Reevaluate prices of mechanics materials

[MetaHatter]

Assurance: Have you read through the rules from the README.md file in the root folder of this GitHub repository? Yes

Summary: Write a summary of what your suggestion is about. Adjust the buy prices of items in the mechanic computers to dissuade turning away customers when the mechanic is "out of scrap". A Critical Repair, missing 4 doors as it currently stands, if using computer prices, would cost $3000 for the materials alone.

Suggested prices Reason Scrap $150->$75 Scrap is used a LOT. One door is 2 scrap. VERY minor damage is 1 scrap. Aluminum $200->$125 Aluminum is not used often but is still WAY too expensive Steel $250->$200 Steel isn't used that often as it's for engine damage. Glass $80 ->$50 Glass breaks a LOT and is often scuffed, requiring multiple repairs to "fix" it. Rubber $300->$25 Would you pay over $1200 for 4 tires?

In addition to this, the cost to retrieve a vehicle should also be looked at/increased (perhaps progressively). $250 to lake a vehicle and get it back is... well... why even bother repairing it?

Reason: Why would your suggestion be a good change to the framework? Currently there is a major issue with repair material availability when players are not selling. Prices in the mechanic computers are insanely high for certain materials causing people to simply turn away repairs or recommending they just lake their car and retrieve it. Adjusting these prices would incentivize people to get their car fixed, help mechanics stay open and increase character interaction.

If the objective is to get more people to sell scrap to players, reducing the buy prices at the NPC warehouses would likly be more effective as there is a ceiling to what people will spend for repairs.

[CloudTheWolf]

I agree that the prices on the computer should change however feel the prices suggested are still not viable.

I would suggest the following based of Flywheels / Harmony Buying and Repair Costs: (Would be worth getting other mechanic feedback as well)

Scrap: Warehouse $40, Mechanic: $50, Computer: $65, Repair Cost: $75 Aluminium: Warehouse $60, Mechanic $70, Computer $90, Repair Cost: $100 Steel: Warehouse $75, Mechanic $90, Computer $115, Repair Cost: $125 Glass: Warehouse $30, Mechanic $35, Computer $38, Repair Cost: $40 Rubber: Warehouse $10, Mechanic $12 Computer $13, Repair Cost: $15

Note, Rubber seems to be an odd material, due to how unused it is. It would require both a reduced warehouse value, as well as an increased repair cost by mechanics to be a viable material

These changes would:

1) Make using the computer a viable option when running out of materials while it's busy but still making it more cost effective to buy from other players.

2) Make using rubber to repair wheels viable. Potentially meaning it gets used instead of a repair kit.

[AdeptCL]

If you decrease the prices of the computer too much, people will not reach out to people to buy materials. They will just use the computer. This is the reason the prices were increased in the first place.

However, if you make the prices too low, the suppliers will also just sell at the warehouse(s) as they are able to gain more. The prices that @CloudTheWolf provided are pretty balanced in my opinion.

If I remember, I will use one of my more broken vehicles and evaluate what the cost would be using Cloud's prices and post it here later on in the day. Unless someone is able to provide information before.

[CloudTheWolf]

@AdeptCL this is the Cost to Buy / Price of repair based of Harmony prices based on common repairs I have done, and adding 1 door replacement which includes a 1 window.

Calculation includes profit to mechanic using all player purchased vs all computer purchased materials using the proposed pricing, as well as current computer pricing

Buying From Player	Value	Amount	Total
Scrap Metal	$50	7	$350
Aluminium	$70	2	$140
Steel	$90	1	$90
Glass	$35	1	$35
Rubber	$10	0	$0
		Player makes $615
--------------------	-----	---------------------------	-----
Buying From Computer (Current)	Value	Amount	Total
Scrap Metal	$150	7	$1050
Aluminium	$200	2	$400
Steel	$250	1	$250
Glass	$80	1	$80
Rubber	$300	0	$0
		Mechanic Pays $1780
--------------------	-----	---------------------------	-----
Buying From Computer (Proposed)	Value	Amount	Total
Scrap Metal	$65	7	$455
Aluminium	$90	2	$180
Steel	$115	1	$115
Glass	$38	1	$38
Rubber	$13	0	$0
		Mechanic Pays $788
--------------------	-----	---------------------------	-----
Performing A Repair
Material	Price	Amount	Total
Scrap Metal	$75	7	$525
Aluminium	$100	2	$200
Steel	$125	1	$125
Glass	$40	1	$40
Rubber	$15	0	$0
	TOTAL	Mechanic makes $890
	Profit buying from player	$275
	Profit buying from computer (Currently)	$-890
	Profit buying from computer (Proposed)	$102

[MetaHatter]

As someone with hundreds upon hundreds of hours at the shop, Cloud's prices are ideal (I was going a touch higher intentionally).

Full disclosure, I also believe they should never have been raised. The mechanics never bought from the computers. It cut into their profits too much (as Cloud's example shows). I believe that, in fact, the reason people were having issues selling scrap back then was not due to demand but due to the dozens of divers flooding the supply. Mechs simply did not need to buy any more (and often joked about the dozens of people coming in asking if we wanted to buy scrap).

The opposite problem now exists. If there are no scrap sellers, mechanics simply just stay closed. It would COST them hundreds of dollars if matching "normal" repair pricing with computer mats.

The adjustments to delivery missions have now reduced the number of divers, and thus scrap supply, to a more reasonable level. The original problem of scrap sellers being unable to find buyers should no longer exist.

[AdeptCL]

The opposite problem now exists. If there are no scrap sellers, mechanics simply just stay closed. It would COST them hundreds of dollars if matching "normal" repair pricing with computer mats.

I agree, but the above is what I will argue. How we've done it, is essentially provide a stock house that allows us to avoid "shutting because there's no scrap". This is something that is tracked, but essentially, if a mechanic's stock goes nil, we can give them a boost based on the upkeeping of the stock for the house. So I do have to disagree that the higher prices have caused this as there are alternate ways to combat it.

[MetaHatter]

Agree there are alternatives to avoid the shutting down but it doesn't prevent the shutdowns from occurring. If the alternatives are too cumbersome, people will, and are, just finding other things to do.

[coalaura]

This has been done. Glass prices will also be worked on but for the most part this should be implemented

[Smolnisno]

So I wrote a whole statement on the prices being reduced not being a good choice which I will paste onto here but I just want retype that the idea of prices being reduced wasn't really a good thing to do because of how hard it is already to make money in the city and as someone who does scuba often this really affects me heavily as I can't spend countless hours diving in the city cause of real life work but I do dive when I can but the prices shouldn't have ever been changed I feel as if they should've left it how it was before. Especially with rubber as very few mechanics use it and most use basic repair kits so it make super pointless and literally I make negative or barely break even now when doing scuba tanks

Discord statement I made - all prices went down and rubber pricing went down hugely, and its like its already hard enough to make money in the city and scuba already takes 15min a tank and then the amount you collect was already reduced before too. It's as if the city doesn't even want us to make any money, because not all mechanics use rubber majority just use repair kits for tires so it being brought down from 50-40 to 8/ea. if the issue was cause mechanics weren't having enough mats then it should be fixed onto where scuba divers can still make enough profit from doing a tank and not just barely break even cause that won't change a thing. If anything it'll make people not want to even dive anymore because they won't always be guaranteed to make money from mechanics as they don't need mats all the time and they'll lose money if selling to warehouse spots.

[MetaHatter]

This is a single step of a multi-step balance review. The concerns you raise are valid and the needs of scuba divers are not being ignored. It's just a bad idea to change too many variables at once when balancing an economy. Let the rest of the pieces fall in place over the coming weeks before stressing too much.

[coalaura]

The idea of reducing rubber prices is to encourage mechanics to start using them over basic repair kits. Like MetaHatter said, we will be balancing the prices further, this is just a first draft to see how things go and what needs to be changed

[CloudTheWolf]

@Smolnisno this was more to balance the buying side of materials rather than cause issues for players selling, hence why the value is higher than what mechanic pay for from other players but bellow what mechanics charge for a repair

From a mechanic perspective this now prevents having to refuse service or even close when running out of scrap or other materials as they can use the computer to buffer while they wait for someone to come with stock to sell. Most, and I suspect all, mechanics like to keep a 750 storage vehicle such as the Rumpo full of materials. Some even like to have 2 so they can rotate between emptying one while buying materials to fill the other.

[Smolnisno]

As I do agree with the statements made, I do have to point out that the main focus for me is the rubber as that is still a huge decrease and I have even confirmed with other mechanics that they mainly use only repair kits for tires and never buy rubber so as for the time I can respect and be patient. On the other mats being balanced which is fine but for rubber that's an issue I can see growing fast . As well I wanna point out that with this decrease in price has made people who cant work life invader jobs do not wanna dive anymore to make extra cash and that is gonna make a issue for mechanics but for me I will be patient and await the results but I will speak for others and observe how the city reacts as I am one that dive often as well. thank you very much for the responses.