Treasure Hunting Lockboxes are causing massive inflation and a proposed solution.

[IanArgent]

Just curious, how many of you have a level 50 influence companion?

 

I don't think that many people do have maxed companions. Unless you are a heavy crafter, there really isn't a reason to max your companion. And after taking in account how much in gifts you spent to max your companion, most people are not maxing a companion to run Treasure Hunting missions. Because mostly it's the wealthy players maxing their companions, and wealthy players have better ways of making credits than running Treasure Hunting crew missions.

 

This is not an exploit. It's a perk of maxing out influence on companions.

 

I have a single rank 30 comp, and that was for TEC purposes. I have a couple rank 20s. Above about 30 it becomes cost/time prohibitive to raise them (and I went from 20 to 30 on the one by use of around 700 data crystals to buy purple rank 6 gifts. I can't imagine how long it would have taken using lesser gifts).

[IslanderRebel]

Someone with a lot of credits and time on their hands. Alternatively, keep in mind that Treasure Hunting gives companion gifts, so if they're running Treasure Hunting missions until they're up to their eyeballs in credits... they're probably also floating in gifts.

 

Edit: thanks for the credit making tip

 

 

Who has 6 companions with level 50 influence you ask?

try a lot of people m8.

Have you ever ran your alts through the heroics over and over again until you can't stand running the heroics any more? LOL

When KOTFE came out, I ran 20 alts somewhere between 15 and 30 heroics each so they could pass my slinger the crates to 1) get as many comp gifts for Nico 2) Alliance member's influence to lvl 20.

This took 3 days since I was off from work for vacation for 2 weeks.

The grind is a ***** but some people can actually do the work to achieve something.

Unlike the cheaters who duped common crystals, basic items and credits to get ahead in this game.

Treasure Hunting doesn't make bank like the heroics and the crates which can give you 1 or 2 comp gifts and a piece of gear to sell for even more credits.

[CrazyCT]

Who has 6 companions with level 50 influence you ask?

try a lot of people m8.

Have you ever ran your alts through the heroics over and over again until you can't stand running the heroics any more? LOL

When KOTFE came out, I ran 20 alts somewhere between 15 and 30 heroics each so they could pass my slinger the crates to 1) get as many comp gifts for Nico 2) Alliance member's influence to lvl 20.

This took 3 days since I was off from work for vacation for 2 weeks.

The grind is a ***** but some people can actually do the work to achieve something.

Unlike the cheaters who duped common crystals, basic items and credits to get ahead in this game.

Treasure Hunting doesn't make bank like the heroics and the crates which can give you 1 or 2 comp gifts and a piece of gear to sell for even more credits.

 

Not so difficult with 6, but the OP was claiming it was 200 accounts with 6 each at lvl 50. 6 is a bit of a grind, 1200 would require something more than a few days off work.

[Uncle_Robo]

Even if it is 200 accounts, so what?

If it's easy enough for anyone to max their companion to run Treasure hunting missions, by all means, do so.

Credits are now easy to make in this game. No one needs to turn to credit sellers.

Just play the game to buy what you want off the gtn.

 

If it's not limited to a specific group of people, and anyone can do it, what is the problem?

Yeah, things cost more, but it's also a lot easier to earn credits.

 

No changes are needed. Just like in Yavin where people claimed lockboxes dropped too much credits.

They nerfed that, and it now drops less credits than a lower level planet, where you collect 3 lockboxes that total more than the one lockbox that drops from Yavin.

Edited June 16, 2016 by Uncle_Robo

[MeNaCe-NZ]

do not besmirch my good name sir. please leave me out of your obsessive credit buying research. your time might be better spent on things which would benefit you more directly.

 

*shrug* just asking a simple question and some observations associated to it.

 

I'll let Bioware do the research ( if they even bother ) into "dubious" account activity.

[MeNaCe-NZ]

I wonder what effect an escalating GTN fee would have -- a set up with the percentage taken by the GTN rising with the amount of the transaction. Along the lines of this -- sell something for one million credits, and GTN takes 6%... sell something for 10 million, and GTN takes 8%... sell something for 20 million, and GTN takes 10%... and so on.

 

Very little effect, people generally sell items for whatever the maximum is people are willing to pay. So rising taxes like that are not slowing down the rate people actually generate credits into the game so they will ideally still pay for an item what they pay now.

 

That and possibly force more people off the GTN to trade.

 

Personally as a huge GTN trader I wouldn't bat an eyelid at a system like that.

[MeNaCe-NZ]

I think the only way to bring down the hypercrate inflation is to bring back the packs every month or so, for a slightly reduced price.

 

Depends what the cause of the increased price is ... we don't know without proper metrics so can only guess ( less people buying them to sell, more credits in the game etc. )

[MeNaCe-NZ]

I have come to the conclusion that they inflated the credit supply for two main reasons:

 

1) to cut the RMTs off at the ankles... which I think they probably have done, considering the collapse in RMT pricing over recent months. When credits are easy to obtain in sufficient quantities... it undercuts RMTs pretty well.

 

I have still not seen any evidence what so ever to support the idea that RMTs have been impacted at all by this change, in fact the only evidence I've found says the opposite and that they are making more real world money.

 

Why is it people think if they cost per million is down the must be doing worse business? It makes no sense.

Someone willing to splash out $50 on credits now gets more credits and probably has even more incentive to spend real world money on credits - since the economy as a whole hasn't inflated ( just portions of it like gold items, hypercrates etc. ) they get more bang for their buck.

 

Point is someone willing to buy credits before the inflation sure as hell will still want to buy them now, there is nothing detracting them. Now people on the fence or people who may have never even considered buying credits see the increased GTN prices of some items and the cheaper credits rates advertised and are more likely more tempted than ever to get in.

 

Also lets not forget the people annoyed at the whole RNG pack concept that Bioware employ here ... many want to pay cash for an item so RMTs facilitate that.

[lightSaberAddiCt]

Depends what the cause of the increased price is ... we don't know without proper metrics so can only guess ( less people buying them to sell, more credits in the game etc. )

 

I would make a guess that the inflation is caused by the easier availability of credits. People know if you even have a little initiative, and maybe 20 minutes of time, you can make a million. So, prices on the GTN reflect that. Not to mention, it is the market. I mean if people pay X amount of creds for crates, and they continue to sell, then of course the price is going to reflect that.

 

Alot of the complaints I see, are from preferred, or F2P. Because they cant save up the credits. And honestly, I do not care in the least about that. If they want to buy the good stuff, and have unlimited credits, then they can sub. It is that simple. Or they can drag their lazy butts out to the desert and earn their creds through heroics, just like I do.

 

And I do not accept that ANYONE cannot spare 20 minutes of gameplay.

 

But personally speaking, I will never drop my prices below a million + for crates. I just wont sell them before that happens. My CC is more valuable then that, and if people don't want to pay the creds, then they can spend their own CC, or buy CC to purchase it from the CM.

 

I just started a new toon, totally new legacy on Ebon Hawk. Just to see how hard it is to level, make money and support my crafting. And I had no issue at all. Besides level 8-9 mats, most of the mats are reasonable. When I hit 65, it literally only took me a week to make 15-20 million. This issue boils down to the fact that certain people are upset that they cant afford the cool CM stuff, and again....I just dont care. It has no impact on their ability to play the game....it is fluff...

Edited June 16, 2016 by lightSaberAddiCt

[ElZaguero]

I would make a guess that the inflation is caused by the easier availability of credits. People know if you even have a little initiative, and maybe 20 minutes of time, you can make a million. .

 

Can you please explain me how to make a million creds in 20 minutes?!?

[masterceil]

Can you please explain me how to make a million creds in 20 minutes?!?

 

Catch someone selling an item worth 1,100,000 credits for 100,000 ; )

[merovejec]

Can you please explain me how to make a million creds in 20 minutes?!?

 

Tatoine heroics take 15 minutes with another 3 people and you make 750k from it, then just start another planet heroic run and you have over a million.

[merovejec]

Anyway what i wanted to say is that they way i see it, it actually helps fight the Gold sellers. I have seen a dramit decrease in credit prices on the gold sellers websties. They seem to have trouble selling credits and are droping the prices for it.

[MeNaCe-NZ]

Anyway what i wanted to say is that they way i see it, it actually helps fight the Gold sellers. I have seen a dramit decrease in credit prices on the gold sellers websties. They seem to have trouble selling credits and are droping the prices for it.

 

Or they are selling more, making more money and just selling credits at a cheaper price?

 

It's not like a business where the credits have an associated cost or anything - arguably a time factor but if they've come from exploits/botting then no real cost at all. If botting there also isn't even a finite supply.

 

Thus it doesn't matter the price per million to them, what matters is how real world money is coming in - the cheaper the price, the more lure there is for people to buy from them.

[IanArgent]

Or they are selling more, making more money and just selling credits at a cheaper price?

 

It's not like a business where the credits have an associated cost or anything - arguably a time factor but if they've come from exploits/botting then no real cost at all. If botting there also isn't even a finite supply.

 

Thus it doesn't matter the price per million to them, what matters is how real world money is coming in - the cheaper the price, the more lure there is for people to buy from them.

 

That's not how markets work. And because they have no inventory costs, there's no reason for them to drop prices to move inventory if they have a sudden overstock but their customers have the same demand. The most plausible reason for the massive drop in price (and the diversification to packs) is that demand has fallen off.

[ElZaguero]

Tatoine heroics take 15 minutes with another 3 people and you make 750k from it, then just start another planet heroic run and you have over a million.

 

How are you getting 750K? I get 18K apiece. Now I'm really confused.

[IanArgent]

How are you getting 750K? I get 18K apiece. Now I'm really confused.

 

If you do it in a group, and do the bonus missions, you get 4x the bonus mission payout. He's probably also including the sales of the vendor trash and gear drops. It's not an unreasonable number.

[Andryah]

If you do it in a group, and do the bonus missions, you get 4x the bonus mission payout. He's probably also including the sales of the vendor trash and gear drops. It's not an unreasonable number.

 

/Agree. Remember back in the day.. how much you had to do to get 3/4 of a million credits? Game is very credit friendly now days... particularly for newer players who don't have mature legacies, maxed companions, maxed crafting skills and deep wallets...... and that is a good thing IMO.

 

Which is why all this nonsense about Treasure Hunting inflating the player economy is complete nonsense. There are so many players farming heroics for easy credits.... it swamps out any measurable effects of the minority of players trying to game Treasure Hunting via botting. I'm sure the studio security team is following up on reported botting, but there is certainly nothing so urgent here as to require them to insta-kill botters. Following the credit trail from these botters and rolling up the whol food chain may take some time... but it pays off in the long run.

Edited June 16, 2016 by Andryah

[Akostt]

/Agree. Remember back in the day.. how much you had to do to get 3/4 of a million credits? Game is very credit friendly now days... particularly for newer players who don't have mature legacies, maxed companions, maxed crafting skills and deep wallets...... and that is a good thing IMO.

 

Which is why all this nonsense about Treasure Hunting inflating the player economy is complete nonsense. There are so many players farming heroics for easy credits.... it swamps out any measurable effects of the minority of players trying to game Treasure Hunting via botting. I'm sure the studio security team is following up on reported botting, but there is certainly nothing so urgent here as to require them to insta-kill botters. Following the credit trail from these botters and rolling up the whol food chain may take some time... but it pays off in the long run.

 

and treasure boxes do generate a lot of credits that the game needs. it means everyone can sell their items on the gtn for a lot more than they otherwise would. this is a big positive. if anything they should speed up the mission speed at maximum influence and add more direct credit generating crewskills.

[CrazyCT]

Interesting post history you have. My "Sock Puppet" sense is tingling.

[Andryah]

and treasure boxes do generate a lot of credits that the game needs. it means everyone can sell their items on the gtn for a lot more than they otherwise would. this is a big positive. if anything they should speed up the mission speed at maximum influence and add more direct credit generating crewskills.

 

broken record.

 

As already proven by multiple experimenters in this thread..... doing TH legally is inferior to running group based heroics, and frankly most normal leveling activity and play. In other words....you have to deliberately violate the EULA to actually make meaningful and competitive credits from TH.

 

I know that probably offends your pro RMT stance.. but too bad.

Edited June 16, 2016 by Andryah

[darares]

broken record.

 

As already proven by multiple experimenters in this thread..... doing TH legally is inferior to running group based heroics, and frankly most normal leveling activity and play. In other words....you have to deliberately violate the EULA to actually make meaningful and competitive credits from TH.

 

I know that probably offends your pro RMT stance.. but too bad.

 

It doesn't matter how much you can make legally. You don't design game mechanics in a way that anyone can easily cheat, game design 101.

 

For the record you have no idea how many people are abusing this so saying it has no effect on the economy is asinine.

[MeNaCe-NZ]

That's not how markets work. And because they have no inventory costs, there's no reason for them to drop prices to move inventory if they have a sudden overstock but their customers have the same demand. The most plausible reason for the massive drop in price (and the diversification to packs) is that demand has fallen off.

 

This market has no inventory cost as you just said right after saying "that's not how markets work" ... most markets have inventory costs so it's a pretty poor statement imo.

 

They drop prices because there is of course competition. If all of a sudden everyone can suddenly make insane amounts of credits from an exploit or an really easy macro process that means they all have to compete for the business which drives the price down.

 

Also a major source to buy credits from is a player managed "auction" site for lack of a better word. Fairly elaborate system in place it seems to secure your transaction and judging by the amount of games supporter and the insane amount of money that goes through for regular sellers of WoW gold ( you can check their feedback too ) it's suffice to say it's fairly legit.

 

There will also be 2 types of main buyers - those that want X credits for X item and thus the cheaper prices are more attractive than before because it's suddenly affordable ( inflation dependent of course ) and the second type is those than probably regularly buy credits who set a budget for themselves on how much they will spend and thus get more than ever for their money.

 

I also think with the amount of people disillusioned with the game and especially the cartel market they would happily give buying credits a go ... they find it works out, no punishment, no nothing - soon more and more people are doing it.

 

As I've said I can find evidence that more real money than ever is being spend on RMTs ... I've not seen anything to the contrary than pure speculative opinion thus far.

 

So believe said evidence or not ... not my problem if you have your head buried in the sand but at least if anyone is going to bother making statement around reduced RMt income or no one using RMTs because they always hack your account or your CC or whatever at least try support it with some evidence.

[MeNaCe-NZ]

I'm sure the studio security team is following up on reported botting, but there is certainly nothing so urgent here as to require them to insta-kill botters. Following the credit trail from these botters and rolling up the whol food chain may take some time... but it pays off in the long run.

 

I think based on the picture of the BW studio that was put around recently the security "team" was somewhere off to the right off the PVP "team.

[MeNaCe-NZ]

broken record.

 

As already proven by multiple experimenters in this thread..... doing TH legally is inferior to running group based heroics, and frankly most normal leveling activity and play. In other words....you have to deliberately violate the EULA to actually make meaningful and competitive credits from TH.

 

I know that probably offends your pro RMT stance.. but too bad.

 

But ... you do TH and do heroics? Why would you only do one or the other? You don't have to be stationary for the 3-4 minutes your companions are away.

 

I don't see why the 2 get compared because TH is in addition to heroics, it's not one or the other.