CUEmu - Thread Posts

Cover_me_Porkins

Mon Jan 26, 2004 12:20 pm

Now that the initial thrill of Player Cities is over, what is it that is going to bring merchants and crafters inside the cities to sell their wares?

As a recently elected mayor of a Player City (Mos Boonta, Tatooine, Lowca Galax), I have found that the hardest task I have been facing is not only drawing new businesses into the city, but drawing LOCAL businesses into the city. It seems that by and large, most merchants and crafters would rather keep their shops *just* outside city limits, thus avoiding the sales tax that is placed on every item sold, and avoiding the property tax on their shop.

And i cannot say that i dont understand. What is there to gain by placing your vendor in a city? Thanks to vehicles, even the 1000 meter radius of a Metropolis isnt that big a deal, and to get the lower prices that people can charge due to a lack of sales tax, they willingly drive that distance.

By far, the biggest specialisation I see being taken up by cities is "research facility", - the one that gives bonuses to experimentation to anyone inside the city. Yet the merchants can easily go to their residence, do their crafting, and then head back out to their shop and sell their goods outside the city.

Sales tax is a significant portion of the income to a city, or at least it should be. How are we to afford all the ridiculously priced decorations, trainers, and terminals that we are given to place if we cant even keep a major source of income inside the city?

If we raise income tax, it punishes those that ARE "loyal" citizens of the city, using the mission terminals and trainers, even sometimes donating cash to the city. But the cash they are earning should be going BACK into the city, through the city's merchants.

No.

What we need is a reward scheme for placing a vendor in a city. A reason for the merchants to come back inside. Getting rid of sales tax isnt the answer.

I propose this:

There is currently a specialisation: Increased Job Market - which gives a 15% bonus on rewards for all missions done.

Why cant this be extended to reward those that DONT do missions? Who dont make their living down the barrel of a gun, but thru the output hopper of a crafting tool?

I would recommend that this specialisation also take into account a 5% bonus on all sales done WITHIN in the city. Not only will this off-set the sales tax (my city is currently set at 2%), but will also give merchants a further 3% bonus on all their sales. And when a piece of advanced composite, a very nice weapon, a crate of stims or a large house are sellign for more than 100k each, this would add up and Merchants would take notice. Hmm... maybe there IS a benefit to moving into the city.

That's my 2 creds, but it comes from personal experience. Fees without tangible rewards are just a reason not to do something, and 1000 meters isnt what it used to be ... not with a suped-up swoop between your legs.

Cheers!

Five-bellies

Five-bellies
Mayor, Mos Boonta
Tatooine
Lowca
www.mosboonta.com

DocSavag

Mon Jan 26, 2004 12:25 pm

#2

Well I don't think you will succeed there because that money is coming out of thing air. It isn't a mission reward it is just found money which the devs aren't too fond of and I dont' really blame them. You would do better working on some sort of a maintenance reduction or something that could be viewed as a discount instead of just making up money on a sale from no where.

I'll be honest with you though. If you have peple who live in your city but won't put vendors there because of a 2% sales tax then I think you have some selfish people living there. You asked why should they put the vendors there? Because the sales keep the property taxes down which is why we put up with them in real life too. You have to pay the bills for the city and they aren't doing their part if they are taking the sales out of the city.

Perhaps a better way would be to ask the devs to institute a territorial sales tax on all vendors outside of a city limits .. the rate would be relatively high which would encourage people to move into the cities for commerce.

----------------------------------
Chataka Windae
Rifleman/Combat Medic
CEO, Windae Enterprises
Mesric Sanctuary Founder

jbeck

Mon Jan 26, 2004 2:57 pm

#3

This is kind of a tough one. The only things I see as a draw for the city are the facilities. The, shuttle port, cantina, med-center, and mission terminals.

The player city I am a member of (Sanctuary, Dantooine, Flurry server) we made a concerted effort to keep the city center as a hub for our civic structures. It took a lot of work. And as the city expanded, everyone had to move their personal residence to the outskirts. However, now we have a shopping mall ringing the shuttle port with the cantina and med center bring a stones throw away. Many vendors enjoy the increased sales from people waiting for the shuttle to arrive.

Also, you need to educate your merchants that the sales tax is not being paid by the merchants. The people who purchase their goods pay it. A 2% sales tax is nothing in the greater scheme of things. If people want to hop on their scooters to head out 1km to get to a vendor for a tax-free sale, that is their choice. The convince of being able to browse vendors next to the shuttle port is well worth the 2% tax (convince fee) I have to pay.

--
Obie Castle
Master Weaponsmith
Come and visit my store located SE of Coronet, Corellia
Location 652 -5452
Flurry Server

DocSavag

Mon Jan 26, 2004 3:11 pm

#4

My point is that if the merchants who are putting their vendors outside the city are residents of the city they are engaging in behaviour that is unhelpful to their community. They are hurting the very player city they belong to. Why? Because they feel they can't compete with 2% higher sales than people not in the city? I submit that people in this game don't travel 1k out of their way to save 2%. Money is cheap in this game and people will take the easiest route most of the time.

The real benefit to a player city is honestly mostly social and role playing. There isn't anything you can't really get (other than cloning overt which is a mixed blessing) in a static city or a unincorporated community. The point is joining your in game friends in making a community. There are rewards along with way including being able to keep certain people out of your city buildings (with cityban) and some of the specializations. But the real reward is building something with a community of players. Why the merchants would damage this by pulling business away from town and causing their own taxes to be raised is beyond me.

----------------------------------
Chataka Windae
Rifleman/Combat Medic
CEO, Windae Enterprises
Mesric Sanctuary Founder

Soren_dVinn

Mon Jan 26, 2004 6:48 pm

#5

I agree with the poster.

Newly established merchants can probably benefit from the increased traffic through being in the city center... but if you are a high volume, established merchant there is no reason to be in a city if you're customers come to you.

It's just economics. Unless you like paying more money than other citizens.

Of course I find myself in the laughable situation where my city citizens won't let me have my residence in the city center and 4 food/factories close by (which I need access to). They're happy for me to set up shop in the city and pay sales tax.. but do they care if I have to run 300m to get crates from my factory output hoppers?

So the issue is not just sales tax: it's city designs as well.

And if you are forced to locate yourself and your factories on the perimeter of a city... why not move another 20 metres out and save yourself a whole lot of dough?

Selfish is a two-way street.

Soren Medicorp
Soren d'Vinn, Master Doctor of Scylla
Soren MediCorp at 6500,3800 Kaadara, Naboo
SSG: Scylla Surveyors Guild
http://ssg.ordo.cc

DocSavag

Mon Jan 26, 2004 9:04 pm

#6

How are you saving yourself dough? You dont' pay the taxes (unless you are talking about offers)

No offense meant but that doesn't sound like much of a community. I'd move

----------------------------------
Chataka Windae
Rifleman/Combat Medic
CEO, Windae Enterprises
Mesric Sanctuary Founder

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