On the Matter of Monopolization

    • It's not like I think there is any major problem but didn't anyone ever considered introducing "villages".

      Like currently we have islands & cities. What about some middle ground, villages that don't have any bonuses, have a bit(5-10%?) less return and have plots for rent the same way as the cities.

      Benefits:
      - Make those blue zones a bit more "alive" (as people will at least travel from cities to those villages)
      - This will hamper the ability to monopolize stuff, not completely eliminate it but reduce it and make it harder as there will be too many plots to buy.
      - Flatten the curve from island to city plot. Everything today is about flattening the curve it seems :(
      - Easy to implement

      The post was edited 1 time, last by XKent ().

    • iRawr wrote:

      Ragu wrote:

      Can a non premium player buy a plot? If yes, then there's a good start for SBI. Make it so only a premium player can buy a plot, then restrict them to one plot only. Problem solved. If a player like Predatz (Spelling?), whats to create multiple accounts with premium, I say go for it. That's a slew of silver he/she/it would be paying, along with all of the constant logging in and out of the game.
      He is not a solo player. It's a guild who owns all these plots.
      And i am sure they all got premiums.
      They waste 50+ mil for the EACH plot they have. Do you think if they need to waste 57 mil for each, gonna change something?

      Why do you think so?


      The only way to fix this problem fast and easy - change the auction time from 30+ days into 7-10 days.

      It will:
      1. Reduce the price for the plot (Coth the time will be reduced)
      2. Let more ppl join plots auction, coth much more ppl have 20 mil then 60 mil in free silver rotation.
      3. The auction will be more competitive.

      And well, problem solved.
      Then make it 1 plot per account, provided 1 player in the account has premium. As of now 1 player can buy every plot in the game.

    • Ragu wrote:

      iRawr wrote:

      Ragu wrote:

      Can a non premium player buy a plot? If yes, then there's a good start for SBI. Make it so only a premium player can buy a plot, then restrict them to one plot only. Problem solved. If a player like Predatz (Spelling?), whats to create multiple accounts with premium, I say go for it. That's a slew of silver he/she/it would be paying, along with all of the constant logging in and out of the game.
      He is not a solo player. It's a guild who owns all these plots.And i am sure they all got premiums.
      They waste 50+ mil for the EACH plot they have. Do you think if they need to waste 57 mil for each, gonna change something?

      Why do you think so?


      The only way to fix this problem fast and easy - change the auction time from 30+ days into 7-10 days.

      It will:
      1. Reduce the price for the plot (Coth the time will be reduced)
      2. Let more ppl join plots auction, coth much more ppl have 20 mil then 60 mil in free silver rotation.
      3. The auction will be more competitive.

      And well, problem solved.
      Then make it 1 plot per account, provided 1 player in the account has premium. As of now 1 player can buy every plot in the game.
      And whats gonna change? You really think the guys who pay 50mil for plot every 30 days will be stopped by 57mil price and free account creation?
      Also , the multiple accounts is ok by TOS. So its 100% legal. How its gonna fix the problem?

    • iRawr wrote:

      Ragu wrote:

      iRawr wrote:

      Ragu wrote:

      Can a non premium player buy a plot? If yes, then there's a good start for SBI. Make it so only a premium player can buy a plot, then restrict them to one plot only. Problem solved. If a player like Predatz (Spelling?), whats to create multiple accounts with premium, I say go for it. That's a slew of silver he/she/it would be paying, along with all of the constant logging in and out of the game.
      He is not a solo player. It's a guild who owns all these plots.And i am sure they all got premiums.They waste 50+ mil for the EACH plot they have. Do you think if they need to waste 57 mil for each, gonna change something?

      Why do you think so?


      The only way to fix this problem fast and easy - change the auction time from 30+ days into 7-10 days.

      It will:
      1. Reduce the price for the plot (Coth the time will be reduced)
      2. Let more ppl join plots auction, coth much more ppl have 20 mil then 60 mil in free silver rotation.
      3. The auction will be more competitive.

      And well, problem solved.
      Then make it 1 plot per account, provided 1 player in the account has premium. As of now 1 player can buy every plot in the game.
      And whats gonna change? You really think the guys who pay 50mil for plot every 30 days will be stopped by 57mil price and free account creation?Also , the multiple accounts is ok by TOS. So its 100% legal. How its gonna fix the problem?
      With hundreds of plots available in all the cities, that's hundreds of toons they'll have to log in and out on. Logging in and all out the time isn't going to be easy or fun. So yeah, that will slow folks down.

      Changing the bidding time to every 7-10 days is a good idea as well, but how much of the cost will be passed onto the players who use those stations? Might make setting up crafting stations on a guild/personal island a cheaper way to go in some instances.

      When the city station is done, do they get all of their resources they used to build the station back? If so, why?

      The post was edited 1 time, last by Ragu ().

    • Ragu wrote:

      iRawr wrote:

      Ragu wrote:

      iRawr wrote:

      Ragu wrote:

      Can a non premium player buy a plot? If yes, then there's a good start for SBI. Make it so only a premium player can buy a plot, then restrict them to one plot only. Problem solved. If a player like Predatz (Spelling?), whats to create multiple accounts with premium, I say go for it. That's a slew of silver he/she/it would be paying, along with all of the constant logging in and out of the game.
      He is not a solo player. It's a guild who owns all these plots.And i am sure they all got premiums.They waste 50+ mil for the EACH plot they have. Do you think if they need to waste 57 mil for each, gonna change something?
      Why do you think so?


      The only way to fix this problem fast and easy - change the auction time from 30+ days into 7-10 days.

      It will:
      1. Reduce the price for the plot (Coth the time will be reduced)
      2. Let more ppl join plots auction, coth much more ppl have 20 mil then 60 mil in free silver rotation.
      3. The auction will be more competitive.

      And well, problem solved.
      Then make it 1 plot per account, provided 1 player in the account has premium. As of now 1 player can buy every plot in the game.
      And whats gonna change? You really think the guys who pay 50mil for plot every 30 days will be stopped by 57mil price and free account creation?Also , the multiple accounts is ok by TOS. So its 100% legal. How its gonna fix the problem?
      With hundreds of plots available in all the cities, that's hundreds of toons they'll have to log in and out on. Logging in and all out the time isn't going to be easy or fun. So yeah, that will slow folks down.
      Changing the bidding time to every 7-10 days is a good idea as well, but how much of the cost will be passed onto the players who use those stations? Might make setting up crafting stations on a guild/personal island a cheaper way to go in some instances.

      When the city station is done, do they get all of their resources they used to build the station back? If so, why?
      It does not work like that.

      The legal game options is:
      1. The premium player can also open 2+ clients and log in at the same time if all of he's accounts got premium.
      2. You can just make 50 Shortcuts of the game, with different login and PW saved in it.

      The plot itself needs a HUGE amount of time to feed, check, repair etc.

      So this log in time - also nothing for them.

      The building price and building resourses payback work like:
      The player builds it, if he sure he will win next auction - he can just not remove the building.(Like they do now).
      And if he remove building - he will lose 10% of resources.

      This is how it works. And it works even better if auction will be for 7-10 days, so they cant be sure they win everything, so they will be forced to remove building every auction. Its good resources waste for the game also.

    • Well, building removing on island gives you just 90% resourses payback. If plots works different, we like to know it, if cartel will share us, yes piddle, we r listening.
      Yes i know the cartel and RT dont like my ideas, and its also prove that it will make changes for them^^

      The post was edited 1 time, last by iRawr ().

    • Ragu wrote:

      Piddle wrote:

      iRawr wrote:

      This is how it works. And it works even better if auction will be for 7-10 days, so they cant be sure they win everything, so they will be forced to remove building every auction. Its good resources waste for the game also.
      This is NOT how it works.
      How does IT work Piddle? Maybe we're missing something.
      The important part is that you don't get to just yoink peoples stations, except in the rare instance that they are unable to get online in the last 24 hours of the auction. There is a window after the auction has resolved, but before ownership transfers. So they have plenty of time to take buildings down after they have lost.


      iRawr wrote:

      Well, building removing on island gives you just 90% resourses payback. If plots works different, we like to know it, if cartel will share us, yes piddle, we r listening.
      Yes i know the cartel and RT dont like my ideas, and its also prove that it will make changes for them^^
      You have really strong opinions about things for someone who hasn't even learned the basics yet. Spend less time pretending you are being persecuted by evil spirits and the cartel members. More time researching plots and the auction process.

      The auction can only carry so much water for you. It only has one job to do, and it is doing it pretty well. It can't solve fundamental problems with free market capitalism, or allow players with no silver to compete with players with billions of silver. It also can't narrow the informational gap between you and long time plot owners.

      Also, ironically, your suggestion to speed up the auction process is more likely to be an advantage for the cartels than for the average player. It will allow them to eject problematic owners in a much shorter time frame, since they no longer have to wait the 30 days for the next auction. So, cartels are on your side. Because you don't know enough to understand that you are doing them a favor, rather than punishing them. Or maybe you are a member of the cartel, trying to trick these poor people into supporting your get rich quick schemes. Very sneaky.
      Discord: Piddle#7413
      Did he who made the Lamb make thee?

    • Piddle wrote:

      Ragu wrote:

      Piddle wrote:

      iRawr wrote:

      This is how it works. And it works even better if auction will be for 7-10 days, so they cant be sure they win everything, so they will be forced to remove building every auction. Its good resources waste for the game also.
      This is NOT how it works.
      How does IT work Piddle? Maybe we're missing something.
      The important part is that you don't get to just yoink peoples stations, except in the rare instance that they are unable to get online in the last 24 hours of the auction. There is a window after the auction has resolved, but before ownership transfers. So they have plenty of time to take buildings down after they have lost.

      iRawr wrote:

      Well, building removing on island gives you just 90% resourses payback. If plots works different, we like to know it, if cartel will share us, yes piddle, we r listening.
      Yes i know the cartel and RT dont like my ideas, and its also prove that it will make changes for them^^
      You have really strong opinions about things for someone who hasn't even learned the basics yet. Spend less time pretending you are being persecuted by evil spirits and the cartel members. More time researching plots and the auction process.
      The auction can only carry so much water for you. It only has one job to do, and it is doing it pretty well. It can't solve fundamental problems with free market capitalism, or allow players with no silver to compete with players with billions of silver. It also can't narrow the informational gap between you and long time plot owners.

      Also, ironically, your suggestion to speed up the auction process is more likely to be an advantage for the cartels than for the average player. It will allow them to eject problematic owners in a much shorter time frame, since they no longer have to wait the 30 days for the next auction. So, cartels are on your side. Because you don't know enough to understand that you are doing them a favor, rather than punishing them. Or maybe you are a member of the cartel, trying to trick these poor people into supporting your get rich quick schemes. Very sneaky.
      Yea, very sneaky, and nice try.
      but problematic owners has the same way to appear, as eject. And they will appear way faster, and can appear on every plot if the auction will be every week.
      Coth again, more auctions, less price, more "problematic owners" every week.

      And i didnt suggest, the new owners will have the building, but the old owner will be forced to to is if he lose auction, and he can lose it every week, so much more often then now.

      But well, i really like how you fight that idea^^ Why cartel so scared? Isnt the 999.999.999.999 silver and gold they have enough for them? Or they wasting alot of silver somehow? RMT? Did this guys really quit real job for that?

    • iRawr wrote:

      Yea, very sneaky, and nice try.but problematic owners has the same way to appear, as eject. And they will appear way faster, and can appear on every plot if the auction will be every week.
      Coth again, more auctions, less price, more "problematic owners" every week.

      And i didnt suggest, the new owners will have the building, but the old owner will be forced to to is if he lose auction, and he can lose it every week, so much more often then now.

      But well, i really like how you fight that idea^^ Why cartel so scared? Isnt the 999.999.999.999 silver and gold they have enough for them? Or they wasting alot of silver somehow? RMT? Did this guys really quit real job for that?
      How in the world do you feel like you can project realistic outcomes to changes in the auction process, when you don't even understand the basics? You are just making things up.

      The "Everyone I don't like is a Real Money Trader!" meme, is among the worst parts of the AO community. You feel like you don't even have to make sense, you just call people cheaters and hope no one pays any attention to facts.

      No one is scared of you, other than in your own mind, because you don't make any sense. I just suspect the reason you aren't making sense is because you are secretly a plot owner. If you aren't, then just prove it.

      You know who else never made any sense? Saya. That is the sort of company you probably keep. Schemy little schemers trying to trick the poor players of AO into doing what you want so you can get rich. You should be ashamed of yourself.
      Discord: Piddle#7413
      Did he who made the Lamb make thee?

    • Piddle wrote:

      iRawr wrote:

      Yea, very sneaky, and nice try.but problematic owners has the same way to appear, as eject. And they will appear way faster, and can appear on every plot if the auction will be every week.
      Coth again, more auctions, less price, more "problematic owners" every week.

      And i didnt suggest, the new owners will have the building, but the old owner will be forced to to is if he lose auction, and he can lose it every week, so much more often then now.

      But well, i really like how you fight that idea^^ Why cartel so scared? Isnt the 999.999.999.999 silver and gold they have enough for them? Or they wasting alot of silver somehow? RMT? Did this guys really quit real job for that?
      How in the world do you feel like you can project realistic outcomes to changes in the auction process, when you don't even understand the basics? You are just making things up.
      The "Everyone I don't like is a Real Money Trader!" meme, is among the worst parts of the AO community. You feel like you don't even have to make sense, you just call people cheaters and hope no one pays any attention to facts.

      No one is scared of you, other than in your own mind, because you don't make any sense. I just suspect the reason you aren't making sense is because you are secretly a plot owner. If you aren't, then just prove it.

      You know who else never made any sense? Saya. That is the sort of company you probably keep. Schemy little schemers trying to trick the poor players of AO into doing what you want so you can get rich. You should be ashamed of yourself.
      You just use the same arguments as politics and religion.
      - "You say there is no god? Prove it."
      - "I don't tell you why your wrong, but you know nothing so you r wrong".

      Well, this shit works well for crowds mind control, but well in an intelligent society:
      1. People know, that you can't prove anything you did not.
      2. If you tell something is wrong, you need to say why exacly this thing is wrong, not any other random thing like: (The houses on plots are not being auctioned, you did not say this, but you are wrong in this, therefore everything that you are talking about is also wrong.)


      But in one thing you right, there is no hope that AO has "that kind" of society, just some individuals who dont care.
      And your arguments will look pretty legit for the rest of Albion "i can gank for free please buff 1h dagger damage x2 its SoooOWeAk" audience.

      The post was edited 4 times, last by iRawr ().

    • iRawr wrote:

      You just using the same arguments as political and religion.- "You say there is no god? Prove it."
      - "I dont tell you why you r wrong, but you know nothing and y r wrong".

      Well this shit works good for crowds mind control, but well in intelligent society people know, that you cant prove anything you did not.
      Same as if you tell something is wrong, you need to say why.

      But in one thing you right, there is no hope that AO have that kind of society, just some individuals who font care, and your arguments will look pretty legit for rest of albion "i can gank for free" audience.
      See you are trying to change the subject. No god? Politics? What does that have to do with plots and auctions?

      We like to stick to the facts when it comes to talking about plots and the auction, because of how serious a business it all is. Since you don't have any facts, and can't seem to use your words to present a compelling argument, you are just trying to call me a bad person, because you think that by attacking me you are attacking my arguments.

      You are just a big meanie.
      Discord: Piddle#7413
      Did he who made the Lamb make thee?

    • Piddle wrote:

      iRawr wrote:

      You just using the same arguments as political and religion.- "You say there is no god? Prove it."
      - "I dont tell you why you r wrong, but you know nothing and y r wrong".

      Well this shit works good for crowds mind control, but well in intelligent society people know, that you cant prove anything you did not.
      Same as if you tell something is wrong, you need to say why.

      But in one thing you right, there is no hope that AO have that kind of society, just some individuals who font care, and your arguments will look pretty legit for rest of albion "i can gank for free" audience.
      See you are trying to change the subject. No god? Politics? What does that have to do with plots and auctions?
      We like to stick to the facts when it comes to talking about plots and the auction, because of how serious a business it all is. Since you don't have any facts, and can't seem to use your words to present a compelling argument, you are just trying to call me a bad person, because you think that by attacking me you are attacking my arguments.

      You are just a big meanie.
      Nope, i don't "attacking your arguments", coth i just said it in the post quoted by you. You give no arguments.


      Piddle wrote:

      is because you are secretly a plot owner. If you aren't, then just prove it.

      Piddle wrote:

      This is NOT how it works.
      If you think the phrases like that are arguments, sure... you can call it "attacking my arguments", but well, you have no real arguments yet, and just trying to manipulate the stupid crowd by that XD I hope you'll find your audience and get some likes.


      And I will keep trying to make the SBI pay attention to it. And this is what cartel do not want^^

    • tabooshka wrote:

      iRawr wrote:

      more auctions, less price
      you mean, more auctions, higher price
      If aucion will be every week - the time of winner use the plot also will be ~7 days, not 30 as now.
      Cartel cant can't get that much silver profit for just 1 week of use of each plot.


      So the price for the month of usage (Win 4 aucions in a row) - may be higher, but the price for each plot for 1 week will reduce at least month\3.

    • iRawr wrote:

      tabooshka wrote:

      iRawr wrote:

      more auctions, less price
      you mean, more auctions, higher price
      If aucion will be every week - the time of winner use the plot also will be ~7 days, not 30 as now.Cartel cant can't get that much silver profit for just 1 week of use of each plot.


      So the price for the month of usage (Win 4 aucions in a row) - may be higher, but the price for each plot for 1 week will reduce at least month\3.
      or you will pay more over a course of month overall leading to higher tax rates

    • tabooshka wrote:

      iRawr wrote:

      tabooshka wrote:

      iRawr wrote:

      more auctions, less price
      you mean, more auctions, higher price
      If aucion will be every week - the time of winner use the plot also will be ~7 days, not 30 as now.Cartel cant can't get that much silver profit for just 1 week of use of each plot.

      So the price for the month of usage (Win 4 aucions in a row) - may be higher, but the price for each plot for 1 week will reduce at least month\3.
      or you will pay more over a course of month overall leading to higher tax rates
      It is true only if now 53%-70% tax is a consequence of the cost. But for sure it is not true.
      Tax now is just coth not much ppl can buy plot, so they set 20%+ tax only coth they can do it at monopoly.

      If you will say this tax based on plot costs and not over-profitable, and this tax is just to cover the plot costs+small profit.
      Why you think ppl doing that really hard work (no they just got hundreds billions silver) for monopoly?

      So if there are many owners every week, they will compete to recoup the costs.
      So the market will balance itself between costs and real tax need to get some profit for investment.

      The post was edited 3 times, last by iRawr ().

    • Im just starting to build up my island for stuff i craft (food costed me less than paying for city plot usage included resource return, long term will get it back since i own it eternally) :P City plots not worth it and buying one in the city along with sustaining it is a miracle for small player. Tried to bid few times, but can't do math if i never won an auction to try it out actually (most forum post are "boooohoooo i have to repair it and feed it" - reasonable tax posts ). So i can try - but i will have to fork out enough silver to never attempt it again compared to big bois since i lack income data - i have no idea a how to estimate amount of players using that specific plot :P
      Monopolists just keep upping taxes along with bids. Personally i say 2x owner bids protects monopolists at this moment - they can just up bids by major amount of profits x2 owner bonus or bit higher at small loss they recuperate from other ones to tire out small competitors. So make people choose idk 2-3max to 2x bid - and the rest PAY FULL!! Well that what i would say, but they probably would make alts or alternative accounts to keep it. Wouldn't be surprised if it was made by chineese gold sellers :D
      If i have to use city plots i use smaller players, i stay away from monopolist since i feel cucked everytime i use those, when its measly few % cheaper.

      The post was edited 1 time, last by Scyz ().