Business And Economy Archive
Thread: The Merchant Revamp, and a Forum example of how it will hurt Merchants.
RelicOMO wrote:
Alternatively, if it's like a weapon and slices can be used to disguise quality, I might preslice crates of these unenhanced widgets and list them for between 10k to a million, depending on slice quality. It's quite probable that most consumers won't be able to tell the difference after a slice between an enhanced item and an unenhanced one. Depending on my slice luck, I might make a ton of pure profit off them. But again, that really depends on how much time I want to devote, given that crafting is just a sideline for me.
***
The above answers reflect my personal position. I am a longtime, well established, experienced crafter with a large resource stash, good connections, and more than one account. The global search would remove the joy of crafting for me, but it'd still be a simple matter for me to get a steady income from crafting without any effort. I'm not sure about the chances of others to do so in the same economy, though.
Thanks Relic, as usual you've gotten to the core of the matter.
I purposefully left out people mining their own resources and slicing. You illustrated automatically why the system would have been bad for beginning crafters, or even established crafters with very few credits. I left them out because I *knew* someone would use it in their example.
You see, non-crafters seem to think that everything we make is utterly arbitrary - We just price things according to whim. We're all greedy Merchants, and are inherently evil. I showed probable cost to ALL artisans across the board - The starting crafter would by necessity have to pay the prices I listed, and even charging a minimum price, could never compete with the established crafter in a price war.
It's like I've said in several threads - I already make a good product at a good price. I can do so because I am established. But when I complained about teh new system, Combat characters (And even other merchants) respond that I am crying because I will lose my market. Far from it. My market share will increase...
But it's unfair to the new crafter and the less established one. I argued for my competitors.
Fortunately, the Devs have seen the inherent error of their ways. They are going to make the system work - We WILL see a Galaxy search in some form - But I believe through all of our outcry and suggestions, they may now see ways to do it so everyone benefits.
ArgonNitor wrote:
Ill provide a simple answer,
Give the public what it wants by crafting and selling both the low end and the high end items. Theres a suitable market for both. Once the galaxy wide availability becomes reality prices for everything will dropand the real compitition begins much like it did when peope started buying and selling on the internet.
Think of it as SWG Ebay.
RelicOMO wrote:
What I find interesting is that already, people have quoted prices that vary from 3k for unenhanced down to 1250. And all of them have taken into account a cpu price for sale. As in, 5cpu for sale is acceptable, or what have you.
RelicOMO wrote:
Yet if people are prepared to pay 1 million for an enhancer that increases effect by 30%, what does that tell you? Does it tell you that the price difference for 30% effectiveness should be 800%? (1 million divided by 1250) 30%better is thus worth over 800% more in price?
RelicOMO wrote:
What it tells me is this - if people are prepared to pay 1 million for something that improves a desirable item by 30%, then 1250 is ridiculously cheap. Ludicrously, insanely cheap. This example also operates in a vacuum - it's not an ideal example because we don't know what consumers have been paying for this item. I'd be prepared to bet that on any server, they would have been snapping these unenhanced items up at 10-20k. Particularly if it is a desirable consumable, as would seem to be implied by the price of the enhancer.
So, my question is, if 10-20k is easily affordable for the vast majority of players, and if they are prepared to pay that, why are crafters insisting on undercutting each other at 3k?
Phaelyn wrote:
...I purposefully left out people mining their own resources and slicing. You illustrated automatically why the system would have been bad for beginning crafters, or even established crafters with very few credits. I left them out because I *knew* someone would use it in their example.
You see, non-crafters seem to think that everything we make is utterly arbitrary - We just price things according to whim. We're all greedy Merchants, and are inherently evil. I showed probable cost to ALL artisans across the board - The starting crafter would by necessity have to pay the prices I listed, and even charging a minimum price, could never compete with the established crafter in a price war.
It's like I've said in several threads - I already make a good product at a good price. I can do so because I am established. But when I complained about teh new system, Combat characters (And even other merchants) respond that I am crying because I will lose my market. Far from it. My market share will increase...
But it's unfair to the new crafter and the less established one. I argued for my competitors.
...
1) With enhancer 2M
2) Without enhancer 2395 (about 20% margin) - it is mass market now baby! (note: psychologial price). (Maybe 1200000from old widgets with enhancement - just need to get rid of this old junk now.)
oh... Marjaliisa already beated my prices... I am going to cry! 
But she can't stay in market long, because she does have only limited supply of Colat iron....
Message Edited by Resetgun on 02-15-2005 12:03 AM
Message Edited by Resetgun on 02-15-2005 12:05 AM
DrClawX wrote:
In end id base my prices buying the enhaced widget assuming i needed it to advance in my craft. Knowing that any combat char can loot and sell a widget for 1mil with a bit of effort.
It may only cost me a few thousand to make a medical droid, but that Master Doc using it is going to make millions off it because they can sit and buff at a Starport instead of the Med Center, PLUS it gives his buffs a 10% bonus. In many ways, it's invaluable to them. So I couldn't tell you what CPU I sell them for - I sell them for a reasonable price based on the usefulness and function they give the player.
AO