PvP IO and Purple drop
By
Alexander_Drako,
Posted on: 2010-09-26 21:17 in The Global Training Room Test Server
Quote:
If you want the super-dooper-uber items in the game you've to work to earn them.|
Originally Posted by Grant_Hammerhoof
Sadly, I can't agree with your side of the argumentas a casual gamer myself, who spends most of his time studying, working, or picking up chicks, I can't devote all the time in the world to getting special digital items with purple names. The time I do spend playing is spent having a good time with people I've met who are of a nice sort, and whom I enjoy beating up villains with. Your argument suggests that not only should we be paying 15 USD per month, but we should dedicate all of our time to the game as well.
Personally I would enjoy one or two breaks, such as in the form of day jobs, that increases chances for rare salvage dependent on the amount of time you playthe less frequent you play, the (slightly) better chances you have of getting rare items. This means I could enjoy the game on par with those who play more often than me, without having to sacrifice more time, money, or chicks. |
There's nothing in the PvE game that particularly requires them though, and there are lots of ways (including merits and the new a-merit system) which will let you focus towards earning any special items you do want at your own pace.
Since moving to the US side I've made myself a few pretty nice items (Luck of the Gambler unique, Miracle unique, Steadfast Protection Unique) from doing a Citedal TF (got the miracle from that as a random roll), just playing the game (the Steadfast popped in at some point from me just playing my SoA) or running tip and morality missions (LOTG, along with two other rare recipies).
Did I get a bit lucky here, sure. I could have gotten Crap of the Hunters instead. But as a fairly casual player myself (maybe 5-8 hours a week, an hour or two in the evenings a few nights a week) and who alts a lot I don't particurly think I deserve or need Purples in any way whatsoever, especially compared to someone who focusing on playing their level 50 and running 50s only content solo with a mind towards purpling themselves out
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Really? so you haven't noticed how luck of the gamblers, miracle unique and numina uniques dropped from selling for 200+ mil and are now selling below 130 mil? At one point there were more for sell than people bidding. So I'm not sure what market "You" are using.|
Originally Posted by macskull
Dunno what market you're using but the prices on those IOs have been fairly steady since the market settled down after the merge and GR launch.
I won't comment on the drop rates of purples as those seem to be working as intended (about 1 for every 1500 kills was the last estimate I heard), but as far as the drop rate of PvP IOs go estimates put it at about 1 per every 60-70 rep-valid PvP kills. The problem is not with the drop rate but rather how those recipes are generated. Removing the silly rep timer from the equation would bring prices back down by increasing the amount of supply, and PvP IO prices would probably go back down to the point they were at when they were new (when the +3% def one sold on-market for 500-700 million inf, instead of selling almost exclusively off-market for 3-5 billion inf). |
Level 25 lotg 7.5s were selling for 100 mil earlier. Its not surprising with folks flooding the market with them from alignment merits but thats what Im referring to basically as being no very rare or valuable anymore, thus I wouldn't want to see other cash items becoming just as worthless. You might think 100 mil is worthless? Well, compared to what you could get for them it sure is.
Maybe the inherent stam and stuff coming up with make folks change around builds and try new stuff resulting in items such as this being in high demand for a short time. Not sure though.
Friends don't let friends buy an ncsoft controlled project.
I use a system in between Lothic's marketing and running missions:
1. Do your Hero/Villian mission for one A-merit every two days
2. Do TF's as often as you can
3. Craft and/or sell everything that drops - some marketing here
4. Buy A-merits at the 50 merit + 20mill = 1 price (every day to every other day)
5. 35 A merits in 24ish days for an assured Gladiator unique? YES PLZ!
6. Yes, Does require some time in game (1-2hrs a day?)
(Note: this seems to be about the same as 4 weeks of marketing at 1bill/week - and more fun. One assured *rare* IO in 4-5 weeks- working as intended? IDK. Any comments?)
Edit: I'm not saying you will get 1-2 A-merits daily. With market turn-around and missing a daily TF here and there, you can *average* 1-2 A-merits a day. And that it seems one rare recipe a month is what they are shooting for.
Miss Arc #147491: Rise of Bedlam
AKA Iron Smoke @Champion Server
You know I'm gonna take a beating for this post, but oh well, it goes hand-in-hand with having an anti-fanboy opinion.
It's funny how I can play for a month and only run across a couple "Dev Fanboys" in the game but I come to the forums and it seems that whatever decision the devs make you all collectively shrug your shoulders, then all say "yeah that's a good idea, it makes sense to me".
Well, in my opinion, the current rate drop stinks and the rate should be increased. Please save all tomato throwing till the end of the debate.
If you don't want everyone to have it, don't put it into the game.
First this is a "game". We players are all equally paying the same sum we should all have access to the same content. Whether you play 80 hours a week or you can only scrape up 8. It's like buying a Monopoly game but I can't have hotels on my properties because I don't play the game often enough. Stupid isn't it?
If farming is a problem then address farming.
The argument that "because of the farmers we have to limit the drop rate" and that means "so sorry casual players you lose" is insane.
Enough with the gimmicks and time sinks
Using "chaser" items and "time sinks" as a lure to keep playing at 50 is a cheap gimmick to disguise the fact that the game screeches to a halt at level 50. It's like hiring a plate spinner to stand on stage while you break the bad news to employees that there are no more pay raises... ever. Many of you are applauding the plate spinner and marveling at the coolness of the act, while the rest of us are saying, "WTF?".
The devs are pretty clear they do not want to raise the upper level of the game, then so be it. But then you need to keep making new shineys and allow everyone to enjoy the game and its' content - it makes them happy. Happy players are loyal players and forgiving of faults. A game, an MMO in particular, needs to be inclusive not exclusive.
If it taking someone YEARS of task forces and regular gameplay to slot one purple IO set, then your ratio blows.
The purple IO drop rate of 1 vs 1500 kills apparently is not working, In the last year I have recieved one (1). And that was on a level one which joined some supergroup members in PI for about an hour. Over the course of the lifetime of purple IOs, I have had about 5, + or - one or two. If I hadn't already bought IOs for my main, I'd still have about a year to go to slot my first set.
PVP IO's does not do PVP any favors.
One of the reason PVP is a plague in this game is that there is a huge disparity between those that already do it and those that might want to try it. The way it works now, new players walk in to the arena and get beat down, period. Reality sets in when the player realizes why they are losing - they are losing to players that may be worse than they are but they somehow were able to afford 1.5 billion inf x 6 (IOs in the set) x number of pvp IO sets they have. There is no way that new pvp players are going to invest that much resources into something they aren't sure they will like. Make PVP IO's available to all or remove them from the game. That puts the focus on skill not how much you spent on the market.
And lower the cap at the market.
1.5 Billion is just plain obscene that this is being allowed by the system.
Don't we already have enough penalties to players?
Hero/Villian merits is another system to suck time and resources from players. The casual player gets the shaft on this deal too. A single PVP IO is 20-30 H/V merits that means its 40-60 days of 5 missions a day, not likely for a casual player and lets not even contemplate if he wants the whole set. And how long will it take to convert resources into H/V merits, assuming you have them? 20-30 days? Real casual players log in have some fun and log out, why is it they have to "give up" their desire to have IOs because they don't spend there few playing hours on a 30 day, laserbeam-like focus on running the same few tips missions repeatedly, farming, marketeering, etc, just to obtain a single IO?
If it is not fun for the people who pay for it, you are doing it wrong
I will contend that the end result of this path is that the game is becoming less and less "fun" to play and more and more "work". Since this is a game and games are meant to be fun then that would mean we are doing it wrong. It doesn't matter how cool the game looks or all the cool things in it. If people don't have fun playing it, they will move on.
Ok I will climb off the soap box, feel free to throw your tomatoes now.
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This is why I don't PvP or give two craps about Purples. It makes for a much more stress-free game.
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Originally Posted by Bad_Dog
You know I'm gonna take a beating for this post, but oh well, it goes hand-in-hand with having an anti-fanboy opinion.
It's funny how I can play for a month and only run across a couple "Dev Fanboys" in the game but I come to the forums and it seems that whatever decision the devs make you all collectively shrug your shoulders, then all say "yeah that's a good idea, it makes sense to me". Well, in my opinion, the current rate drop stinks and the rate should be increased. Please save all tomato throwing till the end of the debate. If you don't want everyone to have it, don't put it into the game. First this is a "game". We players are all equally paying the same sum we should all have access to the same content. Whether you play 80 hours a week or you can only scrape up 8. It's like buying a Monopoly game but I can't have hotels on my properties because I don't play the game often enough. Stupid isn't it? If farming is a problem then address farming. The argument that "because of the farmers we have to limit the drop rate" and that means "so sorry casual players you lose" is insane. Enough with the gimmicks and time sinks Using "chaser" items and "time sinks" as a lure to keep playing at 50 is a cheap gimmick to disguise the fact that the game screeches to a halt at level 50. It's like hiring a plate spinner to stand on stage while you break the bad news to employees that there are no more pay raises... ever. Many of you are applauding the plate spinner and marveling at the coolness of the act, while the rest of us are saying, "WTF?". The devs are pretty clear they do not want to raise the upper level of the game, then so be it. But then you need to keep making new shineys and allow everyone to enjoy the game and its' content - it makes them happy. Happy players are loyal players and forgiving of faults. A game, an MMO in particular, needs to be inclusive not exclusive. If it taking someone YEARS of task forces and regular gameplay to slot one purple IO set, then your ratio blows. The purple IO drop rate of 1 vs 1500 kills apparently is not working, In the last year I have recieved one (1). And that was on a level one which joined some supergroup members in PI for about an hour. Over the course of the lifetime of purple IOs, I have had about 5, + or - one or two. If I hadn't already bought IOs for my main, I'd still have about a year to go to slot my first set. PVP IO's does not do PVP any favors. One of the reason PVP is a plague in this game is that there is a huge disparity between those that already do it and those that might want to try it. The way it works now, new players walk in to the arena and get beat down, period. Reality sets in when the player realizes why they are losing - they are losing to players that may be worse than they are but they somehow were able to afford 1.5 billion inf x 6 (IOs in the set) x number of pvp IO sets they have. There is no way that new pvp players are going to invest that much resources into something they aren't sure they will like. Make PVP IO's available to all or remove them from the game. That puts the focus on skill not how much you spent on the market. And lower the cap at the market. 1.5 Billion is just plain obscene that this is being allowed by the system. Don't we already have enough penalties to players? Hero/Villian merits is another system to suck time and resources from players. The casual player gets the shaft on this deal too. A single PVP IO is 20-30 H/V merits that means its 40-60 days of 5 missions a day, not likely for a casual player and lets not even contemplate if he wants the whole set. And how long will it take to convert resources into H/V merits, assuming you have them? 20-30 days? Real casual players log in have some fun and log out, why is it they have to "give up" their desire to have IOs because they don't spend there few playing hours on a 30 day, laserbeam-like focus on running the same few tips missions repeatedly, farming, marketeering, etc, just to obtain a single IO? If it is not fun for the people who pay for it, you are doing it wrong I will contend that the end result of this path is that the game is becoming less and less "fun" to play and more and more "work". Since this is a game and games are meant to be fun then that would mean we are doing it wrong. It doesn't matter how cool the game looks or all the cool things in it. If people don't have fun playing it, they will move on. Ok I will climb off the soap box, feel free to throw your tomatoes now. |
My guides:Dark Melee/Dark Armor/Soul Mastery, Illusion Control/Kinetics/Primal Forces Mastery, Electric Armor
"Dark Armor is a complete waste as a tanking set."
Quote:
Hm. There's a difference between being a dev fanboy (most people that post constructively on these forums are not, actually) and accepting something the way it is, regardless of whether you agree with it. I may not like the drop rates the way they are, but I understand why the drop rates are like they are.|
Originally Posted by Bad_Dog
You know I'm gonna take a beating for this post, but oh well, it goes hand-in-hand with having an anti-fanboy opinion.
It's funny how I can play for a month and only run across a couple "Dev Fanboys" in the game but I come to the forums and it seems that whatever decision the devs make you all collectively shrug your shoulders, then all say "yeah that's a good idea, it makes sense to me". Well, in my opinion, the current rate drop stinks and the rate should be increased. Please save all tomato throwing till the end of the debate. |
Quote:
| If you don't want everyone to have it, don't put it into the game. |
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| First this is a "game". We players are all equally paying the same sum we should all have access to the same content. Whether you play 80 hours a week or you can only scrape up 8. It's like buying a Monopoly game but I can't have hotels on my properties because I don't play the game often enough. Stupid isn't it? |
What's funny is that the alignment merit system (and to a lesser extent the reward merit system introduced in I13) were introduced partially to help people like you (the "IT'S NOT FAIR! I SHOULD HAVE EVERYTHING WITHOUT WORKING FOR IT!" people) obtain the items you wanted simply by playing the game. Obviously that's not good enough for you, and I'm not really sure what to tell you at that point.
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| If farming is a problem then address farming. |
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| The argument that "because of the farmers we have to limit the drop rate" and that means "so sorry casual players you lose" is insane. |
Quote:
| Enough with the gimmicks and time sinks |
Quote:
|
Using "chaser" items and "time sinks" as a lure to keep playing at 50 is a cheap gimmick to disguise the fact that the game screeches to a halt at level 50. It's like hiring a plate spinner to stand on stage while you break the bad news to employees that there are no more pay raises... ever. Many of you are applauding the plate spinner and marveling at the coolness of the act, while the rest of us are saying, "WTF?". The devs are pretty clear they do not want to raise the upper level of the game, then so be it. But then you need to keep making new shineys and allow everyone to enjoy the game and its' content - it makes them happy. Happy players are loyal players and forgiving of faults. A game, an MMO in particular, needs to be inclusive not exclusive. |
Quote:
| If it taking someone YEARS of task forces and regular gameplay to slot one purple IO set, then your ratio blows. |
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| The purple IO drop rate of 1 vs 1500 kills apparently is not working, In the last year I have recieved one (1). And that was on a level one which joined some supergroup members in PI for about an hour. Over the course of the lifetime of purple IOs, I have had about 5, + or - one or two. If I hadn't already bought IOs for my main, I'd still have about a year to go to slot my first set. |
Quote:
| PVP IO's does not do PVP any favors. |
Quote:
| One of the reason PVP is a plague in this game is that there is a huge disparity between those that already do it and those that might want to try it. The way it works now, new players walk in to the arena and get beat down, period. Reality sets in when the player realizes why they are losing - they are losing to players that may be worse than they are but they somehow were able to afford 1.5 billion inf x 6 (IOs in the set) x number of pvp IO sets they have. There is no way that new pvp players are going to invest that much resources into something they aren't sure they will like. Make PVP IO's available to all or remove them from the game. That puts the focus on skill not how much you spent on the market. |
Quote:
| And lower the cap at the market. |
Quote:
| 1.5 Billion is just plain obscene that this is being allowed by the system. |
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| Don't we already have enough penalties to players? |
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| Hero/Villian merits is another system to suck time and resources from players. The casual player gets the shaft on this deal too. A single PVP IO is 20-30 H/V merits that means its 40-60 days of 5 missions a day, not likely for a casual player and lets not even contemplate if he wants the whole set. And how long will it take to convert resources into H/V merits, assuming you have them? 20-30 days? Real casual players log in have some fun and log out, why is it they have to "give up" their desire to have IOs because they don't spend there few playing hours on a 30 day, laserbeam-like focus on running the same few tips missions repeatedly, farming, marketeering, etc, just to obtain a single IO? |
Quote:
| If it is not fun for the people who pay for it, you are doing it wrong |
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|
I will contend that the end result of this path is that the game is becoming less and less "fun" to play and more and more "work". Since this is a game and games are meant to be fun then that would mean we are doing it wrong. It doesn't matter how cool the game looks or all the cool things in it. If people don't have fun playing it, they will move on. Ok I will climb off the soap box, feel free to throw your tomatoes now. |
@macskull, @Not Mac | XBL: macskull | Steam: macskull | Skype: macskull
"One day we all may see each other elsewhere. In Tyria, in Azeroth. We may pass each other and never know it. And that's sad. But if nothing else, we'll still have Rhode Island."
"One day we all may see each other elsewhere. In Tyria, in Azeroth. We may pass each other and never know it. And that's sad. But if nothing else, we'll still have Rhode Island."
Quote:
That is a design choice, not a truism. There is nothing preventing a game from not having those features. As a matter of fact, when this game started there was nothing harder to get than a SO enhancement. Now, while I like the added chance to customize characters that procs and set bonuses give, I can't help but notice that they could have added those things without also adding the loot grind mechanics to the game - they were originally going to do it with skills, which would not have needed the grind aspect.|
Originally Posted by Carnifax_NA
If you want the super-dooper-uber items in the game you've to work to earn them.
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Don't confuse the way things are with how they should be. The whole rare drop idea is not necessary, and contributes nothing good to the game.
Well, y'know, except giving those people that have time to play the game a lot something to chase so they don't get bored and quit. But nah, that's not important.
@macskull, @Not Mac | XBL: macskull | Steam: macskull | Skype: macskull
"One day we all may see each other elsewhere. In Tyria, in Azeroth. We may pass each other and never know it. And that's sad. But if nothing else, we'll still have Rhode Island."
"One day we all may see each other elsewhere. In Tyria, in Azeroth. We may pass each other and never know it. And that's sad. But if nothing else, we'll still have Rhode Island."
Quote:
You mean like that mechanical rabbit at the dog track? At best what you described makes the devs happy - you still don't address how it makes for a better game. And that's at best. At worst, the grind detracts from the enjoyment of the game and gives them an excuse not to develop an actual endgame for 6 years.|
Originally Posted by macskull
Well, y'know, except giving those people that have time to play the game a lot something to chase so they don't get bored and quit. But nah, that's not important.
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So, no, I don't find it particularly important - at least not in a good way. It's cancer important.
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You know what's important to me in this game?|
Originally Posted by rsclark
You mean like that mechanical rabbit at the dog track? At best what you described makes the devs happy - you still don't address how it makes for a better game. And that's at best. At worst, the grind detracts from the enjoyment of the game and gives them an excuse not to develop an actual endgame for 6 years.
So, no, I don't find it particularly important - at least not in a good way. It's cancer important. |
Having fun. Not Purples. If you drop the min-maxing attitude and focus on having fun suddenly Purples seem trivial. The game isn't about Purples. World of Warcraft is about Purples. The game is about customization, choice, and entertainment. If Purples matter so much to you, I'd like to honestly suggest to you a game other than this one.
My guides:Dark Melee/Dark Armor/Soul Mastery, Illusion Control/Kinetics/Primal Forces Mastery, Electric Armor
"Dark Armor is a complete waste as a tanking set."
Quote:
Like it or not, they have made IO enhancement part of customization. The character you can build with the correct enhancement is much different than the one you build without them - and not just in a number inflation sort of way. If this game really is about maximizing customization potential, then I must repeat, why make part of that customization dependent on random drops?
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Originally Posted by Nalrok_AthZim
You know what's important to me in this game?
Having fun. Not Purples. If you drop the min-maxing attitude and focus on having fun suddenly Purples seem trivial. The game isn't about Purples. World of Warcraft is about Purples. The game is about customization, choice, and entertainment. |
Might as well throw my 2 cents in. Even the most casual player can easily make 1 or 2 billion inf and pick up a few A-merits by the time they hit 50. That's enough to slot out any character so they can easily blow through 95% of the PvE content in the game. I've never used a purple or pvp io set in any of my builds and I have lots of fun playing my tough - but not exactly uber - characters. Works for me.
I play the game quite a bit and I don't even bother with purples anymore, and I've got only 1 pvp IO that I bought when they first came out, that would indicate to me that they need to be a little bit more attainable. I understand they are 'ultra rare' but when you make them almost untouchable to most of your players, it's wasting a valuable resource and draw to the game imo. I'd increase the drop rate a tad, and let the pvp ones drop everywhere, because lets be honest, they're not drawing anyone to pvp, especially after the disasterous pvp revamp where pvp follows completely different rules from pve. Secondly, I'd lower the cost of purchasing them with hero merits. 30-35 hero merits for one single IO? C'mon.
I honestly don't see the issue with purples. I consider myself a semi-casual player, and I RP and work on my base as much as I actually play the game, and I've got two characters with all the purples they want and over 2 billion infamy to do other things. I've only been playing the game about two years. I farm, yes, but I've gotten many purples as random drops. Being able to set my difficulty on x8 helps a lot, as both my mains can solo most enemy groups in those numbers.
PVP IOs, on the other hand, I do believe is a problem. Why's this? Because despite being only available in PVP, they are easily some of the best IOs in PVE. While purples can be obtained through normal play, PVP IOs couldn't, until this most recent issue. But lets take a look at what the PVP IOs cost. To buy them with Alignment Merits, they require between 25 and 35. Contrast with LotG +Rech costing 2... But really, assuming you're getting that through Conversion rather than Tips, that's 1500 merits and 600,000,000 inf on average. 600 million is more than any purple sells for on the market, and 1500 is, well, it's a lot of merits.
I think the proof of PVP IOs not working as intended, though, is that some of them are selling off-market because they're worth more than the inf cap. The developers managed to put an item in the game that's worth is more than the game can calculate worths. While the ways to store and trade more than 2 billion exist, I cannot imagine that items in game selling for more than you can carry is intentional.
I'm not saying PVP IOs should be cheap, certainly, and I'm not saying they should be easy to get. What I'm saying is that if the most expensive PVP IOs are selling for upwards of 10x as much as the most expensive "Very Rare" IO, we have to assume that the supply is not as high as it was intended to be.
NPCs: A Single Method to Greatly Expand Bases
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When my hardest-built characters are running off mostly Common IO's your argument doesn't hold water. It's all in how you play. Not everyone enjoys running +4/x8. I certainly don't. Getting my butt stomped by enemies far above my threshold of play isn't as fun as playing +1/x8 or +2/x8 and wiping the floor with them.|
Originally Posted by rsclark
Like it or not, they have made IO enhancement part of customization. The character you can build with the correct enhancement is much different than the one you build without them - and not just in a number inflation sort of way. If this game really is about maximizing customization potential, then I must repeat, why make part of that customization dependent on random drops?
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Mind you, I do this on a level 50 SS/Elec/Soul Brute who has mostly common IO's and 3 yellow sets and still destroys like no tomorrow.
My guides:Dark Melee/Dark Armor/Soul Mastery, Illusion Control/Kinetics/Primal Forces Mastery, Electric Armor
"Dark Armor is a complete waste as a tanking set."
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It's not. The simplest solution is to up the drop rates, but the devs have already said they won't do that.
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Originally Posted by CapnGeist
I cannot imagine that items in game selling for more than you can carry is intentional.
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@macskull, @Not Mac | XBL: macskull | Steam: macskull | Skype: macskull
"One day we all may see each other elsewhere. In Tyria, in Azeroth. We may pass each other and never know it. And that's sad. But if nothing else, we'll still have Rhode Island."
"One day we all may see each other elsewhere. In Tyria, in Azeroth. We may pass each other and never know it. And that's sad. But if nothing else, we'll still have Rhode Island."
Quote:
Have you looked at how PvP IOs take more merits than other IOs? They are harder to get by design, and the developers don't like PvP anyway.|
Originally Posted by CapnGeist
I honestly don't see the issue with purples. I consider myself a semi-casual player, and I RP and work on my base as much as I actually play the game, and I've got two characters with all the purples they want and over 2 billion infamy to do other things. I've only been playing the game about two years. I farm, yes, but I've gotten many purples as random drops. Being able to set my difficulty on x8 helps a lot, as both my mains can solo most enemy groups in those numbers.
PVP IOs, on the other hand, I do believe is a problem. Why's this? Because despite being only available in PVP, they are easily some of the best IOs in PVE. While purples can be obtained through normal play, PVP IOs couldn't, until this most recent issue. But lets take a look at what the PVP IOs cost. To buy them with Alignment Merits, they require between 25 and 35. Contrast with LotG +Rech costing 2... But really, assuming you're getting that through Conversion rather than Tips, that's 1500 merits and 600,000,000 inf on average. 600 million is more than any purple sells for on the market, and 1500 is, well, it's a lot of merits. I think the proof of PVP IOs not working as intended, though, is that some of them are selling off-market because they're worth more than the inf cap. The developers managed to put an item in the game that's worth is more than the game can calculate worths. While the ways to store and trade more than 2 billion exist, I cannot imagine that items in game selling for more than you can carry is intentional. I'm not saying PVP IOs should be cheap, certainly, and I'm not saying they should be easy to get. What I'm saying is that if the most expensive PVP IOs are selling for upwards of 10x as much as the most expensive "Very Rare" IO, we have to assume that the supply is not as high as it was intended to be. |
No PvP IO is necessary in PvE. Many other uniques which cost 40mil give the same bonuses outside of the PVP only. You can't argue that Steadfast Protection Res/Def isn't as good as Glad TPRes/Def. They give the same values in PvE.
Plus, if a set has such "high" values compared to others, it's much more affected by ED, so you may as well slot the cheaper stuff to get the same values.
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The game is balanced around SOs, so what? Once you are 50 and you got purples how does that ruin the game and require "huge buffs to NPCs" and "global nerfs"? Only level 50's have purple IOs. It's not like you can slot purples at level 10 and blow through the game. |
Originally Posted by macskull
Monopoly is not an MMO. Monopoly doesn't require anything special, any carrots on a stick, any gimmicks, because every player starts off on exactly the same footing and it's really a matter of luck as to where you land and can develop properties. Certain items are hard to find or expensive because they are intended to be rare. The game is largely balanced around SOd characters - if everyone had purpled-out high-end builds, that balance would be thrown out of whack, and the game would need an extensive rebalancing which would almost certainly involve huge buffs to NPCs and harsh global nerfs (a la ED and the GDN). Somehow, I don't think sweeping global nerfs are your idea of fun, so I'll let you take from that what you will. Certain items will remain rare or expensive because they give the more hardcore players something to work for, and just like in real life, if you want something good you need to be prepared to work for it (or win the lottery, which is the equivalent of getting, say, one of the purples you needed as a drop).
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You can get far more from IO sets than you can purple IOs and that you can do this very effectively after 32 or so. And many, many players are using "plain" IOs (which are better than SOs after lvl 40) to max out their effectiveness without IO sets. Both are superceding SOs and neither of these has required massive NPC buffs and sweeping nerfs.
Your argument that purples somehow ruin the game is your opinion and I would guess thats mirroring some statement by a dev somewhere. Thats fine, but its still an opinion, not a fact. The idea that life should still be "work" at 50 is silly. We are all supposed to be superheroes and we all want to feel like a superhero at level 50, which is not the case if you happen to be a squishy and find routine deaths to 3 minion ambushes because macskull says you should be happy with SOs.
I'm not saying everyone should be +4/x8 and I know that not every AT should be solo friendly but what is the problem having level 50s that are super? Does it makes the game easier for level 50's, sure it does, your 50 and it should be easier. If you want it to be more work, then don't use the purple IO sets, skip the plain IOs and stick with SOs for your 50.
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Originally Posted by macskull
What's funny is that the alignment merit system (and to a lesser extent the reward merit system introduced in I13) were introduced partially to help people like you (the "IT'S NOT FAIR! I SHOULD HAVE EVERYTHING WITHOUT WORKING FOR IT!" people) obtain the items you wanted simply by playing the game. Obviously that's not good enough for you, and I'm not really sure what to tell you at that point.
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I said nothing about everyone should have everything without working for it. There is nothing wrong with making them easier to obtain.
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Originally Posted by macskull
I don't think the developers have ever regarded farming as a problem, except in specific cases (usually specific tasks or NPC groups). Exploiting, on the other hand, is a different matter, but the two are not generally related. The drop rates aren't limited because of farmers, they're limited in order to keep rare items rare. Besides, "casual players" aren't worried about building their characters with PvP IOs and purples. The minute you start working at something like that, you're no longer casual and you need to start putting in the time to obtain the items you want (note I said "want" there, not "need," as the only thing you need in this game is an SOd build).
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You somehow think there is only two ways 1) the current system or 2) give everything to everyone free. I am not saying people shouldn't have to work for items, but I am saying that they need to be dropping more often. It harms no one to have casual players join the club of 50's with benefits.
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Originally Posted by macskull
Time sinks and gimmicks are an integral part of any MMO, because otherwise players will blow through the game quickly, get bored, and move on, meaning the money spent developing that content isn't getting recuperated. The lack of level 50 content in this game is an issue that's been acknowledged and is being worked on for the new few updates, so that's a moot point now. Regarding inclusivity: this MMO is very casual-friendly. None of the gear is required to run anything. What's even better is that everyone has exactly the same opportunity to get the stuff they want, provided they're able to dedicate the time to do so, whether that be farming for hours a day or sitting at the market for 5-10 minutes each play session. The tools are there. If you don't want to use them, don't complain. It's like whining that the screw in the computer you're putting together won't tighten all the way when you're trying to use your fingers and ignoring the screwdriver sitting right next to you on the table.
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If the game is "FUN" then people will play, it is as simple as that. When it ceases to be fun and crosses the line into "work" then people will move on.
Since you want to make this a financial discussion too, take this into consideration. Carrots on sticks for the bored are a double edged sword. Why? Because when DCUO gets here, (or the next major game title) the first to leave will be the easily bored. It therefor makes more financial sense to not alienate the casual ones while you are showering the bored with gifts. The casual players, as long as they are enjoying the game, are those that will still be here playing.
So essentially you can- 1) keep giving pinatas filled with cool stuff to the bored while telling the casual players sorry, you cant have anything new, or 2) You can increase the overall enjoyment of the game by, heaven forbid, including casual players in accessing content/access to better loot. I never said, 'we should give everything away'. I am saying, if their financial strategy is tied to keeping the easily bored playing this game, then we are all doomed.
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Originally Posted by macskull
Random number generator. Random. Are you getting it yet? 1 per 1500 kills does not mean you are guaranteed one per 1500 kills, it just means that's an average rate. Your problem is you're trying to slot entirely off of drops, which is an incredibly stupid thing to do for rare items. You can obtain the inf to buy an entire set (hell, set an entire character out) in a few weeks if you know what you're doing and aren't lazy. But hey, if you're lazy, you've got no right to complain. "But I don't have time!" you say. Bull - 5-10 minutes at the market is all you need. The guides are there, use them.
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Originally Posted by macskull
The price cap is actually 2 billion. However, suggesting lowering price caps is laughable because it means you don't understand basic economics and have no right to be talking about what's wrong with this game's market and economy. For example, did you know that price caps will actually decrease supply and make items harder to find and more expensive, because people will sell them off-market for X inf instead of being capped at Y inf by selling on the market? Take a look at the +3% defense PvP IO. It sells for 2 billion on the market, there's a 300-bid waiting list and often none for sale, but if you have 3-5 billion on hand there's almost always someone willing to sell you one off-market.
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I do understand game economics, you are the one that's being naive. Currently, there is "very little" to "none at all" supply of PvP IOs at the market, so I can't possibly see how supply gets any worse. But since you are confused, I'll explain how changes would work in reality for you.
If they raise the cap to $3 bil inf then that +3% PvP IO is going to sell for more than $2 bil. That $2 bil IO got MORE expensive. That's a fact. I'll predict if they raise the cap to $10 bil you will find the selling price of something is going to be $10 bil. The only ways to fight this spiral of greed is either drastically increase the drops, drastically lower the cap, or to a degree do both.
If they lower the cap to, (just picking a drastic arbitrary number), let's say $100 mil then the selling price of that IO is going to be $100 mil. Not at first. Price caps do not affect the price of what players will attempt to get out of other players, it also will not stop those people who will hoard them for a while. In reality, players don't sit on something that has market value forever. Those not hoarding are selling theirs on the market for $100 mil. Eventually there will be no other outlets for the hoarders but the market and then they too will accept the selling price is no more than $100 mil. The prices got out of hand because they were allowed to. That is a fact.
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Originally Posted by macskull
"Real casual players" won't care that they can't get PvP IOs and purples. 'Nuff said.
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I have stated my opinion, and it's pretty clear you would rather differing opinions not post here, well get over yourself. You may be a fanboy, you may enjoy the way things are, you may have the luxury of playing all week long, or maybe some combination of these, none are right or wrong. Don't kid yourself that your opinion is better than mine. Don't try to convince me with non-logic, facts that are really opinions, or reasoning that doesn't originate from yourself. Your fake facts, illogical reasoning and holier-than-thou attitude, combined with your insults and/or sarcasm reveals your limited intelligence.
Well someone has a issue with mac.... Basically a gist of what mac was saying was.... PVP IOs as well as Purple IOs are rare, because they aren't necessary to succeed in this game. This is gonna get into a fued i can tell already from the poster above... PvE is easy, but PvPing against someone else with those expensive sets are tough if you only have red fortunes and multi strikes. PvE its not neccessary to have purple sets or pvp sets, PvP it is almost needed to have some procs as well as uniques.
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TL;DR.|
Originally Posted by Bad_Dog
long boring grudge post
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Ease off the anger and insults there, sir.
My guides:Dark Melee/Dark Armor/Soul Mastery, Illusion Control/Kinetics/Primal Forces Mastery, Electric Armor
"Dark Armor is a complete waste as a tanking set."
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I'll stick with this part of the post, because the rest isn't worth my time nor my energy. I doubt this is, either, but at least I can try to make you understand basic economics, though if my experience in the market forum is any indication, those who are ignorant often choose to remain so despite being made aware of their ignorance.|
Originally Posted by Bad_Dog
Oh how silly, a logic where you cap a price on something and it makes it more expensive. What planet does that happen on?
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For an example of what price caps can do, check out this section of the Wikipedia article on price caps. Notice the words "hoarding" and "shortage" appear a few times. Let's say a 100 inf price cap was suddenly added to every item in the game. Great, you can now buy your LotG for 100 inf! Well, theoretically you could, but suddenly every single player in the game would be in line for one too, and you'd be competing with not hundreds but thousands or tens of thousands of bidders wanting the same item. Maybe if you're lucky you'd get one of the ones that goes to the market. If you're not, however, you might find someone willing to sell you one off-market... for 100 million, maybe 200 million, and they'll get away with charging that because most people won't want to wait in line. In other words, if sellers can't get what they think is a fair price for their item, they just won't put it on the market, leading to a supply shortage, which in combination with the greatly increased demand actually drives the actual value higher. You may not be able to bid more than 100 inf on the market, but you could probably find one off-market in short order, provided you were willing to pay.
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| I do understand game economics, you are the one that's being naive. Currently, there is "very little" to "none at all" supply of PvP IOs at the market, so I can't possibly see how supply gets any worse. But since you are confused, I'll explain how changes would work in reality for you. |
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| If they raise the cap to $3 bil inf then that +3% PvP IO is going to sell for more than $2 bil. That $2 bil IO got MORE expensive. That's a fact. I'll predict if they raise the cap to $10 bil you will find the selling price of something is going to be $10 bil. The only ways to fight this spiral of greed is either drastically increase the drops, drastically lower the cap, or to a degree do both. |
I'm not sure what this "spiral of greed" you're talking about is, as a seller can't get any more for their item than the buyer is willing to pay. It's not my fault I list an item for 1 inf and it immediately sells for 10 million. Blame the impatient buyer who wants the item right away and just bids 10 million instead of waiting a few hours for a lower bid to fill. I could list a Nevermelting Ice on the market for 2 billion and be guaranteed it would never sell because 2 billion far exceeds the actual value of that item. Are you getting this yet?
Lowering the inf cap (or bid cap) is not a solution, it is yet another contributor to the "problem" of high prices (completely ignoring that you're looking at this from the perspective of a buyer only, forgetting that someone can make the same amount of inf by selling such a drop) brought on by the rampant inflation following I14 and the hollowing-out of lower-level supply brought on my merits in I13. Increasing the drop rate or providing meaningful inf sinks (the alignment merit conversion, which costs 20 million inf, is one such inf sink, but more are needed) is how prices will come down, not price caps.
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| If they lower the cap to, (just picking a drastic arbitrary number), let's say $100 mil then the selling price of that IO is going to be $100 mil. Not at first. Price caps do not affect the price of what players will attempt to get out of other players, it also will not stop those people who will hoard them for a while. In reality, players don't sit on something that has market value forever. Those not hoarding are selling theirs on the market for $100 mil. Eventually there will be no other outlets for the hoarders but the market and then they too will accept the selling price is no more than $100 mil. The prices got out of hand because they were allowed to. That is a fact. |
People who need a quick buck or just don't know you can trade items off-market may list their items on the market and be happy with that 100 million, but when I can get 2 billion off the market I'm going to hold onto that item, advertise I have it, and within a few hours I'll have several people competing for that item, and I'll get the actual value instead of an arbitrarily low limit someone thought would be appropriate.
By all means, continue pushing for price caps. I'll just laugh when it makes the already-rich people obscenely rich while the people who Just Don't Get It continue to complain loudly.
...Oh, and before you go into a rant about "THIS IS JUST YOUR OPINION OH MY GOD I'M SO MAD RIGHT NOW BECAUSE YOU AREN'T LISTENING TO ME" just remember that 1) the above information is factual, based on real-world evidence, and is the core of the supply and demand mechanics taught as part of every basic economics class from middle school through college, unlike the drivel I was responding to; and 2) getting mad on the internet is silly.
@macskull, @Not Mac | XBL: macskull | Steam: macskull | Skype: macskull
"One day we all may see each other elsewhere. In Tyria, in Azeroth. We may pass each other and never know it. And that's sad. But if nothing else, we'll still have Rhode Island."
"One day we all may see each other elsewhere. In Tyria, in Azeroth. We may pass each other and never know it. And that's sad. But if nothing else, we'll still have Rhode Island."
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You sure spend a lot of time trying to convince me your economic theory is a fact. It is not, it's your theory of how it works. It's how you believe it to work and you support it by selective and semi-related "evidence". That still does not make it fact. |
Originally Posted by macskull
I'll stick with this part of the post, because the rest isn't worth my time nor my energy. I doubt this is, either, but at least I can try to make you understand basic economics, though if my experience in the market forum is any indication, those who are ignorant often choose to remain so despite being made aware of their ignorance.
For an example of what price caps can do, check out this section of the Wikipedia article on price caps. Notice the words "hoarding" and "shortage" appear a few times. Let's say a 100 inf price cap was suddenly added to every item in the game. Great, you can now buy your LotG for 100 inf! Well, theoretically you could, but suddenly every single player in the game would be in line for one too, and you'd be competing with not hundreds but thousands or tens of thousands of bidders wanting the same item. Maybe if you're lucky you'd get one of the ones that goes to the market. If you're not, however, you might find someone willing to sell you one off-market... for 100 million, maybe 200 million, and they'll get away with charging that because most people won't want to wait in line. In other words, if sellers can't get what they think is a fair price for their item, they just won't put it on the market, leading to a supply shortage, which in combination with the greatly increased demand actually drives the actual value higher. You may not be able to bid more than 100 inf on the market, but you could probably find one off-market in short order, provided you were willing to pay. Correction - there is "very little" to "none at all" supply of a few PvP IOs on the market, specifically two or three of the more-desirable procs. Most are at least adequately supplied. Now imagine if every PvP IO was like that, even the "crappy" ones. That's the sort of situation you'd be looking at. Apparently I'm not the one that's confused. Newsflash: the +3% PvP IO already sells for more than 2 billion. Notice how there are hundreds of bids on the market and only a sale being made every day or two - this is because to most buyers the actual value of the item exceeds 2 billion inf, so they're forced to look for sellers off-market. The 2 billion acts as a market-enforced price cap on this item, which is lower than the actual value, so buyers who want one quickly and don't want to gamble with whether their bid might fill in the next four months are forced to look elsewhere. This would happen with every item selling for more than "X" inf if the amount you could bid were suddenly reduced to "X" inf, and you think that price caps will help people!? Roffles. If they magically raised the "price cap" (in this case the amount of inf a character can hold) to 10 billion inf (which is impossible without a substantial rewrite of how the game holds inf, because 2 billion is the closest convenient large number to the limit of a signed 32-bit integer), there would be a steady supply on the market, and they would sell for between 3 and 5 billion, because that's what they routinely sell for off-market. I'm not sure what this "spiral of greed" you're talking about is, as a seller can't get any more for their item than the buyer is willing to pay. It's not my fault I list an item for 1 inf and it immediately sells for 10 million. Blame the impatient buyer who wants the item right away and just bids 10 million instead of waiting a few hours for a lower bid to fill. I could list a Nevermelting Ice on the market for 2 billion and be guaranteed it would never sell because 2 billion far exceeds the actual value of that item. Are you getting this yet? Lowering the inf cap (or bid cap) is not a solution, it is yet another contributor to the "problem" of high prices (completely ignoring that you're looking at this from the perspective of a buyer only, forgetting that someone can make the same amount of inf by selling such a drop) brought on by the rampant inflation following I14 and the hollowing-out of lower-level supply brought on my merits in I13. Increasing the drop rate or providing meaningful inf sinks (the alignment merit conversion, which costs 20 million inf, is one such inf sink, but more are needed) is how prices will come down, not price caps. If they lower the cap to 100 million inf, the selling price of that IO on the market will indeed be 100 million inf. I'm not arguing that. I am saying that sellers who know the item is worth more than 100 million inf won't even bother to list their item on the market, and they won't have to because there will be people willing to pay more for it to not wait in a bidding line. The +3% defense PvP IO is the only in-game example of how a price cap causes supply shortages, hoarding, and a real black market, yet you're trying to use it as an example of why there should be lower price caps on everything? Ludicrous, ignorant, and incredibly uninformed. People who need a quick buck or just don't know you can trade items off-market may list their items on the market and be happy with that 100 million, but when I can get 2 billion off the market I'm going to hold onto that item, advertise I have it, and within a few hours I'll have several people competing for that item, and I'll get the actual value instead of an arbitrarily low limit someone thought would be appropriate. By all means, continue pushing for price caps. I'll just laugh when it makes the already-rich people obscenely rich while the people who Just Don't Get It continue to complain loudly. ...Oh, and before you go into a rant about "THIS IS JUST YOUR OPINION OH MY GOD I'M SO MAD RIGHT NOW BECAUSE YOU AREN'T LISTENING TO ME" just remember that 1) the above information is factual, based on real-world evidence, and is the core of the supply and demand mechanics taught as part of every basic economics class from middle school through college, unlike the drivel I was responding to; and 2) getting mad on the internet is silly. |
A lot of this I don't dispute, because in a round about way you are making my case for me that they drop rate should be higher. If you want to make it an economics debate then yes the cap should be lowered. It is obscene that anything in the game sells for $2 bill.
If the cap was lowered, I don't dispute that people will hoard that item for a unknown amount of time. Which I stated in my last post. Certainly not forever, and only for as long as others are willing to buy at off the market prices. It will not last forever, the selling price will eventually be no more than market cap. Will there be shortages? You bet, I don't disagree with that. If the shortage is that high then obviously the supply is too low. Therefore, drop rates need to be higher. Which is exactly what I said in my first post.
You can continue to work yourself up into a frenzy all you want about supply and demand and fluctuating prices, it doesn't change the point of my post or the fact that this situation is the way it is because it was allowed to happen. That makes it a design, whether it is intentional or not, who is to say. But it can be resolved simply. As I stated in my last post, "either drastically increase the drops, drastically lower the cap, or to a degree do both."
Does the buyer have some of the blame, sure he does. But its hard to completely blame the buyer when the sellers are only posting the 3% def pvp IO at $2 bill.
And as for this quote: "seller can't get any more for their item than the buyer is willing to pay", that's not entirely true. It would be true if no one was "playing" the market. I personally know people who periodically go to the markets with the intention of spending a Saturday to make a fortune. Not by buying recipes and crafting them, but by systematically jacking up the prices.
You show your ignorance of the market by assuming that the law of supply and demand is setting the prices and that buyers and sellers are balancing the prices by their honest transactions. The majority of players are using the market honestly, but they are the prey. The minority are there to make as much inf as possible. It is not that difficult to manipulate prices. The longer you want to sit at WW's the higher you can get a selling price, if that is ones intention.
I have nothing against people becoming rich in this game, I am. I already have my billions and I run out of things to spend it on since I finished IOing out my 50s. If I can do it as a casual player then others can. But that doesn't mean I side with those that believe the markets should be the wild west where the sky's the limit. Grow up and give up the psuedo-economics lessons.
My point: The drop rates should be higher for PVP IO's and purple IOs.
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I found an Armageddon: Dam/Rech yesterday. Got 300 mil. This will be the fifth Purple IO I've found in the last 3 months.|
Originally Posted by Bad_Dog
You sure spend a lot of time trying to convince me your economic theory is a fact. It is not, it's your theory of how it works. It's how you believe it to work and you support it by selective and semi-related "evidence". That still does not make it fact.
A lot of this I don't dispute, because in a round about way you are making my case for me that they drop rate should be higher. If you want to make it an economics debate then yes the cap should be lowered. It is obscene that anything in the game sells for $2 bill. If the cap was lowered, I don't dispute that people will hoard that item for a unknown amount of time. Which I stated in my last post. Certainly not forever, and only for as long as others are willing to buy at off the market prices. It will not last forever, the selling price will eventually be no more than market cap. Will there be shortages? You bet, I don't disagree with that. If the shortage is that high then obviously the supply is too low. Therefore, drop rates need to be higher. Which is exactly what I said in my first post. You can continue to work yourself up into a frenzy all you want about supply and demand and fluctuating prices, it doesn't change the point of my post or the fact that this situation is the way it is because it was allowed to happen. That makes it a design, whether it is intentional or not, who is to say. But it can be resolved simply. As I stated in my last post, "either drastically increase the drops, drastically lower the cap, or to a degree do both." Does the buyer have some of the blame, sure he does. But its hard to completely blame the buyer when the sellers are only posting the 3% def pvp IO at $2 bill. And as for this quote: "seller can't get any more for their item than the buyer is willing to pay", that's not entirely true. It would be true if no one was "playing" the market. I personally know people who periodically go to the markets with the intention of spending a Saturday to make a fortune. Not by buying recipes and crafting them, but by systematically jacking up the prices. You show your ignorance of the market by assuming that the law of supply and demand is setting the prices and that buyers and sellers are balancing the prices by their honest transactions. The majority of players are using the market honestly, but they are the prey. The minority are there to make as much inf as possible. It is not that difficult to manipulate prices. The longer you want to sit at WW's the higher you can get a selling price, if that is ones intention. I have nothing against people becoming rich in this game, I am. I already have my billions and I run out of things to spend it on since I finished IOing out my 50s. If I can do it as a casual player then others can. But that doesn't mean I side with those that believe the markets should be the wild west where the sky's the limit. Grow up and give up the psuedo-economics lessons. My point: The drop rates should be higher for PVP IO's and purple IOs. |
Guess you're just unlucky?
My guides:Dark Melee/Dark Armor/Soul Mastery, Illusion Control/Kinetics/Primal Forces Mastery, Electric Armor
"Dark Armor is a complete waste as a tanking set."
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Originally Posted by Bad_Dog
And as for this quote: "seller can't get any more for their item than the buyer is willing to pay", that's not entirely true.
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| You show your ignorance of the market by assuming that the law of supply and demand is setting the prices and that buyers and sellers are balancing the prices by their honest transactions. |
If a buyer isn't willing to pay X inf, they won't pay X inf.
It doesn't matter if the seller lists it for X inf.
The buyer won't buy it.
Supply and demand works PRECISELY that way.
Supply and demand IS setting the prices on the market. The only thing that people who "play" the market can manipulate is the short term prices (and most regularly particularly the price history) of certain low-supply items. If people don't want to pay that much for it, they won't... and eventually the people selling them (market "players" or otherwise) will be forced to lower the prices accordingly.
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| If the cap was lowered, I don't dispute that people will hoard that item for a unknown amount of time. Which I stated in my last post. Certainly not forever, and only for as long as others are willing to buy at off the market prices. It will not last forever, the selling price will eventually be no more than market cap. |
I can confirm this, because I'm personally hoarding some of them. I'm not intending to sell them, because I might need them in the future and I wouldn't be able to buy them from the market when I need them. If the market cap was high enough to let me buy the IO when I needed it and sell it when I didn't, this wouldn't be an issue. I could sell my stockpile NOW for (say) 3.5 billion inf, and buy them back later for that same amount of inf.
The "problem" you're seeing regarding certain high demand IOs is caused by precisely that - high demand. Those IOs are not dropping less often than other IOs of that type, they are merely perceived as more desirable and so are more likely to have bids on them. This causes a higher ratio of demand to supply, which drives prices UP.
Whenever the bidding price hits an imposed cap, you can't bid higher than everyone else in order to be next in line to get your IO, so you are forced to look for it off-market. Result: supply COMPLETELY dries up on the market.
The only way to rectify that issue is to alter the ratio of demand to supply - if you lowered the bidding cap it would make zero difference as long as the demand/supply ratio was unchanged. Yes, upping drop rate for PVP IOs WOULD affect prices. But it would affect prices across the board for all PVP IOs as junk IOs would become even junkier (and there are a great many PVP IOs going for 5-30 million inf: I know because I still sell them regularly).
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| My point: The drop rates should be higher for PVP IO's and purple IOs. |
The drop rate on PVP IOs is perfectly fine, it is approximately one for every 100-150 kills. This has been tested and retested by many players including myself personally.
Purple IOs are more controversial. The drop rate on these has been more difficult to pin down, but is approximately one for every 1000-1500 kills. The Devs have stated that these are intended to be "Super Rare"... however I can safely say that you will not find one instance of a Purple IO which is as pricey as the top one or two PVP IOs.
The drop rates themselves are fine, if there IS a problem with supply, it's that there just aren't enough people actively doing PVP or farming for them.
The devs have recognised this. They have even implemented a process whereby a casual player can EARN a high demand IO themselves - although it takes time (a few months worth of playing missions or less if they're willing to part with some influence and merits to shorten the process) this is perfectly in line with the current perceived worth of the highest ticket IOs.
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To sum up:
Market cap lowering would not affect highest priced IOs at all, it would in fact mean that other fairly-high-priced IOs would start being traded off market as well. The prices on these aren't going to come down on their own. At least until:
(i) Supply increases (e.g. drop rate goes up or other ways to get them are introduced) OR
(ii) Perceived value of the IO decreases (e.g. IOs with duplicate effects introduced) OR
(iii) Perceived value of influence itself increases (e.g. influence "sinks" are introduced).
The devs have already covered (i) and (iii) by introducing a new means to earn these high-demand IOs with Alignment Merits, complete with an influence sink to make this earning go faster. We're still waiting on this gradually causing (ii).
If you lower the cap and merely wait for everyone who wants a rare IO (and is willing to pay more then the market cap to get it) gets one, you're never going to stop waiting. There are always going to be rich people making new alts and levelling them to a point where they want these IOs. Increasing supply is one option, but you would have to do this via introducing drop table weighting rather than a straight drop rate increase if you didn't want to saturate the rest of the market with rubbish.
I want a 10 milion dolar home, but I only work one day a week. ...
Sure this is just a game, but a MMO has to have a large play field, if you aren't sincking the time into the game, you can't expect the returns.
Personally I would enjoy one or two breaks, such as in the form of day jobs, that increases chances for rare salvage dependent on the amount of time you playthe less frequent you play, the (slightly) better chances you have of getting rare items. This means I could enjoy the game on par with those who play more often than me, without having to sacrifice more time, money, or chicks.