Can someone please tell me how fighter and shield prices are determined. Does it depend on the age of the game? At some point to they reach a max/min value and then start back in the other direction?

They depend on the current date. They cycle between a min and a max value, the price changing by 2 credits each day. They spend several days at each the highest and the lowest prices. Figs max/min are 139/160. I think shields are 111 and 189, but don't recall for certain right off hand.

Umm, that's not right. Figs go from 160 to around 240 I believe. the 160 I am sure about, but the 240 is just a guess. Also, the 2 credits per day isn't real exact. It's on a sine curve so in the middle (like, fig price of 200) it changes more quickly, and at the extremes it changes more slowly. I think someone charted the prices over the course of a year or something, and as I recall it takes about 3 months to do the full cycle, but I'm not completely sure about that part.

Edited: the answer is posted here: http://www.eisonline.com/twforum/topic. ... C_ID=12069

Cherokee's logic is flawless...

I used to remember a DOS program called "The Gizmo" or something that could calculate shield and fig prices. It claimed that the Universe "breathed" and it was predictable as they figured out the formula used by Tradewars to set the prices. I think it could also predict port prices, Hump Day Specials, and other things.

quote:Originally posted by Cherokee-TLTT

Umm, that's not right. Figs go from 160 to around 220 I believe. the 160 I am sure about, but the 220 is just a guess. Also, the 2 credits per day isn't real exact. It's on a sine curve so in the middle (like, fig price of 190) it changes more quickly, and at the extremes it changes more slowly. I think someone charted the prices over the course of a year or something, and as I recall it takes about 6 months to do the full cycle, but I'm not completely sure about that part.

Err, I meant 239. As to the sine curve, I never really noticed. Everytime I've been checking, it seems to be 2/day, but I've never really looked too closely at it. Thanks for the info

If anyone knows for sure, please let me know so I can write a function to chart it out. I am even willing to share it with other TW Helper authors.

The Reverend made a script like that a couple years back and it slowly went out of synch with the fig/shield cycle. I lost my copy due to a HD crash but it was still useful running it to compare current prices against what they would be in selected number of days.
Just had to compare it against whether prices were going up or down.

Figuring prices on a given date isn't particularly useful. The bottom line is, if you need figs RIGHT NOW, then it doesn't matter what they cost, go buy them. If you don't need them right now (i.e. you know you control most of the resources and nobody can invade you)... then save your cash in a citadel and earn the interest. Even if figs are at 160, and are about to start rising, it pays off to save your cash... because the 2% daily interest you earn in a citadel is greater than the percent increase in fig prices. The most fig prices ever change is about 1.5% per day.

A little math for those of you who don't get it....

I have 1,000,000 in my citadel at noon today, and figs cost 183 each. I could buy 5,464 figs.

If I wait one day, until noon tomorrow, and fig prices go to 186, I would have 1,020,000 in my citadel, and could buy 5,483 figs.

Ohh, by the way, I've done a little research, and discovered that the period for a complete fig/shield cycle is approximately 88 days... 44 days from top to bottom, and 44 days back. Prices stay at the minimum and maximum for about 5 or 6 days, then slowly start changing... following a sine curve. Also, prices are displayed in whole numbers, but when you go to buy figs, you are charged based on a formula... so even though you have 160,000 credits, and figs are listed at 160, you might not be able to buy exactly 1,000... you might only get 996 or something.

Check out my new Fig Price Calculator at http://tavern.homeip.net/TWGS/fig_prices.cfm

Thanks for the info.

Impressive Cherokee. Anyone know the effects that this has when you sell a ship with figs? Does the buy-back price follow the same curve?

I think they buyback price is static. There was a problem a few versions back about that static number being too high and allowing unlimited credits with low fig prices, and that number was lowered. 140 pops into mind, but I'm not certain.

quote:Originally posted by Harley Nuss (teamEIS)

I think they buyback price is static. There was a problem a few versions back about that static number being too high and allowing unlimited credits with low fig prices, and that number was lowered. 140 pops into mind, but I'm not certain.



Yea, That's what jp said that he did..

I think it's a bit lower than that, seems like 120ish ??

Someone wanna go find out? LOL