Using alts to manipulate server economies

[Alexander DeLarge]

The games official launch was jan 22. That post by rev was left jan 18 and its says they will keep an eye on the situation. This question only pertained to second accounts, not lot swapping. Policing it at a players standpoint is very noble, it just wont accomplish anything. The way I look at it is if the head honchos of this game are lacksidasical enough to let it go then why not take full advantage of it. Telling people they cant be in your society over it (even though that is your exclusive right) kind of reminds me of local governments passing laws that say you cant smoke in bars, yet cigarettes still sit on the shelves in gas stations. Anyway I still want an official response since the official release on both these subjects. WILL dev's ANSWER IT!? CAN dev's ANSWER IT!? I wont hold my breath.

[Xavin]

This is so much work, I doubt enough people will do it to impact the economy.

[Gustave Molyneux]

As the system works right now, this doesn't hurt the economy one bit. It's a cash limited system, not labor limited, so the labor advantage this provides is worthless.

Any society can tell you, it's not getting certain goods that's the problem, it's getting the cash to build those goods. Cash limited.

[Chandra SeaCat]

Originally Posted by Gustave Molyneux As the system works right now, this doesn't hurt the economy one bit. It's a cash limited system, not labor limited, so the labor advantage this provides is worthless. Any society can tell you, it's not getting certain goods that's the problem, it's getting the cash to build those goods. Cash limited.

Iam not shure which game you are playing, but its not PotBS.
Since the 3rd day money was never a problem, it was always labor keeping me from achieving more.
Maybe you mean that you use up everything that you build, like ships getting sunk every day. BUT thats your choice of wasting your product. Economy is produce and sale with a gain.
When you take something for yourself, you have to grind the money and pay it back to your production stock.

Back to the topic:
This structure sharing is the worsed kick in *** for every fair trader. Right now the economy is slow, cause more is produced than needed. Additional structures are the last nails to seal the coffin.

[CaptainDartwick]

For the most part this doesnt work because the server is low on cash relative to production.

[Aston Haviland]

The relationships I have gained from trading partners is what makes PoTBS fun to me. If I multiboxed or did the cross server thing, I might increase my profit % but an mmo to me is about people, it's not about being uber due to your "outside the game design intent" strategy. Plus, if you took it to the extreme and had 10 accounts and you became "the Man", did you really become "the Man" fair and square? Of course, each of us is different and that concept may not matter to some.......Must.....WIN.....at........ANY.......co st!

[Omm]

Agree that this is a huge issue and inpact server economy a lot. But this can be fixed by adding lots only to higher lvl characters.
1 lot at lvl 10
2 lots at lvl 20
3 lots at lvl 30
4 lots at lvl 40
10 lots at lvl 50

If people want to invest a lot of their time and train lvl50 alts let them. But this prevent just creating lvl1 for only building lots.

From my own experience I remember not needing a lot of lots at low lvls as you do not have enought doublons to buy production anyway.

Omm

[Kylra]

Originally Posted by Omm Agree that this is a huge issue and inpact server economy a lot. But this can be fixed by adding lots only to higher lvl characters.

The last thing this game needs is even more level disparity. Also, are you aware it is 10 lots per account not 10 per character? You have to buy an entirely new account to have more than 10 lots, so it isn't as easy as clicking "Create new character". You also have to do that much more shipping, AH listing, market research etc.

[armae]

I have 2 accounts,i use both players actively for PvE,and the economy. Sue me. FLS wont do anything about it..2 accounts,and 2 + characters on a server...it helps boost their numbers...im thinking shooting themselves in the foot isnt gonna happen.

I do more for my servers economy then a lot of the closed societies in terms of buying resources and selling ships. Profit isnt my main motive. To turn a port(s) into places to go to buy a ship is. If you need a ship, and dont want to bother logging in your lvl 7 FT alt, you can be reasonably sure "X" port will have it...thats my goal. I could work with other players, but as iv already seen, other players have their own "vision", which includes words like "monopolize", "dominate", "profitability" ,"spreadsheets" ,"efficiency", etc. I cant be bothered with that nonsense. im playing a game ffs. Its sposd to be fun, not some geeked out form of work.

I have more then when i started, so to me its all good. Iv sold a lot of ships that no one else could be bothered making, and still do. Some of the batches of ships i make take forever to sell, eventually they do tho, and then il make another batch, cuz someday someone might want one. My goal is to run a business that is successful in terms of service, and sustainability. The reason for 2 accounts is to provide the second goal, sustainability. When the markets go weird, as they so oft do, it doesnt affect me. If there is a resource low in quantity for sale, it doesnt affect me. if the prices are ridiculously high on certain items( for MC usually), it doesnt affect me. If my "partners" decide to quit, or dont have time to "do that " right now, it doesnt affect me. At the end of the day, if you buy my ships, none of that affects you either. Prices have notched up a little(resources), you know what?..it hasnt affected my prices...i actually dropped prices on a few ships earlier today. OMG im a criminal...or so some of ya would think...and for the anti-socializing this is a MMORPG crowd...i buy most of my resources from other players AH, directly..so go ppfftt yoursef on that too.

Lot swapping...who cares..if they want go ahead. Iv been providing resources to, and buying from people who have used lot swaps, since SWG(launch). Some massive, some small. They help to stimulate the economy, and also help to keep prices in check. And considering the amount of work that will be involved in PoTBS, and for the reward..not many people will do it for long.Il agree with FLS on this "not particularily concerned".

[runabout]

Originally Posted by HybridRifter I ran across a thread on my server's forums and I wanted to bring it here to see what the devs have to say about it. He is the post: Seeing as the orgional poster wants to try to keep this tactic a secret, I will explain his suggestion. What he is proposing is that a player makes an alt on his server and he'll make an alt on that player's server. He will then tell the player what buildings to put on the alt on his server and the player tells him what buildings to put on the alt he makes. The player gives him what they make on their alt and he will give you what he makes on his alt. Now times this by dozens of alts... I would like to get some comments about this from the developers and see what their take on this is.

Seems like a case where people should spend less time worrying about what other people do and more time on having fun and playing the game themselves. It's a game...treat it that way.