Topic

Abusing the auctions

There are too many overpriced items on the auctions. Some of them are for the projects, but others are just abusing the system.

When you place an auction the item disappears from your bags. So some people just place auctions that nobody would buy just to free some bag space. So maybe you can make it so the item remains on your bag until someone purchases it?

Posted 20 months ago by Yaya Subscriber! | Permalink

Replies

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  • I agree Yaya. In terms of the overpricing at least I almost bought some dirt priced at 2000 currants because I wasn't paying too close attention, I assume most auctions are reasonably priced. Now I know to look more carefully, but others might not be as lucky,

    Also on the storage front I think thats not right; it almost serves as a backup bag or a free teleport to home to retrieve an item. I do like that the item disappears from the bag, especially when low on space, so I don't know what an alternate option would be. Though in the long run I wonder if too many people will abuse this and mess up  the auctions, sending other real auctions to the bottom.
    Posted 20 months ago by Gabi Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Over pricing on auctions is a problem in all games that have them. I would say that Glitch is far better than most as there is only one unit of currency so you don't get that couple of a high value coin being hidden away. What also helps is that the cost per item is also shown.
    Posted 20 months ago by Harry Subscriber! | Permalink
  • It's also annoying when people buy your reasonably-priced auction just to relist it seconds later at over four times the price.
    Posted 20 months ago by andonida Subscriber! | Permalink
  • A few points I would like to make regarding the Auctions and i'm glad Yaya you've put this thread together.

    I have to say that I do have a different view on this than I suspect the majority have.  It is something I have explored in the last couple of tests.  I have been amazed that people sometimes get into a buying frenzy on the auctions - especially when they are involved in a project.  I will openly admit that I have deliberately put items up for auction at what I would consider to be extremely high prices.  In business I belive the term would by "gouging" (although from limited memory of economics I think that applies more to profiteering)
    This means as a seller I would sell something for an unreasonable price because someone has a need for it.

    What I wanted to explore was how much would people actually be willing to pay for items on auction and I was surprised to see that players with higher levels didnt seem to care much about how much they paid - the example at the start of this thread about dirt going for 2K is a good pointer.  I can only assume that people want to not only do their part for a project but obviously want to be a top contributor - and of course to get that top spot you need a good supply of things and someone will try and make a profit from this.

    Glitch has always impressed me with its lack of rules or more to the point a lack of rules we find in the real world.  The Economy within Glitch is a free market one - as players we all have a choice if we buy or not and to sell or not.  I have sold some items for high prices but I am pretty sure that as time moves on people would not continue to buy my auction items as I would get a reputation for overcharging and there will be far more similar items for sale making my overpriced items less attractive.  As in the free market in the real world, it should balance itself out. (my high selling I should add has been for research on this area, I tend to give most of my stuff away!)

    As a side note - this is where something like a lumber (or Timber) business mentioned in another thread is also fascinating.  A group of players who can corner the supply of a material such as wood can ultimately control the price - something the consumers have to make hard decisions when choosing to buy or not.

    Whilst this might be "annoying" "unfair" " a problem" and many other comments that I don't necessarily disagree with - I also think its very very "real" and I believe will balance itself out.

    Finally on the subject of sellers putting something up for auction with only a limited use left (e.g Hallowed powder 1/5).  Interstingly, none of us seem to have no problem selling a nearly used item to a street sprite but do when they are auctioned.  Whats the difference here?  Our morals and ethics for fairness seem to change when dealing with a subroutine (the sprite) that a real person (even though the real person has spent no "real" money to buy the auction item).  Perhaps the ancient phrase "Caveat emptor" applies here - but I do think in fairness there should be a listing box that gives more detail of the item such as usage left when auctions are put up.  Again, in the real world, I would look at an item before purchasing and would see it was on its last legs.  Or if it were an ebay style item I would have some recourse to seek a refund for the item.

    As the game grows and leaves beta I, for one, will be very interested to see how the financies of this game grow and develop.  After all, to quote a campaign message, "its the economy stupid!"
    Posted 20 months ago by Bob Apple Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I too agree that some of the items on auction are way over priced, but as Bob said, this happens in all games where selling items is available.  Yes, it can also be annoying for people when they put something up for a reasonable or cut down price (especially at a request), and someone then buys it, only to place it back at a ridiculously high price. However, I tend not to delve into this as it only serves to raise blood pressure and, unless the game is geared to stop that, it will always happen.

    I now gloss over what I feel is way overpriced, but of course, for a new player, or someone who is 'desperate' for an item, they might likely pay, if they have the currants to do so; that's demand and supply for you.

    What I would like to see, however, is an RRP listed against the auction price for each item. We have an RRP when we place the item, so it's in the system.  That way a buyer is more informed when they hit the buy button, then 'buyer beware' also becomes 'buyer aware' :)
    Posted 20 months ago by ♥joby♥ Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I find it quite interesting - I always post auctions up at the recommended price, and what other people do with the items I sell, once they are out of my hands, is up to them. I don't care if people resell them to make a profit.  I make enough money to do what I need, and I actually think that as long as some items are up at the RRP, people will be less likely to buy the overpriced ones. Isn't that how the real world works?
    Posted 20 months ago by Disco Dolly Subscriber! | Permalink
  • ok sure stop the abuse of it by keeping items in the bag but I dont see the point of people qqing about stuff being bought cheap and sold higher, thats life people, and when the game releases and people have more currants the prices are going to majory go up so I would get used to it just because there is a value price and a price stuff has been selling for the last X amount of time doesnt mean its the right price for the item. its all about personal wealth and  value towards the player not *what you think is cheap*
    Posted 20 months ago by Hootaholic Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I hadn't really played with the auctions much in previous tests, but this time around, I spent a lot more time in them.

    The first few items I sold were at pretty much the recommended price, but then I started to experiment with price increases to see just how much people were prepared to pay. It turns out that they're prepared to pay considerably over the odds for certain things, and when you think about it, it's pretty understandable why. Certain goods, whilst readily available, are restricted by location. If you're camped out by a nice seam of sparkly mining away and are running out of energy, the nearest food vendor is probably at least several streets away, or if you want Earthshakers from Helga, that's a fair trek too. And that's valuable mining time wasted, so you'll happily pay over the odds in an auction than spend a not inconsiderable time walking to find a cheaper supplier.

    Once you get to a certain level in Glitch, it's not that hard to get together a reasonable amount of currents to fuel your in-game activities. The thing that will always be a real constraint (for most people, anyway) will be time - the amount that they have available in their life to spend on the game. I guess there will always be a healthy supply of players who are currant-rich and time-poor, who will continue to be a good market for sellers.

    "Interstingly, none of us seem to have no problem selling a nearly used item to a street sprite but do when they are auctioned."

    Well, the street spirits are privy to the inner workings of the game and can presumably tell that your tinkertool is about to go pop. It's their decision. With the way the auctions currently work, a human player can't distinguish between a full jar of powder and a nearly empty one.

    "Our morals and ethics for fairness seem to change when dealing with a subroutine (the sprite) that a real person (even though the real person has spent no "real" money to buy the auction item)."

    A real person may not have spent real money, but to earn those currants, they've certainly invested time and effort to get them. If you cheat on me in auction, you're essentially cheating me out of a chunk of my time, which is, as I said, a limited commodity. Stealing time from me is just as bad as stealing money...

    As for the original point about using the auctions as a holding place - an extension of the bag - I think there should be some disincentive to list frivolous or pretend auctions. A listing fee which is a small percentage of the asking price should do it, I think. 
    Posted 20 months ago by dopiaza Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I think the dev's are working on better sorting options for the Auctions... including getting the pagination to display. Sort by Price will also help... then it won't matter how much people are selling for, people will be easily able to find what they need at the best cost.

    A 'listing fee' would only inconvenience the young, because as you've noticed... higher level folks have cash to burn. Trying to dictate market behaviors, or getting players to behave in a certain way... well, it'll just start yet another flaming argument in the Forums. I think the 'fix' in this case is a simple one, and totally in the hands of the developers... and they're working on it - we just have to sit tight and be patient.
    Posted 20 months ago by Travinara Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I agree Trav. To the listing fee point, it is an interesting idea but maybe only for auctions listed at a certain price or higher?
    Posted 20 months ago by Gabi Subscriber! | Permalink
  • One user has put this site together http://glitch.nathangraves.com/ so you can check for best deals on auction - it looks very cool, though I have not used it myself yet.  
    Posted 20 months ago by riscy Subscriber! | Permalink
  • +1 for what Bob said.

    Also, I'll mention that I used to buy overpriced auction items regularly, because I had so many currants and thought of it as a way of sharing them. I don't do that any more. (Though I do still sometimes buy an insanely overpriced thing from someone trying to buy a house or something.... it's the only means we have to give another player currants.)


    (I will point out, as long as I'm posting, that these are not "auctions" at all, since we can't bid. So they should kinda have a different name. They are more like Craigslist.)


    Being able to expand our pockets is a strange loophole, but I'm not sure the right way to fix it. Because I should be able to be a farmer, or a cook, or whatever, and provide the world with veggies, meals, cocktails, whatever... and if I'm using the auctions to hawk my goods, I don't think my pockets should be penalized.


    Buying at one price and reselling at another is not a problem.
    Posted 20 months ago by clare Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I think some of these issues will sort themselves out over time - some just with the increase of players. The theory of free market is that it will balance...

    That said - I agree some things could help it do so.
    - post the suggested amount beside the price (what it would cost at a vendor)
    - more in depth description - if it only has 1/5 uses left etc.
    - better sorting (by price and / or by date of posting)
    Posted 20 months ago by Mimi Subscriber! | Permalink
  • To clarify my point aound ethics - and happy to admit i'm wrong here - but the sprites buy a product from you at the same price no matter what condition it is in.  The point I am making is that players don't have an ethical problem selling a nearly used item to a sprite because the sprite isnt real - but when selling in an auction is becomes more contentious.  My point is that our morals change depending on circumstance - human nature at its most real.

    As for cheating you out of time - ultimately it is a matter of choice - if you wish to buy an overpriced item with your hard earned currants then that is your decision based on the value/need you place on that item.  I would suspect that a player that regularly "cheats" people in auction by selling nearly used items will get a reputation and word will spread fairly quickly but would also be solved by listing box with some detail by the item on the auction screen.
    Posted 20 months ago by Bob Apple Subscriber! | Permalink
  • + 1 Mimi - agree completely
    Posted 20 months ago by Bob Apple Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I'd like to see a way to sell only to a particular player.  If my friend asks for parsnips, I'd like to be able to click on his name in a chat window, choose "sell to," and transfer parsnips in exchange for currants (or whatever else we agree upon).  I know that there's a "trade" option, but I've only seen it briefly, when someone has clicked on it by accident, and I don't think it works when players are not standing on the same street (please correct me if I'm misremembering). 

    I say this because yesterday I was trying to make choice crudites for a project, and had run out of mushrooms.  My friend auctioned 400 of them on my behalf, but I was only able to purchase part of that number because she had to auction them in sets of ten (their stack size), and other people purchased several stacks before I could get to them.  What she was really trying to do was to transfer mushrooms to me at cost, not sell them at auction.

    That brings me to another question: why can't we auction more than one stack of an item at once?  If the buyer doesn't have inventory space for the entire purchase, it could be held by the auction house for an hour, let's say, or until space becomes available.
    Posted 20 months ago by glum pudding Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Agreed glum! (being the mushroom seller)(no implications there :P ) It was a bit of a pain having to go back and individually auction each stack of ten mushrooms so it would be nice if we could "auction all" or something to that effect like the way we can donate to shrines.
    Posted 20 months ago by Gabi Subscriber! | Permalink
  • On the flip side, if there are no other auctions up for what you are selling, how do you know what the going rate is and the current market price (on a supply and demand basis).

    Noone makes anyone buy the items at the prices listed, and if noone buys the higher prices the costs will fall.

    If people are willing to pay the prices then it will stay up.
    Posted 20 months ago by Araldia Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Gabi, it was definitely a pain, and I have to thank you again... you are terrific!

    Araldia, I think the auction should show the street vendor price(s) for a particular item, alongside the average auctioned price.  In the case of something like a musicblock, which vendors don't sell, the auction should show how much a vendor would pay for that item, and perhaps its value as a shrine donation.  This wouldn't stop some people from paying high prices, but at least they'd do so as informed consumers.
    Posted 20 months ago by glum pudding Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I would add that perhaps people are more reckless with how much they spend because they know they're going to lose everything after the wipe.

    Knowledge of the wipe has certainly affected the way I've played Glitch - I have absolutely no qualms spending large sums for things that I don't necessarily need. My thinking is that since there's going to be a wipe, why not spend to gain experience on what to buy/what not to buy after the wipe?
    Posted 20 months ago by Dienasty Subscriber! | Permalink
  • a big problem with auctions is that there is no pagination (on main, categories or items) and most recently listed items are listed first.  the buyer simply cannot make an  informed decisions as to what to purchase unless they know to go to the item in the encyclopedia and then click the 'auctions for that item' link there to compare them.  based on my time in the help channel, if people know the auctions exist, they also do not readily see the subcategories to choose 'drinks' or 'food, etc.  also in my experience, any auction over 10 hours old is very, very unlikely to be purchased if it's in a busy category like food (granted, 'in my experience' is a rather small sample, but note that i do not mark up my items beyond what a vendor would pay me for them).

    but overall, i'd say that this is less of a free market than a planned economy (where devs set prices to the vendors) and  black market (where things go for exorbitant rates from other players).  there also really isn't much scarcity (everything renews itself), and what scarcity there is based on time needed to re-spawn that item. so, a true free market would be hard pressed to exist in-game.

    +1 for glum's thoughts about adding a price sheet into the auctions!
    Posted 20 months ago by zeeberk Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I think when auctions become more available (pagination, search by item, sorting) then a lot of issues will resolve themselves from simple market economics.  People will buy the cheapest item, and if someone is willing to sell it for less they will see the opportunity and put up an offer.  The one-page scope is part of what makes the market so inefficient right now.
    Posted 20 months ago by Lelu Subscriber! | Permalink
  •  
    Posted 20 months ago by John Galt Subscriber! | Permalink
  • My other comment is it is only through observation of how players play as individuals that a system can be worked out.
    If in alpha and beta people do not "test" the constraints of systems, try for monopolies etc then how will the devs be able to cope with upscaling.
    I have seen other games where testing is not carried out sufficiently and this creates a much bigger problem at the live phase than it would have been had the testers not played to the limits of what is available.

    I think a lot of people forget this is a test sometimes, and use it to play the game for their own ends.
    Posted 20 months ago by Araldia Subscriber! | Permalink
  • While I don't rack up as large sums of money as other players, I do agree with Dienasty that it's a good idea to test everything while we're in testing, and not worry about currants being spent. Of course, people with more time constraints will be more strategic with money, but I don't bother much with that and often buy on impulse.

    I DO think there ought to be a 'limit' on how much you can charge for an item. I'm sure lots of people are going to argue with me on this, but I believe there should. For example, yesterday someone auctioned about 10 each of rubies and sapphires, and a few moonstones. And since the auction page only holds the most recent, all the other ones were pushed out of view. Sure, you can go to the category pages, but I do like to be able to view the various types of item on one page. What's more, all of the gems were wayyy overpriced. And I understand that sometimes they are used for projects, but come on, there wasn't even a test on!

    Now, I get that often someone will charge 1k or something for.a bean, just because they're trying to get money to someone. That problem can be solved in 2 ways. First, the obvious - just the ability to transfer money to someone, plain and simple. Second, I was thinking that there should be a limit on how much you charge according to the value of the item, but to make sure no one is put out by this, there could be auction 'requests,' where players could ask for a certain item at a certain price. Other players could view that page, and then click a button that would fill the request, regardless of whether it was over the price limit. The item would go directly to the person who requested it, to avoid people abusing it my making multiple accounts. This solution would make sure that overpriced auctions were only sold if someone *really* needed them.
    Posted 20 months ago by Cupcake Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Who are you protecting by limiting the price placed on an auction item?  Obviously you yourself would not pay that price.

    So, what harm would be caused by someone paying more than you think is reasonable for an item?

    Does any auction in the real world limit the price a customer can pay?
    Posted 20 months ago by WindBorn Subscriber! | Permalink
  • WindBorn, my point is that it litters the auctions. Currently, only a certain amount of recent auctions is displayed, meaning that when someone auctions a whole bunch of overpriced items, it basically rids the auctions of any reasonably priced items, unless you go to the separate category pages. It's also an aesthetic thing - I don't want to scroll through pages of ridiculously overpriced items to get to the ones I might actually buy.
    Posted 20 months ago by Cupcake Subscriber! | Permalink
  • The post was really about people freeing bag space via auctions! Not about overpriced items. Prices regulate themselves very efficiently on their own, and I don't think someone trying to charge high prices is abusing the system.

    Say I want to have 5 tinkertools at my disposal. Maybe I don't know tinerking iii and can't fix them. I just don't want to use up 5 bag slots. What do I do? I auction them at 9999999 currants so nobody would buy it but I free space on my bag. That is what my original post was about.
    Posted 20 months ago by Yaya Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Um, "There are too many overpriced items on the auctions. Some of them are for the projects, but others are just abusing the system." Sorry, I didn't mean to disrupt the thread - but you should know, people often go off on slightly different topics, it's not a huge deal :)

    And with all due respect, everyone doesn't have to agree with your point of view, just because you started the thread. It is a public forum.
    Posted 20 months ago by Cupcake Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Pagination and sort options are the fix for 'cluttered up' auctions. ;-)

    Interesting idea about freeing up bag space by putting stuff on auction.  I probably would have just sold them to a vendor for immediate currency or donated them to a shrine, though!


    While I do think some of the prices on auction are ridiculous, I don't support a cap on them.  I'd prefer to see how auctions work when they get fixed (can haz pagination, plz!).
    Posted 20 months ago by zeeberk Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Okay, so no cap - but I DO still think it would be cool to see a request auction page :D
    Posted 20 months ago by Cupcake Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I didn't intend for everyone to agree with me, that is why I posted the thread.. so we could discuss it and listen to each other.

    But the focus of the thread IS important because price gouging has been discussed a million times before in this forum, but the bag space issue hasn't.


    Also: chill.
    Posted 20 months ago by Yaya Subscriber! | Permalink
  • @Zee I don't want a cap either and pagination would be sweet. Its annoying to have to go to strategy wiki just to find older auctions on a certain item.
    Posted 20 months ago by Yaya Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I was replying to, "Prices regulate themselves very efficiently on their own, and I don't think someone trying to charge high prices is abusing the system." In the context of your post, it sounded like you were finalizing the issue. I apologize if you weren't.

    The bag space issue and the overpricing issue go hand in hand - if there was some way that people could be stopped from pricing items ridiculously, then the bag space issue would be solved, because you wouldn't be able to make sure no one bought the item. Keep an open mind, please.


    I do see all your points, though, and I now agree on no cap. 
    Posted 20 months ago by Cupcake Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I don't see a bag space issue, except for that particular player.  If I had 5 broken tinkertools, I'd throw them in a shrine or sell to a vendor to recover most of my cost and then buy them again later, if I needed them.  In fact, I've done this with things I want to free up bag space because it's a cost/benefit adjustment for me.  Example: I was carrying around two firefly jars when I hadn't collected fireflies for two test periods.  I sold them both back to a vendor, regained bag space which allowed me to do other things.  When I needed them again, I just bought them.

    The fact that there is a limitation on bag space helps to promote playing strategy within the game - leave shit at home, sell shit on auction to players or direct to vendors, donate them to shrines, buy more bags with their sale.  It's your call, but you have to make a call. ;-)

    That some are using auctions as a holding space is interesting, but not very efficient for that player.  Right now, due to lack of sort, search or pagination in auctions, it might inconvenience others if the page is flooded, but - again - fixing the auctions will adjust that problems, allowing players to make their own decisions about how to manage their inventory without inconveniencing anyone.
    Posted 20 months ago by zeeberk Subscriber! | Permalink
  • The bag space issue and the overpricing issue go hand in hand -

    I disagree.  You don't solve complex issues by fixing a side issue.  The "bag space issue" can be solved many different ways, and hoping that the "overpricing" issue is connected closely enough to the "bag space issue" that changing one will change the other is making changes in a system without actually inspecting the system.

    If you want to fix the "bag space issue", then let's see all the contributing factors that make it an issue.   Another solution might be to lower the price of Bigger Bags, for example.
    Posted 20 months ago by WindBorn Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Okay - so they aren't deeply connected on every level. They do, however, have some connections, and that's the only point I was trying to make.
    Posted 20 months ago by Cupcake Subscriber! | Permalink
  • windborn, "Glitch is not The Real World"

    there seem to be a lot of arguments like "that's life" or "in the real world"... why?

    for me, the arguments are "will it alienate players?" and "is it fun?"

    after that, any resemblance to free market capitalism is purely coincidental.

    regarding auction as bag, I like dopiaza's idea of a listing fee, and trav's suggestion for it to be only on items above a certain value.

    regarding price gouging, y'all have some bizarre notions about what high prices do in a game. "it's what the market will bear" is delightful rationalization. no, it is not. if some newbie buys a gemstone at 10 times it's value, out of naiivety, that's not "what the market will bear". this is because the result may well be to jade the newbie into not playing. in this case the market isn't effectively balancing itself, it ends up eating itself.

    stop looking at glitch in such simplistic, black and white terms. there is so much more complexity involved than "supply and demand". that is merely one factor among many.

    high priced items can scare players away from auctions generally. you might make a profit from lazy or naive
    clicks. but you also scare off business from the market as a whole by turning it into a minefield.

    this hurts everyone including yourself, even though you'll still be profiting. just much less than if the market thrives and produces excess value through created efficiencies rather than leeching off ignorance.

    championing individual capitalism at all costs is well and good. if you value individual profits more than chasing off percentages of tiny speck's player base.

    and if you say that players can opt out of the auction system rather than quit the game entirely. well. let's wait until markets get cornered or entire islands get deforested for the sake of auctions and see how players "opt out" of that. auctions are connected to the larger game world. you can't speak of them in isolation.
    Posted 20 months ago by striatic Subscriber! | Permalink
  • +1 @zee. Call me what you will, but bag strategy is one of the interesting things in the game. I am against making it super easy to have everything at your fingertips. When I go out on my daily "campaign" I need to think about what to bring, and leave behind. I have used auctions for temp storage before as part of my strategy. We need to separate out the issues-- UX in the auctions, storage, and the market, like @windburn says. I think that the UX in the auction ideas here are the most valuable to devs. (but that's because I don't think we need to protect the noobs from bad decisions--that's how they learn.)
    Posted 20 months ago by Mac Rapalicious Subscriber! | Permalink
  • If the item doesn't leave your bag when placed up for auction, then you run the risk of dropping it or using it, accidentally or otherwise, before someone has purchased it. 

    If you want to "fix" the "problem" of an item being held at the auction house, perhaps the item could remain in your bag in a greyed-out state, immobile and unusable, for the duration of the auction.  If the item is in a bag, you wouldn't be able to drop that bag, either.

    Personally, I think it's much simpler to just let the item leave the bag, be held at the auction house, and then be returned to you if it doesn't sell.  (What currently happens if you have no room in inventory, anyway?  Does it return automatically when you next create an empty space?)  If listings could be sorted by item and price, and if general pricing information were displayed next to asking prices, there wouldn't be an issue here. 
    Posted 20 months ago by glum pudding Subscriber! | Permalink
  • @stri I very respectfully disagree. I was sad when my 7yearold lost his rare blue-eyed white dragon Yugio card in a very bad deal. But he learned a number valuable lessons. Better to learn early than later. Bottom line, these are grownups playing this game. It's very easy to recover from a bad auction deal and I don't know that there's any data to support your assumption that it would turn people off. (Unlike the empirical data we have about ppl being put off by arguments in the "help" channel, but that's another thread.)
    Posted 20 months ago by Mac Rapalicious Subscriber! | Permalink
  • glum, this is about the unsold auction items returning to a full inventory:
    http://beta.glitch.com/forum/general/2968/
    Posted 20 months ago by Millie Subscriber! | Permalink
  • One of the advantages to learning a lesson within the Glitch world is that it doesn't cost you any real-life dollars, unless, of course, you are playing Glitch when you could be using the time to earn real-life dollars. But that opportunity cost is for playing Glitch, not for paying too much in an auction. 

    Otherwise, paying "too much" (whatever that is) for a few pixels on your screen is a pretty painless way to learn to be a smarter consumer.
    Posted 20 months ago by WindBorn Subscriber! | Permalink
  • To clarify, it was Gabi who suggested the fee apply to items above a certain value. While I agree in theory, it would have to be *items listed over a certain value*... even that concept has flaws. If the value is 2000, the markets will flood with items at 1999. The true 'gouging limiter' would be if the fee applied when the item was sold at say 300% shop cost, but then what do you do with the items you can't buy in a shop?

    The 'abuse' being discussed is actually two-fold here. We've discussed price caps and market economy extensively elsewhere so I'll try and confine it to the two issues raised by OP.

    1 - The ability to flood the 'recent auctions' page. The dev's are already working on fixes for the display and sort. We can take that one off the table until we see what they have cooked up.

    2 - The bag / space continuum. 
    In this context... when you auction an item, it's sent to the auction house and is out of your inventory. If it doesn't sell in 24 hours, it gets returned to you. This much is fact. stoot has said the auction house holds your items and if you have no room when the auction expires it continues to be held until you have room (even between tests).

    I'm not sure it's mechanics abuse, or temporarily permitted mechanics abuse, or entirely permissible in the long run. They've freely acknowledged space / cabinets / sorting will be getting attention here soon.

    Any which way it's viewed, it is what it is. When the world is live 24/7 the potential to use the marketplace as a mobile storage container is pretty high up there. If I go gather peat all day long and auction it for max... what's to stop me from pulling it all down when a project requires it?

    My solution is listed in the Ideas Forums.
    http://beta.glitch.com/forum/ideas/3130/
    Posted 20 months ago by Travinara Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Yes Trav that is what I meant :) Sorry if it was worded a bit off...it was still early for me. I agree we need to wait and see what the devs roll out as I know they have been hard at work and each aspect will get its turn.
    Posted 20 months ago by Gabi Subscriber! | Permalink
  • +1 Disco Dolly!
    Posted 20 months ago by Bella Subscriber! | Permalink
  • zeeberk, and everyone else who noted that finding things in auctions (particularly older items) is a problem... we couldn't agree more, and I'm planning to do a couple of things over the next month to address that!

    First up will be good ol' plain pagination, which I'll do my best to polish off sometime in the next 2 weeks.

    Second up, a decent search function, so you can easily find auctions when you're looking for a specific item. I'm a little less certain on when that'll happen, but I'll do my best!
    Posted 20 months ago by hitherto Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Yay Hitherto!! Thank youu :)
    *hugs*

    and Stoot :D
    *hugs all devs*
    Posted 20 months ago by Gabi Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Also, there *will* be, at some point, listing fees, %-based commissions AND a time delay to get items/cash from auctions. We just haven't finished them yet.
    Posted 20 months ago by stoot barfield Subscriber! | Permalink
  • yay!  that is good news. :)
    Posted 20 months ago by zeeberk Subscriber! | Permalink
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