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Commissions for Critted Gear - What Rates do you use?


shark_megabyte

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I've had a few people interested in commissioning me to make them an item with an augment slot. I'd love to do this, but first want to figure out how to charge a fair rate that reflects the uncertainty of how many attempts it takes to get that slot.

 

The arrangement that sounds the best to me so far is...

  • The buyer provides all mats to fuel the crafting attempts.
  • The buyer does not actually pay anything for the crafting, until the item is delivered.
  • The price paid for the item is based on the number of crafting attempts, with the highest possible amount agreed on in advance.
  • The max amount is paid for success on the 1st attempt (and perhaps for a couple of attempts afteward). Then the rate starts to go down. The longer it takes, the less the crafter makes from the deal (this makes it fair to the buyer who has to wait longer for their item, and also helps assure the buyer they are not being 'farmed' for free mats). If it takes long enough, the item can end up being free except for the required mats.

 

What do you think of this arrangement? What kind of terms have you used yourself, and how have people liked them?

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Just charge a flat rate that will always make you a profit no matter how many attempts. Anything else is just asking for needless drama. Commissioning an item isn't cheap, if they want cheap and don't care about the model then they can go buy whatever shows up on the AH. Edited by XavinNydek
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<.< If the buyer is paying/supplying all the mats for the attempts, why charge them for the crafting at all? It hasn't cost you anything except the use of a companion for some time.

 

As the above poster said, charge them a flat rate, always. If your companion isn't set up with the right affection and bonuses to do it in a decent amount of attempts, it's not your buyers fault.

 

Edit: I don't charge, but with the exception of one double bladed that is is refusing to gain an augment slot, I've generally crafted an augmented gear within 6 tries. >.> So many flat rate is Price of materials x8 or x10? Can't make it before 10 tries, not the buyers fault.

Edited by Doomsdaycomes
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Just charge a flat rate that will always make you a profit no matter how many attempts. Anything else is just asking for needless drama. Commissioning an item isn't cheap, if they want cheap and don't care about the model then they can go buy whatever shows up on the AH.

 

You do realize since success is random, it could take an infinite number of attempts, so there is *no* way to charge a flat rate that will always make you a profit no matter how many attempts?

 

That being said, I'd probably go with 10x CoM. (cost of mats) Though if it's not a rush job or I already have 10x parts on hand I'll figure CoM as the mission cost of mats. (if it *is* a rush job and I don't already have 10x parts, I'll use current minimum market price to reach 10x mats)

 

I'm not really sure I feel comfortable using the prices displayed on the GTN as actual prices things sell for under normal circumstances, as if they're on the GTN they haven't sold yet. And the prices are so high except for serious rush jobs, I can't see anybody actually paying them when they can get 'em from missions for MUCH cheaper.

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mat costs on the GTN are artificially high because of players who keep dumping their craft and releveling the FOTM craft. That being said my crit rate is 20% on any companion with 10K affection. So 10x mat cost (cost of the missions to obtain the mats) seems like a fair price for me to charge for augmented gear. Right now augmented gear is being listed on the GTN for way more than that.

 

If I was going to do it for a friend, I'd do it for free, so long as they supplied the mats. And then when it came time to give them the item, I'd hand them the non crit attempts at the same time. Just so they wouldn't be tempted to wonder if I farmed them for mats. The non crit oranges are almost worthless anyway.....

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<.< If the buyer is paying/supplying all the mats for the attempts, why charge them for the crafting at all? It hasn't cost you anything except the use of a companion for some time.

 

That would potentially cost me 1 million credits in a single day. At the very least 500k a day. Those same companions could be out making money. Time is money friend!

 

I just dabbled in this, very much against my better judgement, and I was unfortunately not surprised. 15 attempts at making a war hero chest piece with ZERO crits. All companions affection is maxed. I won't be attempting that again until I am at the very least able to RE the non-crits for a DECENT amount of materials back. Only getting like 1 upari crystal back will not cut it, thanks. RE should at least return a third of the materials used.

 

As things currently stand it is far far more profitable to simply farm materials and sell them on the GTN. Boring, but lucrative. At least someone else is having fun crafting, I guess. At least with the money I can have some fun. :cool:

 

As for making augmented gear for myself/friends... it's simply too frustrating and time intensive (farming for all those materials only to fail 15 times will have me punching wholes in walls lol). No thank you.

 

I would love to hear when/how they plan to add the ability to add augmented slots to existing orange gear. Although, the prospect of storing all that gear for an indeterminate amount of time is troublesome. Not too mention that feature would likely completely tank the market for orange augmented gear. We don't even know if it would require a crafter to add an augment slot. What if players are able to do it on their own? Good bye marketplace! In light of some of Bioware's recent confusing changes regarding crew skills I think that might be a likely outcome.

Edited by Serbegorn
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That would potentially cost me 1 million credits in a single day. At the very least 500k a day. Those same companions could be out making money. Time is money friend!

 

I just dabbled in this, very much against my better judgement, and I was unfortunately not surprised. 15 attempts at making a war hero chest piece with ZERO crits. All companions affection is maxed. I won't be attempting that again until I am at the very least able to RE the non-crits for a DECENT amount of materials back. Only getting like 1 upari crystal back will not cut it, thanks. RE should at least return a third of the materials used.

 

As things currently stand it is far far more profitable to simply farm materials and sell them on the GTN. Boring, but lucrative. At least someone else is having fun crafting, I guess. At least with the money I can have some fun. :cool:

 

As for making augmented gear for myself/friends... it's simply too frustrating and time intensive (farming for all those materials only to fail 15 times will have me punching wholes in walls lol). No thank you.

 

I would love to hear when/how they plan to add the ability to add augmented slots to existing orange gear. Although, the prospect of storing all that gear for an indeterminate amount of time is troublesome. Not too mention that feature would likely completely tank the market for orange augmented gear. We don't even know if it would require a crafter to add an augment slot. What if players are able to do it on their own? Good bye marketplace! In light of some of Bioware's recent confusing changes regarding crew skills I think that might be a likely outcome.

 

I hear ya on the most of that. I ended up attempting to make an augmented dual bladed lightsaber for a friend atleast 15 times, and on my last attempt before I was out of mats, it finally crit for a slot. It was rather annoying and costly.

 

However, if someone else had been supplying the mats, as the OP suggested, the only thing it would cost me personally is the use of one companion. At the moment I only have 1 companion that has any natural bonus to artifice, and that's who I use. It takes longer, but as a commision time isn't as much a factor. I don't expect when i ask someone to make something that they will have it to me within the hour. <.< Would be nice, but not realistic.

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They need to to away with the whole crit crafting thing anyway. Give us a schematic for the augmented gear that we can craft for 5x-10x the mats of a non augment piece. If you crit, you get back 1/4 of the materials. This way crafters can easily set a price and the customer gets their gear quickly. Most people who want me to make them an augment piece give up after the fourth or fifth failure.
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You do realize since success is random, it could take an infinite number of attempts, so there is *no* way to charge a flat rate that will always make you a profit no matter how many attempts?

While the RNG can be a *****, over time it all evens out.

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You do realize since success is random, it could take an infinite number of attempts, so there is *no* way to charge a flat rate that will always make you a profit no matter how many attempts?

 

Success rate isn't random, it's a certian percentage modified by your companions affection and "natural" crafting bonus. I honestly don't know the rate at the moment, but since I generally craft an augmented piece within 6 tries, (My one odd 15 attempts is by far my worst, and about the 10th augmented thing I've tried for), I will use 1/6 for this example.

 

If my chance is 1/6, I could charge 12x's the materials cost for one. That gives me 12 tries before I start losing profits.

 

In 12 tries (1/6 x 12/1 = 12/6 = 2) probability wise I should have made 2. Thus I profit.

 

So your statement is true there is "No way to charge a flat rate and always profit" but the probability you would lose money is low, and the amount of customers you will get from decent fees + uncomplicated transactions should make up for any once in awhile losses.

 

<.< For your flat rate, I'd just do a little research into the probability, then stack it in your favor within reason.

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Success rate isn't random, it's a certian percentage modified by your companions affection and "natural" crafting bonus. I honestly don't know the rate at the moment, but since I generally craft an augmented piece within 6 tries, (My one odd 15 attempts is by far my worst, and about the 10th augmented thing I've tried for), I will use 1/6 for this example.

 

Ok, fine. To be completely accurate it's a weighted random, I guess I didn't think I really needed to specify weighted since most "randoms" in games are weighted randoms, and this one obviously is. (which actually makes the odds of "infinite" failure higher.)

 

If my chance is 1/6, I could charge 12x's the materials cost for one. That gives me 12 tries before I start losing profits.

 

In 12 tries (1/6 x 12/1 = 12/6 = 2) probability wise I should have made 2. Thus I profit.

 

So your statement is true there is "No way to charge a flat rate and always profit" but the probability you would lose money is low, and the amount of customers you will get from decent fees + uncomplicated transactions should make up for any once in awhile losses.

 

<.< For your flat rate, I'd just do a little research into the probability, then stack it in your favor within reason.

 

Which is pretty much what I was saying. I agree with the flat rate, hence my price of 10x CoM (though I'd put the odds closer to 1:5, and thus my figure of 10x CoM.) I'm just nitpicking that due to how random works (includeing weighted random), it is impossible to cover the "worst case scenario" as that would be infinite failures.

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The arrangement that sounds the best to me so far is...

  • The buyer provides all mats to fuel the crafting attempts.
  • The buyer does not actually pay anything for the crafting, until the item is delivered.
  • The price paid for the item is based on the number of crafting attempts, with the highest possible amount agreed on in advance.

 

What do you think of this arrangement? What kind of terms have you used yourself, and how have people liked them?

 

Either I don't understand your point, or there is no doubt it sounds great to you.

 

To be sure: I provide the mats for all attempts, and then have to pay for the item?? Seriously?

 

The way i see it, I would give you a tip for... you know, being cool and keeping an eye on your companions, and for taking the time to research the eschematic if that is the case.

 

Marketing here is very simple: if you have no costs for making the item (I provide all mats), the only think you can charge for is providing the service.

The effort, time, and credits invested (by you) in being able to provide that service is something you should be looking to get back by adding all profits obtained in the long run. Not for every time you provide the service.

 

Your system, as a customer, seems highly unacceptable to me. All due respect.

 

Sorry, my economics English is very poor, hope I explained myself

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Ok, fine. To be completely accurate it's a weighted random, I guess I didn't think I really needed to specify weighted since most "randoms" in games are weighted randoms, and this one obviously is. (which actually makes the odds of "infinite" failure higher.)

 

 

 

Which is pretty much what I was saying. I agree with the flat rate, hence my price of 10x CoM (though I'd put the odds closer to 1:5, and thus my figure of 10x CoM.) I'm just nitpicking that due to how random works (includeing weighted random), it is impossible to cover the "worst case scenario" as that would be infinite failures.

 

^_^ I'm sorry, I didn't mean to imply your 10x CoM was wrong, just simply wanted to point out to anyone out there that it's a probability issue that can be reasonably accounted for. I'd totally agree 10x CoM.

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Either I don't understand your point, or there is no doubt it sounds great to you.

 

To be sure: I provide the mats for all attempts, and then have to pay for the item?? Seriously?

 

The way i see it, I would give you a tip for... you know, being cool and keeping an eye on your companions, and for taking the time to research the eschematic if that is the case.

 

Marketing here is very simple: if you have no costs for making the item (I provide all mats), the only think you can charge for is providing the service.

The effort, time, and credits invested (by you) in being able to provide that service is something you should be looking to get back by adding all profits obtained in the long run. Not for every time you provide the service.

Your system, as a customer, seems highly unacceptable to me. All due respect.

 

Sorry, my economics English is very poor, hope I explained myself

 

Clearly, you don't understand the concept of "opportunity cost".

 

I can either use my companion to earn credits for myself, or I can use my companion to process the stack of materials you have provided. For example, if my companion can potentially earn me 30K profit per hour (from crafting or missions), why should my "service fee" to you be less than 30K per hour ?

 

The fact that you have provided a stack of materials is entirely irrelevant to the fact that I can earn 30K per hour from using my companion for personal gain.

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Either I don't understand your point, or there is no doubt it sounds great to you.

 

To be sure: I provide the mats for all attempts, and then have to pay for the item?? Seriously?

 

The way i see it, I would give you a tip for... you know, being cool and keeping an eye on your companions, and for taking the time to research the eschematic if that is the case.

 

Marketing here is very simple: if you have no costs for making the item (I provide all mats), the only think you can charge for is providing the service.

The effort, time, and credits invested (by you) in being able to provide that service is something you should be looking to get back by adding all profits obtained in the long run. Not for every time you provide the service.

 

Your system, as a customer, seems highly unacceptable to me. All due respect.

 

Sorry, my economics English is very poor, hope I explained myself

 

It's a game dude, not a job. I play to have fun. Call me crazy I guess.

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