OOTP built market speculation into PT from the beginning. But unchecked market speculation, as a result, I don't believe was what they were hoping for. I don't think they designed for all the mission lockdown for many cards, lack of diversity of SE Live Mission teams, and the current spat of vocal FTP players response to the ongoing content. Most of which was in 20 as well. I really like watching Rich's twitch streams when he sees how inflated prices are as he does missions, but I wish he would do some outside the Live missions. He does see what we see on occasion. I am sure Kris and Rich hear about it all the time, and if you don't voice it to them directly, then you should just be constructive and courteous.
What to do? No matter the changes, everyone will get salty, but I think there may be some "Fed"-like OOTP moves that might help.
My take is to implement
Price Ceilings in the AH. We already have
Price Floors. Ceilings might stop a lot of very rampant speculation and tankers (both of which are generally considered bad for the game or against TOS). Make the Ceiling based on the Last 7 data, All-Time, Some combo, or a new Factor. If you list the card with no more than a 10% markup of Last 7, it is fine. Beyond that you can still list it, but the card in now locked in the Auction House until it sells for that "inflated" price. The Ceiling would move throughout the game cycle, which may include the "inflated" data or not. Tankers who list their cards to hide them either have to leave them there or folks will be much more likely to buy them. Whales can still buy cards no matter the prices. Maybe the OOTP tax should be much higher on "inflated sales".
I don't think it should matter how many of a particular card you have or want to sell. Flipping should be allowed and encouraged, just not excessive gouging.
Another problem might be the extraordinary prices of new cards with no established Last 7 or All-time data. I an unsure how to establish new prices. This is a Mixed Economic System not Capitalism. More controls are needed.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Orcin
The market manipulation is a far bigger problem in the game than people spending money. People spending money open lots of packs that provide supply for the AH so others can build teams without investing their hard-earned points in a game of chance. Market manipulators, many of whom are free-to-play, make their points by taking yours in a zero-sum game.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chazzycat
Speculators have to make a decision and it's based primarily on the structure of the collections. A structure where the goal is "Collect every historical card for every team" just removes all the risk from the equation. All a hoarder has to do is keep their portfolio sufficiently diversified, and their profits are guaranteed. One FOTF reward card may be bad, so the small investor could be wiped out with a bad bet on the wrong team. But it's a guarantee that SOME of them will be OP, worth hundreds of thousands of PP. Surely, the toppers will be as well, and you NEED every team for those. So the card-hoarding class who already owns all the assets is 100% guaranteed to be the chief beneficiary under this structure. Like in real life, it's a problem when the rules governing society are slanted too far in the direction of benefiting the rich. Eventually it comes back to hurt the rich as well, when the poor reach a breaking point and stop playing the game entirely.
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