The monetary value of a PFO account.

[Tyncale]

Here is my simple take on the monetary value of an average MMO account: a formula that uses the variables of:

- Playtime-investment(X);

- Powercurve(how easy or hard is it to make a high level powerful character, Y);

- Popularity of the game(Z);

Let us call it the Rule of the 3 P's.

Example: a MMO with lots of experienced players (x goes down due to veterans knowing what they are doing) and an easy powercurve(y goes down since char is easily maxed) which is sortoff impopular (z goes down) equals a not so valuable account.

However, PFO accounts add another variable(let us call it A): spent XP(that has been paid for over time).

So my hypothesis would be:
For an account that has a 3-year old character that has been maxed on xp every month, could we simply add an amount of 36x15dollars=540 dollars to the value of the account?

I realize that the variable of A is strongly dependent on variable X (playertime investment) since a character with just accumulated xp (up to a certain maximum allowed by GW)has less value then one where the xp has been applied already. And variable Y (powercurve) would play less of a role since the curve in the PFO system would be spread out over years of characterbuilding. Whereas variable Z would be as important as ever. :)

A few notes: personally I love the idea of paying for xp of which a max amount per month can be used to skill up a single character: the xp is already in your pocket, now hopefully the goals and achievements in-game for your character will be so much fun that you have no problem applying all that xp.

I also understand that the Skill system allows for a newbie to quickly master a few skills so that they can be viable in the Game of Settlements, but there is no way around the fact that years-old characters that have been maxed monthly have a certain inherited monetary value to them.

If PFO becomes successful, will subbed accounts simply add up their value over time?

[Steelwing]

Tyncale wrote:

Here is my simple take on the monetary value of an average MMO account: a formula that uses the variables of:

- Playtime-investment(X);

- Powercurve(how easy or hard is it to make a high level powerful character, Y);

- Popularity of the game(Z);

Let us call it the Rule of the 3 P's.

Example: a MMO with lots of experienced players (x goes down due to veterans knowing what they are doing) and an easy powercurve(y goes down since char is easily maxed) which is sortoff impopular (z goes down) equals a not so valuable account.

However, PFO accounts add another variable(let us call it A): spent XP(that has been paid for over time).

So my hypothesis would be:
For an account that has a 3-year old character that has been maxed on xp every month, could we simply add an amount of 36x15dollars=540 dollars to the value of the account?

I realize that the variable of A is strongly dependent on variable X (playertime investment) since a character with just accumulated xp (up to a certain maximum allowed by GW)has less value then one where the xp has been applied already. And variable Y (powercurve) would play less of a role since the curve in the PFO system would be spread out over years of characterbuilding. Whereas variable Z would be as important as ever. :)

A few notes: personally I love the idea of paying for xp of which a max amount per month can be used to skill up a single character: the xp is already in your pocket, now hopefully the goals and achievements in-game for your character will be so much fun that you have no problem applying all that xp.

I also understand that the Skill system allows for a newbie to quickly master a few skills so that they can be viable in the Game of Settlements, but there is no way around the fact that years-old characters that have been maxed monthly have a certain inherited monetary value to them.

If PFO becomes successful, will subbed accounts simply add up their value over time?

CCP allows eve characters to be bought and sold and acts as a broker in these deals. While this does not eliminate people selling each other accounts outside of the CCP strictures it does reduce it significantly (or at least that is my understanding)

The characters however are bought and sold for in game isk rather than real money. I would expect PfO to do the same as it makes more sense from a company perspective. This means that while you may be able to sell your character for real money the market for real money buyers will be significantly smaller than it otherwise would be and the prices therefore deflated.

[Steelwing]

Just did a quick check to see what prices equate to

a 47 million sp character is on the bazaar (this will be around 3 years or so I would guess) for 13 billion isk

13 billion isk is roughly 26 plex (took 500 mill as price for ease)

26 plex is around 520 dollars

It should be noted however the price depends a lot on how the skill points have been used. Characters trained in certain skills are far more valuable than others

[Tyncale]

Steelwing wrote:

Just did a quick check to see what prices equate to

a 47 million sp character is on the bazaar (this will be around 3 years or so I would guess) for 13 billion isk

13 billion isk is roughly 26 plex (took 500 mill as price for ease)

26 plex is around 520 dollars

It should be noted however the price depends a lot on how the skill points have been used. Characters trained in certain skills are far more valuable than others

That 520 dollar is very close to the 540 in my example! That is, if a monthly sub for Eve is also 15 dollars.

I agree that the way skillpoints are spent could make a lot of difference for the value of the character, that should probably be another variable(Path chosen, to keep with the P's?). I guess that variable would also depend on the Flavor of the Month or Flavor of the Year.

Not sure how Skillpoints can be spread in EVE, but as I understand it in PFO, there really are not any lockouts or are there? I mean if you put 3 years of skillpoints into a specialized Wizard, you are indeed a LONG way off of being a viable Rogue, but characters can still choose to go that way can they?

[Steelwing]

There are no lockouts but you are buying the character because it is a wizard with 3 years training not because you can also train it to be a rogue. If you wanted a rogue you would buy one of those instead presumably.

The major point though that I was making is that while you get the equivalent of 26 plex. It is in the form of in game currency. There is no way to convert it back to real dollars.

[Tyncale]

Agreed on the first part, it would make a lot of difference which path has been chosen by that character for sale.

As to the second part, selling your character for in-game money only seems desirable if you intend to keep playing the game(unless you want to unload the ISK on the RMT market anyway). Otherwise, if GW does not offer the opportunity, I can see people who want to quit the game, sell their character/account on the RMT market. GW would be wise to broker that themselves.

I also have no idea how many Eve accounts get sold for real money, then again maybe nobody who is heavily invested ever (gets to) quit Eve. ;)

[Steelwing]

Tyncale wrote:

As to the second part, selling your character for in-game money only seems desirable if you intend to keep playing the game(unless you want to unload the ISK on the RMT market anyway). Otherwise, if GW does not offer the opportunity, I can see people who want to quit the game, sell their character/account on the RMT market. GW would be wise to broker that themselves.

As I understand it (bear in mind I don't have the figures) CCP working the character Bazaar as it does has substantially reduced real money sales because those looking to buy a character can usually find something near enough what they are looking for on the character bazaar. Due to this they find it preferable to use the scam free method of buying a character (one in which they can petition CCP to reverse the deal if the character is not as described). This leaves few people willing to take the risk of using other methods of character buying.

Is it a pain for people leaving the game? Of course it is but I suspect CCP's thinking is along the lines of "If they are leaving the game they won't need the isk therefore they won't sell the character leaving themselves a reason to come back"

I know a couple of people who have left the game however and what they did was sell the character for isk then they gave the isk to a friend in return for considerations like a few bottles of Jack Daniels etc.

[Bluddwolf]

You need to consider that some accounts (characters) have a Destiny's Twin.

I don't believe that simply doubles the value, because there is also the value of versatility as well.

[Steelwing]

Bluddwolf wrote:

You need to consider that some accounts (characters) have a Destiny's Twin.

I don't believe that simply doubles the value, because there is also the value of versatility as well.

I am assuming that like Eve it will be characters that are sold not accounts. How they deal with destinies twin I would suggest is therefore up in the air. I suspect it will be a case of selling either the main or the twin will make both of them merely normal characters however that is a pure guess and we will have to wait for the devs to work it out

[Banesama]

Steelwing wrote:

Bluddwolf wrote:

You need to consider that some accounts (characters) have a Destiny's Twin.

I don't believe that simply doubles the value, because there is also the value of versatility as well.

I am assuming that like Eve it will be characters that are sold not accounts. How they deal with destinies twin I would suggest is therefore up in the air. I suspect it will be a case of selling either the main or the twin will make both of them merely normal characters however that is a pure guess and we will have to wait for the devs to work it out

The Devs have said the DT is permanently linked to your chosen Main. Now if you are selling your Main through GW then they might either include the DT or perhaps the DT will go 'poof'.

[Tyncale]

I think Ryan said something to the extent of that the twins can never be separated, i.e. sold separately. Makes sense to me, the account itself would still be quit valuable though.