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

[Akostt]

freaking out about the plummeting prices on "credits for dollars"

 

i said the low prices are good. many people buy from credit sellers because it's cheaper than cartel coins now. i want treasure boxes kept the same because its a good easy source of credits and keeps prices low. learn to read killboy.

Edited June 6, 2016 by Akostt

[IanArgent]

He sadly has a point. The cartel coins > credits ratio has increased; while years ago a hypercrate would sell for 8m tops, now we're lucky to see something below 20m. Not everybody is willing to spend money on cartel coins to buy stuff and not everybody is willing to spend time farming heroics to buy stuff.

Therefore, the fastest way to buy shiny stuff from the gtn with little to none effort is to open your wallet and bend 90° in front of gold sellers. Their prices are kinda low, all considered. Which makes it sadly easy for people to fall to the temptation and buy from them instead of playing the game like it's intended to be played.

 

Replace "heroics" with dailies in your justification, and the same scenario applied pre-4.0; only with smaller numbers all around - your dollar at the RMT didn't buy as much credits, either, because credits were tighter all around. If you can afford to pay money at the RMT, you can afford CCs. CCs turn into credits through the GTN, everyone's happy.

[Khevar]

He sadly has a point. The cartel coins > credits ratio has increased ...

If the "cartel coins > credit ratio" has increased, than spending money on CCs would get you more credits than it used to.

 

Ergo, real-world-dollars -> cartel coins -> credits results in more credits per dollar spent.

 

Any potential "inflation" that has resulted in GTN prices going up for cosmetic items seems to be accompanied by an increase in the translation of CCs to credits.

Edited June 6, 2016 by Khevar

[Max_Killjoy]

i said the low prices are good. many people buy from credit sellers because it's cheaper than cartel coins now. i want treasure boxes kept the same because its a good easy source of credits and keeps prices low. learn to read killboy.

 

So you're telling me to learn to read, while making feeble attempt at an insult... and missing the fact that the section between the dashes was describing the behavior of the "other two" posters.

 

OK. 10/10 for irony.

 

But hey, you sound more and more like them every time you post, including the way you lash out every time someone questions your statements.

Edited June 6, 2016 by Max_Killjoy

[Akostt]

If the "cartel coins > credit ratio" has increased, than spending money on CCs would get you more credits than it used to.

 

Ergo, real-world-dollars -> cartel coins -> credits results in more credits per dollar spent.

 

Any potential "inflation" that has resulted in GTN prices going up for cosmetic items seems to be accompanied by an increase in the translation of CCs to credits.

 

rofl credits are so easy to get from the treasure boxes making it so much cheaper to just buy from the spammers. but why is that bad for the game. some people can't afford cartel coins so they buy credits really cheap. they then spend it on the gtn and help everyone sell stuff for high prices.... the devs obviously want this in place. it has been going on since kotfe.

 

and i hate when people say this is an exploit. THIS IS NOT AN EXPLOIT. this is how the game mechanic works so therefore doing it is not an exploit. use the proper definition of an exploit.

Edited June 6, 2016 by Akostt

[lightSaberAddiCt]

rofl credits are so easy to get from the treasure boxes making it so much cheaper to just buy from the spammers. but why is that bad for the game. some people can't afford cartel coins so they buy credits really cheap. they then spend it on the gtn and help everyone sell stuff for high prices.... the devs obviously want this in place. it has been going on since kotfe.

 

and i hate when people say this is an exploit. THIS IS NOT AN EXPLOIT. this is how the game mechanic works so therefore doing it is not an exploit. use the proper definition of an exploit.

 

You have to love the forums mods. If you call someone out for being a troll you get an infraction. But it seems people posting on how it is a great thing to buy credits, and nothing......

 

Good Job BW.....golf clap

Edited June 6, 2016 by lightSaberAddiCt

[Tsetso]

If the "cartel coins > credit ratio" has increased, than spending money on CCs would get you more credits than it used to.

 

Ergo, real-world-dollars -> cartel coins -> credits results in more credits per dollar spent.

 

Any potential "inflation" that has resulted in GTN prices going up for cosmetic items seems to be accompanied by an increase in the translation of CCs to credits.

 

That's not the case though. Current hypercrates sell for ~25-27 millions on TRE, which is ~$18(not sure if $0.7/million is real but that's what i get in mail). At the same time the hypercrate costs 5400CC which is ~$54. So making credits by buying stuff with CC and selling it on GTN is worse than directly buying credits(which is violation of TOS of course)

[Deluxe_]

I just realised they deleted that other thread with that video where they showed a guy getting like a billion credits with this method.

 

Cheeky Bioware.

[Akostt]

You have to love the forums mods. If you call someone out for being a troll you get an infraction. But it seems people posting on how it is a great thing to buy credits, and nothing......

 

Good Job BW.....golf clap

 

i'm just pointing out the fact that credits are a lot cheaper than cartel coins and you can't blame people for buying credits instead when they are this cheap and the treasure boxes are a good way to earn credits. even if you don't do treasure boxes you can put stuff on the gtn for high prices and sell stuff that way from all the extra credits it generates.

[Andryah]

I just realised they deleted that other thread with that video where they showed a guy getting like a billion credits with this method.

 

Cheeky Bioware.

 

You are not allowed to post or link actual game exploit methods that violate the ToS.

 

It's not what the players was doing in that video.. it's HOW he was doing it.

Edited June 6, 2016 by Andryah

[alfreedo]

You are not allowed to post or link actual game exploit methods that violate the ToS.

 

It's not what the players was doing in that video.. it's HOW he was doing it.

 

It is funny that numerous people argued that this wasn't an exploit. However Bioware decided it is with deleting that thread.

[Khevar]

That's not the case though. Current hypercrates sell for ~25-27 millions on TRE, which is ~$18(not sure if $0.7/million is real but that's what i get in mail). At the same time the hypercrate costs 5400CC which is ~$54. So making credits by buying stuff with CC and selling it on GTN is worse than directly buying credits(which is violation of TOS of course)

JeKoCZ was trying to argue that the "cartel coins > credits ratio has increased", thereby justifying purchasing from Gold Sellers, giving an example of hypercrates that used to sell for ~8M and now sell for ~20M.

 

The argument is fallacious.

 

With the "resale value" of a hypercrate going up, the ability to turn $ into credits through the Cartel Market has improved, not worsened.

[IanArgent]

I kind of wonder if the current (alleged) lack of hypercrates on the GTN is due to the RMTs buying them to resell for cash; since that's apparently now A Thing. That won't end well for the RMTs.

[MeNaCe-NZ]

Not to mention that many RMT websites are laden with malware, hijacking code, etc.

 

Now who's wearing the tinfoil hat

[MeNaCe-NZ]

I kind of wonder if the current (alleged) lack of hypercrates on the GTN is due to the RMTs buying them to resell for cash; since that's apparently now A Thing. That won't end well for the RMTs.

 

I believe if the value of selling credits for cash is now 4 times less than it was say a year ago then there will be less criminals using the CM to launder money ( e.g. - use stolen CC to buy crates, sell for credits, sell credits for cash that is much harder to trace ) - why do it here when you can do other games than will net you more real world cash return for your illegal cash?

 

Unless we want to pretend like that sort of thing doesn't exist/happen of course - nothing wrong with living in fantasy land ... it is star wars after all.

[Andryah]

It is funny that numerous people argued that this wasn't an exploit. However Bioware decided it is with deleting that thread.

 

Treasure hunting, in it's current state, is not an exploit unless/until Bioware decides it is and needs to be addressed. Same goes for slicing or any other crafting skill. As evidenced by this conspiracy thread remaining alive and well in the forum.

 

How the youtuber was going about it however... was against the ToS, hence the thread got nuked and the guy that linked it here in the forum may in fact be taking a short vacation for linking it. /shrug.

 

There is a difference.. as is true for much of the game. There are ToS complaint methods to play, and ToS breaking ways to play.

Edited June 7, 2016 by Andryah

[ivanhedgehog]

/e *chokes on coffee*

 

This is a red-letter day in my book. I've never seen anyone defend the gold selling industry in a non-ironic fashion before.

 

they do offer a valuable service...they find the idiots

[IanArgent]

I believe if the value of selling credits for cash is now 4 times less than it was say a year ago then there will be less criminals using the CM to launder money ( e.g. - use stolen CC to buy crates, sell for credits, sell credits for cash that is much harder to trace ) - why do it here when you can do other games than will net you more real world cash return for your illegal cash?

 

Unless we want to pretend like that sort of thing doesn't exist/happen of course - nothing wrong with living in fantasy land ... it is star wars after all.

 

I'm on record as saying that I think the crash in credit value (as indicated by the drastic lowering of cost per millions of credits) is a Bad Thing for the RMTs. I believe their move to trying to sell hypercrates is one of desperation, as the bottom falls out of the credit market. Eventually, most, if not all RMTs will move on to greener pastures or just fold tents. There have been a couple of news articles and opinion pieces that the whole thing is getting to be harder to make money at across the MMO industry.

[Knorlac]

they do offer a valuable service...they find the idiots

 

Indeed, first running the risk of falling prey to an IT based attack on your real world currency and then running the risk of getting banned for breaking the ToS doesn't seem like a wise move to me.

The buyers are probably the the same people who jump at every exploit in the game and then cry foul once BW acts on it.

Chances are I won't miss them.

[MeNaCe-NZ]

I'm on record as saying that I think the crash in credit value (as indicated by the drastic lowering of cost per millions of credits) is a Bad Thing for the RMTs. I believe their move to trying to sell hypercrates is one of desperation, as the bottom falls out of the credit market. Eventually, most, if not all RMTs will move on to greener pastures or just fold tents. There have been a couple of news articles and opinion pieces that the whole thing is getting to be harder to make money at across the MMO industry.

 

I remember reading an article on a confessed RMT trader someone linked to from here and all I could think was "heh noob" - considering how much of it can now be automated with only really the delivery requiring interaction then of course a fool spending so many hours a day manually trying to make money is going to get screwed,

 

Do RMTs lose out from this crash you speak of though? Everyone keeps going on and on about how easier it is to make credits now right? So is it not easier for them to make credits?

 

Think the last 2 "forgotten" exploits that could almost be blamed for the state of the economy ( it sky rocketed after them and nothing anywhere proves Bioware did anything to address the probable 100's of billions injected into the economy each time ) and now with slicing and TH so easy to automate ( as someone linked a video showing and even explaining how to do so ) it could be said RMT's have more and easier access to credits than ever and at a price point that is pretty attractive.

 

Sure they don't make say $2 per million credits now ... maybe they make the .50 cents I see spammed ( or 2 mill for 1 USD it usually is ) but if they are making credits 4 times easier ... what are they losing here? Someone spending $50 now buys 100 mill instead of 50 mill ... it all balances out in the end.

 

This is probably a main reason why we see hypercrates/packs inflate - they cost real money to turn into credits so there is a relationship to RMT prices there.

 

In the end no one currently is losing out ... with the upcoming changes to packs though ( less cubes ) expect embargoed silver/bronze items to start sky rocketing in price though ... still no one loses out since that's all vanity and people can still spend real cash to get credits from packs/crates to buy those items.

 

Items people actually need in the game will always affordable so there will never really be a problem ... people might just want to forget being able to get cash items ( CM ) as easily through regular "free" in game credit making means as they do now - it will lead to moaning no doubt but meh, spend some cash or enjoy the grind.

[Rantank]

Do RMTs lose out from this crash you speak of though? Everyone keeps going on and on about how easier it is to make credits now right? So is it not easier for them to make credits?

 

There are no absolutes but rather percentages. If your income is hard to come by then more people will be tempted to buy. If people realise they can earn money fairly easily, then they will be more inclined to wait , earn it themselves and not buy. If a higher percentage of your player base is tempted to buy then the RMTs can make a killing. But if the value of credits overall craters due to the ease at which they come, and the pool of available buyers decreases, the RMTs end up with far more than they can sell off. This is a double whammy to the supply and demand.

Edited June 7, 2016 by Rantank

[merovejec]

Wow this is the fastest growing thread yet!!

 

Still have no idea what you people need money for!! I have a lot but nothing to spend it on. The gold sellers prices are going down cause noone is buying it from them.

[Knorlac]

Wow this is the fastest growing thread yet!!

 

Still have no idea what you people need money for!! I have a lot but nothing to spend it on. The gold sellers prices are going down cause noone is buying it from them.

 

Not everyone is swimming in credits. For some, including myself, items like the vented saber, lightning tuning or *insert any other super rare item* which are selling for 30-60mil would be unobtainable if they didn't either buy a hypercrate and sell it or resort to using credit selling sites.

[Deluxe_]

The gold sellers prices are going down cause noone is buying it from them.

 

That's the wrong way of looking at it. The price per million credits has most likely gone down because while it's extremely easy to make them, the purchasing power of those credits has diminished as well. This means that a player buying credits will have to buy more millions and thus spend a similar amount of RL money to buy what one million credits could purchase in the past. It's just inflation.

[Rantank]

That's the wrong way of looking at it. The price per million credits has most likely gone down because while it's extremely easy to make them, the purchasing power of those credits has diminished as well. This means that a player buying credits will have to buy more millions and thus spend a similar amount of RL money to buy what one million credits could purchase in the past. It's just inflation.

 

That is true, however the overall pool of players willing to buy drops at the same time which brings supply and demand into the mix too. People will risk their accounts (both bank and game) if earning in-game currency is too difficult or time consuming. But if they come easily then they will be far less likely to. Also as has been said, there are not a whole lot of things you really feel obligated to spend credits on in the first place. Hence, even if everything else is equal, the pool of buyers shrinks and the RMTs earn less as they have less overall customers.

 

I am not an economist, but I would seriously doubt everything is equal in any case. There is more than one RMT and they have to compete as well and other factors come into play there when they're sitting on larger supplies.

Edited June 7, 2016 by Rantank