While related to Nadia, I thought I'd post it separately.
I was partaking in a discussion in MP recently about pricing. I heard the term "price gouging" when people were talking about overpriced comps. This got me thinking about it.
I'd like people's opinions on how it SHOULD be, not how it is.
In my mind, the prices should be determined by the playerbase exclusively. Granted, if that were the case currently, a vexator fringe might cost 50s and people think it's "not fair". I ask, what is unfair about it?
The way I see it, the players should be able to price the goods they want without fear of competition from an NPC who has a limitless supply. If the fringes are listed on a consigner for 50s, one of the following things will happen, essentially:
1) Someone else who is feeling up to it, will list the same comp at a cheaper rate, which repeatedly done, will lower the price of that comp for the shard, eventually.
2) Nobody will list it lower and it will sell, possibly raising the price.
3) Nobody will buy it and it will get returned to the vault, lowering the price.
And by this process prices would balance.
Now, I've said this several times but I will include it here as well: Comp drop rates need adjusting. It shouldn't take a week of steady hunting to get enough comps for 1 tech. If these adjustements took place accordingly, we'd hopefully see a balance of prices where the most rare comp may cost 15s each or so, as an example, and some of the rediculously easy t5 comps to get would stay low, maybe 500c or 1s, like dire wolf fangs or fire opal chips.
I guess after reading in MP about people being referred to as "gougers" made me stop and question everything. I would just like to believe (and again, just my opinion) that with a well adjusted comp rate, the economy would rise and flourish and for the most part, needs would be met with a fair but reasonable amount of coin, with reasonable being determined by the players.
-12-
EDIT: While it's not my authority to regulate this thread, I would prefer not getting flooded with replies about how some craft classes have had to deal with this prior NPC competition their whole career. It was wrong then and is equally wrong now.