Droid Engineer Archive

Thread: How do YOU calculate your prices?

Illuminatrix
Sat Jan 03, 2004 2:30 pm
#1

I'm just getting into DE and I'm having a difficult time figuring out a method for calculating my prices. I've checked with a few DE's on my server but overall noone has a set system in place.

I imagine if I calculated based on 10-15cpu for each droid, that might work initially but then when I take into account the various configurations, components and modules, I simply get lost. Does anyone out there have a system in place?

Any help would be appreciated. I imagine I'll figure this out eventually but a leg up from some veterans would help.

Thanks!








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This.. isn't.. what.. I.. signed.. up.. for.

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Droid_Engineer_Rho
Sat Jan 03, 2004 2:56 pm
#2

Spreadsheet. All items are calculated the same way, with markup at each assembly step and subcomponent costs added in. This accounts for crits, as well as the increasing pain of making higher-level items.



Taking a well-deserved vacation from his successful Droid Engineering business, Master Rho can be found puttering around the galaxy.
Jenden
Sat Jan 03, 2004 3:53 pm
#3

7.5 x number of resources (with some individual modifications depending on popularity/factory/rarity etc.




Jenden Morn - Master of Droids- Tarquinas
Droid Engineer Blue Glowy
Owner, Operator, and Founder of DarkStar Inc.
Groupy of the best band in the galaxy, Solar Flair
3D art of Jenden by Saeelwenea

SydoniaDalisho
Sat Jan 03, 2004 5:29 pm
#4

Yah I was going to post about this also. I just got up blueprints 4, and am already starting to get in orders, but I dont' know how much to charge. Can you give me an idea?



Corbantis Server - Sydonia

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Nelus
Sun Jan 04, 2004 8:10 am
#5

my droids cost excatly what the ressources cost me. the more i sell the more xp i get and i want xp not money.
strykler
Sun Jan 04, 2004 8:14 am
#6

I also use a spreadsheet..starting out with = (resources) X (server average cpu) X (resource rareity) X (# subcomponents) works out so that I charge an average price



Zampino Oggler, Master Smuggler & Pistol Champion
- Any fool can piss on the Floor.. Be a Hero, Chit on the ceiling.. - You can too!
TheWoody
Sun Jan 04, 2004 11:47 am
#7

I base mine on the simple equation of their value in the game compared to the difficulty of the droid to build as weighed against how much I think the market is willing to pay me. The first two sets of circumstances usually only encompass 30-40% of the final price, with the last one being the real deciding factor.



True, it's ad-hoc, but it adjusts with inflation and keeps the credits in the pockets. Look up some of my other threads (click on my name, search all threads, organize by MOST recent) for more info. My best thread is "65k for R3's too cheap it seems"




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"Never in the field of forum posting has so much bollocks been said to so many by so few"
Illuminatrix
Sun Jan 04, 2004 1:06 pm
#8

Yea, I imagine I could use a spreadsheet and whatnot, that just seems a bit complicated... Not sure.

Ah well.. lol..








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This.. isn't.. what.. I.. signed.. up.. for.

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JontheBear
Tue Jan 06, 2004 10:55 pm
#9

I personally got all my prices from Keras when he was a master DE. At the time there were very few of us and we didn't want to be undercutting each other. I basically still use that list with some modifications for when I started using level 6 modules. Have no idea how he came up with it. I too seem to experiment when I am going to change a price. i see how it will sell then adjust accordinally.



Aquarius Deepsea
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Cedig
Wed Jan 07, 2004 6:54 am
#10

I decided that as some people buy the animated drode frames for house/shop decoration, I'd charge a set fee for the frames and add the cost of modules on top.


So for example


R2 frame costs 10k


Adv Probot frames cost 15k


Protocol droids frames cost 20k


and Med / Crafting Modules cost 5k each


That way I can offer a sliding scale of prices based on frame and Module components without keeping a spreadsheet handy. The actually prices are down to you to set, but my droids are selling hand over fist at the moment.




Droid Engineer / Chef - Farstar
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Aartan Ridge PA
Nauner
Wed Jan 07, 2004 7:02 am
#11

I charge a Flat 10cpu for all my droid work.


I sat down and added up my costs, made 3 nice pages with word.


Droids all require certain base materials, I add them up ahead of time without armor, modules, and personality chips. then I jsut add those components once its ordered, My list is stored by Units of material.Add em up and x10 im good to go.




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Shaladim
Wed Jan 07, 2004 7:09 am
#12

I used a spreadsheet at first whichhad a sliding scale of what I would charge based upon resourcecosts at a fixed rate per unit so that if I was negotiating with someone I would always be aware of the implications of any discount. These days I have a simplified cost structure, most of my droids are factory produced and I am not so cash strapped any more thatI worry too much about an exact cost based upon resoures used (plus my resources generally cost me very little anyway).


Shaladim
Wed Jan 07, 2004 7:16 am
#13

BTW: an advantage of how I do things now is thatI cangivecustomers an instant cost rather than saying i'll get back to you in 10 minutes once I have worked it all out. I can also remember my costs w/o having to refer to a piece of paper or a spreadsheet - good for me sinceI was always managed to hide it somewhere incovienient!


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