Idea against Undercutting at the Marketboard (The next.. )

[Stihllodeing]

I've seen people say this often, but does it really teach a lesson?

No. I am on one of the least populated servers, I don't sell HQ* anything, and have made millions. I recently started undercutting by 25 gil increments in any effort to snare the con-undercutters, but have noticed no change in product movement.

There are four main points I would like to hit on. I believe my philosophies about these points have either directly or indirectly contributed to my success. I am not telling anyone how to sell so take it for what it's worth. As long as you're not violating the ToS for your gil, I don't really care how you earn it.

Board Camping

People who camp the market board should be rewarded.

People enjoy different aspects of this game, camping the board is one of mine. Some people enjoy fishing for the one that got away. I enjoy being diligent and proactive with my entrepreneurship so to speak.

Personal preference aside, it seems slightly absurd to me for someone to say, "campers are ruining the MB". Camping the board and appropriately undercutting puts you on top page, helps to lower the value of sought after items, and that's ALL it does. The economy in Final Fantasy XIV A Realm Reborn does not have enough complexity, variables, or outside competition to be at risk for collapse. Certain products can tank but that does not give a clear indication the economy will tank. Not to mention how much buyers (and sellers) can benefit from a product losing value. If you don't buy and resell and even try to encourage your competition to devalue their inventory for your own financial gain you are not maximizing your potential to earn (doing it wrong).

Leveling your crafting class, and even your DoL, is very much tied to the market board. I know some people trying to burn through their allowances speed leveling a crafter have been very thankful for my retainers. Probably thanked me out loud in their living room.

Campers selling low-mid level items on the MB (ya know, the vast majority of the MB) are NOT the same as people camping the board selling a single 10 million gil item, but I see nothing wrong with them exercising their freedom the same way as I. Products losing value is almost always a win for buyers. I believe in the trickle up effect.

*However our strategy is not the same, our undercuts are generally much smaller, so people should quit confusing the two.

1 Gil Undercutting

I find it ironic for a community who is opposed to drastic product deflation to be so opposed to 1 gil undercutting. Community dictated price matching is only beneficial for RMTs when no in game mechanics govern it.

Outside of the forum, there are absolutely no tools in place to facilitate this practice in our economy. People who fear for a drastic decline in value for certain products should be advocating for this (1 gil undercutting).

The only people I don't buy from are people with retainer names like: stupidslutface and dghjusyndgtf.

Blind Markets

Blind markets thrive better in niche markets. That's just fact. There's few niche markets in our in game economy, and those markets don't differentiate themselves by much anyway. Again, the market FF has is very simplistic and has just began to branch away from being linear. Maybe in time certain products will perform better in a blind market.

As of now, I suppose there are a few items I would consider candidates for a blind market in Eorzea. However I would be completely opposed to a blind market only approach for FF ARR and would go as far as to say it would create chaos and upheaval, if at least temporarily.

Product Worth

This is really the nuts and bolts of the discussion right? Maintaining worth and integrity? Well I'm sorry to break it to some people, but the Eorzean Economy is about as watered down of a real life economy as you can get. When an economy is essentially comprised of the most basic fundamentals required for it to be an economy worth becomes and illusion.

Convenience is what drives our economy. Players are free to do as they will. At any point in time you can become whatever it is you want, and that is a beautiful thing. I've spent a lot of time leveling my crafters and gearing my wife's gatherers. I make money because I'm an informed Eorzean. I sell convenience.

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/slightly off topic