How many people believe this?

Err, Havoc_X, I believe the main reason that other thread was closed was that we had someone making offers to commit violence In Real Life and their was dramatic nuking of all threads associated with them.

I'm not saying everyone on your side of the argument is dangerous and crazy, but we can't rule it out yet.

Did I not get the memo? When did the market break?

When I sarted college, I picked up one of the MSFL gold Dark Side of the Moon CDs. It cost me like $25 or something.
I sold it later when I was in serious need of cash. I sold it for more than that.
Now, looking on eBay, it goes for anywhere from $40 - $799 (!). It has gotten much more rare, and there is still demand. Of course, some people are looking to gouge the unsuspecting masses or those who just want it and money is no object. But you can still get one for a bargain if you look and are patient.

This is exactly how the CoX markets are working. Maybe you should also complain to eBay.

See, if he doesn't try to EXPLAIN how the market is broken, he doesn't get taken to school.

Answer the following quiz:

I think the City of Heroes Market is broken because:

i)Items are too expensive.
ii)Items are too scarce.
iii)I cannot afford the items.

If your answer is i), then you should sell your drops and perhaps even a scarce drop to recoup that amount and use it on other items.

If your answer is ii), then you should try to produce the item yourself, or find a palatable alternative (Frankenslotting, other sets) that may help you along.

If your answer is iii), then sell drops and craft and sell drops until you achieve your goal. Play at 50 and generate more income.

The thing to remember is, the IO system is a carrot for you, for me, for others. If you got all your stuff right away then you'd get bored and go play another game...I know "get to 50" sounds cold and not everyone will get there, but even at mid levels you can make some nice influence through the market and go from there.

Remember, again, most activities ingame are surmountable through Single Origin Enhancements. Your desire for items doesn't change this. In any MMO, there will be some kind of gear grind and you'll get the gear through playing/raiding/exchanges, etc.

Partially I think that people in general know how an auction house style market works but don't actually grok the idea and rules behind a consignment house style market. And because of this players become easily frustrated and annoyed.

You look to buy an item, there are a lot available, you offer is similar to the last five transactions, and nothing happens. Suddenly the price in the transaction list shoots up and stays there. Or the opposite, you get the item for X and the price then drops in half and stays there for a while. Same is true on the sellers side. You put your item up for sale in the price range based on the last 5 transactions and it doesn't sell and you see the price plummet. If you pull the item to reprice it you lose that 5% fee. So you set the price low and it sells for that exact value while the previous four sold for much more.

To the casual user, there doesn't seem to be rhyme or reason to it. You see others getting "bargains" or making "killings" but it never seems to happen to you. Therefore it must be flippers, or cartels "fixing" the market so the average Joe, you, are hosed over.

With an auction you may set a reserve and when the auction is over in X hours/days you feel like you got paid a fair value. With our instant transaction as soon as a bid is over the lowest asking price it gives you the feeling of a store and a whole new way to buyer remorse due to a slipped digit or an errant cat. And because it often feels like a store, people may expect that it should be more like one.

Timed auctions never feel like a store and more like Christmas day as you find "presents" when you log in. Players are never conditioned to expect immediate gratification and therefore aren't upset when it doesn't happen.

Well, now I'm sorry I even started this thread. Funny how my writing this thread led to Fury Flechette posting in the OTHER thread, which led to a death threat that caused the threatening person to be banned.

Please don't make me the catalyst of yet another banning.