Economy opinions

[Energizeric]

Hell, Im the opposite. I get bored when I can't achieve a goal in game despite how many times I try. I like a challenge like everyone else but one that is literally impossible for an average player like me (who isn't rich & aren't as successful at merching as some others). Anything that is worth millions in AL, to me is not worth the time nor the effort anymore. Because it takes way too long. These are games meant to have casual gameplay & they completely took away the casual part of StS games. Especially on PL & AL.

This is one of the reasons why I like DL better than the other StS games; because even though I can't get a Gamer Top to drop, I can farm gold to buy one at the auction house for 1.3+ million with only two listed. It makes it possible to obtain an item in a few ways not just one. On AL we are forced to pay plat for a chance at an item that can be sold for millions. I believe these should be plat only items that aren't tradeable but are stashable. Also change the crates from 15 plat to open them, to 15,000 gold to open them for a chance at those items. Just like on DL with the gamble packs there. At least we got one weapon gamble pack availble for gold and not plat. THAT is a more reasonable solution to all this plat nonsense & would be one hell of a gold sink.

I understand this, but why do you need to have every single item that exists. There are hundreds of items that you can have, so why the need to have that one single rare item? I just don't get it.

If it's not worth the challenge to you, then move on and do a different challenge. There certainly is no shortage of different types of challenges in this game. Obtaining an arcane/mythic item is just one of many challenges. What you are essentially suggesting is that if you don't want to spend the time saving for this super rare item, then nobody else should be able to either.

So you want the complete elimination of arcane and mythic items? Is that what you are suggesting? (making them more common is the same thing as eliminating them, since they would no longer be or mythic or arcane rarity, they would be just like regular pinks)


Does it bother you that you can't be #1 on all the leaderboards? Do you get bored with the game because of this? Maybe they should eliminate the leaderboards since folks may get bored. Or maybe they should make everyone #1 on the leaderboards and give everyone the same banner. Then we all win! [/sarcasm]

Sorry but if you are a casual gamer, there are plenty of nice small challenges you can have in this game, but having the best gear, or making the leaderboards is probably not something you will be able to achieve. And any game where you could would not be fun for hardcore gamers.

[TheStoic]

I understand this, but why do you need to have every single item that exists. There are hundreds of items that you can have, so why the need to have that one single rare item? I just don't get it.

If it's not worth the challenge to you, then move on and do a different challenge. There certainly is no shortage of different types of challenges in this game. Obtaining an arcane/mythic item is just one of many challenges. What you are essentially suggesting is that if you don't want to spend the time saving for this super rare item, then nobody else should be able to either.

So you want the complete elimination of arcane and mythic items? Is that what you are suggesting? (making them more common is the same thing as eliminating them, since they would no longer be or mythic or arcane rarity, they would be just like regular pinks)


Does it bother you that you can't be #1 on all the leaderboards? Do you get bored with the game because of this? Maybe they should eliminate the leaderboards since folks may get bored. Or maybe they should make everyone #1 on the leaderboards and give everyone the same banner. Then we all win! [/sarcasm]

Sorry but if you are a casual gamer, there are plenty of nice small challenges you can have in this game, but having the best gear, or making the leaderboards is probably not something you will be able to achieve. And any game where you could would not be fun for hardcore gamers.

These are valid points, but what is slowly happening is that, the gap between the elite few and the majority of casual players is widening in terms of earnings in gold.

In my opinion, elites in this game can also be classified into two:
Elite one: pure hardwork farming; merching+more hours spent on playing; and
Elite two: bought plats+open crate+sell pinks and gears from crates+earn gold, then buy mythic and top-end gears=instant elite

With the introduction of ripmaw, increased cap and other plat-obtainable gears thru crates; hardworking elites slowly evolved to second-type elites just to stay competitive and on top of leaderboards. So much time and plat spent on this game, they have to keep playing or purchasing plat to keep their position and status. Thus, they get hold of the best loots, then sell the excess at hefty prize, controlling 99% of the economy.

At this stage of the game for new gamers, its nearly impossible to earn millions and get into leaderboards and buy the best gears unless you buy plats then open those locked crates and wish for a jackpot. Try creating a new toon without seed money from your main, let's see the result, at lvl 16 or 21, gears are already expensive, which you cant farm anymore. In fact, some of the elites are hoarding these to sell at a later stage.

To be honest, doing the nice small challenges you mentioned are momentarily fun, as you level up, what do you think sustains your progress? eggs? crates? cheap pinks?, with your consumption in pots and buying a gear at a certain level, you may have a few thousands left. Then what? By the time you've saved enough gold for the gear you most wanted, a new expansion will come out, then you'll always be left behind.

The economy in AL is only a sign that the richer players in this game gets richer, while the poor gets poorer or otherwise gets bankrupt. Like I said, this gap is widening.

From my own perspective, one of the good measures you are doing good in this game is the amount of gold you have and achievements you achieve, and most of the players, including, casual ones aspire to aim that.

Well, these are my opinions, if STS feels that these few elite players sustains their bottomline, then this game is fine the way it is.

Like I said, we are lucky we are early adopters of this game, we grow with the game, but I don't see that happening for new players growing with the game, unless...

[Energizeric]

The economy in AL is only a sign that the richer players in this game gets richer, while the poor gets poorer or otherwise gets bankrupt. Like I said, this gap is widening.

What you describe here is how capitalism works. Unfortunately that is how a free market system works. How we avoid that in the real world is to inject some forms and bits of socialism into the mix. For example, in the real world we have socialist programs like welfare, unemployment benefits, social security, etc. And we have a progressive tax system.

If you want to even things out in AL you would need to add some of these ideas into the economy. For example, you could make potions and consignment shop fees cost more for players who have more wealth. But then many of these players may instead put all of their wealth in items and not keep much cash on hand. That has always been a big criticism of such programs in the real world -- that there are always loopholes to get around them.

But capitalism in its most basic form with no regulation or price controls ends up exactly as you describe. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer, and there ends up being no middle class. The middle class we have in much of the industrialized world is there because of wealth redistribution/socialist types of programs, not because the system is actually designed to work that way.

The more money you have, the easier it is to make more money. Try merching with 10k, and then try merching with 5m and you'll easily see what I mean. So naturally those with more money will make more money. And those with more money will buy better gear, and then they will have an easier time farming for more good items & chests. So the cycle repeats itself. No way to avoid this unless you curb the free market system the game is created around.

I know up above I was told to stop comparing this to real life since it's just a game. Sorry to say, but economics is economics whether it is a game or real life. The same rules of logic apply and human nature is still the same.