17 replies to this topic

[Pacific]

Price gouging unfortunately is part of real-world business. I say let it stay.

Stagecoach, a bus company in the UK is probably the most notorious. They ran paralell routes to their competitors at triple frequency for free until the competition went bust. Only then did they charge fares.

They also mimicked the timetables of the competition and used unmarked double deckers to block their busses so that the Stagecoach vehicle stays ahead, thus picking up all the passengers.

Sad but true.

[Edited on 6/7/2005 by Pacific]

[drv4truk]

Sorry, but it is the market. It is fair or not fair depending on how you look at it. They are hoping to push everyone away so they can take over that route. Consider the way airlines have fair wars. They may make very little or even lose money on a route just to compete with the competition. But, in the RW, airlines receive some compensation from hotels, car rentals, etc. if they bring in the people. Unfortunately you do not get this benefit, so you will have to live with it.

[doug_Or]

I had suggested previously forceing airlines into bankruptcy. If airilnes were out of cash and creidt, losing money on a monthly basis, their assests would be liquidated. That way competition killers and idle airlines won't hurt active and honest players.

[Chicken]

Dear 737NGCapt. One feature that I like in this game, and one that I hope never goes away, is figuring out how to successfully compete with maniacs and idiots, in addition to figuring out how to successfully compete with brilliant strategical and tactical airline thinkers.

If I wanted to only play against "normal" competition, I would play something like Airline Tycoon, where the computer is pre-programmed to perfrom in a certain way. Once I figure out that logic, I can always win.

Competing against maniacs and idiots is different. Do I wait for them to self destruct? Do I try to accelerate the process? Do I try to "help" them, so I can assist them in annoying someone else? Do I just ignore them? Do I intentionally avoid them? Do I become one of them? Do I become one of them and join them?

So, 737NGCapt, if you honestly expect me to stand by and do nothing while you build you empire uninterrupted, well, I am sorry, but that will never happen. I may ignore you, I may fight you, I may join you, but I will never stand by and do nothing. I do not expect my fellow competitors to do the same, and I would be disappointed if they did.

[Sunshine Airways CEO]

because there is no real bankruptcy atm, some people decide to do that to anger some of the people actually playing the game.

[Chicken]

...some people decide to do that to anger some of the people actually playing the game.

My friend, the fact that I inhale is going to anger some of the people actually playing the game (and it does not bother me at all).

And I hope "actually playing the game" is more than getting planes, getting gates, and scheduling planes. That is boring.

No, I like the competition, no matter what form it takes. If it is temporary, bad, silly, real, good, tough, even cheating - I like it. It makes me think, makes me look for a better way, and makes my Airline Empire better.

And if someone gets angry, well, don't get angry, get even. And getting even takes many forms. For example, last game before the reset, some "idiots" had entered the BWI-LGA market, and were offering about 100 flights per day at $0. I put one plane on that route, set my fare to $40, and waited for them to go away. As long as my fare was $40, they were not going to make much money on that route. At the end, I was making about $2000 per day on that market, and with 11 slots at both BWI and LGA, it had to be a money loser, but I believe it was the best thing to do.

So, please do not take away my ability to fight idiots. They definitely make the game more interesting.

[Mexicana757]

I agree with what Mr. Chicken says. Fight back these people the best way you can think of. I too have had to fly routes where someone decides to come and dump the price. I kept flyin on my route, even though I was losing.

Many people will do this to drive others of the route so they can get the gates.

[Jevans19]

Originally posted by doug_Or
I had suggested previously forceing airlines into bankruptcy. If airilnes were out of cash and creidt, losing money on a monthly basis, their assests would be liquidated. That way competition killers and idle airlines won't hurt active and honest players.

I think this is a great idea, and I think it should be put to use. I know some people are douche bags and want to ruin it for others (please don't flame me, Chicken) by charging fares that they won't make any money with. I mean if you're going to try to make money, you don't need to have a $400 cheaper fare than your competition, hell, $25 works for me.

[Chicken]

If anyone flames me, I will be Flame Grilled Chicken.

[botachelli]

No chicken, you are just being competitive. They don't understand

Jorge
JetBuc Airlines

[drv4truk]

I agree with Chicken. It does provide for an interesting challenge. Either deal with it or you can move on, which is exactly what they want you to do. They are not making any money.

One thing that might help is after going so far in the red, an airline should automatically go bankrupt. That would help fend off those that set it up and forget it. Maybe $30M or more. I know I just came out of the red from $23M after ordering planes, so it should be low enough not to effect those that are actually working our airlines.

[Sunshine Airways CEO]

once a companies liabilities exceede their assets (company has negative net worth) they are bankrupt. Just that bankruptcy has not been added to the game yet.

especially when the signup was open, new airlines would pop up flying max freq at $1 or $0. very annoying.

[ziliu]

Originally posted by Jevans19

Originally posted by doug_Or
I had suggested previously forceing airlines into bankruptcy. If airilnes were out of cash and creidt, losing money on a monthly basis, their assests would be liquidated. That way competition killers and idle airlines won't hurt active and honest players.

I think this is a great idea, and I think it should be put to use. I know some people are douche bags and want to ruin it for others (please don't flame me, Chicken) by charging fares that they won't make any money with. I mean if you're going to try to make money, you don't need to have a $400 cheaper fare than your competition, hell, $25 works for me.

I second the motion (or maybe it should be third??? ). There are way too many "idle" airlines which aren't seen after. But at the same time, if a player is deliberately dumping prices, knows it, does it in order to (somehow) gain either short or long term financial advantages, and really looks after the airline I would agree with Chicken. This is the way a market economy works, and it is an apect of Ae that makes it much more flexible and enjoyable.

[Edited on 6/8/2005 by ziliu]