Thoughts On Removing Platinum From Trading...

[Tempest3]

Okay, I understand that this might seem like a really horrible awful idea because then people who can't spend real currency on the game can't get more warframe/weapon slots and such. And I would agree.

 

Except...

Go open up the trade chat and see if you find people asking for anything but Platinum. Just look. It's not that there aren't other things worth trading for, but if you want anything decently valuable, it's either Plat or T3 Captures. Not valuable-mod for valuable-mod.

 

I say this as someone who does use Platinum a decent bit. I buy warframe slots, weapon slots, possibly a few warframes when they're first released, etc... and I generally have a little plat sitting in my account. But the level of Platinum-greed among people trading is just shocking to me. I've played a bunch of games with trading systems, and the premium IGC was never straight-up tradeable -- I can understand having Void Keys, but to have the trade chat full of people hardly even interested in trading for anything but platinum is just (I think) bad for the community.

 

That said, it's possible that the community will eventually settle on a rareness/worth scale and people can actually trade at reasonable rates using Plat as a base "currency" or such ("___ mod is worth ___ platinum and can be traded for anything else worth the same amount of platinum").

 

Comments?

[FR3NZ4]

man, what about poor guys? i made about 700-800 plat, started from 3 plat. Not everyone has many money to insert into game.

[VKhaun]

I think the real money currency should be able to be traded in every game. It's the only way to open up the cash shop to non paying players.

 

The only other option I'm aware of is to put the currency in-game somewhere/somehow that they have to grind for it, but not having to grind or getting things quickly/exclusively or buying on short notice during a sale is the whole point of the vast majority of cash shop purchases so that defeats it's own purpose in almost all cases.

[Calayne]

I think you're looking at all the wrong places, my friend: I've heard of many mod-for-mod trades, and many trades which don't necessarily involve platinum at all. It's pretty normal, and fairly frequent.

 

The reason why Platinum is the more attractive option than mods, assuming you're even looking for mods, is that Warframe slots can be purchased for it. If they're looking for a mod, and you have that mod, and you also want a mod they have to offer, that's all and good. But such exchanges are rarer, simply because trying to fit two specific puzzle pieces together is harder than, say, forking out cash.

 

That's how money works, and why it's so attractive. Platinum is like Credits, except even Corpus don't use that anymore for trade (The Profit Trailer made that known). You can buy anything with plats, including the elusive Warframe and Weapon slots. You can't buy those with mods, assuming you even want any  mods and haven't already collected them all.

 

Someone once rightly pointed out that you can easily find a mod-for-mod trade by posting what you want on the Forums. I agree. I personally love that Plat trade is available. It gives people with no plat an ability to buy warframe slots and weapon slots. 

 

I think your grievance comes from the seeming observance that people are "Plat-greedy" and seem to be scum-sucking little people only looking for the most valuable thing for trade. That's really not fair. These people need the plat. But if you do want mod-to-mod, like I pointed out before, the forums is your best bet.

[Feindfeuer]

I only traded mods for other mods, or right out donated them to others on my contact list but I'm all for plat trading, not because I use it myself but because it gives free players a way to aquire plat-only services/customization whith DE still getting some money for it.

I see no downside to it besides the cluttered/flooded trade chat, but that's a small price to pay to give free players the possibility to leech of the paying customers without ever paying for a game they claim to enjoy to get the full gaming experience.

[Calayne]

 give free players the possibility to leech of the paying customers without ever paying for a game they claim to enjoy to get the full gaming experience.

 

Technically, Platinum is expended when they use it for Warframe slot. Good that they use it for such things. There is no zero sum for platinum.

 

What does that mean?

 

Basically means that we'll run out of plats one day, if no one buys any. So to keep plat trade going, somebody has to have Platinum: Complete, unused, unconsumed platinum. That means buying it from DE. So this trade, this whole system, supports DE.

 

I LOVE IT. 

 

The people who can spend money can now use it to get rare mods they don't want to farm. The people who can't, are generally able to provide what the rich people (with no time) want. Is good. Me like. 

Edited December 2, 2013 by Calayne

[fatpig84]

Plat for mods is a fine service.

Although I don't have much of need for it.

 

This gives poor players an option to get slots, which are critical for game progression.

[Kinperor]

I do very little mod-for-mod because I have nearly all the mods, honestly. That's why I, personally, do a lot of plat transaction. I figure a lot are with me on that one.

 

And really, I don't need plat that much either, but I see more use for that than a 11th Hell's Chamber or a Quick Thinking (gave mine, unranked, away before the nerf, haaaah). 

 

That's why I prefer plat trading. I would probably keep all my desirable mod to myself otherwise, just to hoard further. 

[sewens]

When it comes to trading the best system leaves the values to the player. Players can trade mod-for-mod if they want to without consequence. It's probably going do be done more between new players whom both have one mod the other wants and less by old beta players or founders since they naturally would have most of the mods they need to play.

 

The system doesn't need to be changed in my opinion. The only other options I can imagine would be rares-for-rares and fixed market value trading and both would only add to the controversy DE already struggles to deal with.

 

EDIT: For a good example, imagine if there was a group of "founders" who decided all plat pricing. Now look at the feedback forums and how players respond to gameplay changes.

Edited December 2, 2013 by sewens

[Mr.ominous]

Technically, Platinum is expended when they use it for Warframe slot. Good that they use it for such things. There is no zero sum for platinum.

 

What does that mean?

 

Basically means that we'll run out of plats one day, if no one buys any. So to keep plat trade going, somebody has to have Platinum: Complete, unused, unconsumed platinum. That means buying it from DE. So this trade, this whole system, supports DE.

 

I LOVE IT. 

 

The people who can spend money can now use it to get rare mods they don't want to farm. The people who can't, are generally able to provide what the rich people (with no time) want. Is good. Me like. 

^ this system is incredible. Thanks DE!

[Otaiken]

We need some kind of Auction House or player market. Positives of that would be that you would be able to see all of the offerings next to each other, so it would reduce the price gouging and it would be more user friendly in general. It would also provide at least some guide to what the market prices for stuff might be.

 

The trading channel would then be used for actual trading, that is mods for mods etc.

[Calayne]

That... Is actually a very interesting idea!

 

Add an "Auction House" decoration to the dojo, just like the Trading Post, since they're intending to go that way! Then from this place, you can set up your mod/key for an offer, and select what sort of Mod/selection of Mods or plat you'd like to trade for that. People won't always have to be online for trade, then. Charge credits for their use, depending on how long you want that offer to stay up. So anyone can just leave it up for a few days, and people can just accept trades and make payment while their transaction partner is offline.

 

Possibly, a "Basket" system might work: You can see a short list of mods they offer, and a short list of their asking price. E.g. Flow, Streamline, Focus up for trade, looking for: 10 plat, Pathogen Rounds, Serration.

 

Then, they open another one up: Quick Thinking, Rage up for trade, looking for: 2 plat, Ammo drum.

 

So you can pick one item per basket, per trade, and just make payment. 

 

Naturally, each trade is gonna cost you one transaction, to prevent mass buying/selling of mods and keys. Also gives an incentive for personal transactions, which can handle up to three mods at once.

[sewens]

We need some kind of Auction House or player market. Positives of that would be that you would be able to see all of the offerings next to each other, so it would reduce the price gouging and it would be more user friendly in general. It would also provide at least some guide to what the market prices for stuff might be.

 

The trading channel would then be used for actual trading, that is mods for mods etc.

 

A auction house would be...something. I think DE is taking the valve approach to making a market: adjust values by changing avalability and leaving the messy bits to the players. There's a few fanmade trading sites already if you search around but no one knows if they can be trusted and they don't have to co-operate with steamworks or any agreement.

[Phatose]

It's incorrect to believe that platinum's involvement is the cause of greed in the trading channel and forum.  Greed exists there because those channels are composed of people.  No other reason.

 

A pure barter economy will not happen.  Remove platinum, and the currency will change to something else - I'd be fusion cores for common stuff with a few select, high value mods for big ticket transactions.  And the would be merchants would be greedy in that instead. 

 

An auction house will help the economy stabilize faster - higher information available to everyone tends to do that.  But it runs the risk of the Diablo 3 problem - eventually, players stop playing the game and play the auction house instead.

[Calayne]

It's incorrect to believe that platinum's involvement is the cause of greed in the trading channel and forum.  Greed exists there because those channels are composed of people.  No other reason.

 

A pure barter economy will not happen.  Remove platinum, and the currency will change to something else - I'd be fusion cores for common stuff with a few select, high value mods for big ticket transactions.  And the would be merchants would be greedy in that instead. 

 

An auction house will help the economy stabilize faster - higher information available to everyone tends to do that.  But it runs the risk of the Diablo 3 problem - eventually, players stop playing the game and play the auction house instead.

 

This, man. Totally this. I agree completely. It's fundamentally a human problem. Can't tackle such a problem by removing plat, cause you may as well remove people. I'm quite interested in that "Playing the Auction House" argument, though. I think it's true, to an extent, but perhaps the Trade limit for us will surely make it easier? "Reserving" your auction activity to your Trade points may help.

 

It's definitely a good point raised, though.

[Volume]

Free markets in cases like this are good for players.

AirMech also has the paid currency for trade on a player market, so you can post things on a marketplace for that currency (With a deposit, of course).

 

I don't know if it's good for the company, because people start undercutting the actual cash-shop prices (i.e. people selling catalysts for 10 plat when you can buy them for 20 plat from the store, that's 20 plat not going into the dev pockets, but just being moved around between players).

 

I personally can't say if it's bad for the game or good for the game, but I single-handedly solved my "F2P player warframe slot problem" by selling quick thinking for 100 plat. So. It's good for me.

[DaveC]

I personally can't say if it's bad for the game or good for the game, but I single-handedly solved my "F2P player warframe slot problem" by selling quick thinking for 100 plat. So. It's good for me.

You just illustrated how it's good for the game.....that's 100P out of the economy and back to DE, so more plat has to be bought somewhere to replace it for any plat trading to keep going. Also the TOC of trading are quite sharp in a business way. You can't use traded plat for anything else except to spend with DE.

Only Platinum that you have purchased will be eligible for trade. There is no minimum/maximum amount of Platinum you can trade. Your starting 50 Platinum cannot be traded, and moving forward, any Platinum you are rewarded (contests/livestreams, etc) will not be eligible for trade.

A very shrewd and good business move.....DE may write some bad code, they may be rubbish at testing releases for bugs, they may be poor when it comes to fixing long term bugs, they may release overpowered stuff so everyone buys it, then nerf it......but when it comes to making money, they are very good at that. 100s of new weapons, new frames, new ways of making money. Never for a moment think they haven't thought trading through very carefully (even down to the punitive credit tax). If they were as careful with the game coding side, we would be in 7th heaven right now.