Explosive Ammo Crafting discussion

[NEVERDIE]

There has been much debate on the subject of Crafting Explosive Projectiles. The Concept presented here has in no way been approved by Mindark for implentation. ( No Need for a Riot

It is just an idea I would like some feedback on.



EXPLOSIVE PROJECTILE CRAFTING
A More Rounded formula for the Economy.


Fundamental Change to Nanocubes – Nanocubes could no longer be sold back to the TT for Ped. User would get the same message that Freebie Quest items give it will show the TT Value but with a Warning “ TT will consume item but give you no ped to your Ped card”


#1 –Crafting Explosive Projectiles will no longer produce metal residue as a bi-product, Instead it produces Shrapnel as a bi-product. Shrapnel can still be sold to hunters for Mark Up but doesn’t not undercut the resource crafting Profession which now becomes the only source of Metal Residue again.

#2 - Any crafted item or Stack of Crafted items EG components can be instantly converted to Nanocubes with a +1% mark up utilizing the same technique as when Shrapnel is Converted to Universal Ammo.

THIS CAN LEAD TO A MARKET FOR NANO CUBES produced by Crafters at BELOW TT VALUE, but won’t affect the convenience of Buying Nanocubes from TT. Also it adds extra support to crafting by ensuring that all crafted items can be sold for MU by converting to Nanocubes.



BUT HOW Does it Create a Market for NANOCUBES Below TT?

For example: While Skilling, a Crafter Produces 1000 PED TT Value of Metal Screws (or any other basic Component)
Instead of dumping the Screws to the TT , crafter Converts them to 1010 Ped Value of Nanocubes which cannot Be sold to the TT..

Crafter then Sells the Nanocubes to an Explosive BP Crafter for 1005 Ped… Losing 5 Ped in Value but still gaining 5 Ped above the TT Value of the Metal Screws.

An ECO Explosive Projectile Crafter Prefers to Buy Nanocubes from Crafters because he/she can buy them cheaper than the TT when buying in large quantities.




PROBLEMS Addressed!

Explosive BP Crafters are now a valuable part of the Player to Player economy.
Crafting looted and Mined resources now becomes the only way to Get Metal Residue and produces Guaranteed MU when converted to Nanocubes.
Explosive Crafters Loose NOTHING – Shrapnel can be sold for appx the same MU that Metal Residue is sold for now appx 0.5% mark up. Explosive Projectile Crafters can still buy Nanocubes from TT, BUT THEY GAIN The Chance to Buy Nanocubes below TT from Crafters .

[Sionkiewicz]

I think you need to go back to the drawing board.. This won't do much to build the economy.

[Sionkiewicz]

If you want EP BPs to help build the economy, they need to take items from other professions.

Add Shrapnel to the recipe.. Add Lyst.. Add sweat,,.. this would drive the value of those items back up.

Trying to make Nanocubes a commodity is just not going to work.

[KikkiJikki]

This would actually have an interesting impact on res MU. Keep in mind that with EP crafting still a viable option for gamblers, we wouldn't get back to the pre-EP number of resource crafters so I think MU could go up significantly more than the previous levels. It could get very difficult to source res on planets other than Caly. (it's not cost effective to pay auction transport fees on res owing to the high weight:TT value ratio). So as an item crafter on Arkadia, trying to compete with the eco of looted weapons and armour, this suggested change makes me a little bit nervous.

So my takeaway is that the change removes the only real benefit to me in the current system.

I'm still thinking about the changes around Nanocubes. I assume shrapnel would be able to be placed on auction?
My gut reaction is that we might end up with an oversupply of shrapnel but I could be totally wrong on that.

[San]

In the current state of things EP crafting is 'also' used by item crafters to produce residue, and not to forget the Mission Galactica stage asking for a huge pile of it.

Taking it away would force everybody back to clicking components or whatever. It may seem desirable because miners and hunters are suffering from the loss of markup, but the other side is that crafted items would be more expensive to make if the production of residue is made less convenient, and they are already at a disadvantage competing with looted items which in many cases have even better eco (e.g. Herman vs. Piron). As much as I like it as a hunter to loot good guns, I think it has to start there. At least the quality of crafted items should be superior to the looted ones, not vice versa.

Then there is the aspect of explosive projectiles actually being a type of ammo, the only type you can't buy from TT. I believe they were also aiming at making its availability independent from hunting loot.

It's a very interconnected system and turning a single screw almost always has more than one effect. Since the release of EP BPs it's hard to imagine how to get the djinn back into the bottle.

Someone suggested on PCF to only remove EP IV to snuff out the most unhealthy gambling. It can't be in MindArk's interest to make themselves accusable of being a casino anyway. But the money 'invested' in these things would cause some screaming, if not worse. Phasing it out should be preceded by a period of making EP IV BP untradable.

Changing the bp to use materials provided by miners and/or hunters would help these, but only if there is enough demand for the actual product. I'm not sure this is currently the case. The popularity of explosive weapons would have to increase not just by a bit.

No single measure seems like the 'golden' solution. And shouting just 'fix the economy' is dumb. Everybody sits in his corner of it and wants the gravy train to come his way. I think we have to define clear goals first, and then work through all the effects to see what could achieve it. Is the goal to increase markup for mined/looted stuff? To help crafters making easier profit? To reduce the slurry of EP hofs making everybody just roll their eyes?

Edit: I didn't see Kikki's post since I had the editor open that long.