Droid Engineer Archive
Thread: Droid Pricing, sort of a guide.
wassema
Tue Sep 07, 2004 9:08 am
#27
Guys
I've only just started DE and I decided to do it as I was struggling to find any vendors on my server with droid related materials on them (on Tat at any rate). And there loads of armoursmiths out there already.
Now I had a quick look around at some other vendors and what they had were MSE's for 750 creds and MSE Adv for 1k.
Now even I with no experience thought that was far too cheap. So I started selling MSEs with 1 Level1 module in them for 1k and the MSE Adv (which I just qualified for ) with 2 Level1 modules for 3k.
From what I've just read - that seems far too cheap. And if thats the case I don't want to suck the market down with cheap droids.
Is it too cheap - and what would other DE's cost those 2 examples at roughly?
Thanks
Zorkk
Tue Sep 07, 2004 9:12 am
#28
I assume those are MSE's with storage modules? and your putting lvl 2 storage modules into them now?
If that's the case, then i'd say your sitting about right charging 1K for em. Go up in price as you go up in DE levels and can build the better modules. I seel my 10 item storage regular MSE's for 8K.
I've actually recently started considering running off afew oflevel 3 or 4's storage comps... to take down to mos eisley (noob area) and sell some storage droids cheap! 
get some customers who will buy droids later when they have tons of cash! hehe
get some customers who will buy droids later when they have tons of cash! heheZ
wassema
Tue Sep 07, 2004 1:20 pm
#29
Heh - thanks anyway.
It is good in one way - it means I'm a trail-blazer! ;-) Watch me sell them low level droids - dagnabbit!
Actually whilst I was working through to Intermediate Droid Schemas I did sell a few of my MSEs for 1k - so I'm hopeful as I sell better stuff people will come back for more.
Thanks anyway guys
good luck .
Kleston
Tue Sep 07, 2004 1:45 pm
#30
I wish it was as easy to make it as a low level DE as it used to be. I supported myself selling Seekers, over, and over, and over again. Now I can't get rid of the buggers thanks to bugs that let them be used infinately.
CTRL_ALT
Tue Sep 07, 2004 1:51 pm
#31
Good guide, I mainly base on server...I have never had a droid that exceeds 30,000 credits though, If you mine your own resources you can build any droid for less than 2,000 credits cost to you. (roughly, I didn't do all the math)
Shikkari
Tue Sep 07, 2004 2:52 pm
#32
Hey very nice guide !!!!
Question: What about price breaks for quantity? And how about special consideration for detonating droids since they aren't the kind that last forever?
I have a customer who bought 10 exploding R3 units (Detonation rating 52) and I had no problem charging 50k each but I would think any price getting higher than that would just not be fair. At the moment I also sell MSE's with 37 detonation rating for 3k each if they by 10 or more. Seems fair to me and I'm still making a nice profit. I mine my own resources and I would think that should also have a bearing on prices as opposed to a DE who buys resources.
On the subject of price breaks I also consider what the total order quantity is. In other words the customer I mentioned who bought the 10 R3 suicide bombers also got 10 MSE's rating 37 for 25K as I considered my profit from the total order of both R3's and MSE's(which was still a nice profit I must say lol)
~Alkin
Question: What about price breaks for quantity? And how about special consideration for detonating droids since they aren't the kind that last forever?
I have a customer who bought 10 exploding R3 units (Detonation rating 52) and I had no problem charging 50k each but I would think any price getting higher than that would just not be fair. At the moment I also sell MSE's with 37 detonation rating for 3k each if they by 10 or more. Seems fair to me and I'm still making a nice profit. I mine my own resources and I would think that should also have a bearing on prices as opposed to a DE who buys resources.
On the subject of price breaks I also consider what the total order quantity is. In other words the customer I mentioned who bought the 10 R3 suicide bombers also got 10 MSE's rating 37 for 25K as I considered my profit from the total order of both R3's and MSE's(which was still a nice profit I must say lol)
~Alkin
Straker_Atrella
Tue Sep 07, 2004 8:40 pm
#33
On price breaks and supply costs.
I mine my own resources, usually running about 20 harvs. The problem on Scylla is that our best copper ever was an old spawn, it's hard to get it away from weaponsmiths as well. About 2 months ago, I found somebody willing to sell me some. 9 Million credits laters, I had a decent amount. This was very scary, since it was pretty much all I had. However, if I wanted to make my droids be as good as possible, I had to make the investment.
Tolium gas is the same situation. We have had some spawns with decent stats, yet the best stuff 994 OQ is an old spawn again. Plus your competing directly with CM's for it. So again if you want to make the best Bomb droids, you need to invest. I have probably invested over 5 million easy in Tolium.
It's very risky forking out a lot of cash for resources like that, something new could spawn the next day, and you could lose your money. Yet if you want to make the best droids the server can make, you want to look into it.
Honestly though, it's very hard to look at from another server, economies are different. Droids on my vendor range from 20k -85k, I have never ever had a single pricing complaint. I probably sell more 80k droids then any others. I have a few of my old Probots on my vendor that are like 2 points less then my new ones. Those are 60k, and effectivly fight the same. Yet people don't buy them. Nor do they buy the 25k starter combat droids, never sold one. They jump right to the 80k ones. You need to find the comfort zone on your server. At first, I tried pricing mine higher, I sold some, but not many. Then I dropped the price from 90k to 80k, sales took off. Same thing with my Trapping and Stimpack droids. At 75k they were not selling, yet at 70k, I sell a few a week.
Now to many people, I may sound money hungry, but I'm really not. ANYBODY in my guild gets whatever droids they want for free. Friends get free droids as well. I can't count how many I give away.
On bulk public orders, I do cut discounts. For example, I sell my 57 power R3 droids for 85km those take that copper and tolium. Yet for a crate of 5, I sell them for 400k, with a 5k savings. Just yesterday, I filled an order for 30 of them for somebody. For an order that big, I only charged him 75k per droid. Which honestly for the resources I used (and can't replace,) it wasn't cost effective, because others would have bought them at 85k. However it just felt "right" to cut him a break.
For normal droids, I don't do many bulk orders, my vendors are really full, so if people need a lot of droids, they just buy them from my vendor. However, if somebody does want a special order, I tell them about my 10k+ per chasis, and 10 per module deal. If they buy a lot, I cut them a deal, shave maybe 5k off a droid. Believe it or not, people actually refuse the discount, saying the normal price was more then fair.
Straker_Atrella
Wed Sep 08, 2004 12:03 am
#34
You definitly want to cover your costs and time for sure.
The real problem is the Droid system itself. Lower level Droids are just not all that needed. My origional post was aimed at Master or the highest level droids an modules. To be honest, I wouldn't have a clue how to price lower level droids.
Let's look at storage droids as an example. People use storage droids primarily because they do not have enough storage. Jedi (no backpacks,) and people who carry a lot of stuff fall into this catagory. Both cases "usually" involve people who have been playing a long time, so they need the space. They can only have 5 droids, so they wantto squeeze as much into those 5 spots as they can.
Honestly, you could probably GIVE storage droids with like 4 or 5 storage away, yet people would rather buy ones with 10. Simply becausethe money doesn't mean much, and they want the storage.
The best market for those droids would honestly probably be the bazaar. New players quite often look there.
As to the pricing on a level 6 storage MSE; I sell them for 20k. They will never decay and will always be there. Some may think that is farto expensive, but I honestly sell about 5-10 a day. It's hard to keep up sometimes. Am I making a large profit? Yes. More profit then on other droids yes, some droids I hardly make any money on at all, it all balances out. Guess what, the customers don't care. They EXPECT you to make a profit. If your friendly and give good customer service they WANT you to make a profit.
On pricing the lower droids, I wish I could help more. The sad fact is there is little market for them, which is why many DE's grind to Master.
Straker_Atrella
Mon Sep 13, 2004 2:55 pm
#35
Here is a recent example of what I am talking about.
I had a customer (recently unlocked his Jedi) asking about storage droids, since he can't wear a backpack. I told him that I stock all different types of storage droids on my vendors, if he didn't see what he wanted, then let me know.
Well after he looked, he was upset that I was charging 20k for MSE storage droids. I did tell him that if he bought 5 (like he wanted, I would give one at half price.) He still thought the price was to much, because Storage MSE's don't take that much to make.
So then we got talking....
Me: "What do you need storage droids for anyway?"
Him: "Stupid game wont let me wear a backpack in my robe."
Me: "Well at least Jedi don't need to carry armor, stims or much else besides food."
Him: "Loot man, I need it to carry loot. For when my main pack gets full."
Me: "So what your saying is that you don't want to pay 20k for a droid that will last forever, yet will allow you to carry 10 extra items that you will probably then sell for at least 20k each. Maybe millions."
Him: "Good point."
He then bought all 5 and didn't ask for a discount. I knew he had the money, it is not rare to see him bidding in the high millions on stuff, quite often selling stuff as well. People ARE willing to pay for Droids, they just need to realize their true worth.
Darth-Malus
Tue Sep 14, 2004 9:59 am
#36
Mayweed wrote:
Very good guide. Since I started with droids, I have been using this pre-made droid pricer to price mine up.
http://www.undeadfish.com/droids.php
Kleston wrote:
If you want, use my price list. It's in full detail of every item
http://bmo.jezolution.com/viewtopic.php?t=155
Excellent resources - as a new Master DE, I thank you. So far, I've been basically pricing at 20 credits per unit of resource - that's enough to cover a 100% profit even on the most expensive of materials I've acquired so far. I realize that I could probably get away with charging more, but to this point it's been more important to get my name out there. I've only sold one droid so far, a custom order for a basic R3 with Med Rating 110, a Food/Chem station, Stimpack dispenser (not a very good one though) and a 6-item storage compartment. I sold it for 40k because the customer was a fellow Bothan and a member of a guild that's been very helpful to me. He was prepared to pay 2 or 3 times that but I was not out to gouge him - and it wasn't as if it was an Advanced R3 with master-crafted components. If I were to make such a droid now, it would probably fetch 60k.
Straker_Atrella
Tue Sep 14, 2004 3:51 pm
#37
Actually Darth, at least using my pricing for Scylla, 40k for that Droid is a fair price. 10k per chasis, 10k per module x 3. So don't feel like you were really low.
The getting your name out there can be tricky. One one one custom orders allows you to "cut a deal" with the customer, building a relationship and a customer. In such a deal, you can always chrge more for droids on your vendor later, when you are more setup.
Charging to little to "get your name out," really only becomes a problem when you do it on your vendor. People like your prices, they come back. If now that your name is out, you raise your prices, they may become disgruntled and not come back.
So people with low prices get sort of forced into keeping them low. This degrades the "percepted value" of droids.
So basically, your doing 100% the right thing, building a one on one clientel while charging good prices.