Ranger Archive
Thread: Pricing / Overpricing
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Owen-Lars
Wed Jul 21, 2004 9:23 am
#27
But if ever I have felt that the player have overestimated the value and is offering too much, then I 'll suggest a more reasonable price. You might say I'm mad...whatever.
Your MAD!!!! hehe only joking
It boils down to personal preferance. Just because you offer to do it for less than the next ranger doesnt mean that every other ranger should do the same.
If you want to undercut the market demand price then so be it, i hope you do well, but for some of us, we have a good business set up and have lots of contacts that get their prices from the trade forums, we basically play the market and hit the spikes and avoid the troughs.
Most of us love hunting but also enjoy the business aspect too and if my time and efforts increase in value then im happy to take to complement and the contract.
Remember the contractors are paying you for a service, if they offer me a nice contact it means my services are much more highly regarded and valuable.
Ultimatly you play the market how you wish, suply your service at what level you want, price your service at what you want. If you run a business then lots of variables come into account and you can have fun with them:
Market Penetration: Getting into the market is easy but establishing your name and a good contractor portfolio is essential. An effective businessman can come up with various plans to grab a percentage to the market and build up that vital portfolio: Undercutting competitors, providing a high quality service and certain promotional offers to name a few schemes.
Contractor Loyalty Schemes: Again you play the market how you want, but the key to large scale success is to keep your contractors interested in hiring you. This can be achieved by many means. Over the year i have built a reputation to my contacts of providing a high quality and reliable service that they can depend on. I get organics very fast and reliably hit my targets. In return they offer me exclusive contracts and give me first options and 'holds' (guarenteed certain unit contact out of the whole amount). This works well for me. I cannot possibly complete all the contracts i am offered and thats why i have choosen the quality/reliability option.
Market Development: Keeping an eye on market changes and developments is key in the long term success and life of a business. Every change discussed on this board could potentially effect my business so i take those things into account. Pushing for new developments (increased harvest rates and methods) will allow me to push my business further and advance. In increase in harvest rates for example will allow me to offer a cheaper price to more of my contractors at once and perhaps even open up another revenue stream that is grind quality goods.
At the end of the day, do what you want and price how you want.
TryalNError
Wed Jul 21, 2004 9:55 am
#28
I've stayed out of threads like this in the past, because I don't like arguments, and what not. Everyone has their own opinion on what to charge for resources and what they will and will not hunt. I'm not going to judge anyone on what they charge, it's totally up to them.
Right now, I have a never ending contract with one doctor. I don't charge him for the meat I gather. I hunt critters because I like to hunt and enjoy the solitude of the outdoors, away from the crowded cities and spam fests. The doc I hunt for and I came to an agreement that if I need money (or anything for that matter) all I need to do is ask. There was a time I did need to ask him for a LOT of money because I was supplying a jedi (my hubby) with money for crystals. After the last patch crystals are easy to come by, so I have no real need for money.
Now had I been charging my doc for all the meat I've collected for him since the end of April I believe, I'd easily have 30 mil. Most likely more. What am I going to need 30 mil for? All I buy is veghash, ahrissa and brandy. I ocassionaly have to replace a piece of my armor (my last set of Ubese was bought by my doctor as a present, and I can't remember the last time I wore my composite armor). I rarely use my VKs. I normally just fight bare handed.
So that's the way I do things. It's neither right or wrong, just my own way. The Ranger's saying is "Ranger is a lifestyle not a profession." If that were true, then all rangers wouldn't charge for hunting. I'm truely going by that motto. (I'm sure I'll get flamed by this statement, so on goes the flame resist jacket I have) Again, I'm not saying anyone is right or wrong with how they choose to price resources, this is MY opinion and how I run things.
Right now, I have a never ending contract with one doctor. I don't charge him for the meat I gather. I hunt critters because I like to hunt and enjoy the solitude of the outdoors, away from the crowded cities and spam fests. The doc I hunt for and I came to an agreement that if I need money (or anything for that matter) all I need to do is ask. There was a time I did need to ask him for a LOT of money because I was supplying a jedi (my hubby) with money for crystals. After the last patch crystals are easy to come by, so I have no real need for money.
Now had I been charging my doc for all the meat I've collected for him since the end of April I believe, I'd easily have 30 mil. Most likely more. What am I going to need 30 mil for? All I buy is veghash, ahrissa and brandy. I ocassionaly have to replace a piece of my armor (my last set of Ubese was bought by my doctor as a present, and I can't remember the last time I wore my composite armor). I rarely use my VKs. I normally just fight bare handed.
So that's the way I do things. It's neither right or wrong, just my own way. The Ranger's saying is "Ranger is a lifestyle not a profession." If that were true, then all rangers wouldn't charge for hunting. I'm truely going by that motto. (I'm sure I'll get flamed by this statement, so on goes the flame resist jacket I have) Again, I'm not saying anyone is right or wrong with how they choose to price resources, this is MY opinion and how I run things.
VeriBeri
Thu Jul 22, 2004 7:41 am
#29
Well, here is my 2.718281828 cents on the topic of pricing in MMOGs:
Over time, the relative market prices of goods can be expected to reflect:
1. the amount of (real life) time the most efficent producers needs to spend to produce them
2. the price of other inputs
3. the "enjoyment" factor (if an activity is enjoyable, plp are willing to accept lower prices for the goods produced by it, because they feel they are already compensated)
4. the "desirability" factor (a new loot can be priced higher at the beginning because there are plp willing to pay a premium to be the first to have it, or resources with higher stats are abviously more valuable)
Services (e.g. ID) has an additional cost because the provider and user need to be at the same place at the same time.
All of these, taken togther determine the "supply and demand", hence the market price of goods/services.
Personally, I have a target cash hoard level. When I'm below it, I spend some more time hunting for commercial gain, when I'm above it, I help more newbies or chip in for the city (in a modest way). It's nice to be able to tip someone to help them, or to thank an entertainer for live entertainment. I don't spend money on luxury or status items (because unlike rl, in SWG they don't help me to find dates), and I don't have to have the absolutely best armor/weapons (so called uber l337 stuff).
Over time, the relative market prices of goods can be expected to reflect:
1. the amount of (real life) time the most efficent producers needs to spend to produce them
2. the price of other inputs
3. the "enjoyment" factor (if an activity is enjoyable, plp are willing to accept lower prices for the goods produced by it, because they feel they are already compensated)
4. the "desirability" factor (a new loot can be priced higher at the beginning because there are plp willing to pay a premium to be the first to have it, or resources with higher stats are abviously more valuable)
Services (e.g. ID) has an additional cost because the provider and user need to be at the same place at the same time.
All of these, taken togther determine the "supply and demand", hence the market price of goods/services.
Personally, I have a target cash hoard level. When I'm below it, I spend some more time hunting for commercial gain, when I'm above it, I help more newbies or chip in for the city (in a modest way). It's nice to be able to tip someone to help them, or to thank an entertainer for live entertainment. I don't spend money on luxury or status items (because unlike rl, in SWG they don't help me to find dates), and I don't have to have the absolutely best armor/weapons (so called uber l337 stuff).
buzzlo
Thu Jul 22, 2004 7:48 pm
#30
Man I love this thread.......So to refrain from posting more moot points I will say I have never had anyone complain about RANGER pricing on KETT!!! Buffs are still 10k and less if the SP get busy with buffers. But, with that said...um SWG has an economy just like R/L and its kinda neat!!
Phenix1050
Thu Jul 22, 2004 10:54 pm
#31
I am proud to say that I am a part of Fred subterfuge. I sell exclusively to him and I am never wanting for creds. True, I have yet to cracka million, but that's fine. my bank accounty hovers pleasently around 500-750k and that's fine. I can't spend that much and I have no need for the newest craze (the junk dealer quests come to mind. Saw somebody offering a single piece of one of the kits for 200k and people were crowding around them trying to be first to buy it. crazyiness.
I, like Fred, can't make a dent in the economy. I sell to Fred for whatever he's paying that day...which, unless he gives me a bonus, is rarely over 20cpu...and that's the same Endorian insect on Eclipse. I've seen people offering 125 cpu and...it's tempting. Sorry Fred...only harvested 6k of the stuff today.../burstrun;/shout Endorian insect! 10k! selling for 125 cpu! pst w/ bst ofer.
oy. But yeah, doc buffs are getting rediculous...but it's because of the market we are a part of and if docs are willing to PAY more...it's because they know that they will MAKE more. However, i look at it like this, in terms of overpricing:
docs used to routinely pay no more than 100cpu for great stuff (except SOME people) stuff. They used to charge 10k for full buff set.
I now see people selling for 125cpu. Docs now charge 15k. Thus a 25% increase in the price has equated to a 50% increase in the buff cost? Blah, I just hope that Rangers aren't getting blamed. As long as we can hold our own greed, I think it shouldn't be a problem. In the end though, Calc is right. It's all supply and demand. I stood in line yesterday for a 6k buff that was only 2000 per stat. 10 feet away there was a line 3 times as long for a Master doc buffing 2500 for 12k. It's all what you're willing to pay. In my opinion, the ideal solution is to have a doc or two in your guild that you sell to for cheap...the offset of which is that you get free buffs when you show up. Speaking of that Fred, I was talking to someone about getting a doc for our guild.I would have told you ingame but I wasn't on today.
Owen-Lars
Fri Jul 23, 2004 2:31 am
#32
I still find my buffs are costing me 10k i have no probs
5k increase (50%) is very out of whack but its obvious the docs are willing to charge anything aslong as they can still get the avain.
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