S-rank price fixing.

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@Vex:

*Has cleared Cmode several times in the past, is not a trash player, and simply doesn't enjoy Cmode.

You seem to have this idea that if someone doesn't enjoy something, it's because they suck at it. I am VERY GOOD at doing my taxes, but that doesn't mean I like it.

Also: Still no answer to the previous question, guys. Is one of you able to charge a lower price, or would you be ousted by the group for doing so? I think it's important for people to know this. Please note that this question has been buried under insults and personal attacks multiple times, so I'm now very curious as to the answer.

@Ryan: I am of course giving my opinion on the price, and trying to spark some public discussion about it, so I guess we agree with each other? I dunno...
 
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Ade said:
simply doesn't enjoy Cmode.
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And there it is, you don't feel like paying the set PDs. People like you that don't feel like playing CMode to make their sranks, even though it only takes about 3 hours for an e2. Of course the Srank prices are going to go up, supply and demand, simple economics.


Ade said:
Is one of you able to charge a lower price, or would you be ousted by the group for doing so? I think it's important for people to know this.
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Who cares if they oust someone for doing so? They're not forced to play with someone if they don't want to. That just means more business for the guy that's branching out, that's how I'd see it.
 
"And there it is, you don't feel like paying the set PDs. People like you that don't feel like playing CMode to make their sranks, even though it only takes about 3 hours for an e2. Of course the Srank prices are going to go up, supply and demand, simple economics."

Well, except that a CARTEL agreement increases the price beyond the demand...hence my initial point.

"Who cares if they oust someone for doing so? They're not forced to play with someone if they don't want to. That just means more business for the guy that's branching out, that's how I'd see it."

I think it's important for the consumers of this population to know how business is being conducted.
 
I'm educating people as to what this group is doing in an effort to enact change.

If I dislike something about a product or service, it's my right as a consumer to voice this. I don't have to open a competing business to enact change, as you are implying.
 
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Ade said:
If I dislike something about a product or service, it's my right as a consumer to voice this. I don't have to open a competing business to enact change, as you are implying.
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Voice it all you want, but it still won't lower the price. I'd hike up my price even more just out of spite, but that's just me.


25pds new custom srank price everyone.
 
The price is an agreed amount and was part of a discussion. Your question about being ousted is ridiculous. I have sold an srank to a friend cheaper and am selling on HC cheaper (because less players, less pds) If you really think the group is some nazi filled regime people who are going to stop playing with each other because of such an action, you don't think highly of us as people. Regardless of that like mentioned we all agreed to the price in a discussion and none of us will be dropping this price unless discussed further. We are all friends and long time cmoders, not going to just 'oust' each other. And when it comes to other players we do play with other players. In-fact i play more so with others most likely than the group due to being on at all the wrong time (like Matt mentioned). There is one or two I refuse to play with but that's due to reasons not being based on sranks or pricing but more to do with they fact they don't listen and ruin the game. I will play with anyone, but I am not going to carry someone. I will game with and help someone learn if they genuinely want to learn cmode for the love of cmode. Because this is the only reason I play cmode. I don't even sell atm.

Also I may not agree with Ade and this topic but I think people are being a little harsh towards him with this topic and its becoming ridiculous. Please refrain from being dickheads and calm the fuck down.
 
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I do agree people are being stupid so I'm going to remove those posts. Act the same way and I'm handing out warnings.
 
Thanks, Spuz :3

I'm glad to hear that the internal workings of this business model aren't being tyrannically imposed. However, I still highly disagree with the "good 'ol boys" mentality that is being used to fix prices. Hopefully exposing this business practice will cause it to change. I've already received PMs from people who agree with me but don't want to get publicly berated. I have thick skin, so I'll be okay.

To the cartel members: I play regular PSO with many of you. And I still enjoy playing with you and consider you friends. None of this is personal.
 
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I don't think the price is higher than the demand, but IF IT IS then people will just learn cmode themselves. (Like me :0 )
 
I personally find it silly you're calling us a cartel. We basically were just talking one day and decided 10PDs wasn't worth it, so asked our friends we played with what they thought and they agreed.

It's really not the conspiracy you make it out to be.
 
Might as well throw my 2 cents in with everyone else:

Is it really "fixing prices"?
the 5-12 pricetag was originally set back when the server was still in its infancy, and there was no PDs around at all, and less than 20-25 people on at peak times. It wasn't even possible to charge more than that because there literally wasn't enough PDs found on the server yet.

Now that the server has matured a bit, more PDs have been found, and the population has (relatively) boomed, it seems fair for the people making S-Ranks to charge a little more, or rather, what they originally wanted to charge. I see people bidding 100+ PDs in the Trade section and people like Matt saying he's already added almost 200+ PDs worth of S-rank specials and item combinations, so PDs are definitely not scarce anymore and I would like to believe that it's not due to duping/hacking.

I've read whats been written in this thread, and in all honesty Ade, it just sounds like you were expecting the price to never increase and don't want to pay the 20 PDs for an S-rank. Everything has gone up in price, not just S-ranks, so why you're singling out just one set of items I have no idea. The v502 I bought early on was 5 pd's and if I wanted I could most likely sell it back for a larger amount, yet its something that even the layman can hunt on their own time without having to learn stages, or finish under a set time. Like it's mentioned above, S-Ranks are one of the most useful items in the game, especially in vanilla pso so it makes sense that the price would go up.

I probably missed a point or 2 that I wanted to mention but there's the general gist of my thoughts.
 
Per Merriam Webster:

Full Definition of cartel
  1. 1: a written agreement between belligerent nations

  2. 2: a combination of independent commercial or industrial enterprises designed to limit competition or fix prices

  3. 3: a combination of political groups for common action
 
Thoroughly enjoying reading this thread. Thanks all lol.

I like the cartel tag, thanks again.

May I remind you all of those complaining... cmode may be "easy" for us (when running pro team) but it's easy because it's taken literally years of practice to get to that stage. You're not just paying for the time it takes to complete the stage, you're paying for the time it takes to find a team; teaching new cmoders out of state; stage failures; Years of practice.

I started selling sranks on sega about 10 years ago. I felt like a stack was too expensive and reduced the price to 60pds. Spuz and I had a VERY successful shop when they were this price. 20pd is nothing. Just because you were used to 10, doesn't mean it's the right price. There are more Pds on this server compared to 6 months ago: prices have gone up. They aren't going down.

Either do cmode yourself (I encourage you to!) or don't complain.
 
Not complaining, just educating.

There aren't THAT many PDs on this server. Whenever PDs are spent to add an S-rank special or Sphere an item, those PDs are destroyed and removed from the economy.

I imagine most people have under a stack of PDs on this server. At one point on Scht, I had over 700. There's still a huge chasm that doesn't warrant a 20 PD price. This economy is no longer an infant, but it's definitely just a toddler.

Be careful: You might just get what you wish for; others may start playing more Cmode and force you to lower your prices.
 
Ade said:
At one point on Scht, I had over 700. There's still a huge chasm that doesn't warrant a 20 PD price. This economy is no longer an infant, but it's definitely a toddler.
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Hence why we aren't charging stacks and yet not charging as little as 10.
 
Ade said:
I imagine most people have under a stack of PDs on this server.
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This is stating that people have PD's, maybe not alot but have them. 20 pds is fair since this is a small amount. More than fair for the current economy. I am on HC which has absolutely 100% no economy, hardly any players, no trades, and yet I am able to add specials to 3 sranks and pay for barriers in gallons plus few other bits. This is entirely from finding them myself. If you don't have the pds to buy an item clearly your not playing enough and simply want to be able to buy an srank without any effort.
 
Welp, never said I personally didn't have enough PDs. I just don't see how a few hours of playing, even if it took some time to polish the skills, is worth that amount. If others agree with me, the price will decrease.

This isn't some argument where you look 10 seconds later and say, "SEE, ADE? THE PRICE HASN'T GONE DOWN YET SO IT MUST BE FAIR...HAHA YOU LOSE." Just give it some time. Now that the community knows what this cartel is up to, they may think twice before doing business with them. It will take some time for positive change to happen.

If the community becomes fully informed on this matter and agrees to continue paying that price, then perhaps that price is now fair. To me, jumping from 12 PDs to 20 PDs causes a lot of discomfort for the average player. I won't budge past 14 PDs at this time.

Even if I don't get my Srank, I'll just keep out-damaging 90% of players with my 50 hit charge weapons, so I'll be fine. I suggest others do the same and wait for prices to deflate. Use the PDs to sphere your good rares and take some out of the economy. That'll learn 'em.
 
20 PDs is fair IMO. You're paying for dedicated, skillful play that requires four people to coordinate a few hours of their time, where one of those players sacrifices their reward to trade you an S-Rank with a name of your choice. A premade S-rank should cost a little less than one where you pick the name.

If you want a special put on it, you pay for that outright. If it's a pre-owned S-rank with a special on it, maybe a small discount on that aspect as well.

The economy is still young and PDs are quite scarce, yes... But S-ranks are incredibly good weapons.
 
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