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Forums > Home› Star Trek Online General Discussion

Why did the dilithium exchange/master key price go bonkers?

voporakvoporak Member Posts: 5,621 Arc User
edited September 2013 in Star Trek Online General Discussion
I just checked the exchange, master keys are selling at 2M ec a pop now. When I looked at the dilithium exchange, it's up to 127 dilithium per zen to purchase. I know we have the JHAS promo going on, but things had pretty much stabilized from that. So any ideas why the exchanges suddenly went wacko?
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Post edited by voporak on
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Comments

  • cgta1967cgta1967 Member Posts: 86 Arc User
    edited September 2013
    because you have to be wacko to even buy into the whole random gamble lockbox idea in the first place ?
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  • daan2006daan2006 Member Posts: 5,346 Arc User
    edited September 2013
    this happen every time player base dies down after new stuff comes out
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    macronius wrote: »
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  • starkaosstarkaos Member Posts: 11,556 Arc User
    edited September 2013
    Could be possible that some players bought all the Lockbox Keys under 2 million.
  • voporakvoporak Member Posts: 5,621 Arc User
    edited September 2013
    cgta1967 wrote: »
    because you have to be wacko to even buy into the whole random gamble lockbox in the first place ?

    Not sure how this even pertains to my original post...

    But I guess I can try to clarify. STO's economy can be observed by the price of high demand stuff like master keys and contraband, as well as the dilithium exchange. Now normally, the dil exchange's prices fluctuates when a sale or a new item shows up. The reason I'm wondering about it now is because there's nothing different about today from yesterday, yet the price shot way up. And the master key price, not even sure what to say about that.
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  • reginamala78reginamala78 Member Posts: 4,593 Arc User
    edited September 2013
    New ship coming out, thats going to jack up prices.
  • voporakvoporak Member Posts: 5,621 Arc User
    edited September 2013
    reginamala78 wrote: »
    New ship coming out, thats going to jack up prices.

    That would do it - but wasn't that ship announced days ago?
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  • auriciusauricius Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited September 2013
    Someone's playing the exchange, that simple. I singlehandedly managed to press down the price of keys by over 300k for a brief period of time in the past, naturally it stabilized rather quickly - in about 6 hours it was back at the price I started from. Now, since everyone wants to buy low, and sell high, you can imagine how once someone already managed to raise the price by a large amount everyone else will want to get a piece of the pie and will only undercut by a small amount for a quicker sale. As for the dil exchange, there's only a few days remaining on the bugship promo, so people started to panic and want to get on the bandwagon until they can. Once the promotion is over, the dil-exchange should settle back down around the 110-115 range in a week or so.
  • reginamala78reginamala78 Member Posts: 4,593 Arc User
    edited September 2013
    voporak wrote: »
    That would do it - but wasn't that ship announced days ago?

    Yeah but it travels faster to some people than others. Thats what it always does. It'll spike again briefly when the formal Dev Blog is posted, then again on release day. An economy is people, which means it isn't entirely logical.
  • voporakvoporak Member Posts: 5,621 Arc User
    edited September 2013
    reginamala78 wrote: »
    Yeah but it travels faster to some people than others. Thats what it always does. It'll spike again briefly when the formal Dev Blog is posted, then again on release day. An economy is people, which means it isn't entirely logical.

    I figured it would really take a hike when the stats get posted. I've been around long enough to know the patterns, so this threw me off because it is out of the norm.
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  • tonyalmeida2tonyalmeida2 Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited September 2013
    voporak wrote: »
    I just checked the exchange, master keys are selling at 2M ec a pop now. When I looked at the dilithium exchange, it's up to 127 dilithium per zen to purchase. I know we have the JHAS promo going on, but things had pretty much stabilized from that. So any ideas why the exchanges suddenly went wacko?

    Lobi Promo
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  • lan451lan451 Member Posts: 3,386 Arc User
    edited September 2013
    tonyalmeida2 wrote: »
    Lobi Promo

    Yep. People are scrambling to open boxes to get all the Lobi discounts. Once the promos end, they may go back down to normal rates.
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  • knuhteb5knuhteb5 Member Posts: 1,831 Arc User
    edited September 2013
    tonyalmeida2 wrote: »
    Lobi Promo

    this. pretty simple.
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  • blitzsthblitzsth Member Posts: 257 Arc User
    edited September 2013
    auricius wrote: »
    Someone's playing the exchange, that simple. I singlehandedly managed to press down the price of keys by over 300k for a brief period of time in the past, naturally it stabilized rather quickly - in about 6 hours it was back at the price I started from. Now, since everyone wants to buy low, and sell high, you can imagine how once someone already managed to raise the price by a large amount everyone else will want to get a piece of the pie and will only undercut by a small amount for a quicker sale. As for the dil exchange, there's only a few days remaining on the bugship promo, so people started to panic and want to get on the bandwagon until they can. Once the promotion is over, the dil-exchange should settle back down around the 110-115 range in a week or so.

    That what I use to do, buy lots of cheap keys, store them up and re-sell them when new lock boxes appear and make a killing. Someone has probably bought up all the cheap keys and others just bought the rest at the next price. I don't think it will take a week for things to settle down, more like a day or two.
  • tonyalmeida2tonyalmeida2 Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited September 2013
    Also the new ships that are coming out don't have anything to do with keys.

    40% off 2 800 lobi ships is a pretty big motivator to drive the key prices up.

    Key sale, new lockbox, jhas promotion, and lobi promotion. Marketing did good.
    pvp = small package
  • tonyalmeida2tonyalmeida2 Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited September 2013
    blitzsth wrote: »
    That what I use to do, buy lots of cheap keys, store them up and re-sell them when new lock boxes appear and make a killing. Someone has probably bought up all the cheap keys and others just bought the rest at the next price. I don't think it will take a week for things to settle down, more like a day or two.

    Why? It's been ~2m for a few days now. Now I believe it will calm down a little come Thursday, but guess what happens then? The lobi promo ends.
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  • cidjackcidjack Member Posts: 2,017 Arc User
    edited September 2013
    IMO:

    Master Keys: You have to understand, with the Jem attack promo going on right now, the players who do invest money into the game are directing their zen to the romulan survivor packs, either to open, or sell for EC. (5.9 mil per pack last time I checked.) This is reducing the number of keys being sold on the exchange. Anyone putting keys on the exchange under the current "average", they are going to be purchased in seconds. There a number of players who sit and constantly looking for keys below the average cost to purchase and then re-post at or above the "average" price to make some extra EC.

    When the promo ends, Keys will flood the Exchange again.

    Dilith:

    This goes towards the players who are out of RL cash to buy zen or the total free to play ppl, they want the chance to get that JEM attack before it ends, so they are trading in their dilith for Zen, it flips back and forth, it will return to normal soon.


    auricius is right, there are a number of people playing the exchange, I canceled a deal with a player who wanted to buy keys for sole purpose of re-posting them on the exchange to make even more money. Players playing the market, re-posting at higher prices to corner the market, and my personal fav, (sarcasm), posting one item at the price of a 10 pack to trick someone into clicking it so they can make even more EC then being honest.

    We don't need a Ferengi faction, they are already in the game.
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  • knuhteb5knuhteb5 Member Posts: 1,831 Arc User
    edited September 2013
    cidjack wrote: »
    IMO:

    We don't need a Ferengi faction, they are already in the game.

    Don't blame the players. They've run out of content to play. Now we play the exchange, doffs, rep trees, and the fleet system.
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  • jetwtfjetwtf Member Posts: 1,207
    edited September 2013
    The reason the dilithium exchange is going up is because the JHAS is available through the Romulan survivor DOFF pack. The JHAS/bug is considered the best escort in the game and is required to get the bug pets if you have the JHEC. 2 groups of players wanting the ship. It is also the most expensive ship on the exchange so that adds a third group desiring them.

    The reason lockbox keys have skyrocketed is because the lobi store has a 15% sale for everything. People are buying the keys to open boxes hoping to get a lockbox ship but also to get lobi to buy something they want now that its discounted. This has also driven up the dilithium exchange as people are grinding dilithium to buy keys too.
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  • capnshadow27capnshadow27 Member Posts: 1,731 Arc User
    edited September 2013
    I and another couple Fleetmates Spunt about 60 Mil a piece buyin up Keys and then reposting them at higher rates.

    We figured price fixing Phaser relays wasnt enough anymore....
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  • reginamala78reginamala78 Member Posts: 4,593 Arc User
    edited September 2013
    capnshadow27 wrote: »
    I and another couple Fleetmates Spunt about 60 Mil a piece buyin up Keys and then reposting them at higher rates.

    We figured price fixing Phaser relays wasnt enough anymore....

    *Chuckles* Now you're just trolling people.
  • capnshadow27capnshadow27 Member Posts: 1,731 Arc User
    edited September 2013
    reginamala78 wrote: »
    *Chuckles* Now you're just trolling people.

    Says who? people claim someone is price fixing the Exchange. Have you SEEN some of the prices for things? Phaser Relays Purple Mk XII go for MORE than Purple techs and Marion.

    So maybe i am you know trolling just a hair for once. I was just hoping someone would buy it begore i got called out on in it.
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  • jetwtfjetwtf Member Posts: 1,207
    edited September 2013
    capnshadow27 wrote: »
    I and another couple Fleetmates Spunt about 60 Mil a piece buyin up Keys and then reposting them at higher rates.

    We figured price fixing Phaser relays wasnt enough anymore....

    35-40 keys is not enough to manipulate the market for more than a couple hours at most.
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  • monkeybone13monkeybone13 Member Posts: 4,640 Arc User
    edited September 2013
    voporak wrote: »
    I just checked the exchange, master keys are selling at 2M ec a pop now. When I looked at the dilithium exchange, it's up to 127 dilithium per zen to purchase. I know we have the JHAS promo going on, but things had pretty much stabilized from that. So any ideas why the exchanges suddenly went wacko?

    Lobi store sale. Almost everything is 15% off in lobi store. Been going on since August 29 and ends on September 12.

    All new elachi stuff and anything that costs less than 10 lobi is excluded from the sale. Last week the photonic bridge officer was on sale for 40% off in the lobi store. This week, currently both the jem'hadar dreadnought carrier and temporal destroyer are on sale for 40% off, along with the 15% off most other items.

    So you have people opening a ton of lockboxes to get lobi crystals, hence why keys and zen has gone through the roof. And to top it off, a chance to get the jem'hadar attack ship from the romulan survivor doff pack in the c-store.

    Before the sale started almost 2 weeks ago, zen was hovering around 115 dil each and keys were hovering around 1.5 mill.

    Doff pack JHAC promo: http://sto-forum.perfectworld.com/showthread.php?t=840631

    Lobi store promo 1: http://sto-forum.perfectworld.com/showthread.php?t=840531

    Lobi store promo 2: http://sto-forum.perfectworld.com/showthread.php?t=846321

    If you would read more on the forums you would be able to put 2 and 2 together to figure out why zen/key prices have skyrocketed.
  • eldritchxeldritchx Member Posts: 120 Arc User
    edited September 2013
    It's basically because of the Romulan Survivor packs at the moment, which are extremely popular because of the chance for a JHAS, and the 10 lobi bonus per pack. People are willing to buy a 275 zen pack for 6+ mil. 3 keys, even when bought with the bulk discount, cost more than that, and don't earn the seller 6+ mil. Hence people don't really post them much (supply falls.) I imagine the only people posting keys atm are those who bought a ton during the 15% discount a couple of weeks ago, or people who can't do maths.
  • voporakvoporak Member Posts: 5,621 Arc User
    edited September 2013
    monkeybone13 wrote: »
    Lobi store sale. Almost everything is 15% off in lobi store. Been going on since August 29 and ends on September 12.

    All new elachi stuff and anything that costs less than 10 lobi is excluded from the sale. Last week the photonic bridge officer was on sale for 40% off in the lobi store. This week, currently both the jem'hadar dreadnought carrier and temporal destroyer are on sale for 40% off, along with the 15% off most other items.

    So you have people opening a ton of lockboxes to get lobi crystals, hence why keys and zen has gone through the roof. And to top it off, a chance to get the jem'hadar attack ship from the romulan survivor doff pack in the c-store.

    Before the sale started almost 2 weeks ago, zen was hovering around 115 dil each and keys were hovering around 1.5 mill.

    Doff pack JHAC promo: http://sto-forum.perfectworld.com/showthread.php?t=840631

    Lobi store promo 1: http://sto-forum.perfectworld.com/showthread.php?t=840531

    Lobi store promo 2: http://sto-forum.perfectworld.com/showthread.php?t=846321

    If you would read more on the forums you would be able to put 2 and 2 together to figure out why zen/key prices have skyrocketed.

    Thank for telling me what I already know, but you are missing my point.

    The dil exchange has been going way up since the sale started; however, it was just yesterday that it suddenly rose by 6.
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  • latiasracerlatiasracer Member Posts: 680 Arc User
    edited September 2013
    voporak wrote: »
    Thank for telling me what I already know, but you are missing my point.

    The dil exchange has been going way up since the sale started; however, it was just yesterday that it suddenly rose by 6.

    Perhaps it's because it's coming towards the end of the sale. I for one have stepped up my grinding game, now using all of characters rather than just my mains in order to get keys for lobi. I should imagine anybody else who is lobi hunting is doing the same, Which is probably driving the prices up?
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  • newromulan1newromulan1 Member Posts: 2,229
    edited September 2013
    voporak wrote: »
    Thank for telling me what I already know, but you are missing my point.

    The dil exchange has been going way up since the sale started; however, it was just yesterday that it suddenly rose by 6.

    Simple = price of keys/packs now $2 million - $6.8 million

    everyone then rushes to buy Zen to buy keys/packs to sell on exchange = Zen price rises
  • darkdog13darkdog13 Member Posts: 209 Arc User
    edited September 2013
    Lobi promo and JHAS promo

    Everyone buying zen is using it for those 2 things and the zen that is put on the market is being purchased by people with dilithium that want those 2 items. Give a week or 2 and the price will be below 120 dil:zen and keys back around 1.5-1.7 mil.
  • nobletnoblet Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited September 2013
    darkdog13 wrote: »
    Lobi promo and JHAS promo

    Everyone buying zen is using it for those 2 things and the zen that is put on the market is being purchased by people with dilithium that want those 2 items. Give a week or 2 and the price will be below 120 dil:zen and keys back around 1.5-1.7 mil.

    Give it a week or 2 and lobi promo #8 will be live and bug box will be back.:D
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  • marc8219marc8219 Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited September 2013
    because some people have more ec then sense, just stay away from the exchange when prices get silly like this.
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