CUEmu - Thread Posts

TheRealTK421

Thu Jun 17, 2004 11:20 am

Gavvot,

What my point boiled down to was...

If an Entertainer will buy a droid at X credits from you, why would you charge X-20k?

The Entertainer would buy the droid no matter what. Does it matter (ultimately) if the droid does nothing other than look cool?

The answer to that is a subjective one and shouldn't enter into a more generic market/economic discussion.

My point was.....we should all be charging based on the perceived (and real) "value" of our products. I've heard of fully loaded R3 Adv Entertainer Effects droids selling (in quantity) for 100k.

Does that mean that they aren't worth 100k? Well...to the person that bought them, they are. Does that make the price wrong?

It's all in how much the product is 'worth' to the user. That's why we shouldn't be heavily discounting our products...err...just cause.

There is plenty marketshare to go around for every DE on every server. I have no way to stress that enough, everyone...

You should not be needing to dramatically drop your pricing to get sales. All you need to do is build a name for yourself and then 'ride the wave'.

/bow

Respectfully,

TheRealTK421 a.k.a. "Doughbacca"

SWG DE Correspondent

Co-Founding member of Ahazi DENet & SWG DEA (Droid Engineer Association)

"I think all right-thinking people in this country are sick and tired of being told that ordinary, decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. ...I'm certainly not. And I'm sick and tired of being told that I am."

VooDooK

Thu Jun 17, 2004 3:40 pm

#15

Don't worry, once he goes out of business, we can all rejoice! There's always going to be some n00b selling their crafts 10 times cheaper than everyone else.

But once they realize they are losing money more than they are gaining, they will either raise their prices again OR quit playing SWG like I've seen a lot of other people do.

Or heck, for all we know, he's probably a holo-grinder trying to get his Master Merchant. Once he gets master merchant, watch him surrender DE, Merchant and go for something else. Everyone that bought droids from him will come to us for batteries, repair and more.

Rejoice!!

(o.O) --- Huh!? What happened?
(x.X) --- I'm dead
(^_^) --- LOL !!!

Gribnitz

Thu Jun 17, 2004 5:14 pm

#16

VooDooK wrote:

Don't worry, once he goes out of business, we can all rejoice! There's always going to be some n00b selling their crafts 10 times cheaper than everyone else.

But once they realize they are losing money more than they are gaining, they will either raise their prices again OR quit playing SWG like I've seen a lot of other people do.

Or heck, for all we know, he's probably a holo-grinder trying to get his Master Merchant. Once he gets master merchant, watch him surrender DE, Merchant and go for something else. Everyone that bought droids from him will come to us for batteries, repair and more.

Rejoice!!

Nah, this isn'tthe problem at all. I had a bad day at work, then come online to see a post telling people not to buy my stuff, but come next door and buy someone else's stuff for 10's of thousands less in my own guild town. It wasn't a happy happy day.

I guess I really should thank him because it made me come to the realization that this is really stupid. Getting stressed at work is one thing, you really can't do much about that because you have to feed the family and pay the bills. Getting stressed in a game is another thing and is really quite stupid. Now that I think about it, I have been stressing myself quite a bit in the past even before this. Logging on to find 50% of your inventory gone over night and having to rush around to 3 different vendors and restock before dinner wasn't really fun, it was stressful. Managing 9 Factories, trying to figure out what I had to make next really got my undies in a wad. Finding input hoppers full of stuff I would never possibly use again, but couldn't get rid of because "I might need it", reminded me of my wife and all the crap she keeps in the basement.

I got a ton of satisfaction knowing people REALLY love my droids and I was a popular DE, but what really matters ??

Goiga, keep your vendor there, it is a great spot, just don't be undercutting what your droids are really worth. You are just screwing yourself out oftons of profit because you think you need an edge.

That said, I am giving up the DE ghost and the game because I really don't want to do anything else. I am going to be placing some goodies on Mailtevv's vendors over the next few days, including100K of that 994 OQ Tolium Reactive Gas he doesn't appear to have and my DE Zoot Suit. I always liked the guy even though we never reallytalked in game. I spoke to him once when he "stopped" by to check out my vendor when he was a Novice DE many months ago. He acted like he was there by accident, just passing by,but I knew he was checking out the competition

I read all his posts on the forums and we appear to share the same love of droids for the same reasons. (Oh, Malitevv, DO NOT use the Didigecsis Inert Gas 980 OQ stuff for droids. People on the trade forums are offering over 2000 cr per unit for the stuff for some reason....yes 2000 Enjoy.

If I can spot a real newbie, I am going to run over him with my AV-21 and then transfer it to him for his pain and suffering.

TK, I have to say you are the best Correspondent we have had yet for the forums. I remember your hot head days and your quick transformation once you got the DE spot. You should be a manager in real life. You know how to temper your views and only leak out what really can be leaked without getting your butt in a wringer. Good work for keeping me on the edge of my seat (and doubting you the whole time) and then following through with some awesome goodness for the DE profession. You are A+ !!

To all the rest of my fellow DE's, have fun so long as you like droids just because they are droids. I made a lot of credits, but I think that is only because I really do love droids and cared enough to make them and then explain them to my customers. Call your droids him or her, instead of it. That makes them a bit more personalble (old fart DE advice).

Luck,

Message Edited by Gribnitz on 06-17-2004 08:58 PM

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gribnitz the Rodian with the glasses
Master Droid Engineer - Master Artisan

Did you know it is physically impossible to lick your own elbow?

Kauri Server shop located at -1155, -4532 only 900 meters South of Bestine

TheRealTK421

Thu Jun 17, 2004 6:31 pm

#17

Uhhh....whoa, hold the phone!

How did turn into a "goodbye" thread?

Gribnitz wrote:

TK, I have to say you are the best Correspondent we have had yet for the forums.

Thanks...(but I don't agree, I think I still need work).

I remember your hot head days and your quick transformation once you got the DE spot.

I'm not transformed, just....enhanced with knowledge. I'm still a hot head (when that's what is called for)...

You should be a manager in real life. You know how to temper your views and only leak out what really can be leaked without getting your butt in a wringer.

What do you mean "should be"?

I just do what I do...it's not like I plan anything. /shrug

Good work for keeping me on the edge of my seat (and doubting you the whole time) and then following through with some awesome goodness for the DE profession. You are A+ !!

Okay...cool. Get back in here then and help us figure out how droidsare gonna decay better.

If you're 'out', I wish you well. I hope you stick around and decide to see some of what SWG has to offer.While DE is fun, there's a lot of other cool stuff out there for those willing to put themselves in the right place to see it.

Best of luck to youwherever the Force may lead you....

/bow

Most Respectfully,

TheRealTK421 a.k.a. "Doughbacca"

SWG DE Correspondent

Co-Founding member of Ahazi DENet & SWG DEA (Droid Engineer Association)

"I think all right-thinking people in this country are sick and tired of being told that ordinary, decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. ...I'm certainly not. And I'm sick and tired of being told that I am."

Gribnitz

Thu Jun 17, 2004 7:36 pm

#18

TheRealTK421 wrote:
Uhhh....whoa, hold the phone!

How did turn into a "goodbye" thread?

A light bulb just turned on over my head is all. It ispretty much summerafter all and I need to adjust priorities so I can actually get outside andget some stuff done. I turned into Casper the Friendly Ghost sitting downstairs making droids and need to get some sunlight.

I have too much stuff to move in just one evening, so it will be a few days before I quit stirring up crap here on the forums. I need to make the last of my SUPER DUPER probots for one thing. No one on Kauri gets to have better probots than me. I have only made one recently and sold it for 150K in 30 minutes. I have just enough of those 110 combat modules for about 6 or 7 more and there will never be anymore Gribnitz SUPER DUPER probotsto ever see production. I have to spread my progeny before I go, but I still don't know what to charge

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gribnitz the Rodian with the glasses
Master Droid Engineer - Master Artisan

Did you know it is physically impossible to lick your own elbow?

Kauri Server shop located at -1155, -4532 only 900 meters South of Bestine

Malitevv

Thu Jun 17, 2004 10:13 pm

#19

Goiga wrote:

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 only bought 7 of them (that's all I could fit in my inventory at the time). I bought them for my BH alt. Cheaper than using my own, which sell fairly well at 3X your price. I will be lowering myprices on them soon because demand has taperred a little, but no where near as low as yours :-). That 998 OQ tolium is too rare to let them go at that low a price for me.

---------------------------------------------------------------------
In a minute there is time
For decisions and revisions which a minute will reverse.

T.S. Eliot

Straker_Atrella

Fri Jun 18, 2004 4:49 am

#20

Well Goiga, here are some things to think about.

First, it's not that you can or can't make Droids better/cheaper then somebody else. If your Droids are good, they will sell well. It's not the location of your vendor either.

It's that you specifically called out another DE in public, you tore into him about his prices, saying don't look there, look here. That wasn't needed. You could have just given your vendor and prices.

Second, let's talk about "price gouging" as you called it. Lets use Entertainer Droids, since they are pertinant. You need to realize that once you sell an Entertainer Droid to somebody, they have that Droid for life, it will never wear out, they will never buy another one again. The amount of Entertainers (usually people keeping the profession,) is finite. Only so many people will buy them, whether they ost 100k, or 20k, only so many people will want/need them.

So what is a good price? Well first, consider this. My DE is also a Master Musician, I can go to Coronet and give mind buffs, not even charging, I can make 100k in 10 minutes. Easy. 1 mind buff takes 2.5 minutes (with food,) I can buff numerous people at once. 100k in 10 minutes, no resources needed, hell I don't even need to be there, I alt tab to my Fencer.

So now, if Ihavean Entertainer Droid, it makes me more "cool and visible," more people come to me, I make more money. Isn't what I can make in 10 minutes worth the price of the Droid?

Doc's use Med Droids to make million.

Meat Harvested from Harvest Droids sell for 100+ cpu

Items crafted with Droid crafting stations sell for hundreds of thousands.

Combat Droids, keep people alive. Alive means more XP, and your crap doesn't decay.

People make millions off our Droids, why shouldn't we make a little?

The main thing you need to remember is once bought, effectively a Droid lasts forever.

A fairly common pricing scheme that many use is this.

10-15k for the chasis

10k per module

Tack on about 10k for the Droids that really require quality resources.

For example, an Entertainer Droid would go for 75k, but a combat R3 about 85k.

If you go lower then that you are simply losing money, because those people would have bought the droid anyway.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Droid Vendor at Resurection near Theed on Naboo -5757 6222. Both carry a wide variety of maxed Droids, I also carry every type of Droid and Droid supply.

*Straker Atrella: Dark Jedi * Atrella's Wench: Master Droid Engineer / Artisan / Scout / Merchant * Dark Vortex: Ranger / Rifleman * Havana:Musician / Dancer / Image Design * Enigmatica : Doctor / Swordsman* CrazyEyes: Role playing BH.

Straker_Atrella

Fri Jun 18, 2004 1:53 pm

#21

Imaladris wrote:

Well all this discussion about what a DE should charge and what he/she shouldn't makes my head spin. Business is business period. If one wants to chargelower then another, then deal with it. I've been selling and making droids for several months. I've worked myself to the point of using for the most most part the best resources you can find. My quality is top notch. The ADV R3 is the most widely sought droid(other then the BH ones) there is. I've priced them as high as 80k on down to 35k. They rarly sell at 80k(responses are "I'm not willing to buy a droid for that price"). I had so many negative comments at that price range, So, over the last few months my prices went down till I reached that point of strong sales and positive comments. That price was 50k.

I made a chart of resources used for every part a droid uses. I made chart for every completed droid would cost. I was chart crazy. I ended up with so many different prices on the ADV R3 it made me crazy by pulling out that chart for every droid I made. I gave up and began a pricing scheme of chaging an AVE price for each model. It works for me. I guess that is my point. Anyone needs to do stuff on what works for them. It is a personal choice, period. If I'm uncutting so be it. I'm making money. My profits are climbing. And I make awsome droids. I've got vendors near Theed, Coronet and Caerbannog, Naboo. I will say that on the ave my prices work out to over 10cpu up to 20cpu. That is the way a business is run, and no one should be critical of another doing what they want to do. Remember is is just a game, and people play the way they want too. You dont pay their $15 a month to play, so you shouldn't tell them what to do.

Olo'rin

Perhaps your missing what exactly the problem was.

It wasn't that somebody charges less for their Droids.

The problem was that, first somebody asked for Droids vendor waypoints. Then one person gave their waypoint. Then a second DE came along and told people not to go to the other waypoint because they were overpriced, that they should go to their vendor instead.

Give your vendor, charge what you want. Don't tell people that somebody else price gouges and not to go there though.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Droid Vendor at Resurection near Theed on Naboo -5757 6222. Both carry a wide variety of maxed Droids, I also carry every type of Droid and Droid supply.

*Straker Atrella: Dark Jedi * Atrella's Wench: Master Droid Engineer / Artisan / Scout / Merchant * Dark Vortex: Ranger / Rifleman * Havana:Musician / Dancer / Image Design * Enigmatica : Doctor / Swordsman* CrazyEyes: Role playing BH.

Imaladris

Sat Jun 19, 2004 12:17 am

#22

Well all this discussion about what a DE should charge and what he/she shouldn't makes my head spin. Business is business period. If one wants to chargelower then another, then deal with it. I've been selling and making droids for several months. I've worked myself to the point of using for the most most part the best resources you can find. My quality is top notch. The ADV R3 is the most widely sought droid(other then the BH ones) there is. I've priced them as high as 80k on down to 35k. They rarly sell at 80k(responses are "I'm not willing to buy a droid for that price"). I had so many negative comments at that price range, So, over the last few months my prices went down till I reached that point of strong sales and positive comments. That price was 50k.

I made a chart of resources used for every part a droid uses. I made chart for every completed droid would cost. I was chart crazy. I ended up with so many different prices on the ADV R3 it made me crazy by pulling out that chart for every droid I made. I gave up and began a pricing scheme of chaging an AVE price for each model. It works for me. I guess that is my point. Anyone needs to do stuff on what works for them. It is a personal choice, period. If I'm uncutting so be it. I'm making money. My profits are climbing. And I make awsome droids. I've got vendors near Theed, Coronet and Caerbannog, Naboo. I will say that on the ave my prices work out to over 10cpu up to 20cpu. That is the way a business is run, and no one should be critical of another doing what they want to do. Remember is is just a game, and people play the way they want too. You dont pay their $15 a month to play, so you shouldn't tell them what to do.

Olo'rin

Olo'rin

-Former12pt Master Droid Engineer -Still selling Droids until I run out-

Venodors:Caerbannog, Naboo(-3141,-2),MO Dantoonie, Coronet, Corellia-On Planetary Map

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