Down with the Economy!
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...or how do the new prices affect you? What do you think of it and why?
While the changes in the monthly shop not coming before September 1st, everything else is going up in prices so fast it is about to get me broke (I was never a millionaire to begin with).
I may have to seriously change my playing style, which I do not really want to do, but with the lack of money I will probably be forced to not decorate my dogs the way I like anymore (which is half the fun) or start breeding dogs for retirement money alone, which is actually very time consuming and I do not have much time lately.
It does begin to feel those of us who can afford to do so (which I currently can't but still did lol) are pushed a bit too much to buy bones which makes money going down in value even more.
On the other hand, Robyn says only a few of us actually buy enough bones to support the server costs, and that some way too rich people bought monthly items for Ala cash from the shop to sell for a lot less bones than in the shop to make themselves some (albeit expensive) bones from their money. Which meant Ala likely got less bones than it would have otherwise.
While the changes in the monthly shop not coming before September 1st, everything else is going up in prices so fast it is about to get me broke (I was never a millionaire to begin with).
I may have to seriously change my playing style, which I do not really want to do, but with the lack of money I will probably be forced to not decorate my dogs the way I like anymore (which is half the fun) or start breeding dogs for retirement money alone, which is actually very time consuming and I do not have much time lately.
It does begin to feel those of us who can afford to do so (which I currently can't but still did lol) are pushed a bit too much to buy bones which makes money going down in value even more.
On the other hand, Robyn says only a few of us actually buy enough bones to support the server costs, and that some way too rich people bought monthly items for Ala cash from the shop to sell for a lot less bones than in the shop to make themselves some (albeit expensive) bones from their money. Which meant Ala likely got less bones than it would have otherwise.
Alcemistnv [567 candy corns] (#3906)
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08-23-2011 at 7:20 PM
*agrees with geist and tiger*
Tiger (#42)
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08-23-2011 at 6:41 PM
You know one thing that would bring the price of bones down? If people would stop buying the ones priced at $45k and force the sellers to price them lower.<br /> <br /> I personally think one thing that might help the economy is instead of rewards from showing being determined by the dog's TP, have it set to each level. Say the entry fee for Dogbert is $50 and the top 3 placers get $500, $300 and $150 respectively. And then Scooby is $100 and prizes are $1000, $800 and $500 and it just keeps going from there (these are all just numbers im pulling out of the air) then 300tp dogs can win the same amount as 9k tp dogs, just the 9999 dogs are more likely to win. etc etc etc etc
Hypno Shroom (#6878)
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08-23-2011 at 5:30 PM
Yeah, Geist has put it better than I could.
GeistNoir (#4246)
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08-23-2011 at 4:56 PM
Bot sides are right. In a way.<br /> <br /> Yes, monthlies were never meant to be easily obtained. I do understand that, I know what they are intended to be.<br /> <br /> However, the value of regular Ala money is dropping like a ton of bricks. which is a bit of a disaster when the price of something as utterly necessary to the game like food is going up.<br /> <br /> The most important thing you have to consider, though, is the real world economy. Yes, monthlies are supposed to be rare, and high priced, but consider the real economy. The majority of Ala players are from the US and the UK, and both are having severe real-world economy problems. A lot of monthly items were around 10 bones before re-pricing, which is ten real dollars to players purchasing the bones - they did come from real money, no matter how you obtain them. Remember that most players are under 18 and the economy is in bad shape, and you can see what the problem is in upping prices.<br /> <br /> You catch more flies with honey than vinegar. You sell <b>more</b> items by keeping the prices <b>low</b>, adding up to a larger total profit than marking up and having only a few people buy. In the end, as rare as monthlies are supposed to be, it will benefit Alacrity and costs of running by keeping the prices down.
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2011-08-23 14:02:42 by #4246
2011-08-23 13:59:27 by #4246
Hypno Shroom (#6878)
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08-23-2011 at 4:34 PM
Oh no Carni, the bones are worth just as much as they ever were, because you you do not get more out of them - except cash, which has gone down in value, so why in the world would you think we make from bones is worth anything more when the money just lost the value? <br /> <br /> Something's badly off with this way of thinking, sorry. <br /> <br /> And I bought quite a lot of bones because I never had enough money. I do not have TP monster dogs to make me millions. I probably never will. Just when I have finally made enough money to be able to buy a few of the monthly shop items the money is going down in value so much that all the savings I did was basically for nothing. How will those feel who do not even have bones?<br /> <br /> I'm a dog and item collector. Which means that, naturally, I'm going after the monthlies. Not all of them, but at least the companions and backgrounds and foregrounds. So, with this change, I'm naturally sad about it. <br /> <br /> I won't quit Ala over it or any such nonsense, but it will likely lead to me spending a lot LESS in bones because if I can't buy what I planned, I may as well stop collecting some things. The site has become a bit less attractive to me. Not by much, because I'll still be able to afford the necessary things, but it makes me worry others who can't afford bones will just leave if they feel they are falling too much behind. <br /> <br /> So essentially, the money hoarders seem to have "ruined" it for the rest of us for a lack of a better English word.
Alcemistnv [567 candy corns] (#3906)
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08-23-2011 at 4:13 PM
I remember when bones were cheap too.<br /> <br /> Why don't we have another summer blowout thing, but for the end of the summer?<br /> <br /> ORRRR<br /> <br /> why don't we find something else to spend cash on? What doesn't help IMO are those who have numerous tp capped dogs(whoever has them, this is nothing against you :) If they are making 10,000+ a dog per trial and can enter 5 a day, and they have 5 of these dogs, thats $250,000 they made in one day. That doesn't help because in 4 days, thats a million $$ they are adding to our overall cash amount.<br /> <br /> I, as a breeder and has someone with average dogs, won't make as much money as someone else who haas higher TP dogs who can trial and not be afraid to lose. So what does that mean? Less money I make. I lost almost 2-300,000 in a short amount of time all because everything has been brought up in price and now I'm barely able to afford something that can benefit me. :/<br /> <br /> We need to worry about the millionaires and those who hoard the bones but don;t actually buy them. I don't thin upping the prices of items, especially rares is going to help :/ I'd rather buy multiples of one rare for the same price I'd buy only one now.<br /> <br /> Rob, if you see this, please understand that I have nothing against you. I just want to know how to help. :)
Carnivale (#6)
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08-23-2011 at 4:06 PM
The blanket statement of "all prices going up" is false. The only high prices are going to be in the monthly shop, and in the cash boutique, items which are meant to be, as Tiger said, luxury/rare items, not something everybody is entitled to and must be given means to get. If you want the really good stuff, donate to get bones, or simply save up your ala cash to get them. Nothing else has changed. For quite a while now people have gotten spoiled with being able to very easily get monthlies and other such rares without ever needing to spend a dime on the site, and that hurts the overall economy. People are focusing on the value of the ala dollar going down, and not considering that bone value is going up, which means if you have bones, they're worth way more than before, so you can sell them for a lot more cash. Yes, people will probably have to reconsider the way they've been playing the game, but in the end it's for the best.<br /> <br /> The main shops, other than Cash Boutique, are still extremely affordable and will remain so, so that every player, donations or no, can obtain them easily and give their dogs items.
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2011-08-23 13:15:12 by #6
Leekar (#91)
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08-23-2011 at 3:54 PM
^^; Auction House. Sorry, that's the gamer speak coming out.
Steaks (#5484)
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08-23-2011 at 3:53 PM
Shadow Wolf, what is AH?
GeistNoir (#4246)
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08-23-2011 at 2:53 PM
I remember when bones were 10k!<br /> <br /> /old timer
Leekar (#91)
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08-23-2011 at 11:06 AM
Well the new prices have me hoarding my money, not spending it. I'll spend it on a new pit bull puppy and curing illness, entering trials. I haven't been buying accessories and might not next month. I don't need them THAT bad.<br /> <br /> I can say one thing, ever since Robyn started 'fixing' the economy the price of bones is climbing and climbing. Where before she said anything about the economy and made any changes bones were going for a lovely 28k to a painful 40k. Now? I'm lucky if I can find a bone for 35k! As of this moment they're 35k to 45k in the AH. Lets hope monthly shop prices aren't tweaked again to match that. >_><br /> <br /> Bah. Won't be buying bones from the AH either then. Only thing keeping me tied to Alacrity right now is the fact that my account is a forever upgrade.
Tiger (#42)
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08-23-2011 at 7:09 AM
Other than the added Cash Boutique and what has been said will become of the Monthly shop i see very little change to prices. You can still buy BGs and accessory items in the The Scenic Route, Hardcore Pups & Decore Galore for a very reasonable price IMO.<br /> <br /> The Monthly shop and Cash Boutique are luxury items and their prices are meant to be high. NOTHING in those shops are a requirement to playing the game. I actually spend very little money/bones playing this game and because of it have collected a good amount of money for when I do want to splurge. I even on occasion place bones up for auction for less than what most people charge.