Droid Engineer Archive
Thread: Sorry KAURI Droid Engineer's .......
Page 1 of 2
Gribnitz
Wed Jun 16, 2004 6:03 pm
#1
Edited....post was inappropriate and a bit harsh. I had a bad day.
Message Edited by Gribnitz on 06-17-2004 09:44 PM
TheRealTK421
Wed Jun 16, 2004 6:10 pm
#2
Maybe you could explain to him that he's dropping his prices needlessly. /shrug
Gribnitz wrote:
Any suggestions ?
I've personally outlasted other DEs by setting pricing and sticking to it, period. I think I get my sales more via excellent service, selection and loyalty.
I'd focus on those...
/bow
Respectfully,
CaptainStormy
Wed Jun 16, 2004 6:40 pm
#3
Well, this hasnt happened to me with Droids, but it has with my meds. My City has a mall, my doc vendor had already been up for about 2 months or so, and some new doc moved in, his meds wernt bad, but not as good as mine. his were probly about 80% the quality mine were, but about half the price. I kept my prices the same, my sales were hurt slightly, but not enough to care about. and he drove himself out of business.
Basicaly you have two kinds of buyers.
1. The kind that never has cash, and has to scrimp and save for everythign they get, these people will pretty much always go for the cheapest product.
2. The kind that wants the best, and will pay what it is worth. These customers arnt gonna buy that lesser product when they can buy yours.
Figure out which you wanna sell to, and then go for it.
Gribnitz
Wed Jun 16, 2004 6:54 pm
#4
Yeah, you both are probably right. I have over 20 million credits as it is and can't possibly spend it. I am still selling a ton and his vendor is full while I still can't keep up. I guess I will let him get the rep for screwing the server on pricing, not myself.
Straker_Atrella
Wed Jun 16, 2004 8:05 pm
#5
Pretty much what everybody else said. Sure some people are scraping by, but the majority of the people have an adequate amount of cash.
This means they will buy the better product, especially if it is something they will have a long time like a Droid.
The key is to ensure that KNOW it's a better product. Label your Droids clearly, give stats. If your Droids are better, they will buy yours.
His post would piss me off as well, that was inapropriate, he could have given his location and didn't need to diss you.
The nasty side of me tells me to setup a barker droid or AFK spammer advertizing near your shop and his. The key is to at least get people to compare your shops.
Malitevv
Wed Jun 16, 2004 11:25 pm
#6
I'm on Kauri, and also on Naboo. My vendor is in the Ater Legio mall on the east side of Theed. My prices are comparable to yours gribnitz. Usually.
I guess I will have to visit the mango mall again and see what this guy's prices really are.Hopefully he is selling Survey Droids at a rock bottom price. I need to resupply my vendors and would rather not waste the factory time on another batch... 
GenieWH
Thu Jun 17, 2004 3:39 am
#7
I know exactly how you feel in this situation. What TK said is true though, specially if people know the quality of your droids.
Even though as of late, I havent had big sales on my vendor, before I had a guy who was undercutting me, had his shop about 80m from my vendors. MY combat droids were about 30k higher than his and he constantly spammed Theed starport to sell them. Mine sold, he still has stacks of them on his vendor (And since pub. 8, the droids he made have gone down in price to about 8k, he still doesnt sell them.)
Go out of your way to get the best resources and sell at reasoable prices. People will know.
KarlieOkota
Thu Jun 17, 2004 3:53 am
#8
I personally would not be too bothered Gribnitz, I certainly wouldn't start a price war. Stick with your prices, in a few weeks/months, the competition will get bored and move on. A customer once said to me; "No thank you, I can get a chassis much cheaper elsewhere, I come to you for quality droids!".
Kindest regards,
Karlie.
Wirebiter
Thu Jun 17, 2004 4:01 am
#9
Not sticking up for the guy, but he really only has 2 ways to compete with you:
---Quality (which, from what I read, he hasn't got the best resources yet)
---Price (which he chose)
You here the same things on TV and radio about competing buisnesses, so why should SWG be any differant?
Gavvot
Thu Jun 17, 2004 4:14 am
#10
I'm on Farstar, Naboo.
It seem there are more DE there than AS.
My prices are very different other DE on the server.
My immortal droids, even lower quality cost more money.
My per use droids like BH droids, and BOOM droids are cheaper.
Both sell well.
The only difference is the per use droids sell much faster and in much bigger quantity.
To give you an Idea, common price on my server for an Adv R3 with 6 modules is 30K.
Mine are 60K, 50K for entertainer only droids.
But my crate of seeker are 4K, probe 8K, batteries 4K.
Immortal droids take alot of time and don't give alot of repeated sales, per use droid take less time and give repeat business.
Oh, and clicky
It seem there are more DE there than AS.
My prices are very different other DE on the server.
My immortal droids, even lower quality cost more money.
My per use droids like BH droids, and BOOM droids are cheaper.
Both sell well.
The only difference is the per use droids sell much faster and in much bigger quantity.
To give you an Idea, common price on my server for an Adv R3 with 6 modules is 30K.
Mine are 60K, 50K for entertainer only droids.
But my crate of seeker are 4K, probe 8K, batteries 4K.
Immortal droids take alot of time and don't give alot of repeated sales, per use droid take less time and give repeat business.
Oh, and clicky
Message Edited by Gavvot on 06-17-2004 01:14 PM
Goiga
Thu Jun 17, 2004 9:51 am
#11
That post did more for business than I had anticpated. Malitevv bought the 10 cases of Det39 Bombs I had in stock. I put up 10 more and they went right after the server came up. I actually did raise the price and put up 10 more. BH's sure haven't bought themthe last monthso I'm greatful to move them to a certain extent. Just was a huge waste of Tolium. I still have 225k of it left , but I can't see putting it in Droids, I'm just gonna hold onto in case.
I've been saving up resources for months so I have millions of units of CN1000 Copper, Dimekaine, etc. Hell, every other Polysteel Copper spawn on Kauri is good enough for 100CR combatt mods.I just maxxed experimentation recently and I can make 4500 HAM R3's now finally. I have a factory run of 210 4500 600 Max Armored R3's running right now actually, so that will help with the quality. Probots same thing. Only mod I'm having trouble with is the harvesting mod at the moment.
My take on the pricing was that I thought it was stupid to charge 70K for the Entertainer Droid which can be made with grind quality resources. That amounts to little more than price gauging. I have harvested or traded for all the HQ resources I have so basically I'm going to charge what its worthitto me for my time. When Im done stocking my vendors in the next 2 weeks then you will have a good idea what it will be like. But rest assured I will compete on quality, I will compete on selection,I will compete on value and I will make that well known.I haven't spammed at all yet except maybe once or twice for my resource vendors. I have given away more droids than I have sold up to this point for future advertising considerations, so to speak. Getting the word out wont be too tough.
Before I start advertising I willllook for a better place for me Vendors, I will admit that was a bad idea to move them in there in the first place. I was leary about that at first, but the guy running the mall talked me into it. I was mostly looking for another high traffic area for a resource vendor.The email Gribnitz sent me did rub me the wrong way, but I understand why he is upset. I didn't know that was his guild town so he should have a word with Vxs on commercial zoning I guess. I'll look to move them soon and I won't restock them till I do.
Goiga
TheRealTK421
Thu Jun 17, 2004 10:45 am
#12
Goiga,
Droid pricing (such as it is) is not "price gouging".
Droid pricing (such as it is) is not "price gouging".
You do realize, I hope, that many DEs get like 10-15cpu on their droids. Some higher.
Weaponsmiths and Armorsmiths, by way of comparison can get 50-100cpu.
Now who's gouging?
There's a difference between inflation (for the sake of gouging) and charging what the market will bear. I hope you keep in mind the monies that players can make when using their droids effectively. If so, you'd realize that there is no reason to need to set your pricing lower than the 'average' window that's in place on your server.
...or...
Don't 'drop your pants' for no reason.
/bow
Respectfully,
Weaponsmiths and Armorsmiths, by way of comparison can get 50-100cpu.
Now who's gouging?
There's a difference between inflation (for the sake of gouging) and charging what the market will bear. I hope you keep in mind the monies that players can make when using their droids effectively. If so, you'd realize that there is no reason to need to set your pricing lower than the 'average' window that's in place on your server.
...or...
Don't 'drop your pants' for no reason.
/bow
Respectfully,
Gavvot
Thu Jun 17, 2004 11:02 am
#13
Hum, Tk,
On that particular situation, I think he's right to make lower prices for entertainer droids (as I do).
But for wrong reason.
It's not because resources doesn't matter, it actually does for playback droids (flourish/action bar/regeneration rate)
But because :
- They probably are the coolest droid ever.
- Entertainers don't gain anything with them, it actually cost them alot for nothing else but look cool.
- Entertainers are probably the best customers regarding batteries and custom kit.
On that particular situation, I think he's right to make lower prices for entertainer droids (as I do).
But for wrong reason.
It's not because resources doesn't matter, it actually does for playback droids (flourish/action bar/regeneration rate)
But because :
- They probably are the coolest droid ever.
- Entertainers don't gain anything with them, it actually cost them alot for nothing else but look cool.
- Entertainers are probably the best customers regarding batteries and custom kit.
Page 1 of 2