Semkhet
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Posted - 2006.01.09 13:03:00 -
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Isk is part of the game. But if making tons & tons of isk becomes the ultimate goal in EVE unless you want to limit yourself at flying old ships or T2 frigs, then something is wrong. And when I say wrong, it's taking into account that most people simply don't make enough isk to invest 100-200 mil isk in a cruiser, even if it's T2. I don't think that EVE will be a more interesting place if T2 cruisers end docked at stations because players may be unable to replace them.
I have the impression that HAC prices reflect conjunctural coincidences.
First, EVE's player base is expanding very fast, and many old players now have the skills to fly fancier ships. Therefore demand for T2 ships of all short can only increase.
Second, the RAM bug has crippled T2 production. At the beginning of RMR, producers could seize the RAM that was being offered on market a fair prices. Now RAM is rare or offered at ridiculous prices. Typically, a T2 frig needs 4, a HAC 12 RAM Starship. At 1 mil the RAM, you get the picture...
Third, RAM's take 100m3 cargo for each unit. Not precisely the easiest thing to move in large quantities. Empire got depleted first, and now acceptable prices are only found in marginal systems with low or no security. Therefore producers factorize also in their prices the hassle to prospect and haul back the RAM's, without forgetting the loss represented by haulers and their cargo who get popped here and there.
Fourth, when marketed RAM became out of reach, most T2 producers simply suspended production because they hope that the next patch in January will correct the RAM bug, and therefore don't want to risk the few RAM Starship they have in stock. It means that there are less and less T2 ships brought on market.
Fifth, even before RMR, the HAC production was unable to attend the total demand (just look at NAGA waiting times pre-RMR). Now the amount of cumulated ordered ships in the production queue will make difficult to significantly lower the retail prices even after correcting the RAM bug, simply because the clog is now even bigger than it was before.
Sixth, as we may expect inflation on HAC prices to continue due to the pression applied by the growing HAC-able player base, the market will attract even more as before financial opportunism, were people with billions may consider profitable to act as intermediaries if HAC prices continue to increase by 5 mil each week. Therefore pushing prices further up in order to fuel their speculative business.
Now, there are simple common sense solutions to this situation.
RAM = Either make BPO's available through NPC market, or RAM repairable again.
T2 ship BPO's = Lowering construction & BPC copying time will not suffice, because these BPO's are already in the hands of a reduced number of players who are now used to make astronomical benefits, and there's no reason (playing the devil's lawyer) why they should fairly reflect such changes on their prices. Remember that if it this in their interest, they will not hesitate to form cartels. The only way to create a production environment able to cope with the demand will be to randomly seed much more BPO's and create BPC agent mission drops.
Why the agent missions ? Because even by seeding BPO's randomly, part of them will statistically end in the hands of those who have the biggest R&D lp's. What we are looking here is to spread HAC construction ability, and not just further enrich those who already monopolize T2 production. CCP should create a competitive environment able to fight monopoly and cartels, and the only way to do it in a free market system is to give the opportunity to enough people to act as T2 ship producers.
It solely depends of CCP to decide if in the future, most T2 ships will be seen as prohibitive toys with little or no use. Personally, I don't bother using & specializing for a ship if I don't know when I can replace it in case of loss.
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