Market not respond to demand for steel

Jik need 800 steel a tick and will pay up to 8 times current price. But

1. system won't let producers charge much, so they make copper wire instead of steel

2. Jik can't communicate easily with producers to request more production (chat feature has never worked on Jik computer).

Recommend some mechanism for letting consumers make bids for products, like in real world stock market. This would let player buy products while offline, instead of having to logon repeatedly to see if any available. Also, would like to see system max price rise faster.

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Originally posted by John_Walker
Jik can produce his own steel.

Give Jik break. Real world corporations usually not vertically integrated for produce own raw materials. And besides, even if built steelmills, could never produce or buy enough iron ore. The problem is, unlike in real world, Jik can't offer to outbid other steel users, as well as users of other steelmill products, like copper wire and high-grade steel. Jik willing to pay more than steelmill operators currently getting for their products, but system mechanism won't let this happen.

Players still selling metal cars for 7000 in market. Jik willing to pay more than that just for the steel it takes to make them. This is UNECONOMICAL!!!

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Originally posted by Patrizier
btw whats your firm-name?

Jik firm is Jikco

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Originally posted by John_Walker
Real world corporations don´t rise there production without arrangement with trading partners of raw materials
JW

Money talks. Real world corporations can compete by higher bid for available supply. Highly standardized commodities like oil and cotton can be bought anonymously in futures markets. And spot markets exist for all important raw materials, including less standardized ones like steel. Sometimes shortages exist, but highest bidder will take whatever there is.

In this game, buyers and sellers sometimes separated by lack of information. Jik willing to pay max price for steel up to, say, 30000 units for inventory plus 800 a tick ongoing. But, not knowing this, sellers routinely sell for less than max in market. This hurts Jik and uninformed sellers, while giving undeserved windfall benefit to buyers at low price. More like treasure hunt than business management. Why not provide some mechanism for Jik to bid high price for steel instead of having to outclick other buyers in real time as offers come on market. Right now market contain only offers to sell. How about also permit bids to buy, like, for instance, 10000 units of QL 0 steel at price of 8000. You should, of course, permit partial fills, unlike current sell offers, which must be taken whole. In the example, a seller with 520 units of steel could sell them at price of 8000, reducing the bid to 9480 units. Recommend transport costs only paid on actual sale, although bidder should have money frozen to cover potential fill of entire bid. Frozen money would be restored if bid cancelled.

Zitat

Originally posted by Patrizier
market responded,now there is too much steel

Actually, there was never plenty of steel. Jik never got inventories high enough to run factories 100%, although ran 90% for a while. Always had to use scarce steel only for high margin motor cars and luxury motor cars. And now, for a day and a half, hardly any steel. Jik running only half of factories. For some reason, price never adjusted. Jik will pay 10, 20, or even 30k for steel, but max price for QL 0 steel still only 4260.

Somebody suggest messages to producers. Jik has done this, and got some steel. But how about shoutbox, so can request all available steel with one message. This forum not get much response from game players.

Relatively a lot of steel now, about 16k units in market, although this is less than 5 hours worth for car industry alone, based on Jik using 500 a tick and having maybe 15% of car market. While steel was scarce, demolished some factories in favor of research facilities and shops for reselling market goods from non-car industries. Also changed product mix to use less steel, more aluminum. Then aluminum got scarce, so swung back to more steel, but still less than the 800 a tick once needed.

Sent out messages, and got some offers, which always accepted. Not sure how much effect Jik had on market, because only contacted about 30 players plus whoever read this forum. Would have liked shoutbox for everyone online, instead of message one at a time.

Nice to see membership back up over 1300. Next round would like to see SUDE normal prices a little higher, so players can research levels faster. This round was tough for players who got slow start, because as shop prices fell for low level products, they fell ever further behind players who advanced early and could make higher margin products.

Membership over 1400 for a while. Is 1500 the max permitted?

Market has worked pretty well recently. Enough players have advanced in level research and capacity to supply necessary materials. Still no high end consumer products, though, like colour TV, RC car, etc. Recommend higher prices next round, so players can advance faster. Only about a week left in this round, and most players haven't completed strategic development.