Perfect WOrld 1st of this type of MMO

WarrenWolfy - Sanctuary

Thrasymachus - Sanctuary wrote: »

In point of fact, you're not a sink, unless you decide to one day just walk away from your character, leaving your coins unobtainable to anyone else through any legal means. If, on that day, you have any gold in your accounts, you'd also be a gold sink, which would kind of defeat the purpose of a coin sink to begin with. What you are right now is a coin and gold (an whatever else you trade in) warehouse.

I admit I was being a bit facetious, but the 6.5million I spoke of was indeed a genuine coin sink. That money was the 2% AH fee, and is gone for good.

However, I do realize that that's an insignificant amount compared to all the money being injected from Best Luck Tokens. I suspect they are currently the major cause of inflation.

Thrasymachus - Sanctuary wrote: »

All in all, I'm willing to accept the moderating effects of merchants on such prices as an overall positive effect, but I do want to point out that it comes at the cost of higher overall prices, in order to provide for the merchant's profits.

That would be true if we assume people were able and willing to seek out the source of the goods that the merchants are selling, thus lowering prices by cutting out the middle man.

However, it appears that in the in-game economy at least, a lot of people would rather give up and die (ie. quit the game) when they can't find what they want at the price they want, rather than put in the effort to figure out where the merchants have been getting it from.

To be fair, though, that's not really an unreasonable reaction to what is supposed to be a relaxing game. If I had to source out and learn the markets for every item in the game, I too would probably want to quit. The value of merchants is that they do all the number crunching for me, I just have to shop around amongst the competitors. In situations where I see little to no competition, that's when I take the time to learn the market and see if I can fill a void and make some profits as a merchant myself.

Thrasymachus - Sanctuary wrote: »

So, merchanting should probably only be done if you have a goal for your profits , something specific you want to buy with 'em, and so long as you supplement your in-game wealth from time to time with purchases of zen, so long as you are financially able to make such purchases. If you're merchanting just so you can be rich, and you never buy any zen, you're just raising everybody's prices.

One problem I see with you position is that it seems to rest upon an unspoken assumption, namely that higher prices = morally bad.

This is an RPG, and part of the fun of an RPG is that things have value due to scarcity. If an item is common, it's generally not as much fun to have.

That's why in the (endless) complaints about Anni Packs one of the main criticisms was that they dramatically lowered the prices of previously uber-rare items. While many complained of inflation, others quit due to massive deflation.

Thus I'd take issue with any position that seems to rely so heavily upon the axiom that higher prices = bad. Instead, I'd argue that unreasonably unstable prices = bad. Yes, unreasonably unstable prices = massive profits for merchants in the short term, but we didn't cause the instability, PWI did.

Saitada - Sanctuary

WaffleChan - Sanctuary wrote: »

well put, ignore saitada, he claims to be of higher intelligence than everyone here... yet here comes a contender with a serious insight to the matter and he brushes it off. way to go, mr higher intelligence. it really sounds like, 'i didnt comprehend your post, so i picked on the conclusion, because its the only thing i could get. from there i then deducted your argument is worthless.'

then again, every idiot who gets snotty with people here thinks everyone but their own's argument is invalid. who the hell are they to say so? but thats an argument for another time.

i agree with your opinion thoroughly.

I disagree with his premise that somehow someone that makes coin and saves it in game (and implied in life) is somehow having a negative effect on (game) society and explained why to another poster in a subsequent post.

My r/l business is all about marketing. I buy low, sell high. I make a profit and save that profit. Some of that profit is returned to my business, some gets banked and stays there, some little bit is used to pay my expenses and to allow me my pleasures. My bank grows and I have a good bit of cash.

Someday I might find something I want to do with it, but for now, it sits there and gives me a comforting feeling knowing that in an emergency, I have the funds to do whats needed, and then some. It allows me to indulge my whims if I so desire to do so.

It is the same premise in game. Someone who uses good market strategy to gain coin, may not have a need for it now, and may not have any need for it later, but the fact that they have it 'just in case' is comforting to them.

While others may not see or understand this, that lack of understanding doesn't mean the act of saving, and accumulating wealth is wrong or bad.

Nor does it destabilize the market of the game. Even if Warren dumped every coin and gold he has into the market economy, at the worst, it would cause a minor swirl. markets are fluid and driven by simple (and not so simple) effects.

If I go out and set up a cat shop to buy thousands of Complete sacks for 2500 coin, people WILL sell to me. I then turn around and sell them for 5000 coin and people WILL buy them from me. Why? because I have what they need, at a price they are willing to pay. When they stop being willing to pay that price, I lower my price (or raise it, depending on the situation).

Markets are not driven by the marketer, but ultimately by the consumer.

I can try to sell complete sacks all day long for 15,000 coin, but if nobody will buy one.. then I will be forced to lower my price until it reaches a point where people are willing to buy again.

That price fluctuates with the market economy.

My making money in game and life, is just a reflection of a fluctuating free market economy, and is not a negative thing. he attempted to paint making money as negative by implying people who do this to gain wealth, should be altruistic, and helpful with their earnings, and if they don't have a goal set for why they are making it, that they shouldn't be doing it.

Sorry, but I personally think that was pretty fail thinking.

Is that better? More reasoned? I had to flesh it out from my earlier statement to make it sound more verbose and intellectual, even though it didn't require it. My original statement was sufficient.

~S

MystiMonk - Sanctuary

Narore - Lost City wrote: »

Obvious troll is obvious.

That makes you one then since you said it.To WarrenWolfy you are richer than I am care to share and i have bought zen.

andracil

Closed for trolling/flamebait.