Basic Economics

[Haraldsson]

Kukurumei has a valid point. There is something seriously wrong, and it needs to be fixed for this game to survive.

I propose we begin making a list of economic observations that are contributing to the problem, and hopefully we can get this problem identified so that SE can fix it.

1) Low population
2) difficult item search

What some other issues?

[Aramis]

Everyone has made some valid comments. Here are my observations.

1. While there are lower numbers of people currently playing I see a larger percentage of people crafting than I did on FFXI. I believe this is due to the gear degradation feature and people wanting to be able to repair their own items. Therefore there should be plenty of items to buy as more are being made. But there is not.
2. I believe less people feel like dealing with the complexities of the retainer market system we currently have. Face it, on FFXI I could run to the AH and buy/sell very quickly and efficiently. Now I have to search for each item, one at a time, and then transport myself there to buy it. Takes way to long if I want to purchase several items. Less people buying = less people selling.
3. A lot of the craftables are not worth buying. Food effects are very poorly handled and therefore not really used. You cannot easily tell what food does for you, so people do not buy it, so people do not craft it.
4. There are way to few options for gear. You want to upgrade a certain piece (i.e. hands, body, legs) and there are only a total of 2-3 options available at your lvl and most of the time not in stock. The ones that are in stock are somewhat pricey and new players cannot afford them.
5. The retainers "disappear" all the time if you do not play regularly and therefore items are not available to be sold.

I do not wish to have to deal with RMTs or BOTs but I believe an AH system would work much better than what is in place now.

[Haraldsson]

1) Low population
2) difficult item search

3) Retainer setup for sales is difficult

[Haraldsson]

Getting back to the list of Economic tools that need fixing in order to improve the current problems.

1) Low population
2) difficult item search
3) Retainer setup for sales is difficult
4) A price history is needed

Please give any more suggestions that you think may help.

[AngryNixon]

Getting back to the list of Economic tools that need fixing in order to improve the current problems.

1) Low population
2) difficult item search
3) Retainer setup for sales is difficult
4) A price history is needed

Please give any more suggestions that you think may help.

I don't agree with your proposed system Haraldsson but, leaving that aside for a minute, what I do agree with entirely is that low population isn't helping the situation for any system be it yours or something totally different, and that a price history is required also.

The price history however, as has been said a rare few times, is that the history should reflect what items were bought for as well as sold for. Yes that's two sides of the same coin but it makes a difference. Remember, and I can't stress this enough, that basic economics (well micro anyhow, macro is just a bunch of random stupid letters and relations...awful) is supply and demand.

If the system of putting in buy orders that currently exists is improved to the point where it's actually functional then, in theory, a disparity will exist between the price that items have sold for to people who have buy orders up to be filled and the price that items were bought for from people who have sell orders up. The two separate price histories (that better be viewable overlaid on top of each other) will show you a more fully informed price trend and at some point the two lines should come close to meeting and travel together over the course of a few years.