1 (edited by Doek 2013-06-11 08:08:41)

Topic: NPC commodity market

... not trade goods, actual commodities (and fragments, possibly even decoders and kernels).

Essentially my argument for this hinges on division of labour, or complete lack thereof. This is a critical balance issue, mostly revolving around critical mass driving actual supply and demand.

The trade profession (as an actual profession, with a low barrier of entry), in my opinion essential to the sandbox, can't exist as it stands. As such, combat players have no reason to sell their minute quantities of kernels, fragments, decoders, damaged loot (= commodities). The industrialist (prototyper, refiner, producer) needs to get every component at great transactional costs (too great, if the retention rate is something to go on). I feel that what it comes down to is that for every new player wanting to take any industrial role in this game, they need to adopt every conceivable (pve) role in this game.

This boils down to the very promise of this game being a blatant lie; there's no player-driven economy. No supply and demand, no division of labour, no specialization. It's just people selling a (truly random) assortments of modules, and people putting up buy orders that in no way reflect the true value of items (whatever that is, obviously).

To conclude this wall of text; expand the selection of NPC buy/sell orders to aforementioned commodities, with prices of factional items varying among the islands (driving trade). This wouldn't be the first sandbox economy kick started using this method...

Re: NPC commodity market

Yes, I feel too that with the current state of the game, there needs to be more NPC seeded sell orders, with premium price of course to keep things fair.

Re: NPC commodity market

Doek wrote:

expand the selection of NPC buy/sell orders to aforementioned commodities, with prices of factional items varying among the islands (driving trade). This wouldn't be the first sandbox economy kick started using this method...

So much this. Make it happen guys, I know you can do it.

4 (edited by Celebro 2013-06-21 15:37:10)

Re: NPC commodity market

Wouldn't be the first sandbox game that does this , seed commodities at a price that would still allow players to compete.

RIP PERPETUUM

Re: NPC commodity market

Are you suggesting that Epi, Norgalis, and Colix based commodities should be included?

Re: NPC commodity market

Arga wrote:

Are you suggesting that Epi, Norgalis, and Colix based commodities should be included?

That could be seeded on beta terminals. Bare in mind this will only be a temporary solution until players can sustain a healthy market.

RIP PERPETUUM

Re: NPC commodity market

Very temporary, and to be honest, rebalanced on a very frequent basis.

Re: NPC commodity market

Doek You nailed it.

No need to over complicate this, seed the basic commodity's, and stuff for needed prototyping. 

Keep all beta, and gamma ( Epi and Colx) off the markets and you got it.

The Gifter
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9 (edited by Zortarg Calltar 2013-06-22 10:29:51)

Re: NPC commodity market

plenty of ppl tryed to make a living (ice) by selling epri and colixum.

look at the prices we have now. they all quit because nothing is paid anymore. epri at 5nic... let me laugh. ppl sold that for 14nic 1,5 years ago. nora at 9nic also atm.

the suplly is not the problem. set up a buy order with a reasonable price and ppl will deliver. even at this population. the prices are so low, not because of the lack of supply, but the big lack of demand. you dont have to wonder that nobody sells for that.

i had two corpmates who tryed to make a living on epri and nora. (i dont have to mention that colixum is out of the question. nobody buys that anyway, at least not at a rate that would be worth mining it compared to the other ores).
what happend? prices dropped that drasticly that they could not get rid of their materials anymore. so no living from it, and guess where they are now? not in the game anymore. i highly doubt the supply is the problem...
maybe some npc buy orders at a price that would be worth it will make more of a impact.

Re: NPC commodity market

I decided to not wait around. All alpha terminals now have an extensive amount of buy orders and a selection of sell orders on alpha materials, commodities, fragments and implements. If the supply is really all that (and I made sure the prices generously reflect their value), I should be able to offer large quantities of commodities throughout alpha soon.

If you're interested in donations, bonds, loans, etc. to support this initiative, contact me.