Economy balance discussion

[PerpetuallyFrosty]

(06-27-2018, 01:53 PM)Overfiend Wrote:   b. Apartment/house designs selling - The Dev can close this loophole by making apartment designing something that can only be done within the game, instead of via downloaded templates.  

One of the reasons apartment and houses are appealing in the game right now is because you can customize the backgrounds to some extent. 

Given the track history of the game, I doubt the devs would bother with implementing an in-game designer that would render results similar to the designs I've seen some players create.

Not to mention that if they implemented this feature, they'd basically penalize the players that can't wrap their heads around editing a photo or basic digital design concepts. It'd probably result in people allowing others into their accounts, account hi-jacking and a whole other list of drama. 

Also, in order to really cripple the whole room design market, they'd have to completely remove the option to upload your own files and images into the room designer which would mean that people could only use pre-set images made available in the in-game designer. The devs barely give the game big-enough updates to keep the community engaged, I can only imagine how sparse and small the updates to the in-game designer would be.

I think perhaps establishing a marketplace of sorts within the game would be a better way to control just how much money some of the players make out of designing these room templates. It could add some competition and force designers to keep their prices more realistic.

[Overfiend]

I would agree with a controlled in-game marketplace for apt/house designs could be help control prices & income if the marketplace is setup with price ceilings & floors.

[Jenna-X]

I'm not understanding the need to control in game earnings. I think we need to remember that the game provides a sexual sandbox for us to play in. Everyone is free to seek out the sandbox that best fits their play style or create their own. It's a very bad idea to come barging in and take the shovels and buckets away from paying customers because you don't like their sandcastle. Build your own and have fun doing it.

[Zephyr]

Hi Overfiend, trying to be short.

I think that we basically disagree whether there is even a problem. Most things are obtainable in a fairly short time in mini-game. Not unreasonable that apartments have to be worked for long term. High cost of princess dress was hopefully an aberration.

1 What problem is caused to B if A has a lot of money? Apartments were never going to be cheap.
1a Devs want to sell codes. If A sells to B, A still has to buy. Vendoo is no longer available so maybe only option to get code.
1b They have done work so should be rewarded. I can’t do my own so what good for me?
1c Yes but makes prem a lot less worthwhile.
1d I understand that they do when there is abuse but you want them to pay more.

2 & 3 I think that I have covered that.

4 I don’t think that Devs have any problem with players having large amounts. If you have been on for 2 years, playing mini-games just twice a week for half hour each time you should have plenty to afford an apartment.

Later 2 Yes so? It makes it easier to get a code or design?

Later 3 That is a danger as illustrated by the price of the princess dress. The price of the later nurse’s outfit, whilst maybe more than equivalent previous outfits, is still manageable.

[Jessica_V]

thinking about Wonder Woman outfit added to Red Heat store

[Zephyr]

Jessica_V
thinking about Wonder Woman outfit added to Red Heat store

There is a thread for clothes and this is not it.  JohnSins has already said you are spamming.

I think perhaps establishing a marketplace of sorts within the game would be a better way to control just how much money some of the players make out of designing these room templates. It could add some competition and force designers to keep their prices more realistic.

I would agree with a controlled in-game marketplace for apt/house designs could be help control prices & income if the marketplace is setup with price ceilings & floors.

Why do you need to control how much people earn?  You don’t need a design to use an apartment so why the need to keep design prices realistic?  If someone did a fantastic design that took them hours and you restricted price then they would just do quicker, less good ones:  who wins?  A marketplace is a great idea;  where you can compare value and price.  When you restrict price it no longer is a marketplace.

[PerpetuallyFrosty]

(06-27-2018, 03:46 PM)PerpetuallyFrosty Wrote: I think perhaps establishing a marketplace of sorts within the game would be a better way to control just how much money some of the players make out of designing these room templates. It could add some competition and force designers to keep their prices more realistic.

(06-27-2018, 06:35 PM)Overfiend Wrote: I would agree with a controlled in-game marketplace for apt/house designs could be help control prices & income if the marketplace is setup with price ceilings & floors.

(06-27-2018, 10:12 PM)Zephyr Wrote: Why do you need to control how much people earn?  You don’t need a design to use an apartment so why the need to keep design prices realistic?  If someone did a fantastic design that took them hours and you restricted price then they would just do quicker, less good ones:  who wins?  A marketplace is a great idea;  where you can compare value and price.  When you restrict price it no longer is a marketplace.

I mentioned a marketplace thinking that it would help people to see the options available, not because I'm interested in seeing designers' income being controlled by the devs. The only reason I even commented was because I feel that proposing to get rid of the designing templates would make the apartments and houses lose part of their appeal and because ever since apartments were introduced I've been wanting to see a marketplace of sorts for room designs. 

I've seen some very crappy designs being offered for 10k-50k when there's a bunch of better artists out there doing a better job and offering their designs for similar prices. If people got to see all the options available to them, the prices would control themselves since designers that are over-selling their stuff would be forced to put more realistic prices on their work. 

If all you did was slap a couple of badly cropped, low-res photos and call it a day, your design is really not worth the 10k you're asking for. If you actually created something of better quality (regardless of whether it took you 5 minutes to put it together or 5 hours) then you deserve to ask for a higher price for it. I'm looking at it from a point of view of fairness to both, the sellers and the buyers.

[Overfiend]

In principle, I don't believe income should be controlled generally speaking. You should be able to make as much as you can.

So let me ask this instead, if there wasn't a need to control the amount of money people have then why did the Devs post houses at $500k & specifically saying it was high priced for those that have "have collected a sizeable in game wealth".
The problem of too much wealth was implied by the Devs statement & actions. and there solution was raising prices even though everyone was affected, not just the wealthy.

We are offering alternatives to the Devs high priced solution to excessive wealth.
Personally, I believe the Devs created the problem they are trying to solve.
They created a game with inadequate controls and people took advantage of the loopholes to get rich.

I don't truly believe in limiting income.
We should be able to make as much as we want through legitimate in game methods.
But i also believe in closing loopholes in the game to protect it from getting spoiled.

we've all heard the stories of people getting scammed with bad codes. Or artist realizing that their room dsigns are getting duplicated & resold for higher basically cheating the original artist out of profits. Alt farming flooding server space. And of course the Devs blatantly saying the prices are high because in game cash is way beyond expectations. so I don't think anyone can deny there is a problem.

I'll sum it up with this true story. When I first joined the game prices were high but within reach with a little work at the glory hole. I stayed up late a few nights working the glory hole to afford new outfits. so I decided to treat myself with a trip to the Red Heat strip club. with barely a couple thousand in the bank I was cautiously tipping so I can keep enough to buy the clothing I wanted. Then someone joins the room and drops thousands on a stripper in one shot. I asked him how did he make so much money and he explained the process of alt farming. I was a bit upset at that point because I was using a legitimate in game method for income and barely saving enough. meanwhile this guy was cheating the system and banking big dollars. Then the Devs start raising prices even more since there were so many high rollers. meanwhile the honest people like me were struggling to keep up......so yes there is a problem

[Overfiend]

Maybe an apt / house design in game marketplace can operate like the brothel.  People can upload their design & set a price. It can have a preset price floor & a preset price ceiling. Then buyers can scroll through the designs & buy their favorite.  This can offer a legitimate controlled safe marketplace to buy & sell designs. It can have a hot NPC Auction Host that we can eventually have sex with.

---

Also I'm still in favor of a Sperm Bank minigame that allows you to donate sperm or assist a donor & earn up to $1k per day. With that kind of minigame available, it would diminish the need to alt farm premium avatars

I'm also still in favor creating Certificate of Deposits that can be purchased to earn interest income on money reserved in the CD as a savings. This is another way to make money without the headache of minigames or the risk of loopholes

essentially I'm promoting reasonable in game solutions for income that can diminish the need to abuse loopholes. Then the devs can close the loopholes with less concern of user backlash

[Zephyr]

PerpetuallyFrosty
I agree with what you have said in both your posts.  Your first lists all the reasons why controlling designs would be bad.
A marketplace would be good;  somewhere to compare quality and prices.  But it’s less of a marketplace if you try to limit prices.  Who is to set the floor/ceiling price if not the customer?

Not sure if it is really practical in game itself but this seems possible.  Set up a thread called “Design Marketplace”.  Each designer makes a post attaching their designs as a JPEG with title and price.  EG Design 1 $1000 or Cabin $2000.  This keeps thread compact.  They would be watermarked to avoid unauthorised uploading.

Maybe sample designs could be uploaded to a gallery in Meadows Museum with a mention that they are available via forum.

Overfiend!
Too complicated so not likely to happen.  No one is going to set their own price ceiling.  It is not an auction because designs can be sold more than once unlike a Picasso.  NPCs are often used only once and it is getting off the point.

I need to come back to your previous post.