I've been watching the ecto price for some time now, and I've noticed that over the past several days the ecto price has not exceeded 7,500 gold, and has only temporarily moved down to 7,000 gold on a few occasions.
At first, I thought that was due to an influx of UW farmers due to a combination of the UW access scrolls and due to easier ecto farming in Normal mode due to the new enemy delayed reaction to AoE effects (that coupled with the fact that ecto drops have not been affected by the loot scaling).
However, even with those two factors in play, I can't believe that the ecto price has not gone above 7,500 gold in the past week (or so) due to normal market fluctuations.
Anyone else think that A-Net capping the ecto price at 7,500 gold is a possibility? Or, to refute this, has anyone seen ecto prices rise above 7,500 gold during the past several days?
Mods: If there is an ecto price thread already out there, please feel free to merge this - I searched the first four pages and didn't see one.
Conspiracy Theory: Ecto Prices Have Been Capped?
Jetdoc
HayesA
Although what you're describing is a price ceiling, it makes little sense as to why anet would set one. I think why the price of ecto has dropped to way below of what it used to be is better explained by the fact that quantity supplied is way up. As Qty supplied increases, price declines. (The long term effect is qty demanded increases as the price declines. Thus, even longer effect is that the the price eventually reaches equallibium again.)
I believe what we're seeing is the equallibium of what ecto will be for a while longer. At least until the next big update, where I think anet will "balance" the game even further. This will possibly drive the cost of ecto back up to what we want. (10k being what it used to be valued at.)
So to conclude, I doubt anet imposed a price ceiling on ectoplasm. I believe what we're seeing is a complete shift in the supply and demand curves for ecto. (supply is increaseing. price is decreasing. Demand is decreasing.) And right now, I believe we're back at equallibium price for ectoplasm. Get used to it. Because the only way the curves can move again is either one (or all, or many) of the following happens:
I believe what we're seeing is the equallibium of what ecto will be for a while longer. At least until the next big update, where I think anet will "balance" the game even further. This will possibly drive the cost of ecto back up to what we want. (10k being what it used to be valued at.)
So to conclude, I doubt anet imposed a price ceiling on ectoplasm. I believe what we're seeing is a complete shift in the supply and demand curves for ecto. (supply is increaseing. price is decreasing. Demand is decreasing.) And right now, I believe we're back at equallibium price for ectoplasm. Get used to it. Because the only way the curves can move again is either one (or all, or many) of the following happens:
- Farming becomes easier (A change in technology.)
- Price expectations of related goods (like shards, or other rare mats.)
- Player's income
- Player's change their builds to better meet the rigors of PvE.
- Ecto starts dropping less (or more.)
therangereminem
whats funny is right before ecto fell to like 6.5k at trader.i was talking to some people and all said ecto would never fall below 8.5k becuz the anet put a cap on it so it would never go that low. i was laugh anet would ner do something like that ecto is like the stock market in guildwars you buy it hoping it will go up then sell it then wait for it to go lower. one day or another ecto will drop to 4k each someday lol .. if the guldwars is good ecto prices rise and if tis bad it falls
Symeon
The price was down at 6.5k a little while ago (on Euro servers). I don't think the issue is so much whether there is a price ceiling (which there never has been), but a price floor. The lowest ecto has ever been was about 5-5.5k, in the crash that occurred shortly before Factions' release. I wonder if it will go any lower this time.
Coridan
i think its cuz gold is harder to come by now...i don't believe there is a ceiling or floor....i just think alot of people are making a market crash because they are unwilling to ride out the storm....prices will stabablize.....and ectos will continue to be the standard trade item for items that cost more than 100k it is just about the only high end rare item that can be farmed or atleast obtained with some regularity. I am buying ectos for for 6k each and i don't care if they go up or down...because imo they will remain the standard trade item.
RSGashapon
I hope ectos hit rock bottom...
"but every rare item NEEDS 2 b 100k+300e!!!"
"Why?"
"it's rare! it's the way it has to be!"
"Care to explain?"
"becuz... becuz ur a noob! that's y!"
...A typical example of the kind of crap a player-run market produces.
There's supply and demand, which I have no problem with. Then there's greed, which Guild Wars can completely do without.
"but every rare item NEEDS 2 b 100k+300e!!!"
"Why?"
"it's rare! it's the way it has to be!"
"Care to explain?"
"becuz... becuz ur a noob! that's y!"
...A typical example of the kind of crap a player-run market produces.
There's supply and demand, which I have no problem with. Then there's greed, which Guild Wars can completely do without.
Abnaxus
Quote:
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Originally Posted by HayesA
This will possibly drive the cost of ecto back up to what we want. (10k being what it used to be valued at).
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The only ones who want ectos at 10k are those who bought ectos at 9-10k to store extra cash above 1M. This drove prices up. Now they feel they lost "wealth", but most players couldn't care less.
Now cash is not easily farmable as before, so there's less need to convert it in ectos. On the opposite, farmed ectos are converted in cash, as well as stored ectos.
So they're back to the values they use to have at the beginning of NF.
If you "want" ectos at 10k, I may have some to sell you ...
kObstA
Actually I did see the price at 8k at the trader but that was for a short time. So no, i don't think there is a cap.
Levi Garett
Ecto sucks.
Lockpicks ftw!
WTS Godly Crys Sword! 100k+1000 Lockpicks!!!
For real though....at least they would retain their value!
Lockpicks ftw!
WTS Godly Crys Sword! 100k+1000 Lockpicks!!!
For real though....at least they would retain their value!
Yanman.be
Red iris flowers imo
HayesA
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Abnaxus
Do we want ectos at 10k? Really? First time I heard about it ...
The only ones who want ectos at 10k are those who bought ectos at 9-10k to store extra cash above 1M. This drove prices up. Now they feel they lost "wealth", but most players couldn't care less. Now cash is not easily farmable as before, so there's less need to convert it in ectos. On the opposite, farmed ectos are converted in cash, as well as stored ectos. So they're back to the values they use to have at the beginning of NF. If you "want" ectos at 10k, I may have some to sell you ... |
I said 10k simply because it's equal, and less of a pain to calculate on the fly then, say, 5.75k. Besides, don't you want your ecto value to rise? The more you can buy with a simgle ecto, the better right? Indeed, the whole market would rise with it... but player-to-player sales of ecto = more gold for the seller/for teh time to farm.
Lydz
Oh gosh...another one. Who cares?
Gli
I could totally get behind a lockpick-driven economy. I already feel like I'm throwing away money when they keep breaking one after another anyway.
Sir Skullcrasher
lockpicks is fun! I was wondering too, how did ectos got so low on price. Than I looked at average players on GW and see that majority don't have fow yet. So maybe (just maybe) the price were dropped down in order for us average joes to get fow armors?
Diablo???
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Levi Garett
Ecto sucks.
Lockpicks ftw! WTS Godly Crys Sword! 100k+1000 Lockpicks!!! For real though....at least they would retain their value! |
gene terrodon
This is what happens when you have open access to UW/FoW....It was predicted in the numerous threads in which people wanted to do away with the favor system.
With the passage scrolls (which are no doubt being farmed at ridiculous rates) access to UW is unlimited and unrestricted, allowing farmers to flood the market with the ectos.
It was inevitable, my surprise is that the prices are still around 7k as I was expecting them to tank much more, all the way down to shard and jewel levels(I sold all of mine off immediately after the update).
I guess the fact that people still use them as currency has been keeping the prices propped up.
If the day ever comes where ectos are no longer used as currency, it will surely initiate the GW Great Depression as ecto prices will plummet to near nothing after everyone starts selling off their stockpiles.
With the passage scrolls (which are no doubt being farmed at ridiculous rates) access to UW is unlimited and unrestricted, allowing farmers to flood the market with the ectos.
It was inevitable, my surprise is that the prices are still around 7k as I was expecting them to tank much more, all the way down to shard and jewel levels(I sold all of mine off immediately after the update).
I guess the fact that people still use them as currency has been keeping the prices propped up.
If the day ever comes where ectos are no longer used as currency, it will surely initiate the GW Great Depression as ecto prices will plummet to near nothing after everyone starts selling off their stockpiles.
Hyper Cutter
Quote:
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Originally Posted by HayesA
This will possibly drive the cost of ecto back up to what we want. (10k being what it used to be valued at.)
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midnight caretaker
all i know is 10 solo runs last night 1 ecto. I heards quirte a few other complaints about this as well. Since the ecto price is so low now maybe the drop rate of the ectos scale> Possibly i dont know but i wouldnt be surprised iof they regulate the drop rate depending on trader ecto prices
Jetdoc
Quote:
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Originally Posted by kObstA
Actually I did see the price at 8k at the trader but that was for a short time. So no, i don't think there is a cap.
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By the way, I'm all for lower ecto prices. I've just been monitoring them to figure out when the best time to purchase a piece or two of FoW.
I just thought it was "odd" that ecto prices have stabilized between 7K and 7.5K for about a week now, seeing that they've fluctuated significantly over the past few months.
IlikeGW
Quote:
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Originally Posted by RSGashapon
I hope ectos hit rock bottom...
"but every rare item NEEDS 2 b 100k+300e!!!" "Why?" "it's rare! it's the way it has to be!" "Care to explain?" "becuz... becuz ur a noob! that's y!" ...A typical example of the kind of crap a player-run market produces. There's supply and demand, which I have no problem with. Then there's greed, which Guild Wars can completely do without. |
lyra_song
Lockpick economy. Sounds good!
Sir Skullcrasher
Question, would ectos ever go back to it's 10 or 11k mark?
Nekretaal
For most of last year, ectos cost between 5-8k.
The price spiked up only after nightfall because there were other better things to do, and because really rich players bought up ectos when they hit the gold cap, because nightfall offered easy gold and no new goldsinks other than a handful of skills.
Ecto prices are falling today, because gold was nerfed. Your plat of gold buys you more today at all traders than it did a month ago, because there is less gold, and goldsinks (salvage kits, id kits, skills, alcohol, ect) still cost the same amount of gold. Its harder to get gold, so people want it more than they used to. Just look at the drop of price of Superior Vigor Rune.
Also, ecto farm was not nerfed, but gold farm was nerfed. As a result, people farm ectos now instead of Gold. So people are responding to the nerf by farming ectos instead of hyrdas/cobalts/trolls/whatevers.
Sure. A lot of people think that "Super-grinder" armor costing 10 million plat will be introduced in GWEN (gotta give people somthing to do for 2 years before GW2). If that's introduced and has ectos as a part of its cost.. then expect the price to spike.
Similarly, anet could nerf ecto drops (they have done this in the past), but I dont expect this to happen while the "loot scaling nerf" thread is still on the front page of guru.
The price spiked up only after nightfall because there were other better things to do, and because really rich players bought up ectos when they hit the gold cap, because nightfall offered easy gold and no new goldsinks other than a handful of skills.
Ecto prices are falling today, because gold was nerfed. Your plat of gold buys you more today at all traders than it did a month ago, because there is less gold, and goldsinks (salvage kits, id kits, skills, alcohol, ect) still cost the same amount of gold. Its harder to get gold, so people want it more than they used to. Just look at the drop of price of Superior Vigor Rune.
Also, ecto farm was not nerfed, but gold farm was nerfed. As a result, people farm ectos now instead of Gold. So people are responding to the nerf by farming ectos instead of hyrdas/cobalts/trolls/whatevers.
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Sir Skullcrasher
Question, would ectos ever go back to it's 10 or 11k mark?
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Similarly, anet could nerf ecto drops (they have done this in the past), but I dont expect this to happen while the "loot scaling nerf" thread is still on the front page of guru.
Brianna
Uh, things cant be sold for less then its actual value (ie rune 25g?) because that is the lowest cap of money that the trader can sell an item for, and 100k is the highest cap, because, you can only hold 100k on your char. I think that is simple enough to make sense. Anet would not cap ectos at ''7k'' or whatever, I'm sure that'd cause all sorts of problems, if in 2 years from now, ectos are 500g due to little or no economy at all, so be it. stupid conspiracy imo. (as all anet-conspiracies are)
Artkin
ANet has capped the prices.....
Ecto use to be 100k+...same with black dye. Sup Vigor....
Basically I think they just want everyone to have max everything...then all will be equal....
Ecto use to be 100k+...same with black dye. Sup Vigor....
Basically I think they just want everyone to have max everything...then all will be equal....
Gimme Money Plzkthx
It's not a price cap, just go take an economics class. Ecto is exempt from loot scaling, so more people farm them. People have less gold, so prices drop. More people farming them=more supply. I'm not even going to start talking about current demand, which is crap due to their price fluctuations and a few other things.
Jedi Battousai
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Originally Posted by HayesA
I said 10k simply in terms of equality. Players who do high-end item trades sell items for excess of 100k, right? So an highend item would normally sell for 100k+50e. So, teh final cost would be 600k, right? 50e = 500k + 100k = 600k. In a way to equalize purchases above 100k. Unless i've totally missed the point of high-end selling. But, ectos seem to be the central point in which the GW universe rotates; it is like gold in real life. Yes, both fluctuate, and both can decrease, and increase in value. But the pivet of value tends to stay the same. (Although in real life, we don't buy with pounds of gold. [That would be too cool.])
I said 10k simply because it's equal, and less of a pain to calculate on the fly then, say, 5.75k. Besides, don't you want your ecto value to rise? The more you can buy with a simgle ecto, the better right? Indeed, the whole market would rise with it... but player-to-player sales of ecto = more gold for the seller/for teh time to farm. |
The main gripe is the farming. Now people don't make as much per ecto they pull out of the UW as before.
Sir Skullcrasher
If they wanted to capped Ecto prices than give us free ectos! 
Navaros
No Ecto prices are not capped, they are just fubared due to removing the anti-farming code from Ecto farming.
Curse You
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Yanman.be
Red iris flowers imo
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Gold is now harder to come by. Ecto is now easy(ish) to come by. Therefore, Ectos cost less. Seriously, I've managed to burn about 200k within the last month buying 15k Luxon and Vabbian armour. Yet I have been unable to reclaim that money like I usually do. Lucky for me, I still have more than 300k left from when gold was easy to come by.
October Jade
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Gimme Money Plzkthx
It's not a price cap, just go take an economics class. Ecto is exempt from loot scaling, so more people farm them. People have less gold, so prices drop. More people farming them=more supply. I'm not even going to start talking about current demand, which is crap due to their price fluctuations and a few other things.
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MMSDome
I doubt it, there would be no reason to do that it doenst make sense to mess with the economy like that when people got ecto when the prices were higher. They shouldnt make something like Obsidian armor easy to get by lowering prices, it is for the rich and hard working, the people that EARNED IT.
heh next thing we know people will saying that our own government ran into the trade towers... o wait...
heh next thing we know people will saying that our own government ran into the trade towers... o wait...
Diddy bow
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Levi Garett
Ecto sucks.
Lockpicks ftw! WTS Godly Crys Sword! 100k+1000 Lockpicks!!! For real though....at least they would retain their value! |
prism2525
WTS Perfect crystalline: 100k + 1000 Gwen treats (you'll need them in GW:EN)
*Alexiel*
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Nekretaal
For most of last year, ectos cost between 5-8k.
The price spiked up only after nightfall because there were other better things to do, and because really rich players bought up ectos when they hit the gold cap, because nightfall offered easy gold and no new goldsinks other than a handful of skills. Ecto prices are falling today, because gold was nerfed. Your plat of gold buys you more today at all traders than it did a month ago, because there is less gold, and goldsinks (salvage kits, id kits, skills, alcohol, ect) still cost the same amount of gold. Its harder to get gold, so people want it more than they used to. Just look at the drop of price of Superior Vigor Rune. Also, ecto farm was not nerfed, but gold farm was nerfed. As a result, people farm ectos now instead of Gold. So people are responding to the nerf by farming ectos instead of hyrdas/cobalts/trolls/whatevers. Sure. A lot of people think that "Super-grinder" armor costing 10 million plat will be introduced in GWEN (gotta give people somthing to do for 2 years before GW2). If that's introduced and has ectos as a part of its cost.. then expect the price to spike. Similarly, anet could nerf ecto drops (they have done this in the past), but I dont expect this to happen while the "loot scaling nerf" thread is still on the front page of guru. |
Then again, I could also easily see them soaring upto 12k in the perhaps nearish future. Anets always changing the game, I'd say they'll likely give us a reason to overcome this less demand than supply thing going on at the moment soon enough.
Moloch Vein
The point about the fluctuating ecto price is that ectoplasm is a farmable commodity.
Ectoplasm will never be able to hold truly steady as a currency. For a real currency, you will have to use items that either are unfarmable, or as close to unfarmable as possible.
Interestingly enough, there is such an item - rubies. Rubies are practically unfarmable. While some creatures yield salvage with a small probability of converting into a gem, these notoriously stop dropping after enough runs. Everyone can collect trade contracts to ensure himself of some minor fortune, but this is a completely nonviable large-scale farming strategy. Also rubies and other gemstones drop everywhere, but only very, very rarely.
Interestingly enough two days ago was first time I saw rubies take over the spot as the most valuable rare material at the trader - 7.5k to 7.0k, and later to 6.5k, compared to ecto. It made me feel kinda glad I'd converted some of my shards and ectos to gold.
Ectoplasm will never be able to hold truly steady as a currency. For a real currency, you will have to use items that either are unfarmable, or as close to unfarmable as possible.
Interestingly enough, there is such an item - rubies. Rubies are practically unfarmable. While some creatures yield salvage with a small probability of converting into a gem, these notoriously stop dropping after enough runs. Everyone can collect trade contracts to ensure himself of some minor fortune, but this is a completely nonviable large-scale farming strategy. Also rubies and other gemstones drop everywhere, but only very, very rarely.
Interestingly enough two days ago was first time I saw rubies take over the spot as the most valuable rare material at the trader - 7.5k to 7.0k, and later to 6.5k, compared to ecto. It made me feel kinda glad I'd converted some of my shards and ectos to gold.
Winston
Maybe we should switch to Black Dye for trading? They seem to hold their value better than ecto...
corey54321
Well in a way i hope to c ectos drop down to 5k each so i can rack up on some fow armor but on the other hand i want them to go up so i can sell the 55 ectos i already farmed
Yawgmoth
Do people really see Rubies as the new curency thing? It's very interesting that they keep a solid price of 7k but Sapphires, which are exactly as rare and needed in exactly the same amount, are only 4k worth. It's a different case than with Black and White dyes, where the drop rate is very close but Black is a far more popular choice.
Naga The Apocalypse
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Originally Posted by King Symeon
The price was down at 6.5k a little while ago (on Euro servers). I don't think the issue is so much whether there is a price ceiling (which there never has been), but a price floor. The lowest ecto has ever been was about 5-5.5k, in the crash that occurred shortly before Factions' release. I wonder if it will go any lower this time.
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no ecto used to be 100g each during the first 3 months of GW release. that is the lowest it has ever been.