There's a ton of dead derelict shops if you look around or tons of shops that the owner hasn't bothered to ever restock anything in the past couple years because it simply isn't worth the trouble anymore. Again; Few competition remaining. Also, "Well, it isn't". So you admit a lack of shops in the economy? Quite the contradiction to your last few statements. A lack of shops would mean what a few of us already stated about the current state of this discussion.
Watching this I think I am better understanding what is happening. The prices have dropped on some items so there isn't the same easy rupees some players got used to, thus the economy is dead. When I started on this server I noticed that enchanted books appeared to be overpriced compared to the effort necessary to obtain them. They would be priced for 1500 or more. So I opened a book shop and cut prices and advertised. I'm sure other players selling them took great offense to this. I ended up getting into a price war with Gweeedz. Which is ok. But by that point the damage was done. Prices on books would never rebound again. Then I noticed beacons seemed to be overpriced. So I started to sell them at a greatly reduced price and advertised it. I didn't have a farm, just hunted them. I had several other players come to me and ask me not to. They wanted me to fix the price and some threatened a price war. I said it's a free economy and there is competition and didn't increase my prices. Prices on beacons wouldn't rebound again. There shouldn't be price fixing or other ways of manipulating the price of items. It should be done by competition. In the end the consumer benefits and that's not bad. Players who can play within this system can do well. I don't agree with opening the empire shop again. Some want it to open so it can set a benchmark for prices. Thus, setting an expectation of price to players and to a degree taking out competition. People will yell, "no it doesn't". But if a players sees a price at the shop and then sees something below that, even marginally, they will think they are getting a good deal. Even if they could have gotten a better deal elsewhere. Plus, new players will end up relaying on the shop and will potentially not venture out to understand the market system. Let's be honest, no one should ever buy at /shop as they can always get it cheaper elsewhere. But they did buy there. I was guilty of that as a new player. As far as the drop in the price of gold. Yes it dropped but it was due to new and innovative designs for gold farms. These farms had a much higher level of productivity. When a new production process is discovered the price for the item will drop. That's the way it is and should be. The consumer will benefit. As a shop owner you have to be proactive and keep up with changes. If the perceived profit margin decreases on a product the owner needs to be ready to make the production process more efficient or start selling an item with a higher perceived profit margin. The economy isn't dead, it's what it should be. It's finding its way and the consumer is benefiting from this.
I can remember thinking the same thing when I started on this server. So many shops that were derelict and out of items. Are you sure this doesn't have something to do with player turnover and the number of active players?
Well, it (running a shop) isn't ... what? ... easy! It isn't easy. No easy rupees. Yes, there are only few good shops. Wish there were more, despite of, or even because I would get more serious competition, more challenge. Player turnover is higher when there are too few challenges. Challenge makes the game. PS: give this advice to new players: Don't make a shop during your first year on EMC!
I have been here since the end of 2014. I was really steady a lot being here day after day for a long time but some issues in RL came up and I was gone and now that I am back, I am back intermittent at the time cause of RL again. People do have real lives and right now COVID is not helping anything. Just sayin. As for things needing to be changed here? Thing change all the time here. We are at 1.15.2 now which everyone wanted to be up to speed with the rest of the competing servers to EMC so we could attract new players. The community is doing well as far as I see in the forums and in game. Yes, there are people that don't like the change and there are people that have embraced the changes. I see people reaching out to others when they are new here. I know I do it all the time when I'm online. Yes, I think we need to get a baseline in prices and retail sales of regular and extra ordinary items moving forward in a way but does anywhere in the real world even have a fix on that? I think we can all say no. Prices fluctuate like the stock market. EMC is no different. It is a matter of supply and demand. You may have excess but if no one really needs it. It ain't gonna be sold at the price your looking for. In game, well I haven't really been there yet cause of RL again since 1.15.2 got set but I have my game up to date. I need to come in and see what all I need to change or fix again. You want some changes? I am quoting from Toade but he said and I quote... "krysyy even went as far as to ask for a detailed list of which items should be in the new /shop" To which Krysyy replied... and I quote... "FYI a list I never received *cough cough* (not you, but just saying for clarity on this point)" Make a thread in community discussions and actually have a target of what you want to accomplish and I am sure everyone will listen and speak up. This is on the community and not any staff. Not attacking anyone but if you put up a post about needing to make changes... Please expand on what changes are needed. One issue at a time and not an all inclusive change(s). One step at a time. I hope I didn't waste anyone's time but that is it in my honest opinion. Thanks for reading, Breezy
