are slowly dwindling.

As for me, I am sticking it out, and plan to max out being a city planner as well, despite the frustrations.

Im pulling up my harvesters as we speak and ill return to SWG in the future when a) beta is over and b) the lowballing kids are done. This just isnt fun. Good luck though.. this reponse you got will prolly be around for a few months.

I've had that same conversation so many times that I'm no longer selling to the general public. I have a group of friends that I provide whatever they ask for at cost and that's it. I'm done. I don't care what other architects are selling their stuff for, my prices are based on what it's worth to me to spend the time making the item. A PA hall doesn't leave my hands for less than 450k because it's a giant pain in the butt after the first one. Last night some guy asked me how much I charge for a small house, I said 15k, and he said that's way overpriced, didI know wherehe could get one for 7400 credits? That made me laugh out loud. I told him probably lots of places. Sheesh.

I have joinded the ranks of pulling my harvesters and canceling both my accounts. UO is nice.

I live on the Chilastra server. Here is what our PA brings in on resources every day

120k ore
60k steel

and verious numbers of the other stuff.

As you can see we bring in enough to make many structures every day. I am able to make and deliver on the average day 3 PA halls. The other day I made 81 power core just so I wouldn't have to worry about them for a while.

We set our prices as follows:

smalls - 8.5k
mediums - 50k
large -100k
PA hall - 250k (in most cases deliverable within 12 hours of order)

We make a decent profit on every building we sell. We often get back ordered and can't deliver all the houses same day. I normally handle the PA halls and the resource collection for the PA and my apprentice Exalem handles the houses.

Dumin
ION, Naboo
Chilastra