3. Big Changes in the Market

Big Changes in the Market


  • Are the changes in the market prices a reflection of the bigger changes yet to come as the factories are introduced into the live MMO?

    I'm still new to most of this, and I'm doing the best I can to make the most of my experience in the game while I have the time to do so, and as the kind of game player I am, and have always been - I find it frustrating to hear that there may be game materials introduced that will change this Market activity drastically while adding no material benefit to the game structure.

    I mean to say, I just started getting involved in the Market which to begin with I thought I wouldn't because it all seemed overwhelming, and far too complex. Once the Power Creeps were introduced, you got my attention with something wonderful. A unique, hero like componet to the game with a truly practical purpose. To enchance your strategic structure. Exactly the kind of thing I personally enjoy. This opened up the desire to get involved in boosting the normal creeps with resources, all which for me required getting involved in the market to buy the tier 3 resources for boosting.

    All of that serves a purpose. Someone who likes to craft get's to craft and market their product. Someone who likes to create character and devise strategic infrastructure can purchase various products and implement them in various ways to create their own unique path into the future.

    I understand that soon to come is a mass influx of componets via these Factories that will serve no real purpose - and will even further change the Market structure forcing someone like me to get involved with these Factories simply to afford the same tier 3 resources I've just now become aquainted with. I also see that now Power in the Market has become a far more valuable and rare resource. I mean - it was already hard enough to produce the energy to keep up with the power in the hopes of making much much higher GPL. I would like to be able to provide each of my rooms with 1 level 25 Power Creep. I mean, I think that's not asking too much.

    So now, what? Base resource prices have fallen super low, and Power has gone through the roof. I suppose I can divert my tier 3 resources to producing Power mining creeps - but that's not really how I want to play. If the Power Banks were more consistant, had longer decay times, it might seem more practical - but working with a 20 CPU limit on Shard3 - the Market was the way to go - and now the system is place is to bankrupt you both on Energy and Credits?

    /* Please for the sake of all practical gaming everywhere in the future universe yet to come, do not implement game materials that serve with NO practical application. At the very - very least, please use Factory materials to perfrom upgrades to in-game structures such as spawns, towers, terminals etc etc.. Realistically every structure should benefit from leveling up. Then those of us who work to build up purposeful Power Creeps can further extend those advancements with the Power Effects....

    /* I really don't think that's asking too much from the game. Those who enjoy crafting and marketing would benefit from the high demand - those of us who like to build and enhance would be able to further appreciate the crafter player type.

    I realize I'm not as dedicated as many of you newer players are, and not as commited as the older players - I implore you to consider the entire player base, and not any one, two or three select groups. This is well within your power to do. All it takes is commitment, passion, and the will to get it done right.


  • I think this is a frustration a lot of players have brung up previously, that factories have no real purpose. While personally I'd also like some form of game mechanic associated with them (eg, a use for the parts besides just making more things and selling them), it's a purposeful design decision to have them be crafting only.

    Imo, it's intended so that there is more endgame content that is not actually required. You can easily continue playing without working on factories for as long as you'd like. That's not exactly the case with power creeps or boosts or things like that. There is an opportunity cost to ignoring factories, they represent a significant economic potential. But you don't actually have to work on them if it doesn't appeal to you.

    In that way, I think it's a good choice. If you like crafting and logistics challenges, you can work on it. But it's not like you'll have a significant gameplay disadvantage (towers are half as effective or something similar) if you don't work on it. @o4kapuk can provide more details.

    Two things of note: Factories will effectively increase the size of the market, since you can sell things much further distances when compressed. Prices will likely be affected by that. And for the record I personally find the idea of creating gameplay things with factories like bombs or special buildings cool, but I respect and understand the design choice involved.


  • I don't play on shard3. Some of the assumptions in this question are foreign to me. The specialization and codependence is something that doesn't really show up on shards with more CPU. Sure we rely on each other to balance our mineral I/O, but by GCL 7 you have can build any tier3 boost you want independently. If the power market is too expensive I can sacrifice some rooms to give me enough CPU slack to run power miners.

    I can't imagine getting to GPL 52 with only 2 rooms. How long would that take even with 100% power processing up time?

    1 Reply

  • @deft-code said in Big Changes in the Market:

    I can't imagine getting to GPL 52 with only 2 rooms. How long would that take even with 100% power processing up time?

    Assuming a shard with 3-second ticks and a sufficient supply of power:

    Total power = 52521000 = 2704000

    Ticks = 2704000/2 = 1352000 (2 power units per tick, since you have 2 rooms)

    That's just under 47 days on a shard with 3-second ticks.