Unlimited EC/Energy shop

[Shinami]

I know Orsm and Aoen said they weren't taking suggestions until they were finished testing the current game version but I want to see this discussed amongst the community and hear the opinions of others.

Here's what I foresee it doing to the game.

The newbes and low levels:
Low levels can use the Energy Shop to make ECs for a CHEAP AS SHIT cost. This will introduce an amount of ECs entering the game as quickly as the funds of the low levels will allow. The supply of ECs could possibly meet the demand of the player. This will also allow the newbe to build up funds and focus on buying people's DDs, giving activity to a $$$ bought commodity.

The new burst of supply in ECs and a ton of new, possibly CONSTANT sellers will definitely affect the price. Since it's an increase in supply, I'm guestimating the prices will spike upwards at first and then probably crash once the initial demand is met. After the crash, the price will balance out and fluctuate as people get higher in level and their daily income increases along with their level. I don't expect this to all run it's course and balance out in even a weeks worth of time. More like 2-3 weeks of time.

Given a newbe's low level, a low energy cost in the Shop, and a high return on their ECs...it would give newbes a jump start and enable them to catch up to the average level. People tend to stick around in ranked games like this when they feel like they have a shot at #1. Also, how could they have a shot at catching up in general? Well, heck...cheap as shit energy and always a profit to make on ECs? Eventually they'd catch up and then they'd be the ones buying ECs from people who joined after them and the cycle repeats itself.


The high levels:
The higher levels have a huge amount of CDs and are currently only able to buy 15+ ECs a day depending on what they buy at. With a higher supply of ECs to meet their demand, their CDs will begin to move around to EC sellers. This means that higher levels will have no choice but to spend time and CDs working on their daily income so they can afford more ECs. This also means more CDs will be leaving the game and help curb inflation somewhat even further.


The way this would affect EC prices:
The lower levels have to sell the ECs for less than what 50 energy would cost a higher leveled player. As the average player level increases, so to does the daily income and the cost per 5 energy in the shop. This serves as a player generated "ceiling" aka price cap on ECs. After all, why would I spend 60k on 50 energy from an EC when it only costs me 20k to get 50 energy from the Energy Shop? People will always go for the cheapest energy source and other players will always attempt to profit on that.

What this will do to the available CDs in the game:
No interest already murdered a good amount of daily influx of CDs into the game. This will allow a constant stream of CDs to leave the game. This will remove CDs by:
A.Players spending CDs to increase their server's daily income.
B.Market fees already remove CDs but a higher amount of daily trades will mean more CDs are leaving per day.
C.The Energy Shop will remove an ASS LOAD of CDs per day.

This means we might actually see some sort of regulation to the total amount of CDs in the game. Wouldn't that be nice?


What this means for ECs:
ECs would finally no longer be the "real" currency of Cyber Wars. CDs would finally be what they're MEANT to be which is the true currency of the game.


What this means for DDs:
DDs will spike in demand since nobody will want to allow themselves to even remotely come close to running out with the even bigger importance placed on servers(they're a part of daily income) and thus, the price will raise. How much, nobody knows. Also, higher DD prices means that people may be more inclined to spend $$$ on the game to make more CDs, which is a win for Orsm. We all know what CJ will do here...so there really won't be a shortage of DDs to worry about with him around. Sorry CJ, I had to take the shot man. =)


Now for the clincher of this whole thing. How much should the whole thing cost??? I propose it be based solely on level.
I'm thinking: cost per 5 energy = 300cds * level
For me at lvl37, that's 111k per EC's worth of energy. It may be more expensive than the current market but I'm also almost on the monuments for Level. Think of it as a price I have to pay for having a level higher than the average player.


One thing I'm currently debating is whether or not there should be a cap in the cost of this idea. If there is no cap, then EC sellers can bend us over because our cost for 50 energy in the shop will keep going up while theirs will stay the same. Our daily income can only afford so much after all.

Poke whatever holes you can in the boat and I'll patch em as best I can.

[Rusty]

As I've always said, I completely agree with this idea in its entirety. The new market system is good, but this will fix the prices permanently. That is all

[Blanz]

its too dangerous imo, and MUCH too boring. prices DO need to change, or else people get bored. and with unlimited energy, i feel like playing the game gets too one sided. you buy energy and use it. funsies.

I think that a large ec shop (not unlimited) would do much more for the game

[Rusty]

The point of an unlimited EC shop is that no one will ever use it, because it is always there. If we made it at something like 1 mil per EC now, people would find it ridiculous and prefer to wait for someone to put one up for sale. When EC prices rise to 500k per, maybe people would start using it, and prices would never rise much above 800k per as people just wouldn't wait and simply use the EC shop.
However, as soon as you make a limit, people will try to buy at their limit. Having bought their limit they will then sell them on. If the limit is high enough (1000 per week, say) then it is effectively unlimited. If it is restricted to a certain part of the community (eg just subscribers), then that part will use it to make a profit from the other part.
Whenever I have said 'unlimited', I have mean it in the universal way more than the infinite way, but to have the most effect I believe it should be both.

[Shinami]

@Rusty:Define "universal unlimited".

@Blanz:A large cap instead of unlimited would sate your hunger for ECs? Anything else you can think of that would make an EC shop work better?

Come on peeps, if enough of us put our heads together then surely a spark will light the fire of ingenuity and innovation.

[Rusty]

Universal = Open equally to all members
Infinite = You can buy as many as you like, there is no cap or limit.
Universal unlimited = Both of these put together