Ectos are easier and more sensable to hoard, and have have a defined value because of the Rare Material Trader.
Tough I suspect that eventually, the keys will be tied to Ectos in price simply due to convenience.
Z-keys, the new currency?
Bront
icedwhitemocha
I personally hope key prices will stay tied to ectos.
As mentioned in the r12 zrank thread, alot of players are unloading zkeys like crazy right now; after this initial influx there won't be such a ready supply of zkeys except after mATs. Not saying prices will actually go up, just that they'll most likely stay where they are.
As mentioned in the r12 zrank thread, alot of players are unloading zkeys like crazy right now; after this initial influx there won't be such a ready supply of zkeys except after mATs. Not saying prices will actually go up, just that they'll most likely stay where they are.
MagmaRed
Ectos have an NPC that sells them. This allows for a price to be set, and easily monitored. Z-keys have no trader, only a provider. The price for them is completely supplied by the player base. This means there is no easy way for someone to check the current price of them. If ecto is selling for 5.5k at the Rare Material Trader, a trade of 100k+ecto can be determined based on that price. Z-keys, however, don't offer the players a way of determining the value, and people can easily claim a price that makes the trade 'better' for them.
More importantly, the people who want to make purchases that are above 100l have no way to acquire z-keys. The people who don't play PvP will not have 5k Balthazar Faction, won't have reward points, and the time it would take them to earn enough faction to get 5-30 z-keys would take quite a while. Finding a seller for them may or may not be easy. Ecto can always be purchased from the Rare Material Trader, while the only way to purchase the z-keys is to find a player or have enough Faction.
More importantly, the people who want to make purchases that are above 100l have no way to acquire z-keys. The people who don't play PvP will not have 5k Balthazar Faction, won't have reward points, and the time it would take them to earn enough faction to get 5-30 z-keys would take quite a while. Finding a seller for them may or may not be easy. Ecto can always be purchased from the Rare Material Trader, while the only way to purchase the z-keys is to find a player or have enough Faction.
zwei2stein
Quote:
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Originally Posted by MagmaRed
Ectos have an NPC that sells them. This allows for a price to be set, and easily monitored. Z-keys have no trader, only a provider.
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Malice Black
Z-key trader isn't going to happen. Z-keys are a reward, not a drop.
4thVariety
Outside of being lottery tickets in the "everlasting tonic lottery", Zaishen keys hold no value. .
The chest itself has the worst loottable of all chests in the game. Usually players will get nothing, even if it is a gold drop, the chances of it being a good skin are nearly Zero.
Opening the chest is playing the highest odds in the game.
The chest itself has the worst loottable of all chests in the game. Usually players will get nothing, even if it is a gold drop, the chances of it being a good skin are nearly Zero.
Opening the chest is playing the highest odds in the game.
Malice Black
Z-chest is a numbers game. You can't open 10, and expect good drops. Now if you open a 1000, then you can expect something of value to drop.
It's much the same as chest running, but with the added benefit of getting these sweet tooth and drunkard points.
It's much the same as chest running, but with the added benefit of getting these sweet tooth and drunkard points.
4thVariety
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Malice Black
Z-chest is a numbers game. You can't open 10, and expect good drops. Now if you open a 1000, then you can expect something of value to drop.
It's much the same as chest running, but with the added benefit of getting these sweet tooth and drunkard points. |
Yol
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Malice Black
Z-chest is a numbers game. You can't open 10, and expect good drops. Now if you open a 1000, then you can expect something of value to drop.
It's much the same as chest running, but with the added benefit of getting these sweet tooth and drunkard points. |
Malice Black
Quote:
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Originally Posted by 4thVariety
If you have 1000 Zaishen Keys to open that chest, you don't need some elusive drop from it, you just buy whatever you want. Because there are very few items 3.000.000 Gold won't buy.
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zwei2stein
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Malice Black
Z-key trader isn't going to happen. Z-keys are a reward, not a drop.
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jhu
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Musei Karasu
The fluctuating price of ecto is the fluctuating value of currency. Just like how the value of the dollar changes, the value of ecto changes representing the change in the market.
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as it stands now, for most high-end trades, lockpicks will do just fine (eg armbraces, crystaline swords). there are only a minority of high-end trades in which a higher valued item is really needed (eg mini kanaxai)
DarkNecrid
z-keys will never became a currency because everyone is guaranteed an X amount of them every month, thanks to the Xunlai Tournament House.
Antheus
Quote:
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Originally Posted by DarkNecrid
z-keys will never became a currency because everyone is guaranteed an X amount of them every month, thanks to the Xunlai Tournament House.
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DarkNecrid
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Antheus
Ectos will never remain a currency, since everyone is guaranteed an X amount of them every month, thanks to Underworld and Rare Material Trader.
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Jumping Is Uselss
No
Ectos will remain the currency of choice because, not enough people have a large amount of z-keys.
Ectos will remain the currency of choice because, not enough people have a large amount of z-keys.
DarkNecrid
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Jumping Is Uselss
No
Ectos will remain the currency of choice because, not enough people have a large amount of z-keys. |
Da Tru Legend
Zaishen Keys are, for the moment, an alternative to cash and/or ectos. However, they are not commonly used so, even with the current high demand. I have seen occasional high end trades in Kamadan go something like "WTS ded Naga 100k+40e (or 60 zkeys)." My guess is that this will happen for a little bit, but not as a long term factor. Some people will be willing to trade items for Zaishen Keys still (as a few people had been before the title), but it will not be enough to validate itself as a currency.
~Tru
~Tru
kobey
Pardon me if I am repeating stuffs that have been mentioned (lazy to read 3 pages of posts). But ...
Ectos will never be replaced ...
Unless Anet come out with something pink and round.
Ectos will never be replaced ...
Unless Anet come out with something pink and round.
Sarevok Thordin
Z-keys eventually will take over, simply because the formally massive supply of them is dwindling FAST.
HuntMaster Avatar
Quote:
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Originally Posted by kobey
Pardon me if I am repeating stuffs that have been mentioned (lazy to read 3 pages of posts). But ...
Ectos will never be replaced ... Unless Anet come out with something pink and round. |
BOOB meat samiches for everyone!
BOOBS! (gotta love that word)
nirhan shadowmauler
unloaded all my ectos at 8k and gave up on the economy anyway
kobey
Quote:
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Originally Posted by HuntMaster Avatar
BOOBS! WTB BOOBS 5k! WTS BOOBS! Buy one get one free!
BOOB meat samiches for everyone! BOOBS! (gotta love that word) |
Coraline Jones
There is no way that Zaishen Keys are going to replace Globs of Ectoplasm for "high-end currency" simply because there's no trader for the former.
Ecto can be converted to and from gold very easily through an NPC which means it takes zero time with no hassle. Zaishen Keys means that you have to stand around town, spamming the same "WTS" in Trade Channel hoping that somebody is going to buy the keys at a rate that you specify. In short, if you're "investing" in the keys, then it takes you a long time to get your money back out of them, and there's no promise that you can get what you paid.
Ecto can be converted to and from gold very easily through an NPC which means it takes zero time with no hassle. Zaishen Keys means that you have to stand around town, spamming the same "WTS" in Trade Channel hoping that somebody is going to buy the keys at a rate that you specify. In short, if you're "investing" in the keys, then it takes you a long time to get your money back out of them, and there's no promise that you can get what you paid.
savage vapor 33
People said the same thing about Lockpicks...I dont see many of those being traded anymore...
Sarevok Thordin
Quote:
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Originally Posted by savage vapor 33
People said the same thing about Lockpicks...I dont see many of those being traded anymore...
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Yichi
Zkeys are only the fotm due to ANET releasing a new title that anyone can obtain, so now all the whiners and complainers that cant pug HA for more than 5 minutes can have an emote as well.
I Can Cure Cancer
Too many people have stacks and stacks of ectos and also a lot of people don't like to change from one thing to another so ecto will stay the "currency".
HuntMaster Avatar
Quote:
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Originally Posted by kobey
Actually, that wasn't what I was thinking. But if it works for you, then yeah
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R.Shayne
I have 20 Z-Keys and thanks to ANET I am converting them to ecto since I have no use for titles.
Z-keys will never be the new currancy because there is not a npc trader to stablize the price.
Z-keys will never be the new currancy because there is not a npc trader to stablize the price.
Yawgmoth
Things to keep in mind:
The demand for ZKeys is infinitely greater than for ectos. The chest will eat any number of them and the title requires thousands.
They are now also much easier to liquidate than ectos if you have huge quantities. They don't need a trader NPC if there are many many people standing there shouting "WTB Any Number of ZKeys ~price", trader doesn't help at all if the commodity is that hot with trades going nonstop.
There are already people selling various goods like minipets requesting prices in zaishen keys. This hasn't happened with lockpicks before.
Zkeys are now definately a new currency, but it doesn't mean ectos will stop being the number 1 choice for trades above 100k, this is very unlikely.
And nothing can be said for sure because there's the most important test zaishen keys still need to pass - the stability test - just wait till this monthly ats when 50,000++ keys will hit the economy.
Those are my observations after converting 2 stacks of Zkeys into ectos...
The demand for ZKeys is infinitely greater than for ectos. The chest will eat any number of them and the title requires thousands.
They are now also much easier to liquidate than ectos if you have huge quantities. They don't need a trader NPC if there are many many people standing there shouting "WTB Any Number of ZKeys ~price", trader doesn't help at all if the commodity is that hot with trades going nonstop.
There are already people selling various goods like minipets requesting prices in zaishen keys. This hasn't happened with lockpicks before.
Zkeys are now definately a new currency, but it doesn't mean ectos will stop being the number 1 choice for trades above 100k, this is very unlikely.
And nothing can be said for sure because there's the most important test zaishen keys still need to pass - the stability test - just wait till this monthly ats when 50,000++ keys will hit the economy.
Those are my observations after converting 2 stacks of Zkeys into ectos...
Zahr Dalsk
Quote:
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Originally Posted by matsif
I don't see it replacing ecto unless they do a free UW/FoW weekend or a double ecto drop weekend and ecto prices drop to like 3k or lower, which would royally screw over the economy worse than it already is.
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As for z-keys... meh. I still have a few skills to get before I'm UAX, so I haven't been that active in farming RA scrubs.
Krill
Personally I don't care, and I don't think prices will drop back down to 2.5k for z-keys. On an average night, without too much screwing around, I get around 20-25k balth, so thats 25k gold for doing what I like to do. The likelihood of z-keys replacing ecto as standard <100k currency is nil though because ecto has been farmed religiously for over three years while z-keys are relatively new.
Frank Dudenstein
Quote:
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Originally Posted by arienrhode
Personally I don't care, and I don't think prices will drop back down to 2.5k for z-keys. On an average night, without too much screwing around, I get around 20-25k balth, so thats 25k gold for doing what I like to do. The likelihood of z-keys replacing ecto as standard <100k currency is nil though because ecto has been farmed religiously for over three years while z-keys are relatively new.
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Sure YOU may get that .. but most don't.
Here's the cold fact ... for the next two weeks the supply of keys is going to dry up ... many buyers and not enough people making keys in bulk. Hence the price will likely continue to rise. Then the MAT winners will hit the market (assuming they want to sell) and we'll have a large fresh supply .. until it is bought up.
Because of the inconstancy of the supply (end of every month will be a huge burst after the MAT followed by a trickle for 3 weeks) I can't see ZKeys replacing ecto as the standard as currency. The value will fluctuate too much.
Krill
It's not that hard to get 20-30k balth in a night playing RA / TA. A run of 10 will yield 3k-4k balth and takes around 30-45 minutes depending on how fast you're going. Do that six or seven times and that's where I got my numbers. But I agree it takes a lot longer to accumulate balth in HA and GvG, not sure about AB but I've heard it can be quite fast. I also agree that there is a key shortage, not five minutes ago I went to balth d1 to unload a bunch of keys and had at least ten inquires in 20 seconds. Before the z-title it would usually take at least five minutes to find a key buyer.
At any rate the market will correct itself as time goes on. If the demand keeps up, it will entice more desperate hooligans to try to farm balth in RA and AB, putting a ceiling on the price somewhere. If the demand goes down, the balth farmers will go away and there will be a floor on the price as it was before. Also, regardless of supply and demand the key does have intrinsic value (it opens a valuable chest) so you'll never see the price go too low. This runs completely opposite of ecto which I believe has been grossly inflated in price for a long time, only because the market has unofficially monetized those wondrous globs.
At any rate the market will correct itself as time goes on. If the demand keeps up, it will entice more desperate hooligans to try to farm balth in RA and AB, putting a ceiling on the price somewhere. If the demand goes down, the balth farmers will go away and there will be a floor on the price as it was before. Also, regardless of supply and demand the key does have intrinsic value (it opens a valuable chest) so you'll never see the price go too low. This runs completely opposite of ecto which I believe has been grossly inflated in price for a long time, only because the market has unofficially monetized those wondrous globs.
Yichi
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Frank Dudenstein
Very few people get 20-25K per night. Seriously. Your average RA-er doesn't get one key per night. In HA, you don't start getting 1K per match until the later maps - you need a good run to produce a key. GvG takes several matches to get a key.
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Frank Dudenstein
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Yichi
you don't pvp much do you?
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Lawliet Kira
i ressed this thread, the ectos have gone down, so what will you guys think will happen
Dallcingi
Seen some posts like 100k+20 ecto+2 z keys in high end
so i guess they are being used as currency but idk if they replacing ecto yet
so i guess they are being used as currency but idk if they replacing ecto yet
Yawgmoth
Ectos are low but seem to have stabilised (at around 3.5k). The large majority of traders everywhere still use ectos as the primary currency, although zkeys are now also widely accepted as a way of payment.