Topic

Qualm with the Game Economy

Players make things and sell things to the NPC for money. Almost everyone I talk to has said this. They sell farm goods to NPCs. They sell Ore to NPCs. I do it too. Some players sell things at auction because they can make more money than at the NPC. This makes sense. If by some way you acquired a 'finished product' from the game... it makes more sense to try to make more than what the NPC would offer at Auction. Things like Gems and Drinks spring to mind. Some players sell Raw materials instead of NPCing them though, and they do it at outrageous prices. But, Players buy them. Why?

Almost always, the Raw materials, spice, cherries, bubbles, beans, meat... you're almost always better-off selling your raw materials to someone rather than making finished products to sell. The killer for me were cherries. It takes 34 cherries to make a pungent sunrise. The NPC sells them for 194. Cherries sell on auction for 10 each. That means if I were to buy cherries from auction and turn them into sunrises, just cherry costs (not energy and time and fees) are 340. Yet, I can't sell them for that because an NPC sells them for a price that assumes cherries are worth about 1 currant.

This is accross the board in regards to 'things that can't be bought' by NPCs. That is, if it can't be bought at an NPC, its price is inflated at Auction. I personally suggest a simple fix.

My qualm is that NPCs should *never* sell finished products...

They should simply not do it. If they don't, then we can have the cost of things fluctuate based on the supply and demand of materials. That only makes sense. As-is, things are governed by convenience. The only reason someone *might* buy anything at auction? Too lazy to get it. *I don't want to go to Ix, so I'll pay 400 for a sunrise. I don't want to harvest cherries, so I'll pay 2500* Whatever.

Also, *why* are people buying cherries for 10 each? What are you Possibly making with them to justify the expense? Whatever you are making, you can probably get cheaper elsewhere. Heck... buy the finished drinks on auction... buy them from the liquor NPC. Do not buy cherries for 10 each. There is no good reason to do so. (Laziness is merely a reason. It's not a good reason.)

Ok... Thanks.

Posted 17 months ago by Mr. Dawgg Subscriber! | Permalink

Replies

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  • npc?
    Posted 16 months ago by ArtOfHands RoboGirl Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Thee, NPC = vendors in Glitch.
    Posted 16 months ago by Audaria Subscriber! | Permalink
  • npc = Non Playable Character. Like Helga the drinks seller, and the other vendors :)
    Posted 16 months ago by Ebil Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Tzombor makes a very good point - with the release of skills that allow people to break things down into raw materials, the balance should (or at least needs to) become much better. You'd be able to mass-buy from Helga and decompose into cherries!
    Posted 16 months ago by Saro Subscriber! | Permalink
  • "Vendors will sell nothing crafted? So newbies who need tools, will need to sell cherries until they can afford fry pans put on auction for 50k by high level people who want to control the market? "

    I have to agree that this would be a problem. I think at a bare minimum, the basic tools should be available, such as cutting board, frying pan, picks, and tinkertool, to name a few.

    Also, I would like to see the vendor in the mines continue to sell earthshakers. I don't buy them any more, as I make my own, but when I was starting out, I did buy a couple. It was very helpful, even though they were expensive, and it allowed me to see what they were and how they worked. I think it provides a good introduction.
    Posted 16 months ago by Audaria Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Maybe it would be a good idea for newbies to encounter NPCs in random places who would offer to sell them a limited, fixed number of an item (e.g. one earthshaker) to tell them what it did? Then people who want to make earthshakers still don't have to worry about being undercut by an NPC.
    Posted 16 months ago by Saro Subscriber! | Permalink
  • >Also, *why* are people buying cherries for 10 each? What are you Possibly making with them to justify the expense? Whatever you are making, you can probably get cheaper elsewhere

    it's the same reason you pick up a gallon of milk at 7-11 for $6 when you can buy it at a grocery for $4: CONVENIENCE.
    Posted 16 months ago by A Magical Unicorn Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I think the earthshakers are only available from the vendor in the mine (only at one, as far as I know.) It was a fun little "discovery" for me to make when I was down there exploring the mines for the first time. Since that is the place they are most useful, I would like them to remain there, and not in a random location.

    As far as other items, I guess it would depend on the item in question. Personally, I don't like the idea of removing ALL "crafted" items from the vendors, and I REALLY don't like the idea of limiting the number that can be purchased. As I've stated in another thread, I'm not a fan of the auctions. For those who choose to use them, fine, but I do not want to be forced to do so.
    Posted 16 months ago by Audaria Subscriber! | Permalink
  • @Audaria: By random I didn't mean different for each player, I meant each item in a separate, fixed place. Sorry I wasn't clearer.
    Posted 16 months ago by Saro Subscriber! | Permalink
  • @Saro, that's how I understood your earlier post too. I just don't like the "random" part for some items that can be best utilized in specific locations. Maybe we're saying the same thing in different ways, lol.
    Posted 16 months ago by Audaria Subscriber! | Permalink
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