Smuggler Archive
Thread: Non-paying customers
maybe I'm just a born sucker
Message Edited by Ipseck on 08-22-2004 09:44 PM
Ipseck wrote:
dude its just a game.. not everyone can afford 10k per slice
then they shouldn't of asked for the slice..
Cegrra
Master Smuggler
Ahazi
Unfortunately it also seems to come with an in-game 'take advantage of me' tag.
I enjoy the game immensely, and have wanted to be a smuggler from the day I started playing (I'm about 0-3-1-2 atm), but it seems that there are too many people out there that think we're running some sort of charity.
I've never had any problems with non-payment after the slice (mainly due to paying attention to what's been said on these boards and using all of the very helpful tips to spell it out before anything starts) - on the contrary, I actually had a guy last night that paid me for the slices (15k) and then decided that he really didn't want the stuff back! A saint to a smuggler after xp and cash.
However, for every angel like that, there are about 5 others that think slicing is some sort of free ride unless the person doing it is a Master. Now I don't think I'm charging a lot (3k per slice) but there have been so many people that have said that it's too much.
In itself, not a problem: your money, spend it how you want. But when I've wasted time just to get to the point when someone tries to bargain with me that they'll only pay if I get a xxx type of slice really annoys me. Especially when I point out that I don't make it random, the game does...
Smugglers don't have the greatest combat skills, so we have to pay out a lot in resources and buffs to help us do missions that will net us both the cash and xp that make it worth the time. Slicing is one of our main sources of income - especially on the ride up to master - as no-one wants low level spices and who'd waste xp on the Underworld tree when there's the Dirty Fighting one still to master?
So, while I know it's just a game, and I play to RP and enjoy it, it does annoy me to be expected to give away my services for free or next to nothing, just because I'm not a master. Does anyone expect an armoursmith to give away Ubese until they get to master and can make Comp?
So yeah - when I get to Master, my prices will go up. My character will charge what he wants. Any argument or non-payment, then as the saintly Master of my guild (who has been amazing at helping me on the path) said - "tell them to get nobbed and go hump someone else's leg!"
Ipseck wrote:
points taken
maybe I'm just a born suckerMessage Edited by Ipseck on 08-22-2004 09:44 PM
Haha Nah you're not a sucker. I'm not really even as harsh as I explain myself to be, but when I get a roll I tend to start flying off the handle
I certainly do like to help people, but I prefer to help people because I CHOSE to help them in the first place not because they tried to force it on me and I relented. I think that truly helping people happens when you do something nice that they didn't have to ask for. If you happen to overhear a conversation of some guy saying he's workin' real hard to earn some credits to buy something he want, and you then toss him a few creds to help out, then you're doing something nice. But if somebody is running around a city spamming "plz gve mee 10K" then giving them money isn't helping them; it might even make things worse by giving them the impression that it's easy to make money by begging. I apply the same type of thinking to my slicing.
Evayy wrote:
but any hints on dealing with folks that set u up to be nasty????
rogue_eight wrote:
it does annoy me to be expected to give away my services for free or next to nothing, just because I'm not a master. Does anyone expect an armoursmith to give away Ubese until they get to master and can make Comp?
That's the real problem, I think. The Devs have arranged it so that Smugglers are considered useless until they master. The only spices people still use are Moun and Pixie, the only demand for Underworld is to buy faction (doubly useless if you're neutral) and no one wants a slice from a non-Master.
Other professions do fine at intermediate levels. People buy Stim-B's all the time (yes, it takes a master doctor to maker the really good ones, but still), intermediate BEs can make money on mounts and pet stims, there's a demand for all kinds of Chef foods (not just Canape and Brandy)...
One of the things that might help, even if only a little, would be to make it so that the minimum possible slice goes up at each level of slicing. Sure, the Master would still be in higher demand (that makes sense), but there would also be some people who say "you know, even if all I got on this gun was a 20% slice, that would be fine". Just a thought, it's up to the Devs to balance our profession with the rest of them.
Shaan'ti Hokai (Kauri) 
1. It's the customers money to waste but it's my time. If they don't have the cash then they can bank tip me so we're not wasting more of my time. Screw them if they don't like the 5% surcharge! Carry cash next time.
2. Bank tips have been fixed. The previous issue was with who the email was from. It used to show the persons name (in cap's i believe) and it was possible for someone to copy the text and recreate an almost exact email. Now the email comes from 'bank' and that cannot be replicated.
3. Obviously it's up to you what you will and won'taccept. Me? I'll take the money every time.