Droid Engineer Archive
Thread: Vendor Search: Will you turn it on for your vendors?
Reaperss wrote:
Thing is, I sell 5 of mine for every one of theirs, so I make more money.
Always nice to see such claims. Let's getsomefigures out in the open to see ifit's true.Ok, 80k probot so I'm assuming your referring to a version with 5 combat modules. My probots are 548 combat rating, 3184 HAM and 20% armor, priced at 115k. In february and march I've sold 14 of them. To eliminate server preferences for chassis types and such, we should look at all combat droids sold.The only other combat droid I stock so far is an R3, 600 combat rating, 4477 HAM and 20% armor for 120k. I've sold 22 of those in the same period.
There are almost constant arguments here about pricing, Just wondering which one would indeed bring in more sales, supported by some hard salesfigures. Volume pricing or pricing according to the rate I value my time. My location during this period has been Theed Mall, a high profile well known spot on Eclipse. I've started selling there about 2 months ago. About a third of my sales have been in the first month,two thirds in the second month.
Message Edited by Washell on 03-23-2005 04:32 PM
Message Edited by Washell on 03-23-2005 04:36 PM
Washell wrote:
4 times the amount of work for a quarter of the pay and my sales are still climbing, nice quick response btw
Message Edited by Washell on 03-23-2005 04:36 PM
I do them in factory runs. So 10 or 100 it's the same amunt of work.
- Make the ability to list on a Galaxy wide search a tier 4 merchant skill
- Show no prices, allow no purchases
- Catagory revamp
Otherwise, there will be no end of complaints. While I am not yet ready to believe that rampant undercutting will spell the end of crafting, I am willing to conceed that even the chance of this happening means prices should disappear from the list.
Basically, GWS would become a catalog, allowing buyers to see if what they want is out there, and where to get it. It will become more like the yellow pages in a phone book than a true catalog, since price info and ordering are not allowed. This would be more in line with the advertising nature of the change, making it more important to place the option in the Merchant tree above the Planetary Map listing.
Its the best of both worlds, allowing buyers to find what they are looking for without the need to run all across the planets, and allow sellers to sell without fear of undercutting and still giving weight to location and all the other nebulous things that make Merchants what they are.
Having seen Enigma's shop, I now have reason for concern.
Oss_Wilum wrote:
i started the game as a DE, been through the probot nerf, cluster stacking, lack of good modules, and then i left DE over the implementation of combat droids.
As a consumer, I love this, I can search for all the loots, cheapo weapons to resell after slice, and other such items in half the time it would take normally.
As a capitalist, i think if someone sells the same quality product for a lesser price, they deserve to take all your business and i believe the consumers deserve to get it at that price until it is no longer available at that price. If your business is failing because they are able to undercut you, then you must rely on customer loyalty, all the while trying to lower costs on your product, because they are doing a damn fine job at what they do.
Capitalism does not apply in a game. There is no downside to running at "cost," you can do it forever. In a game there is zero need to make a credit more then what it costs you to run.
I know that even if I was able to find armor at 50k a 4 piece suit, i would still shop at Slyder's because I like slyder and i've been wearing his armor for a very long time. I feel comfortable with Slyder's armor and have no need to search for a new vendor just yet.
This is fine, it will help some people, yet what aboutthe new person coming along? Crafting is a playstyle, people should be able to choose it if they want too.
You have no right to cry if they are putting out the same thing at a better price and consumers flock to them. It's YOUR fault if your business fails.
I totally disagree with this. If somebody decides that they don't care about credits, and "sales" are what make them happy, yet another person wants to actually be able to buy things with their profits, such as an AV-21, how is it their "fault" to actually want ot turn a profit?
All the "capitalism" and "the cheapest product should win" arguements translate to is, "I want to spend as little money as possible for crafted goods, thiswill allow me to keepmore money from missions or sellingloot, then I will have more money to spend on loot items myself." What makes you think that crafters don't like to buy items as well?
If people want capitalism, then it should be in all aspects of the game, not just one. For missions there should be a bidding system, the people who bid the cheapest should get the mission. Nothing wrong with competition right? I'm doing missions for force sensitive, I jsut want the xp, I will do the missions for 1 cr each. I just put every person wanting to make money from missions on that planet out of business. Same with quests, why should an NPC pay you 10k for a quest when another combatent will do it for free.
This is exactly the same thing as what you are suggesting for crafters. Why shouldn't it apply for everybody? Implement taxes on loot and we then can have true capitalism.
Reaperss wrote:
I think I'm the cheapest known DE on Flurry and have been for a long time. I make my money by moving volume. Some people sell Probots for 80k, I sell them for well below 1/2 of that. Thing is, I sell 5 of mine for every one of theirs, so I make more money. I sell tons of BH droids, 2k for Seeker crates, 12k for Arakyd crates. If someone goes lower I'll match them dollar for dollar. I have millions of units of resources, 6 factories and the desire to be the biggest DE on the server. I might be already. Zorkk is more well known, but she does alot of custom orders and sells other things (resources). While I talk to Zorkk all the time, and try not to affect her business, we have different business styles and different goals. I have plenty of money in the bank (90% from droids sales), 2 good locations and the drive to succeed. I didn't want this change but now that I'm stuck with it I'm going to use it.
There is no such thing as selling Droids by volume. Droids don't wear out, if one person gets a probot that is the only Probot they will ever buy. There is a finite amount of droids to be sold.
At the same time, if people want a droid they will buy one, Combatent money is infinite, you never run out. If you sell 10 - 12 Probots a week at 35k, you would probably sell about the same at 70k. People are buying your droids because of quality stock, and because they want a droid. Saving 35k for something that will never wear out isn't generating nearly as many sales as you think.
10 Probots at 35k = 350k a week.
5 Probots at 70k = 350k a week.
So even if your sales dropped by you would make as much money, and save time and resources. If you sell a single droid more then 5, then you make more money sellnig for twice as much.
This is exactly the problem with the new vendor system, many people just don't understand that on items that don't wear out there is no "more sales because I am cheaper," the only one it hurts is yourself. Now those people will be side by side with everybody else.
Straker_Atrella wrote:
Reaperss wrote:
I think I'm the cheapest known DE on Flurry and have been for a long time. I make my money by moving volume. Some people sell Probots for 80k, I sell them for well below 1/2 of that. Thing is, I sell 5 of mine for every one of theirs, so I make more money. I sell tons of BH droids, 2k for Seeker crates, 12k for Arakyd crates. If someone goes lower I'll match them dollar for dollar. I have millions of units of resources, 6 factories and the desire to be the biggest DE on the server. I might be already. Zorkk is more well known, but she does alot of custom orders and sells other things (resources). While I talk to Zorkk all the time, and try not to affect her business, we have different business styles and different goals. I have plenty of money in the bank (90% from droids sales), 2 good locations and the drive to succeed. I didn't want this change but now that I'm stuck with it I'm going to use it.
There is no such thing as selling Droids by volume. Droids don't wear out, if one person gets a probot that is the only Probot they will ever buy. There is a finite amount of droids to be sold.
At the same time, if people want a droid they will buy one, Combatent money is infinite, you never run out. If you sell 10 - 12 Probots a week at 35k, you would probably sell about the same at 70k. People are buying your droids because of quality stock, and because they want a droid. Saving 35k for something that will never wear out isn't generating nearly as many sales as you think.
10 Probots at 35k = 350k a week.
5 Probots at 70k = 350k a week.
So even if your sales dropped by you would make as much money, and save time and resources. If you sell a single droid more then 5, then you make more money sellnig for twice as much.
This is exactly the problem with the new vendor system, many people just don't understand that on items that don't wear out there is no "more sales because I am cheaper," the only one it hurts is yourself. Now those people will be side by side with everybody else.
Not true. I have tons of repeat customers. I have customers that have bought 4-5 probots from me. If, for instance, new resources spawn that allow me to make better combat moduels customers buy new droids. If I launch a new configuration, or if they they change professions for the 10th time. Or, and this has been happening alot lately, they start a new toon.
Also, we do not sell in a vacuum. While combatent $ is infinate, that does not mean pricing doesn't matter. My customers come back to me and refer others to me because I stock quality droids at very good prices.
Reaperss wrote:
Straker_Atrella wrote:
Reaperss wrote:
I think I'm the cheapest known DE on Flurry and have been for a long time. I make my money by moving volume. Some people sell Probots for 80k, I sell them for well below 1/2 of that. Thing is, I sell 5 of mine for every one of theirs, so I make more money. I sell tons of BH droids, 2k for Seeker crates, 12k for Arakyd crates. If someone goes lower I'll match them dollar for dollar. I have millions of units of resources, 6 factories and the desire to be the biggest DE on the server. I might be already. Zorkk is more well known, but she does alot of custom orders and sells other things (resources). While I talk to Zorkk all the time, and try not to affect her business, we have different business styles and different goals. I have plenty of money in the bank (90% from droids sales), 2 good locations and the drive to succeed. I didn't want this change but now that I'm stuck with it I'm going to use it.
There is no such thing as selling Droids by volume. Droids don't wear out, if one person gets a probot that is the only Probot they will ever buy. There is a finite amount of droids to be sold.
At the same time, if people want a droid they will buy one, Combatent money is infinite, you never run out. If you sell 10 - 12 Probots a week at 35k, you would probably sell about the same at 70k. People are buying your droids because of quality stock, and because they want a droid. Saving 35k for something that will never wear out isn't generating nearly as many sales as you think.
10 Probots at 35k = 350k a week.
5 Probots at 70k = 350k a week.
So even if your sales dropped by you would make as much money, and save time and resources. If you sell a single droid more then 5, then you make more money sellnig for twice as much.
This is exactly the problem with the new vendor system, many people just don't understand that on items that don't wear out there is no "more sales because I am cheaper," the only one it hurts is yourself. Now those people will be side by side with everybody else.
Not true. I have tons of repeat customers. I have customers that have bought 4-5 probots from me. If, for instance, new resources spawn that allow me to make better combat moduels customers buy new droids. If I launch a new configuration, or if they they change professions for the 10th time. Or, and this has been happening alot lately, they start a new toon.
Also, we do not sell in a vacuum. While combatent $ is infinate, that does not mean pricing doesn't matter. My customers come back to me and refer others to me because I stock quality droids at very good prices.
Right, if the droid changes they will come back and buy a better model. You are assuming that they wouldn't do the same thing if the price was higher. Just like people pay 30k for a T21 that is 5 points higher, they will do the same thing for a Droid, only the Droid wont wear out.
If somebody changes professions, they are going to buy a droid, they would buy it if it was more in price as well.
You get repeat business because of Stock, Quality, and Customer service, not just because of prices. People refer people to me all the time, I sell probably 25 Combat Droids a week, yet my prices are probably a little higher then others. Other things then prices matter far more.
No this isn't a vacuum, yet the fact remains that you or I could make more money either running missions, or selling loot. In one month of loot sales, I could double what I have done in DE in a year, easily. Of course people will look for cheap prices, because this gives them more money to spend on other stuff, this doesn't mean that they can't afford or wont pay more though. If 80k is the norm for a Probot on your server, it is the norm because that is what people are willing to pay. You only hurt yourself by charging half that.