Can we talk about Rare Goods CGs?

[DemiserofD]

Rare Goods CGs almost always ask for 3-6 types of rare goods. Players immediately locate the closest one or two with the best quantity available, and ignore all the others. This is because in the time you could spend traveling to the others, you could instead drop off the one, and be back just in time to get another load. This seems like poor CG design, which results in players choosing the most boring option.

This is also especially silly from a canon perspective. These are supposedly rare goods, yet you are able to buy tens of millions of them at a moment's notice?

It would be nice to have at least some reason to occasionally buy more than the easiest one.

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Idea 1: Rationing

Under pressure from the CG, the stations involved start a rationing process. Rather than fully refilling every 10 minutes, they only partially refill, perhaps by 3-5 tons per cycle. This will encourage players to instead travel to all the stations, giving the bought-out ones a chance to restock.

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Idea 2: Extreme Demand causes Depletion

Allow the typical rare good systems to be completely depleted in the first few hours. At most, you might find 1-2 tons there. With demand so high, people across the galaxy start digging out their stocks and selling them at a markup at stations anywhere in the bubble.

Players would need to check every station in the bubble, as each one would have a random chance to increase their stock every 10 minutes. If you get lucky, you might stumble on a station that hasn't been visited all CG, that has 100+ rare goods in stock.

This encourages players to travel all across the bubble. Perhaps give each player a daily allotment at the typical stations, just so they're not completely useless.

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Either of these would be better than the current system, where players repeatedly buy an inexplicably infinite source of 'rare' goods from a single station, ignoring all the others.

As a handy side effect, this would potentially make viable alternative methods of getting rare goods, such as piracy, which are technically an option, but one never actually used.

 

[Chaparral]

I would like to see much higher prices for rare goods in general, but unfortunately, FCs will destroy this CG.

 

[OmegaPaladin]

I would rather use distance-based pricing. If you have a good only available on a station that is 200 LY away, with a 500,000 ls distance, that should sell for huge cash. It is so much more of a hassle to get. This means players could use long-range ships with low cargo capacity, or large mega haulers.

 

[CMDR Rabbit]

I would rather use distance-based pricing. If you have a good only available on a station that is 200 LY away, with a 500,000 ls distance, that should sell for huge cash. It is so much more of a hassle to get. This means players could use long-range ships with low cargo capacity, or large mega haulers.

That can work if you consider credits to be the motivation rather than CG rank %, story investment or shiny toy rewards.

But CG participation level is based on total tonnage delivered not price. A commodity that buys/sells low is worth exactly the same as a high end one as far as ranking within the CG goes.

 

[Dagwit]

But CG participation level is based on total tonnage delivered not price.

Station repair depends on the delivery of set quantities of each item, not a global tonnage. It would make sense for CGs to operate on the same principle.

I shall wait with bated breath for things to change.

 

[GroG79]

I would like to see much higher prices for rare goods in general, but unfortunately, FCs will destroy this CG.

With one load of rares every 10 minutes?

 

[Flossy]

Idea 2: Extreme Demand causes Depletion

Allow the typical rare good systems to be completely depleted in the first few hours. At most, you might find 1-2 tons there. With demand so high, people across the galaxy start digging out their stocks and selling them at a markup at stations anywhere in the bubble.

Players would need to check every station in the bubble, as each one would have a random chance to increase their stock every 10 minutes. If you get lucky, you might stumble on a station that hasn't been visited all CG, that has 100+ rare goods in stock.

This encourages players to travel all across the bubble. Perhaps give each player a daily allotment at the typical stations, just so they're not completely useless.

---

Either of these would be better than the current system, where players repeatedly buy an inexplicably infinite source of 'rare' goods from a single station, ignoring all the others.

Each Rare good is only available at one station, so if that station becomes depleted there would be nowhere else to buy it. Checking every station in the bubble for them would be a complete waste of their time as they are not available anywhere else! Also, Fleet Carriers can not trade Rare Goods, only store their own personal supply.

They are Rare in that you can only buy a limited number and not buy anymore until your hold is empty. This along with the 10-minute spawn time makes them Rare!

As a handy side effect, this would potentially make viable alternative methods of getting rare goods, such as piracy, which are technically an option, but one never actually used.

Ah, right at the end of your post we see the real reason - you want to be able to pirate the goods from other players. Surely this would be easier when single Rare Good systems are used than if they were spread all over and available at all stations?

 

[GordoMkII]

hehehe tehy are totally disconnected from ther comunity .... have you seen the meta alloy CG ( how often tehy mush have reloged to achive 2 k tons looooooool
the help the local faction to fight thargoids mission .... where 1 cmdr hand in bonds of 30 billion ( 35,476,640,000!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) to get 39 million as a reward loooool
i dont know but this cg just had come to mind to a person whom has no clue no connection at all to elite

 

[forbiddenlake]

30 B credits wasn't enough of a reward?

 

[Zador]

hehehe tehy are totally disconnected from ther comunity .... have you seen the meta alloy CG ( how often tehy mush have reloged to achive 2 k tons looooooool
the help the local faction to fight thargoids mission .... where 1 cmdr hand in bonds of 30 billion ( 35,476,640,000!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) to get 39 million as a reward loooool
i dont know but this cg just had come to mind to a person whom has no clue no connection at all to elite

They didn't do it for 39MCR they did it to be top contributor. I collected 5688T of meta-alloys, yes a lot of relogging, but it was pretty chill. I enjoy the challenge of getting into top 10, I guess my brain likes repetitive activities

Also to @Chaparral can't see how FCs will destroy this CG when you can do single jump for 108T and the supercruise distances are short, you can deliver those 108T faster than someone can load up and unload an FC.

 

[GordoMkII]

They didn't do it for 39MCR they did it to be top contributor. I collected 5688T of meta-alloys, yes a lot of relogging, but it was pretty chill. I enjoy the challenge of getting into top 10, I guess my brain likes repetitive activities

Also to @Chaparral can't see how FCs will destroy this CG when you can do single jump for 108T and the supercruise distances are short, you can deliver those 108T faster than someone can load up and unload an FC.

i like repetitive actions aswell but yea its kinda insane with that cg / and the both cg i mentioned were just to show how bad Cgs are designed at all lately ...
relog for a better CG participation lol yea really quality gameplay /

 

[DemiserofD]

Each Rare good is only available at one station, so if that station becomes depleted there would be nowhere else to buy it. Checking every station in the bubble for them would be a complete waste of their time as they are not available anywhere else! Also, Fleet Carriers can not trade Rare Goods, only store their own personal supply.

They are Rare in that you can only buy a limited number and not buy anymore until your hold is empty. This along with the 10-minute spawn time makes them Rare!

Ah, sorry, I must not have explained what I was trying to say clearly enough!

What I meant was, just for the duration of the CG, the rare good in question could spawn at any station in the game. This would be a change around from the typical mechanic, meant to indicate civilians digging out their stocks and selling them at an inflated price.

Ah, right at the end of your post we see the real reason - you want to be able to pirate the goods from other players. Surely this would be easier when single Rare Good systems are used than if they were spread all over and available at all stations?

Believe it or not, my main focus was actually on NPC piracy. You can pirate almost all rare goods from NPCs in the right scenarios, and NPC piracy is a sadly underused mechanic.

I won't say this won't have any effect at all on pvp piracy, but even that, honestly, is probably a good thing. Generally, if they're being pirates, they can't be gankers at the same time! And getting pirated gives more time to get away!

If you want to know my personal viewpoint on pvp, just take a look at my signature!

 

[DogsBody]

Station repair depends on the delivery of set quantities of each item, not a global tonnage. It would make sense for CGs to operate on the same principle.

I shall wait with bated breath for things to change.

This is how all CGs should work - with the current system when the pricing / availability works out right we can get space stations built out of teabags, as thats all that gets delivered. If a CG needs 4 commodoties, it should require a set number of each of them per tier, otherwise FD might as well save themselves the bother and just list one commoditiy per CG.

 

[Chaparral]

Also to @Chaparral can't see how FCs will destroy this CG when you can do single jump for 108T and the supercruise distances are short, you can deliver those 108T faster than someone can load up and unload an FC.

Wings or groups of players or just randos can sell to an FC at a source, the FC then dumps the load at the destination.

 

[DemiserofD]

Wings or groups of players or just randos can sell to an FC at a source, the FC then dumps the load at the destination.

FCs cannot buy or sell rare goods, and only the owner can transfer them, so this doesn't work. An owner CAN use them as a stockpile location, but that makes less of a difference than you might think. It basically just saves you one jump either way.

 

[Chaparral]

FCs cannot buy or sell rare goods, and only the owner can transfer them, so this doesn't work. An owner CAN use them as a stockpile location, but that makes less of a difference than you might think. It basically just saves you one jump either way.

FCs don't represent a single player's capacity. They are trading hubs. This is why you see FCs at Platinum and Opal locations. Randos drop off goods at a price that is inflated relative to the immediate area, but relative to the high price destination they are less. The FC pilots buy offline until their holds are full, then dump a fat load on the destination for big profits. Trading CGs in general tend to favor FC owners.

 

[DemiserofD]

FCs don't represent a single player's capacity. They are trading hubs. This is why you see FCs at Platinum and Opal locations. Randos drop off goods at a price that is inflated relative to the immediate area, but relative to the high price destination they are less. The FC pilots buy offline until their holds are full, then dump a fat load on the destination for big profits. Trading CGs in general tend to favor FC owners.

Right, but they're physically incapable of setting buy or sell orders for rare goods. Try it, you just can't buy or sell them.

 

[Chaparral]

Right, but they're physically incapable of setting buy or sell orders for rare goods. Try it, you just can't buy or sell them.

There is a rare goods CG right now. Let's see who wins.

 

[Spaceman-FXL5]

Right, I'm loading mine with Beer as I've only got 1 hour per night after work until I'm off.
Decided on this as the beer supply 40T per run is over Million LS from jump point IIRC.

 

[Zador]

Wings or groups of players or just randos can sell to an FC at a source, the FC then dumps the load at the destination.

As others have said, for a rare goods CG which is the topic of this thread, wings and randos cannot sell to an FC. So that just leaves the FC owner, and as I said with a source of rares one jump away with short SC distances at each end its quicker to deliver for the CG than two trips to load and unload an FC.