WTF is up with all these 2k-runners?

At the moment, my income is 100% from solo Droknar runs, which gives me 15k in total for each run. (3k*5).

What really buggers me is the new "fly" or fashion called 2k-runners. Can anyone tell my why people run for 2k nowadays? You will obviously earn more from farming. Most of these 2k-runners are, yes, noobs and scammers. Their successrate is like 5%, while mine is constantly at 100%.

And the beginners will obviously fall for this "new thing". I've heard from passengers on my run that they've been scammed a lot from these 2k-runners.

WTF is up with this new thing? It's hard to get passengers nowadays. 2k-runs isn't worth the time if you're greedy like me. Besides. Now that EVERYONE (the running-noobs) does it for 2k, the "real noobs" will think that the OFFICIAL price is 2k.

Please don't flame me or anything, but I just want an answer to this tragic fashion.

Buggers me a lot.
What also buggers me, are the "real" noobs who flame you for charging a fee for the run. An example:

Jerk: "Are you running to Drakknar???????????????"
Me: "I'm running to Droknar, yes. 3k."
Jerk: "3k??!?!??!?! SCREW YOU"
Me: "huh?"
Jerk: "F*CK YOU!!! WHY PAY FOR ARUN?!
Me: "Chill, man..."
Jerk: "F*CK YOU, ASSHOLE!!"

This is really annoying too.

"buuhuu, cheaper runners are stealing my bread"

*sigh*

Say hi to competition _o/ What about the free runners, wanna rant about them too?

Well. I'm just a bit confused how the fee could drop to rapidly. Please don't flame me for this.

it's not a rapid drop in fees. it's called competitive market. runner offering a lower price, whether they scam or not, will get more interest.

think about it. if you want to buy something from a store and you see the same item for a lower price next door, where will you buy it?

I get your point.
But the quality of the runner plays a big part.
Candy for instance. The quality of the identical candy sort might be better at the more expensive shop, than the cheaper. This can vary of course...

granted. however, it's hard for people to be able to tell the quality of the runner at the offset. chances are that people offering a lower price are scammers, but they can also be decent runners. people have no way of knowing. hence, uninformed clients will judge based on price.

my suggestion is to build a good relationship with your clients. if you make successful runs and make your clients happy, ask them to recommend you to friends instead of take chances with other runners. you might find yourself being whispered by their friends for runs and not be at a loss for business.

I suggest you pay for some professional PR and advertising. Get a good brand image, a theme tune and a groundbreaking TV advertising campaign. Then you might even be able to charge more than 3k.

I got my run to Drock's for free the guy even made it the first try to my suprise without even coming close to dieing me personally i would go for the cheapest run if the guy dosen't make all it means is some time wasted no money and usaully you get it even cheaper if the guy dies which makes it even better me i usaully pay 1/4 at where ever he says to pay and the rest at Drock's and haven't gotten scammed yet by runners

The problem with running as a business model, is that your 'successful' clients are half-way across the planet, with other things on their mind.

In the real world of course, Beacon's Perch would have friendly residents, who you would drink with you in the pub, and would funnel customers your way, while warning against the 2k upstarts. But unfortunately the Beacon's pub (the Rurik's Arms) burned down when the landlords stash of haloween absinthe caught fire. No residents survived.

It's just supply and demand.

As some of the farming techniques have been nerfed - and it's been a gradualy process over months, so I'm not talking about one specific activity, this goes all the way back to adding keys to chest and changes in how AOE works - those who need to make money have turned to other ways, including running.

So that's added a lot of runners. And with a larger supply and the same demand prices were bound to drop.

That also - the larger pool of new runners - accounts for the lower skill levels to some degree.

I paid 2K for drok on my two other characters and 1K for another one. They all great runners (The runner die once at the wurm place in one of the 2K run, but he made it on the second try). I personally think 2K-3K is a reasonable price for a drok run. This is a world of demand and supply, no need to blame those cheaper runners. Competition is always there.
A smart customer will not get scammed, I usually pay 1K at snake, 500 at camp and 500 at forge. Runner can make to snake dance usually can make to forge. Never pay a runner in advance.

the people that get scammed just don't know how the process is supposed to work *cough* my roommate *cough* but after learning his lesson he has gotten is runs there with no problem. Two of the itmes I have had dual runners, one of them was still just 2k, and another time it was 4k, but it was a guaranteed first-try bit, so if they die it is half price. I think the only way for you to get people to continue to pay 3k is to broadcast that you are a pro-runner and have guaranteed arrival, the number of times completed is also quite helpful.

I only speak to call you out on this sentence. There is absolutely 0% chance that you have a 100% success rate running to Droknar Forge from Beacon's Perch.

Simply put, since the latest changes to the area it is impossible to be 100% through every chaser wurm/dual golem/Heretic spawn. Unless you have only run 10 or 11 times total lately, you are fibbing about being 100%.

lol are you running to Drakknar OmfgRofLmao. They tell me all the time too, Are u going to drokrans gorfe?? ... they are so stupid....Sry to say but there are loads of Maps on the net and Droknars is prob. 1 of the most important towns, with the cheap ''best'' armor.

Who cares if people charge 2k. Heck sometimes I charge 4k per person or on private runs 5k per person. I will run for a minimum of 3k and that is a easy 15k. Only today I was told that the runners running for free are the ones who cant make it and they said they learnt from personal experience.

Seems like there's as many runners in Beacon's Perch as there are people wanting to be run, so of course the price of runs is gonna drop. As for putting the "scammer" label on 2k runners, that's just predjudical non-sense. There's scammers at every price range and running style.

The one time I got ran to Droknar's - I didn't like the pay 1/2 at Snakedance thing because it's paying for getting to a place you can't get back to if the runner tries the "pay me then *poof*" scam, which I've heard plenty of people complain about.. So I made the deal that I'd pay 2k at Rankor, and the rest at Drok's - worked out great and everyone was happy.

Flame on...I run for 1k...when Im running

I just hate farming

If the competition is getting to you, don't start accusing everyone who runs for cheaper than 3k to be a 5% success rate scammer. I run to desert missions for 300-500 per mission/town. I run cheaper than all the pro's and exp'd guys but that doesn't make me a scammer or a crappy runner.

in my experience.. its mostly (not all of the time) people who have completed the game or got far on the game that are willing to pay 3k on these 'pro' runners. There are always going to be people charging 2k or less etc and a lot of newer players will go for the cheaper option. More warning is needed for them as if they have never veen scammed before.. whats going to stop them from paying too early and getting scammed?

and also.. free runs are always going to be in demand because naturally there will be people who get to beacons with little or no money. A few times when there have been 4 or 5 wanting free runs i take them to clear the chat channel and save more people wasting hours trying to get something for nothing. Some people are just too kind... (or too bord)

People who have a good running experience probably have at least 2 more characters. And they also have guildmates. And they also have friends. The one that ran my 2nd, 3rd and 4th characters is still in my friends list and I give his name when people ask if I can run them to Droks.

And that is a nice piece of lore.