Also something that needs to be said, simply because something is going for higher than you personally want to pay, does NOT automatically make it greed, nor is parasitic purely because people buy something to flip. Whether folks like it or not, buying items and flipping them on the exchange is a legitimate way to play the game. I don't think one person or only a few people should control the entirety of the market. At the same time I'm not willing to punish people who have done no wrong. If someone fat fingers a set of 10 keys for 11m instead of 110m, you better bet I'm relisting those thing. Also imo people HIGHLY overestimate how much flipping actually effects the market. Can it drive up prices, potentially to some degree. However I would need to see some MAJOR evidence to convince me the inflation of various items is purely do to people buying and flipping things.
Now if you want an example of actual greed. Suppose you have a basic polaron split beam rifle very rare mk xii with decent but not perfect mods that goes for 5m ec. Someone buys all polaron stuff out then jacks the prices up to 1b ec per item. THAT is greed. That same rifle creeping up to 10m steadily due to supply and demand is NOT greed.
"Someone once told me that time was a predator that stalked us all our lives. I rather believe that time is a companion who goes with us on the journey and reminds us to cherish every moment, because it will never come again." - Jean Luc Picard in Star Trek Generations
Totally. If you sell high, expect to be waiting for a long time. And time is of the essence because new fads quickly become old news. I always sell just below the general concensus, why? Because it's a quick sale and that price drops dramatically in the matter of weeks.
Also something that needs to be said, simply because something is going for higher than you personally want to pay, does NOT automatically make it greed, nor is parasitic purely because people buy something to flip. Whether folks like it or not, buying items and flipping them on the exchange is a legitimate way to play the game. I don't think one person or only a few people should control the entirety of the market. At the same time I'm not willing to punish people who have done no wrong. If someone fat fingers a set of 10 keys for 11m instead of 110m, you better bet I'm relisting those thing. Also imo people HIGHLY overestimate how much flipping actually effects the market. Can it drive up prices, potentially to some degree. However I would need to see some MAJOR evidence to convince me the inflation of various items is purely do to people buying and flipping things.
Now if you want an example of actual greed. Suppose you have a basic polaron split beam rifle very rare mk xii with decent but not perfect mods that goes for 5m ec. Someone buys all polaron stuff out then jacks the prices up to 1b ec per item. THAT is greed. That same rifle creeping up to 10m steadily due to supply and demand is NOT greed.
I think people misunderstand the "demand" part of "supply and demand", not getting that it includes the price so if there's demand for an item but not at price it's sold then it simply won't sell and price will drop until it starts sell again at sufficient numbers.
While that may be true, some items are priced well above how much the individual may have lost, yes I know they need to make a profit but I mean even beyond that.
That doesn't really matter. Either those items sell and then those items are worth that price, or they don't and then that won't be the price.
I've seen the 'Exchange as bank space'-theory being offered here too.
I doubt that many people actually use the exchange as a bank. I mean, it seem a lot of effort for a few more bank spaces if you're being forced to clear any unsold stuff every week or so.
It's much easier to just create a fleet or a new toon.
I've seen the 'Exchange as bank space'-theory being offered here too.
I doubt that many people actually use the exchange as a bank. I mean, it seem a lot of effort for a few more bank spaces if you're being forced to clear any unsold stuff every week or so.
It's much easier to just create a fleet or a new toon.
Not only that... depending on your Dilithium Income, not really that difficult to trade for enough zen to buy more bank slots. *shrug*
Just takes time and patience.
I've seen the 'Exchange as bank space'-theory being offered here too.
I doubt that many people actually use the exchange as a bank. I mean, it seem a lot of effort for a few more bank spaces if you're being forced to clear any unsold stuff every week or so.
It's much easier to just create a fleet or a new toon.
Not only that... depending on your Dilithium Income, not really that difficult to trade for enough zen to buy more bank slots. *shrug*
Just takes time and patience.
Or spend a small amount of Zen.
I mean, it's pretty difficult to run out of bank space (1) anyway. Especially after they upped the number of slots everyone gets by default. To reach the limit, you'd have to play a lot. It's going to be different for everyone of course, but one might as well spend a small amount of money on something that's an important source of entertainment for them.
(1) Inventory slots are a different matter though.
Well... Supply and Demand does factor into it as well, especially with some of the older lockbox gear that doesn't get opened up as much as the newer stuff. But when it comes to the newer, more common stuff... Yea its a bit more greed, especially with the ships. A lockbox ship historically was always more affordable than a Promo ship because of a larger Supply. Demand would affect price when its a canon ship, like the Protostar, or has something desirable, because of higher Demand vs say the Benthan Assault Cruiser when it was the Lockbox ship.
Nowadays though, it feels like someone decided that lockbox ships, which have a higher Supply, should be the same as Promo ships, which have a lower Supply and Higher Demand.
I can understand the older stuff being more expensive because the competition isn't there like it is with newer stuff. But even WITH the competition of newer stuff, they're way overpriced compared to past lockbox ships.
What are you talking about.
Lockbox ships go for 1.1-1.2b. That is the going price. It is consistent as all but 2-3 lockbox ships are in the infinity pull pack. If you can't find the ship you want for that price all you have to do is ask in one of the trade channels. Just say you would like to buy an Infinity box choice ship for 1.1 or 1.2b... someone will fill your order for you. Promos go for 1.6-1.8b which means you won't find them on the exchange... if you do 1.5b is a good price. Again if your looking for one offer 1.6b for a choice box ship and someone will hook you up.
The infinity box has normalized lockbox prices. It rose the price on all but a handful that came in boxes that saw a lot of opening action as those boxes had desirable traits or doff packs that were not yet in infinity. You can still buy courier raiders for 450m.... as people opened a ton of boxes looking for independent wingmen traits before they were added to the inf box. Most of us that have lockbox infinity choice boxes... don't open them till we choose to either use one or sell one. You will find on the trade channels... offers to sell a choice pick at the "standard" price pretty often.
Seems to me that there are a few people here that don't understand how free markets work. 🙄 If no one engages with a product they feel is overpriced, the seller will be forced to lower the price to a point where they can actually sell it. Profit or no, they do want to recoup as much of their expenses as possible. If a ship is being consistently priced at a certain amount, then SOMEONE is obviously willing to pay that price, therefore sellers will continue to list it at that price. Or, hey! Here's a novel idea: stop buying Keys at 11+ million EC. You realize that the price of Keys is the basis of the economy, right? The higher they cost, the higher everything costs, especially the Lockbox ships that they acquire. So, stop buying until things reach a point that you think is fair. Y'all keep talking here like you're powerless to affect the economy, when ALL of the power is with you.
You know what is funny... is refusing to buy keys would actually have the opposite effect.
The key market is also supply and demand. Keys are not in game drops. If people stop buying keys for 11m a pop... people will stop burning zen on them, converting it to EC by selling their purchased keys. You tell me how much EC do you think you should get if you spend $20 of real money? The answer right now is 220-240m. If as you suggest people start only paying 100m for $20... people will just stop buying keys to sell. What happens then... supply and demand happens then and keys go up.
Promo packs and keys are constantly controlling the sale price of the other. As one loses in game value supply of the other goes up, reducing its in game value... while increasing the value of the other. Repeat the process back and forth over and over.
People also forget the reason both keys and promo packs exist and are in game... the alternative is shady gold sellers. Allowing players to buy EC... via Key and Promo packs being unbound is a good thing for the game and it's economy.
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Now if you want an example of actual greed. Suppose you have a basic polaron split beam rifle very rare mk xii with decent but not perfect mods that goes for 5m ec. Someone buys all polaron stuff out then jacks the prices up to 1b ec per item. THAT is greed. That same rifle creeping up to 10m steadily due to supply and demand is NOT greed.
Star Trek Online volunteer Community Moderator
That doesn't really matter. Either those items sell and then those items are worth that price, or they don't and then that won't be the price.
I doubt that many people actually use the exchange as a bank. I mean, it seem a lot of effort for a few more bank spaces if you're being forced to clear any unsold stuff every week or so.
It's much easier to just create a fleet or a new toon.
Not only that... depending on your Dilithium Income, not really that difficult to trade for enough zen to buy more bank slots. *shrug*
Just takes time and patience.
Or spend a small amount of Zen.
I mean, it's pretty difficult to run out of bank space (1) anyway. Especially after they upped the number of slots everyone gets by default. To reach the limit, you'd have to play a lot. It's going to be different for everyone of course, but one might as well spend a small amount of money on something that's an important source of entertainment for them.
(1) Inventory slots are a different matter though.
What are you talking about.
Lockbox ships go for 1.1-1.2b. That is the going price. It is consistent as all but 2-3 lockbox ships are in the infinity pull pack. If you can't find the ship you want for that price all you have to do is ask in one of the trade channels. Just say you would like to buy an Infinity box choice ship for 1.1 or 1.2b... someone will fill your order for you. Promos go for 1.6-1.8b which means you won't find them on the exchange... if you do 1.5b is a good price. Again if your looking for one offer 1.6b for a choice box ship and someone will hook you up.
The infinity box has normalized lockbox prices. It rose the price on all but a handful that came in boxes that saw a lot of opening action as those boxes had desirable traits or doff packs that were not yet in infinity. You can still buy courier raiders for 450m.... as people opened a ton of boxes looking for independent wingmen traits before they were added to the inf box. Most of us that have lockbox infinity choice boxes... don't open them till we choose to either use one or sell one. You will find on the trade channels... offers to sell a choice pick at the "standard" price pretty often.
You know what is funny... is refusing to buy keys would actually have the opposite effect.
The key market is also supply and demand. Keys are not in game drops. If people stop buying keys for 11m a pop... people will stop burning zen on them, converting it to EC by selling their purchased keys. You tell me how much EC do you think you should get if you spend $20 of real money? The answer right now is 220-240m. If as you suggest people start only paying 100m for $20... people will just stop buying keys to sell. What happens then... supply and demand happens then and keys go up.
Promo packs and keys are constantly controlling the sale price of the other. As one loses in game value supply of the other goes up, reducing its in game value... while increasing the value of the other. Repeat the process back and forth over and over.
People also forget the reason both keys and promo packs exist and are in game... the alternative is shady gold sellers. Allowing players to buy EC... via Key and Promo packs being unbound is a good thing for the game and it's economy.