I agree to much of what was said here.
I have something I'd like to focus on for a bit though.
Quote:
Fire crystal prices are ridiculous. Last time I checked the Windurst AH they were up to 4700 a stack, and on a fast track to breaking 5k.
There's no reason for this. You can't tell me that fire crystals are a rarer commodity than light crystals, yet they're over a thousand gil more expensive per stack?
It's not about rarity.
Supply/Demand as well as how it can be applied to the game.
Crafters all around Vana'diel use Fire Crystals. Anyone in a craft uses one. At least once, making something. Light Crystals? Less used. Used to be 10k+ a stack. Reason? So many uses (Rusty Caps) now they aren't as good as they used to be, so the price fell.
If something is in high demand (Fire Crystals) Price will go up, same with Sushis.
Btw, has anyone noticed that everything is outrageous? Even if the item is something nobody wants, it costs you a fortune.
Inflation, and Supply and Demand.
They will destroy any economy, there needs to be a ceiling for all of this, otherwise as prices increase, money in the server would have to somehow be increased. Otherwise people in Jeuno shouting something along the lines of:
"(Leaping Boots} (Do you need it?) (/tell) <me> 5,000,000"
It will get that bad if we let it. There is something that the supply/demand chart has.
There's more to it.
There is Price/Demand/Supply. All are very reliant on each other.
It comes down to a chart.
|.
|..\..../ <-- Price
|...\../
|....\/
|..../\
|.../..\
|../....\
|./......\
|/........\ <-- Demand
L____________
Now, as the graph (poorly) Illustrates, as Price goes up, Demand goes down. This is a basic thought about how the economy works.
There will be something called "Equilibrium" where things will be equal. Price = Demand (In a graphical sense). The price will be high enough that Demand will be enough that the price will be at maximum so they make the most money.
So, as price goes up, demand goes down.
Or, as price goes down, demand goes up.
This is something that's sometimes applied.
The only problem with this, as it's a virtual economy, it's more like this.
__________ <- Top bar - Demand
|...../
|..../
|.../ <- Price
|../
|./
|/
L-----------
Kind of hard to put on a graph, but as Price goes up, Demand remains the same. Everyone wants it, and will do what's needed to obtain it.
In order to keep the prices lower there has to be someone (or someones) willing to say "Ok, this is wrong."
You can say it, and rant and rave, but it's not going to get your work done for you.
I've talked about this before, but people are more focused on themselves, when a group effort is needed.
You could always do something along the lines of Not buying it (Boycotting, I believe).
Making your own, or set the price yourself. You and your friends go ahead and buy it for 37k. You then sell it back a lot lower price, to yourself, or someone in your LS or something. The price will instantly sell, as it's the lowest there is.
Once you've flooded the "Price History" List with you selling the item at XX Price, people should see it, and assume that it's the price that's now being used as the main focal price.
Might not always work, but worth a try. You'd even get your money back from your LS mates if you did it with them.
There are a lot of ways to do what you are asking, but if takes a community effort. No better way than to say "Everyone, Ragnarok as a whole has to do something."
This game is a MMORPG for a reason, it's supposed to be a group effort to get things done. 1 man can do something, but a lot can change the world ;)