So I was browsing the official RS forums (this is long ago) and I came across this thread about "Merchanting clans and you" (QFC: 74-75-817-59124146)

 

 

 

[hide=FULL POST = LONG]Although this thread is locked for information only, there is an open discussion thread here:

 

 

 

Quick find code: 74-75-963-59124148

 

Location: Home > RuneScape Forums > Game Feedback > Merchanting Clans - discussion

 

 

 

Cheers!

 

 

 

-JH

 

 

 

Merchanting Clans and you

 

Merchanting Clans and you

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hi everyone,

 

 

 

As you'll surely have noticed if you've been looking around the Clans Forums, there has recently been an increase in the number of "Merchanting Clans".

 

 

 

Many of these clans promise that if you start with a relatively modest amount of money and follow their simple instructions, you will quickly make a fortune.

 

 

 

It is possible to make money from merchanting on the Grand Exchange - but it's also possible to lose money. And if someone tells you something that seems too good to be true, it probably is.

 

 

 

The Grand Exchange is meant to empower players to buy the items they need when they need them. Likewise, if players have made or obtained something that they don't need, the Grand Exchange can help them sell it to someone who does need it.

 

 

 

If you spend a lot of money on items that you don't actually want or need, you are choosing to take a risk. You might make money, but you might also lose money.

 

 

 

 

 

How you might lose your money

 

 

 

 

 

What often happens is something like this. There are variations in the details, but the overall principle is usually the same.

 

 

 

1. Due to the economic principle of "supply and demand", prices tend to rise when a lot of people are buying an item, and fall when a lot of people are selling.

 

 

 

 

 

2. A rich player, or group of rich players, will choose a specific item and buy up a large quantity. This causes the price for that item to start rising.

 

 

 

 

 

3. The leaders tell you that if you buy enough of the same item, the price will keep rising. They say that you should keep buying until they tell you to sell, and everyone will make money because you'll be selling for more than you paid.

 

 

 

 

 

4. Prices will only keep rising as long as there are more people looking to buy than there are items for sale. Once someone starts to sell in large quantities (known as "dumping" the item), the prices will fall ("crash") as the supply/demand imbalance is reversed. Anyone who doesn't react quickly enough will be left holding items that are suddenly worth a lot less than they paid.

 

 

 

 

 

5. Crucially, the crash will almost always be before the "sell date" publicised by the clan leaders. No-one wants to be last to sell as they would be less likely to make their money back. This means that you're essentially having to trust other players with your money. You don't control them and you probably don't even know them, but it just takes one or two of them to lose their nerve and your money evaporates.

 

 

 

 

 

Once again, if you choose to buy items just because you're hoping to make money by selling them on, you also need to accept the risk that you could lose money on them too.

 

 

 

Hopefully you now understand that you should never expect to get something for nothing.

 

 

 

 

 

What is Jagex's policy and how does this apply to the official Forums?

 

 

 

 

 

* The Grand Exchange was consciously designed to emulate a real-life stock market in many ways. One of the most important principles is that an item is worth whatever someone is willing to pay for it. This is why we chose to make it possible for GE prices to rise and fall, rather than simply fixing them at static amounts.

 

 

 

 

 

* We don't see anything wrong with merchanting per se. However, we do want to minimise the risk of our players losing their money because they don't understand the risks that come with trying to 'play the market'.

 

 

 

 

 

* We also want to prevent dishonest players from deliberately misleading others into making unwise transactions so that they can profit at the others' expense. Of course, not all players involved in merchanting are out to scam people. However, if someone is giving you buy/sell instructions, it is almost impossible to tell in advance whether they are advising you in good faith, or whether they are actually attempting to mislead you.

 

 

 

 

 

* If you do still want to try and make money by buying and selling on the Grand Exchange, that's fine as long as you're aware that you could also lose money. To minimise the risks, it's better to spread your purchases out across multiple items rather than putting all of your available funds into a large stock of a single item. Then if one of the items should crash, you won't lose everything.

 

 

 

 

 

* Ultimately, the most important thing to remember is that you should never risk anything that you cannot afford to lose.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What is encouraged on the forums

 

 

 

 

 

* Swapping advice on how to merchant most effectively. The main goals of a legitimate merchanting clan would be general advice, guidance, moral support and friendship.

 

 

 

 

 

* Advising one another on how to follow item price rises and falls, and how to tell when to buy and sell according to price fluctuations and charts.

 

 

 

 

 

* Teaching players to make their own merchanting decisions and not have to rely on a large group of people.

 

 

 

 

 

What is not allowed on the forums

 

 

 

 

 

* Deliberately trying to scam or deceive other players. This includes telling people any false information to try and make them lose their money.

 

 

 

 

 

* Making any kind of promise like "You will make millions by doing what we say." As we've explained above, trying to 'play the Exchange' is inherently risky and you can't guarantee that players will make a profit.

 

 

 

 

 

* Telling others what items to buy or sell, what prices to set, and when to buy or sell. You may give advice and make recommendations, but not give absolute instructions. Everyone is free to make the trades that they personally wish to, as long as they are within the limits imposed automatically by the GE system.

 

 

 

 

 

* Asking players to "advertise" a clan chat channel in-game for any period of time. This leads to the use of autotypers which are against the Rules of Conduct and cause disruption for other players.[/hide]

 

 

 

am I missing something or is Jagex admitting they are fine with merchanting clans messing up the economy (that's what they're doing imo)

 

 

 

sorry if I missed something :ohnoes: :wall:

 

 

 

ps. I thought Jagex was like against merching clans so that's why I was like "huh?"

remember the limpwurt root ordeal?

[hide=This seems quite blunt to me from that text]

* Teaching players to make their own merchanting decisions and not have to rely on a large group of people.

[/hide]

am I missing something or is Jagex admitting they are fine with merchanting clans messing up the economy (that's what they're doing imo)

 

 

 

sorry if I missed something :ohnoes: :wall:

 

 

 

ps. I thought Jagex was like against merching clans so that's why I was like "huh?"

 

 

 

You read it incorrectly. Nice find, though.

am I missing something or is Jagex admitting they are fine with merchanting clans messing up the economy (that's what they're doing imo)

 

 

 

sorry if I missed something :ohnoes: :wall:

 

 

 

ps. I thought Jagex was like against merching clans so that's why I was like "huh?"

 

 

 

You read it incorrectly. Nice find, though.

 

 

 

I knew I was posting something fail :P thnx (Y)

lol I agree with them.

it'd be worse for them if they started fiddling with the GE prices

Jagex doesn't play the game therefor they don't need to buy items on the market, so they don't give a ****. At least that's what I think.

Jagex doesn't play the game therefor they don't need to buy items on the market, so they don't give a ****. At least that's what I think.

Yeah, all THEY do is run it and make all of their REAL money from it, why should they care?

Letting the merchanting clans go is far better than the alternative. Think of what they would have to do to prevent more merchanting... the 4-hour limit would be increased, the caps would be tighter, the buying limit would be decreased, and it would be even more of a pain to make trades.

All they would have to do to stop it would be to set prices. No fluctuation what-so-ever. Ends all price manipulations. If not selling at the G.E. the set price is the maximum allowed for the trade.

How is the economy "messed up"? Just because it is different than normal or what you expect does not necessarily mean that it is messed up.

All they would have to do to stop it would be to set prices. No fluctuation what-so-ever. Ends all price manipulations. If not selling at the G.E. the set price is the maximum allowed for the trade.

 

That would be catastrophic. Talk about having unbuyables...

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It's happening again.

All they would have to do to stop it would be to set prices. No fluctuation what-so-ever. Ends all price manipulations. If not selling at the G.E. the set price is the maximum allowed for the trade.

 

 

 

So you're proposing a start to communism in Runescape? Now that would be one messed up, inefficient market.

 

 

 

Edit: I would love to see that.. It would pretty much be chaos in RS.. the game would sink so fast.

Letting the merchanting clans go is far better than the alternative. Think of what they would have to do to prevent more merchanting... the 4-hour limit would be increased, the caps would be tighter, the buying limit would be decreased, and it would be even more of a pain to make trades.

 

 

 

I think they should make it against the rules. I agree, I think we would lose too much from actual changes in the game to prevent it

Letting the merchanting clans go is far better than the alternative. Think of what they would have to do to prevent more merchanting... the 4-hour limit would be increased, the caps would be tighter, the buying limit would be decreased, and it would be even more of a pain to make trades.

 

 

 

OR They could go after merchant clan leaders and ban every single one of them under "item scamming" and then delete every single recruitment thread on the RSOF. They don't have to mess up the mechanics of the GE to screw them over, they can accomplish this through fear. Sure, they'll still exist, but less players will flock to them if they think that they could be banned for it. Less mindless idiots flocking to these type of clans would mean that the market isn't as hard-hit as it is now by these blood-suckers. They could also ban all of the autotypers in world 2 and manipulate the prices so that it ends up in another limpwurt root situation. The clan merchants are screwed, they lose money.

 

 

 

Banning Chessy018 and 2lum would be a good start. If they're going to merch in large groups, they will have to do it underground.

I wouldn't at all be surprised if they were just laughing at all the users scurrying around, panicking at the slightest hint of an update.

Yes, just what we need, more rules.

 

 

 

People complain so much about this game, end result; half of the bad things we have today. :P

jagex said the GE is to mimick the stock exchange, and they went on to say they dont like solo merchanting using the GE as they dont want to expose their players to the dangers of 'playing the market'.

 

 

 

1. the stock exchange prohibits monopolies. if jagex really wants the GE to be more like the stock exchange, they should attack 'merchant' clans, which are basically the large corporations that put a monopoly on oil in the 1800s (or sometime...remember Rockerfeller? thats what im talking about).

 

 

 

2. 'solo merchanting' is what the stock exchange is all about. you look for rises and falls and buy accordingly, hoping your stock will rise and youll make a profit. thats PERFECTLY FINE in the REAL WORLD.

 

 

 

if jagex wants to make the GE more realistic, maybe they should take a look at the real thing

Economy?In a computer game?

How is the economy "messed up"? Just because it is different than normal or what you expect does not necessarily mean that it is messed up.

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It's happening again.

 

 

 

omfg no wonder I can't buy clay on the ge atm... didn't see that :lol:

It's called Ruinscape for a reason.

It's called Ruinscape for a reason.

 

It's called Ruinscape? :?: